305.3.3

[nickyrobbo86]

I need to hand this in tomorrow and ive been banging my head against the wall for the past hour, my work has been marked but when it went off for iv it came back saying i need to add more depth to my answer, any suggestions? heres what i wrote:

If a child is being abused it can be very difficult to recognise, especially when it doesn't involve physical abuse. The most common factors to look out for in a child are:

• Becoming withdrawn from the group and wanting to spend time alone.
• Wanting to dress/undress themselves in private.
• Jumping or cowering when you go near them.
• Becoming very emotion for no apparent reason.
• Having unusual marks on their body.
• Using sexual language inappropriate for their age.
• If the child has bad hygiene problems.

These are just some of the factors that you can look out for but as practitioners we should trust our judgement and tell someone if we feel a child is being abused.

[akel1111]

Try spitting your answer into the 4 catergories of abuse; sexual, physical, neglect and emotional. Then under each catergory write notes on what you might see the child do, hear the child say, notice how the child acts, actual physical marks on thechild, and how parent and child interact. Finally say what actions you would take.

For example:
Neglect
The child might be smelly, unwashed, tired (no set bedtimes, bed dirty or wet)
Infrequent attender at school (no one gets the child up to attend or parents don't bother to take child to school)
Untreated medical conditions
Hunger, stealing or scavenging for food.
Malnutrition or extreme thinness
Delays in speech (parents do not interact with child)
no boundaries (child will not be aware of appropriate/inappropriate behaviour)
Ill fitting or inappropriate clothing.

Possible Causes
Mental health problems in parents
Alcohol/substance abuse in parents
Extreme poverty (often in this case the neglect may not be altogether intentional)
Extreme learning difficulties in parents

Actions you might take
Report to your senior
Discuss in confidence with your team
Observe and note
Discuss with social services
Referral to social services
It is considered good practice to discuss your concerns with the parent but NEVER in the case of suspected sexual abuse or if you fear for your , your team's or children's safety ( e.g. a parent may become violent)

Level 3 NVQ handbook

Hope this helps
Ann