Information for Professionals

Whatever your professional role, you play an important part in protecting children and young people in West Dunbartonshire. As a professional, you have the following responsibilities: 

  • to be aware of your organisation’s child protection policies and procedures
  • to be alert to indicators of concern in children and young people you come into contact with
  • to respond to concerns you have about a child by acting in accordance with your organisation’s procedures.

If you suspect a child or young person may be at risk of harm, you have a duty to report this following your organisations procedures.   You should do so without delay either to your line manager, to Social Work Services or to the Police.

It is important that children and young people are listened to and taken seriously when they tell adults what is happening to them. The most important things to remember are -

  • To listen
  • To explain to the child/young person that you will require to pass the information on in order that they get the help and support they need
  • To pass on the information given to you by the child/young person timeously

In some instances, you may notice a child or young person has an injury which causes you to be concerned.  In these circumstances,

  • It is ok to ask a child what happened, and allow them to tell you without being interrupted or questioned further
  • Explain to the child/young person that you need to pass the information on so they get the help and support they need
  • Pass on the information given to you by the child/young person timeously to your line manager or Social Work Services

Remember; it is important that you do not make promises you cannot keep; for example if a child asks you not to tell anyone else, you cannot agree to this.

Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse a child by inflicting, or by failing to prevent, harm to a child:

  • emotional abuse is persistent emotional neglect or ill treatment of a child causing severe and lasting adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. ‘Persistent’ means there is a continuous or intermittent pattern which has caused, or is likely to cause, significant harm
  • neglect consists in persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, which is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. There can also be single instances of neglectful behaviour that cause significant harm. Neglect can arise in the context of systemic stresses such as poverty, and is an indicator of support needs
  • physical abuse is the causing of physical harm to a child or young person
  • child sexual abuse is an act that involves a child under 16 in any activity for the sexual gratification of another, whether or not it is claimed that the child either consented or assented. For those who may be victims of sexual offences aged 16-17, child protection procedures should be considered; and must be applied when there is concern child about sexual exploitation or trafficking

Domestic abuse is any form of physical, verbal, sexual, psychological or financial abuse which might amount to criminal conduct and which takes place within the context of a relationship. The relationship may be between partners (married, cohabiting, in a civil partnership or otherwise), or ex-partners. The abuse may be committed in the home or elsewhere, including online. Domestic abuse includes degrading, threatening and humiliating behaviour predominantly by men and predominantly towards women. It is a gendered crime and is underpinned by attitudes and inequalities between men and women that continue to be prevalent in society. It may be committed in the home or elsewhere; and may include online activity. There is significant evidence of links between domestic abuse and emotional, physical and sexual abuse of children, and children themselves can experience domestic abuse as ‘coercive control’ of the whole family environment, not just of their mother.

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