“Safeguarding” - the most overused and misunderstood term ever?

[Notcontent]

I think seems to pop up everywhere.
There was a strange thread the other day where the OP though there was a “safeguarding” issue because her elderly FIL said to someone that he didn’t know who she was.
And just now read another thread where someone said that they had received a letter from the school about not having mixed sex sleepovers due to safeguarding issues.

Obviously there are specific requirements that apply in schools, etc. But otherwise the term is being banded about in quite a ridiculous way...

Interestingly I have had to read a document for a Governors meeting and it is called "Keeping Children Safe in Education", which is about safeguarding.

I assume crossing the road could fall within this if a parent of 4yo thought it was ok for their child to make their way to and from school which involved crossing main roads by themselves, without teaching their child road safety, or taking into account any risks.

I don’t think it’s any more overused than it should be. People will always misuse words, but I’d rather see people report suspicions under the assumption that there’s a SG issue, than to potentially turn a blind eye to abuse. I have very thorough and regular safeguarding training as part of my work, and have to put it into practice daily. I come across some shocking situations, and I certainly wish that more and more people would familiarise themselves with what could be a safeguarding issue. What we are always told during training, is that safeguarding is actually everyone’s responsibility. Every member of the public, not just ours, and/or if we were to know of something happening outside of our roles, we still have to notify police or SS etc. Same would be expected from any random person, but obviously people need to made aware of and to understand what constitutes abuse, or a safeguarding issue. I can’t find the thread about the person inviting homeless people into their home while they have kids there. If I was the child’s teacher and they told me about this, I would raise it as a safeguarding concern. Also, to the dicks being dicks and telling pp to “go do admin”, etc. ......well, you’re dicks.

@rudezebra wow your user name is certainly appropriate.
You do come across very arrogant and very rude.

Sandra with the o level in typing may be a very warm and kind lady, who notices something is up with a child, or even be who a child discloses to.

She may not be an expert social worker/child welfare professional, but she may be someone who knows the school, knows the children. Expert knowledge does not have to be in a professional capacity, it can also come from years of doing the job and knowing the children and families.

I see that you were making the point that people with a small amount of training may use the term without fully understanding, but your sweeping statements are derogatory towards those who work alongside our children and the contribution they make to their welfare.

I think you are disgraceful to undermine people in admin/support type roles the way that you are doing. Shame on you.

I assume crossing the road could fall within this if a parent of 4yo thought it was ok for their child to make their way to and from school which involved crossing main roads by themselves, without teaching their child road safety, or taking into account any risks.

You are quite right... that would definitely be an indicator of neglect... in this case not meeting the child’s need to be safe...

I would hear this word a lot from the various professionals who came to my home after my twins were born.

I still don’t know what it really means :/

Due to my twins being in NICU for four months we had two Hospital Continual Care Nurses, Oxygen Nurse (for DD), various Heath Visitors and Social Services in an ‘outreach’ capacity, when they were finally able to come home.

When the various professionals saw we had cats “safeguarding”, because DH smokes (he had cut himself down from heavy smoking to 3 a day and NEVER near the twins) “safeguarding” - okay I thought these two were pretty fair due to us basically having to prove we weren’t complete morons who would put our little ones at risk like that... but then when I said I was dropping the night feed for my son because he simply didn’t want it anymore “safeguarding” was brought up, when I made the decision to take my twins to clinic to be weighed rather than having my home invaded by umpteen different HV’s “safeguarding”, when I said I wanted to begin weaning my twins onto solids (after being advised to do so by their hospital nutritionist) “safeguarding”...

So basically it’s now so stuck in my head for the word they used whenever they had a mild concern as well as any genuine ones... and if I hear that word directed at me now I immediately get defensive :/

I really, really don't think it is that hard to understand. I have a job in a school as it useful for term time hours etc but I also have a Master's degree and worked in the most prestigious central government office you can think of, delivering presentations on understanding certain legislation. I am certainly more capable than some I meet on a daily basis.

I am considered 'support staff' but I am highly qualified professional.

Safeguarding is a technical term and involves risk of abuse

From keeping children safe in education.
'2. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility.
Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play. In
order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all practitioners should make sure their
approach is child-centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in
the best interests of the child.

1. No single practitioner can have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances.

If children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.

1. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the purposes of

this guidance as: • protecting children from maltreatment • preventing impairment of children’s health or development • ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care • taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

1. Children includes everyone under the age of 18.'

I agree it can be overused however Safeguarding splits into many categories including health and safety, prevent etc.

It gets mixed up with Child Protection - which is NOT the same thing.

Thank you! I just knew whenever I heard the word I felt like I was a failure and what with being caught up in a flurry of finally being able to raise my twins at home, caring for a baby on oxygen and the after effects of high stress whilst both of them were in the NICU - I never read up on it (should have but eventually just accepted it as part of their vernacular)

Thankfully the various professionals have signed off on our case now because they saw that there were measures taken to keep the kitties away from the babies (except when we had monitored time together to introduce them) and DH managed his goal of quitting smoking one month after the twins were discharged, other than that we slowly but surely just proved that we weren’t useless and that there was nothing to worry about :)

the word they used whenever they had a mild concern

^^This sums up why it's so overused.

I work for the police and the amount of people who use the word in this context does my bloody swede in.

The word might be over used however I've been told to report any concern because each incident adds to the bigger picture and if something significant then gets disclosed or discovered you have supporting evidence to go with it, or just lots of pieces to a much bigger puzzle.

That child that comes to school hungry.
Reported by before school leader.
Same child that only has a piece of fruit in their lunch box
Report by lunchtime supervisor.
Same child that wears same dirty polo shirt all week
Reported by teacher
Same child found to have headline
Reported by TA
Same child saw going into an empty house after school
Reported by a neighbour.

Each safeguarding concern probably not significantly to child abuse but when put together could indicate neglect.

Peanut- when we did our last training with the police/Ss/county council, they presented us with about 10 scenarios, and most of us said yep, potential safeguarding issue. None of them were. Or would be considered to be. Then we did a whole other session on how to deal with the fact that all too often the word has become a catch all which is becoming as meaningless as the word "bully" is.
I think the main problem with the Pavlovian "it's a safeguarding issue!" is found on sites like this. When I see the phrase bandied about it is always but always by posters responding to a (presumably) parent asking "is school right about X" I always then assume the writer has no idea what safeguarding is. When others reply no it isn't, I assume they have had at least a minimum of training.
Most SI are flagged TO schools but ABOUT other places.
And of course ALL doubts should be flagged. So that the authorities can get a full picture in order to discount a SI or take it further.
I also firmly believe that a lot of schools get it wrong.
The same sex sleepover is a very strange one. Even "armed with more information" about the individual children involved, I'd say a school was on very dodgy ground there. What are they actually saying when you think about it...my daughter regularly sleeps at her male cousin's house for example- Am I about to be "flagged"? Are they sending the letter to every parent in the school? Thus publicly letting the all the parents know/believe that Mr and Mrs X whose daughter invites her best friend Bill for a sleepover are involved in/condoning the abuse of Bill...Or has Mumsnet effectively just informed the internet at large that somewhere there is a school which chooses to flag possible SI by sending letters home to specific children's parents that they think may be involved in a scenario such as Bill's.
Either way, the school needs a bit of retraining on how to go about dealing with SI. Real or perceived.

Think they more envisaging the mass mixed sleepover with alcohol thrown in scenario rather than family sleepover scenario.