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Passing by on the other side?

Child Protection and the Church - what can you do about it?

by Sigurd Reimers, 2 September 2007. (Final part in a series of 3)

 

 

Child protection is everyone’s business. Children cannot be kept safe just by the experts or their families.

 

How might I come across abuse?

A child, young person or adult may tell you about something dangerous that has happened. This may be of a physical, sexual, or emotional nature. You might see signs of harm on a child’s arms, legs or head. Or you may notice that a child or teenager has changed a lot recently in a worrying way, but without any clear reason for this. You don’t have to be an expert on these things, but if you keep your concerns to yourself, then maybe no-one else is going to notice. Try not to panic, listen carefully (they may say it only once), and don’t ask lots of questions. Never dismiss your concerns as trivial.

 

Who can I get in touch with?

If there is an immediate danger to a child or adult, any member of the public should contact the Police.

 

If there isn’t, but the situation sounds serious, then contact Social Services straightaway (08453 459166). They are based in County Hall and operate a 24 hour system. It’s useful if you have written down beforehand what you have observed or heard, so that you can give a clear account.

 

If you aren’t sure, then speak to the Diocesan Child Protection Adviser (01749 685135) for advice. Children can also get in touch with ChildLine directly (0800 1111).

 

What if I’m wrong?

Providing you are only reporting what you honestly observed or heard, there should be no problem. Sometimes later information shows that there is a perfectly acceptable explanation for the concern, but you may not know about that at the time. What is more likely to happen is that the authorities will now have a better grasp of earlier concerns that they hadn’t been able to investigate until you gave them that vital clue.

 

Will it be confidential?

As a member of the public you are allowed to have your identity protected, although there is often a better outcome if the family can know who has reported a concern. Parents can get angry or upset if concerns are reported, but any risk to you is very low.

 

What do the authorities do?

After getting the basic information from you, they will discuss possible lines of action with you. If it sounds like a serious and urgent matter, after checking whether the family are known to the police, a social worker will probably visit the home and investigate the concern. Depending on the attitude of the parents, they may put the family in touch with support agencies, if the main problem is one of family stress. Alternatively they may take action by placing the children’s names on a Child Protection Register, or, in a very few and dangerous cases, will seek help from the courts and remove the children from home.

 

	Read Part 1 of this series
	Read Part 2 of this series

 

Sigurd Reimers is a family therapist, and Appointed Person for Child Protection at St. Andrew's Taunton. This is the third of three articles on Child Protection.

 

View St. Andrew's Church Child Protection Policy

 

ChildLine is the free helpline for children and young people in the UK. If you need some advice or just want to talk call Childline on 0800 1111 at any time, or visit their website at http://www.childline.org.uk/

 

If you are an adult and worried about a child call the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on 0808 800 5000, or visit http://www.nspcc.org.uk

 

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