People ask me what they can do to ensure we all do our best for safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults.
First we must meet and listen to various citizens and groups –
• Victims & survivors of abuse and violence, including self-help groups
• Nurses, midwives, medics & practitioners about their experiences and concerns of dealing with victims & perpetrators of abuse
• Other Government Department safeguarding leaders – Department of Health & Social Care; The Home Office; The Department of Education; The Health in the Justice Service
• Lessons from Child Death, Serious Case & Domestic Homicide Review panels
Next we need to make sure we have fully understood the vast range of national & international regulations on the various safeguarding programmes, such as –
• Child Protection Reforms, due August 2018 • Looked After Children (LAC)
• Child Protection Information Sharing (CP-IS)
• Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSA/E)
• Adult Safeguarding for Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberties (DoLs)
• Domestic Abuse and Violence (DAV)
• Prevent (anti-radicalisation)
• Gangs and County Lines violence
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• Modern Slavery
• Adult and child safeguarding training recommendations
Sadly, despite everyone’s best efforts, most of the nasty moments noted above are still increasing.
We have created the following web link to support you find out more https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/safeguarding/Today Friday 15th June #purplesummer is having their annual campaign to raise awareness of all types of child abuse.
1:5 children will be affected by a safeguarding issue before they are 16 years old and that most adults with learning difficulties or mental health issues will need safeguarding protection, and so our final needs to be system leaders -
• implement a robust range of guidance, protocol & policies across our NHS & health system
• make sure that best practice safeguarding processes are implemented for every citizen, family and community
• every clinician & carer routinely considers safeguarding being at the heart of the NHS & health system
• ensure that all our NHS & health care staff are treated as citizens in their own right, as well as being employees.
We have designed an app to support clinicians, carers and citizens http://www.myguideapps.com/nhs_safeguarding/default/
No-one can do safeguarding alone and so we need to collaborate with many others to build a social movement via social media – #NHSSafeguarding #ListenBelieveDoSomething #WeCanWeMustWeWill
Why not join us and together we will stop abuse, violence or neglect to children, young people, adults, families and communities