Explain the term child protection within the wider context of Safeguarding: Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. Effective child protection is essential as part of wider work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. However, all agencies and individuals should aim to proactively safeguard and promote the welfare of children so that the need for action to protect children from harm is reduced. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:
•Protecting children from maltreatment
•Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
•Ensuring children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
Child protection promotes safety and welfare as well as protecting children when abuse or neglect happens. Safeguarding a child is ensuring that they have the opportunity to achieve their true potential and have the right to be protected from abuse (physical, emotional or sexual), neglect or exploitation from anyone including professionals working with them. This is a much more holistic approach and is centred around the child’s needs, it is designed to prevent harm rather than just react once it has occurred.
Safeguarding is an integral part of our everyday activities: wearing ID badges to identify ourselves; not putting ourselves at risk to possible complaints when dealing with children, i.e., getting changed themselves or by having other adults around if you must assist them; signing in/out at the work premises; anyone in contact with children are enhanced CRB checked; to ensuring we comply with current legislation - Every Child Matters, Human Rights, H&S at work, Data Protection etc.
