Understanding Safeguarding Concerns and How to Address Them

Safeguarding is a major concern in schools, care settings, and communities across the UK, with growing worries about the safety and well-being of vulnerable people. Recent data shows how serious these issues are. A 2023 survey of over 8,000 teachers and school leaders found that 93% saw an increase in safeguarding reports, and 87% noticed more cases of neglect.

In adult safeguarding, Plymouth experienced a 50.7% rise in referrals from 2018-2023, though the number of cases addressed went down by 35.2%.

Child protection is also worrying. By 2023, almost 50,000 children in England were on child protection plans, with similar numbers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

These numbers show the growing challenge of protecting vulnerable people and highlight the need for constant awareness and action to keep everyone safe, especially those at risk. This guide is here to explain safeguarding concerns and offer practical steps to address them, whether in schools, care homes, or the wider community.

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What Are Safeguarding Issues?

Safeguarding issues are situations where children or vulnerable people might be at risk of harm, abuse, or neglect. These issues can happen in places like schools, hospitals, or care centers.

They involve things that could hurt someone physically, emotionally, sexually, or mentally.

Some examples of safeguarding issues include:

• Child abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual)
• Neglect (not giving basic needs like food, shelter, or care)
• Bullying (hurting someone physically or verbally)
• Online safety risks (cyberbullying or harmful online content)
• Mental health problems (like depression, anxiety, or self-harm)
• Exploitation (such as child labor, trafficking, or grooming)
• Health and safety risks (dangerous environments or injuries)

These issues need to be addressed right away to keep people safe and protected. Handling them properly helps make sure everyone is in a safe and caring environment.

Why Solving Safeguarding Issues is So Important?

Keeping students safe is very important for schools. When there are problems that could harm students, the school must step in to fix them.

Solving safeguarding concerns is important because it:

• Protects students from harm: Schools need to make sure students are safe from things like bullying, abuse, and neglect. Solving safeguarding problems helps keep them from getting hurt.
• Creates a positive learning environment: When students feel safe, they can focus on their studies and do their best in school. Addressing these issues helps make school a better place.
• Protects students’ rights: Every student has the right to be safe, healthy, and treated well. Safeguarding ensures these rights are respected.
• Builds trust with families: When parents see the school is serious about safety, they trust the school more and feel confident about sending their children there.
• Follows the law: Schools have to follow laws that protect students. Solving safeguarding problems helps schools obey these rules.

Solving safeguarding issues helps schools create a safe and supportive environment where students can learn and grow.

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Case Study [Amy]

Case Study Examples:

Amy’s Behavior Changes Amy, aged 8, used to be a cheerful and involved student. However, her teacher, Mrs. Khan, noticed a shift in her behaviour over a few weeks. Amy became withdrawn, anxious, and her schoolwork suffered. She also seemed tired all the time.

After talking with Amy, Mrs. Khan discovered that Amy’s parents were going through a difficult divorce, which caused a lot of conflict at home. This turmoil disrupted Amy’s daily routines, like having regular meals and bedtime, and affected her ability to concentrate in school.

Thanks to her training, Mrs. Khan documented her concerns and informed the safeguarding lead. The school then contacted children’s services. A social worker spoke with Amy’s parents about the situation, and they took steps to shield Amy from the worst of the conflict until things settled down.

Common Safeguarding Problems in Schools

Safeguarding problems in schools are things that can hurt or put students in danger. These problems include:

• Physical abuse: Unexplained bruises, cuts, or marks on a student’s body.
• Emotional abuse: Changes in how a student behaves, like being sad or upset a lot.
• Sexual abuse: Talking about or doing things that are not okay for their age.
• Neglect: Not having clean clothes, enough food, or proper care.
• Bullying and cyberbullying: Being teased, hurt, or bullied online.
• Mental health problems: Feeling very sad, worried, or hurting themselves.
• Radicalisation: Changing beliefs in a way that can be harmful, like joining bad groups.
• Child exploitation: Getting gifts or attention from older people in secret ways.
• Online dangers: Seeing bad stuff online or sharing too much personal information.
• Domestic violence: Signs that a student might be hurt at home.

Schools need to have good rules and actions to handle these problems, such as:

• Training staff to spot signs of harm.
• Clear ways to report problems or worries.
• Having a safeguarding lead (DSL) to manage safety efforts.
• Teaching students how to stay safe and healthy.
• Working with families and other helpers to support students.

By watching out for these issues and making safety a priority, schools can keep students safe and help them learn in a safe place.

Case Study: Jake’s Story [Click Here]

Case Study Example 2

Jake’s Suspicious Injuries During break time, the school caretaker found 6-year-old Jake crying alone on the playground. Jake had fresh bruises and a cut above his eye. When questioned, Jake gave inconsistent explanations about how he got hurt, mentioning falling downstairs at home.

Following safeguarding protocol, detailed notes were taken about Jake’s injuries, and the safeguarding lead was notified. Children’s services were called to look into possible physical abuse or neglect at home. After investigating, it was revealed that Jake’s father had a substance abuse problem and had acted violently. Authorities intervened to ensure Jake’s safety moving forward.

Through comprehensive safeguarding awareness, training, and procedures, schools can become safe spaces where all students are protected and can thrive. This requires a collective commitment and responsibility from all school staff. Strong safeguarding measures enable children to learn, grow, and achieve their full potential.

What are safeguarding issues in schools?

Before we go into explain the safeguarding issues in schools that student often experience, it is import we also list the safeguarding concerns in schools:

List of Safeguarding Issues or Concerns

 List of Common Safeguarding Concerns

1. Physical abuse

   – Hitting, slapping, pushing

   – Inappropriate restraint

   – Misuse of medication

2. Emotional or psychological abuse

   – Intimidation, humiliation, or verbal abuse

   – Threats of harm or abandonment

   – Isolation or withdrawal from services or support networks

3. Sexual abuse

   – Rape and sexual assault

   – Sexual harassment

   – Inappropriate looking or touching

   – Sexual teasing or innuendo

   – Sexual photography

   – Exposure to pornography or witnessing sexual acts

4. Neglect and acts of omission

   – Failure to provide access to appropriate health, care, and support services

   – Ignoring medical, emotional, or physical care needs

   – Withholding of necessities such as medication, adequate nutrition, and heating

5. Financial or material abuse

   – Theft

   – Fraud

   – Internet scamming

   – Coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements

6. Discriminatory abuse

   – Harassment based on protected characteristics (age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability)

   – Slurs or similar treatment

7. Organisational or institutional abuse

   – Neglect and poor care practice within an institution or care setting

   – Systematic poor practice throughout care provision

8. Self-neglect

   – Neglecting personal hygiene, health, or surroundings

   – Hoarding

9. Domestic abuse

   – Psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse

   – So-called ‘honor’ based violence

10. Modern slavery

    – Human trafficking

    – Forced labor

    – Domestic servitude

11. Radicalisation

    – The process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies

12. Child-specific concerns

    – Child sexual exploitation

    – Female genital mutilation (FGM)

    – Child trafficking

    – Bullying, including cyberbullying

13. Online abuse

    – Cyberbullying

    – Grooming

    – Sexual abuse online

    – Emotional abuse using digital technologies

14. Mate crime

    – When vulnerable people are befriended by members of the community who go on to exploit and take advantage of them

15. Forced marriage

    – When one or both spouses do not consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used

Remember, this list is not exhaustive, and new forms of abuse can emerge. Safeguarding is an evolving field that requires ongoing awareness and education.

Explanation on some

Here are explanations and examples for each of the safeguarding issues listed:

1. Physical Abuse

Physical abuse involves intentionally causing physical harm or injury to a child. Examples include hitting, shaking, burning, biting, kicking, or using objects to inflict pain.

Signs may include unexplained bruises, welts, fractures, or injuries that don’t match the given explanation.

2. Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse happens when a child is made to take part in sexual activities against their will. This can include things like rape, sexual assault, showing them inappropriate content, or making them touch someone in a sexual way.

Signs of sexual abuse may include knowing things about sex that are not normal for their age, physical signs like infections, or changes in their behaviour.

📌Learn how to support girls through our female genital mutilation (fgm) course and forced marriage course.

3. Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse involves actions that have an adverse effect on a child’s emotional development or self-worth.

Examples are constant criticism, threats, rejection, or causing a child to frequently feel frightened or in danger. Signs can include low self-esteem, developmental delays, or disturbed sleep/eating patterns.

4. Neglect

Neglect refers to persistently failing to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs like food, clothing, shelter, medical care, supervision, and affection.

Signs could be poor hygiene, inappropriate dress, being frequently tired or hungry, or untreated medical issues.

5. Physical Bullying and Harrassment

Bullying involves repeated behavior intended to hurt, intimidate or exclude someone, causing physical or emotional harm.

Examples are physical attacks, verbal taunts, social exclusion, or damaging belongings. Signs are physical injuries, anxiety, low self-esteem, or avoidance of certain situations.

6. Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying uses digital technology to bully, harass or intimidate. Examples are sending hurtful messages/images, creating embarrassing posts, or excluding someone online.

Signs are similar to in-person bullying like anxiety, low self-worth and avoidance.

Know how to identify and stop bullying and harrassment through our online anti bullying and harrassment course.

7. Inappropriate Online Content

Children may be exposed to inappropriate or explicit online content like pornography, extremely violent material, or content promoting harmful ideologies or behaviors.

Signs could include unexpected knowledge and disturbing search histories.

8. Online Predators

Online predators may attempt to build inappropriate relationships and groom children for sexual abuse or exploitation through gaming, social media and other online platforms. Signs are secretive online behaviors and concerning new interests.

9. Radicalisation

Radicalisation is the process of being groomed to support extremist ideological or religious beliefs that could lead to acts of terrorism. Signs may include increasingly extreme political or religious views. Book our Radicalisation online training today for £19.99.

10. Domestic Abuse

Children exposed to domestic abuse at home can suffer emotional trauma from witnessing or being caught up in violence between parents/caregivers. Signs are anxiety, aggression, withdrawal or attentiveness issues.

11. Mental Health Concerns

Students may experience issues like depression, anxiety disorders, self-harm, eating disorders, or suicidal thoughts. Signs could include mood swings, weight changes, self-injury and social withdrawal.

12. Drugs and Alcohol

Substance misuse puts children at risk of neglect, abuse and affects their health and development. Signs may include lethargy, mood changes, untidy appearance and deteriorating performance.

Check this helpful online drug and alcohol awareness course to learn more.

13. Gangs

Children involved in gang culture face risks like violence, crime, sexual exploitation and exposure to drugs. Signs are increased antisocial behavior, unexplained cash/belongings and associating with gang-affiliated individuals.

15. County Lines

County lines refers to urban gangs extending their drug dealing activity into smaller cities/towns by exploiting children to transport and sell drugs.

Signs are frequenting other areas, unexplained cash and going missing frequently.

Be a Safeguarding Hero: Book County Lines Training. Know how to spot the tricks used by County Lines criminals to take advantage of young people.

16. Modern Slavery

Human trafficking and forced labor exploits vulnerable people through coercion, abuse of power and deception. Signs could include signs of physical and emotional abuse, malnourishment and lacking personal belongings.

17. Missing Children

Children who repeatedly go missing from home or care may indicate risk of abuse, grooming, mental health struggles and putting themselves in dangerous situations while missing. Signs are frequently being absent from school.

How to report a Safeguarding Issues or Concerns

To report a safeguarding issue, follow these steps:

In an emergency: If someone is at immediate risk of harm, call 999 (or your local emergency number).

For non-emergency concerns:

• Contact your organisation’s Safeguarding Lead (DSL) if you have one.
• Call your local Adult Social Services (e.g., 0344 800 8020 for Norfolk).
• For concerns about children, call the NSPCC helpline at 0808 800 5000.
• For concerns about vulnerable adults, use the Ann Craft Trust helpline.

When reporting:

• Share as much detail as you can about what happened.
• Write down what you saw or heard, including dates and times.
• Follow your organisation’s safeguarding rules.

Do not:

• Try to handle the situation yourself or confront anyone.
• Destroy any evidence.
• Promise to keep the information secret.

After reporting:

• Help with any investigations or assessments that follow.
• Get support for yourself if you need it.

Remember, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. If you’re concerned, it’s important to report it quickly and accurately.

Fixing Safeguarding Issues in Schools, Care Homes and Community

Let Look at How Safeguarding Concerns Can be Fixed in Schools

To address safeguarding concerns in schools, use these strategies:

1. Create clear safeguarding policies: Develop simple, easy-to-follow rules that cover all areas of safeguarding, including smaller concerns.
2. Provide regular staff training: Make sure all staff get up-to-date training on spotting signs of abuse, neglect, and online dangers.
3. Appoint a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Choose someone responsible for making sure the safeguarding rules are followed and acting as the main contact for any concerns.
4. Check staff background carefully: Do full background checks, including DBS checks, on all staff and volunteers to ensure they are suitable to work with children.
5. Improve school security: Install safety measures like fences, gates, and CCTV to stop people from getting in without permission.
6. Keep track of student attendance: Regularly monitor attendance and report any concerns about missing students to the local authority.
7. Teach students about online safety: Educate students on how to stay safe online, including how to spot cyberbullying and ask for help when needed.
8. Support students’ mental health: Employ counselors and run programs to help with mental health issues.
9. Review safeguarding practices regularly: Regularly check and update safeguarding rules to make sure they meet the latest government guidelines.
10. Encourage open communication: Create a school culture where staff and students feel comfortable reporting any concerns.
11. Run programs to prevent problems: Offer workshops on resolving conflicts and teaching positive behaviour to stop issues before they happen.
12. Work with outside agencies: Collaborate with local authorities and other organisations to handle complex safeguarding problems.

By using these methods, schools can keep students safe and fix problems quickly.

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📌People Also Read: The 7 Golden Rules for Safe Information Sharing in Safeguarding.

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How can we fix Safeguarding Issues in care homes?

To deal with safeguarding issues in care homes, follow these steps:

1. Set up easy ways to report problems: Make sure everyone—staff, residents, and families—knows how to raise concerns. Protect anyone who reports issues.
2. Train staff properly: Regularly teach staff about safeguarding, how to report problems, and how to spot signs of abuse or neglect.
3. Check for risks: Regularly look for risks, such as falls, mistakes with medicines, or infection issues.
4. Follow the six safeguarding rules: Make sure practices focus on helping people, stopping harm before it happens, being fair, protecting residents, working together, and being responsible.
5. Keep clear records: Write down all safeguarding concerns and what has been done to sort them out.
6. Work with other agencies: Work with local councils, health services, and other groups to handle serious safeguarding issues.
7. Put the person first: Focus on what’s best for each resident, balancing their choices with keeping them safe.
8. Review and update rules often: Regularly check and improve safeguarding practices to keep up with the law and make sure they work.
9. Encourage staff to speak up: Create a safe space where staff can talk about worries and residents feel safe to report issues.
10. Protect personal information: Keep people’s personal information safe and make sure it’s shared securely when needed.

By following these steps, care homes can better protect vulnerable residents and make sure they are safe from harm.

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📌Helpful Post: Safeguarding Assessment Strategy for Care Workers.

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Fixing Safeguarding Concern for the Community

To help with safeguarding in the community, use these steps:

1. Ensuring Clear Policies and Guidelines: Create simple guideline to protect vulnerable people in the community.
2. Get People training: Make sure all staff, volunteers, and community members know how to spot signs of abuse or neglect.
3. Choose Safeguarding Leads: Pick people in charge of making sure the rules are followed and are the first to help with any concerns.
4. Raise awareness: Encourage everyone to believe that safeguarding problems can happen anywhere, so people are ready to spot problems early.
5. Build good relationships: Make strong links between community members, staff, and local services to improve support and communication.
6. Make reporting easy: Ensure everyone knows how to report problems and feels comfortable doing it.
7. Work with other services: Team up with local authorities, social services, and other groups to solve complex issues.
8. Check the rules often: Regularly review and update safeguarding rules to make sure they follow the latest laws and best practices.
9. Empower vulnerable people: Help people understand how to stay safe and encourage them to make their own choices.
10. Prevent problems: Act early to stop problems from becoming bigger issues.
11. Encourage open talks: Make a place where everyone feels safe to share concerns and ask for help.
12. Keep training staff: Give staff and volunteers regular training to improve their safeguarding skills.

Using these steps, communities can make sure vulnerable people stay safe and safeguarding concerns are solved.

Can Training Fix This?

Many safeguarding problems happen because people don’t know enough or aren’t aware of the signs. When people, whether in schools, at home, or in the community, don’t know how to spot problems or how to help, children might not be protected.

Aside from teaching people, having the courage to speak up will also help. See it, Say it, and get it sorted.

Training Schools about Safeguarding Concerns

Teaching people what to look for and how to act gives them the knowledge to keep children safe.

To fix safeguarding problems in schools, training is really important. Here’s how schools can use training to keep students safe:

1. Train staff to spot signs of abuse and neglect:
   • Teach teachers and staff to look for things like unexplained injuries, mood changes, or signs that a student isn’t being properly cared for, such as not eating or wearing proper clothes.
   • Make sure they know how to recognise signs of bullying or mental health issues so they can act quickly.
2. Give staff regular updates on safeguarding:
   • Keep staff up to date with any changes in laws, rules, or new safety risks.
   • Make sure they know how to handle new issues like online dangers or mental health problems.
3. Teach staff how to report concerns:
   • Ensure all staff know how to report any worries about a student’s safety, whether it’s about bullying, neglect, or something else.
   • Make sure everyone knows who to go to, like the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), if they need help.
4. Train staff to talk to students about safety:
   • Help staff feel comfortable talking to students about important topics like bullying, online safety, and how to stay safe.
   • Teach staff how to listen carefully and make sure students know it’s safe to speak up if something is wrong.
5. Teach students about staying safe:
   • Include lessons about safety, bullying, and mental health in the school curriculum.
   • Teach students how to recognise unhealthy relationships, stay safe online, and ask for help if they need it.
6. Train staff to support vulnerable students:
   • Give staff training on how to support students who may be struggling with mental health issues or those who may be facing abuse or neglect.
   • Make sure staff know how to help students who might have challenges at home.
7. Teach staff to protect students online:
   • Train staff on how to keep students safe on the internet, prevent cyberbullying, and teach students how to be safe online.
8. Work with outside agencies:
   • Train staff on how to work with other professionals like social services, police, or health services to help students who need extra support.
   • Make sure staff know how to share information with outside agencies when needed, while respecting student privacy.

By offering this type of training, schools can make sure their staff are ready to spot, report, and fix safeguarding problems quickly, helping create a safer and more supportive environment for students.

How to help students?

Schools can help students who might be at risk of exploitation in several ways:

1. Education and awareness: Teach students about staying safe, both in person and online. Hold talks to warn them about the dangers of exploitation.
2. Staff training: Make sure all staff can spot signs of exploitation and know how to report concerns. This includes teachers, teaching assistants, and other school staff.
3. Create a safe environment: Build a school where students feel safe to talk about their problems and ask for help.
4. Peer support: Set up groups where students can help each other, like mentoring or support groups, to stay safe together.
5. Work with outside groups: Work with social services, mental health experts, and local community groups to give extra help to students who need it.
6. Monitor attendance: Keep track of students’ attendance. If a student misses school for no clear reason, it could be a sign something is wrong.
7. Tailored support: Offer extra help to students with special needs, as they may be at higher risk of exploitation.
8. Parental engagement: Share information with parents about exploitation so they can talk about it at home. Be careful if the family may be involved.
9. Support services: Use lessons to tell students about services they can contact for help if they need it.

By doing these things, schools can protect vulnerable students and help keep them safe from exploitation.

What Next

Though every parent hopes their child stays safe from harm, the reality is that understanding safeguarding is necessary in preventing and addressing various threats that could harm a child’s well-being.

It is a fundamental aspect of ensuring student safety and welfare and should be a top priority for any school.

To help each stakeholder do their part successfully- teachers, administrators, support staff, volunteers, and others – should receive thorough safeguarding training.

With the correct information and procedures in place, the whole school community can stay alert to signs of problems. Including parents and family members.

 Issues can be recorded, disclosed, and dealt with correctly before they become more serious.

Creating an atmosphere where students feel safe reporting concerns is also essential.

For safeguarding training information, you can reach out to our course advisor on 01782 563333 or enquiries@caringforcare.co.uk. Check our Caring for Care training reviews on Google as well.