Safeguarding Young People

Learning about abuse can be distressing and, for some, it may remind them of past experiences;
for example, as someone who experienced abuse or as an adult who failed to act when they
suspected a child was suffering abuse. If this applies to you, it may be helpful to talk to someone
who is experienced in providing support; for example:

• Samaritans www.samaritans.org or telephone 116 123

• The National Association for People Abused in Childhood www.napac.org.uk or telephone
0808 801 0331
• The Survivors Trust www.thesurvivorstrust.org or telephone 0808 801 0818
• The NSPCC at www.nspcc.org.uk or call their national helpline on 0808 800 5000

Welcome to your EduCare course on ‘Safeguarding Young People’.

In this course we will cover:

• what abuse is
• the signs and indicators of abuse and the impact it can have on a young person
• who may be vulnerable and why
• how to respond if a young person confides in you
• what to do if you have concerns without a disclosure
• the importance of acting on your suspicions or a disclosure
• how to record your concerns
• good practice guidelines.

In this module we will cover:

• who may be at risk of abuse

• what abuse is
• the impact abuse can have.

Introduction

The purpose of the course is to raise your awareness of young people who may be vulnerable
because of their age, relative inexperience, past abusive experiences or current circumstances.
The course stresses the importance of responding appropriately and proportionately to vulnerable
young people to prevent harm and ensure that, where harm has already occurred, they are
supported and helped.

The information in this course was current in September 2019

Whilst EduCare Learning Ltd. have made every effort to ensure that the courses and their content have been devised and written by leading experts who have ensured that they reflect best practice
in all aspects, EduCare Learning Ltd. exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and EduCare Learning Ltd. make
no warranty or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

No part of this material may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system
without permission in writing by EduCare Learning Ltd.
It is important to say that staff are not expected to be experts in safeguarding. The collective
responsibility, or duty of care, you share with other staff is to respond appropriately,
proportionately and helpfully to safeguarding concerns and disclosures. An appropriate and
proportionate response means following your organisation’s policy and procedures because they
are designed to safeguard both young people and staff.

Who this course covers

Many safeguarding courses cover child safeguarding, that is the safeguarding of children up to the
age of 18 years. Correspondingly, the vast majority of adult safeguarding courses centre on older
adults, many of whom may live in residential care or sheltered housing.

This course specifically covers young people up to the age of 25 years. However within a learning
and skills environment, there could be very young children in a nursery or crèche, young people
aged 14-19 taking part in an alternative curriculum, 17-year-olds in a sixth form or further
education college, as well as vulnerable adults.

The principles of safeguarding children and adults are broadly the same, but if you would like to
learn more about safeguarding younger children, EduCare has a range of courses available at
www.educare.co.uk.

In this course the terms ‘young people’ and ‘young adults’ are used interchangeably.

Please note

The terminology, legislation, guidance and practice relating to safeguarding vary between the
different nations of the UK. However, the principles are broadly the same. Please see the
‘Resources’ section for nation-specific information.

The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 introduced the term ‘adults at risk’ when describing work
that barred people must not do with vulnerable people. It identifies the activities which, if any
person needs them, lead to them being considered vulnerable or ‘at risk’ at that particular time.
This newer term is used in the course, as well as the more common ‘vulnerable adults’, but both
are intended to mean the same.

Who may be at risk?

The Care and Support Statutory Guidance says the safeguarding duties apply to an adult who:
• has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those
needs)
• is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect

The information in this course was current in September 2019

Whilst EduCare Learning Ltd. have made every effort to ensure that the courses and their content have been devised and written by leading experts who have ensured that they reflect best practice
in all aspects, EduCare Learning Ltd. exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and EduCare Learning Ltd. make
no warranty or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

No part of this material may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system
without permission in writing by EduCare Learning Ltd.
 • as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the
risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect.

There are however, many other areas of potential vulnerability. For example, think about young
people who:

• have experienced domestic violence or come from a damaging home environment

• have experienced neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse
• may be vulnerable due to their sexual orientation
• are addicted to alcohol or drugs of any description
• are vulnerable by virtue of the group to which they belong; for example, ethnic or religious
minorities or asylum seekers
• have experienced traumatic or adverse emotional events; for example, bereavement or family
break-up
• are being bullied or victimised
• are being coerced into forced marriage (which is illegal and entirely different to an arranged
marriage)
• are self-harming as a coping mechanism.

Those young people would, no doubt, strike you as being particularly vulnerable, but there are
also young people who are potentially vulnerable because they:

• have left home for the first time

• are experiencing mental health issues
• are experiencing undue peer pressure
• are suffering from exam stress
• are beginning to explore gender and sexuality
• are not yet mature enough to cope with the independence adulthood brings.

A recent report published by The Prince’s Trust found:

• 52% of young people think they put too much pressure on themselves to succeed
• 65% of young people “always” or “often” feel stressed
• 41% of young people feel more confident online than they do in person
• 53% worry they will never be financially stable or able to plan ahead financially.

The information in this course was current in September 2019

Whilst EduCare Learning Ltd. have made every effort to ensure that the courses and their content have been devised and written by leading experts who have ensured that they reflect best practice
in all aspects, EduCare Learning Ltd. exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and EduCare Learning Ltd. make
no warranty or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

No part of this material may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system
without permission in writing by EduCare Learning Ltd.
As you can see this much wider group of young people are still vulnerable because of their past or
current experiences or lifestyle. Some are vulnerable merely because they fit a particular social
group or because they are not yet mature enough to cope with the transitional stages to
adulthood.

What is abuse?

Abuse is mistreatment by any other person or persons that violates a person's human and civil
rights. The abuse can vary, from treating someone with disrespect in a way that significantly
affects the person's quality of life, to causing actual physical or mental suffering.
Somebody may abuse or neglect a child or young person by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to
prevent harm. They may be abused in a family or in an institutional, education or community
setting by those known to them or by others unknown to them (eg via the internet).

Abuse can take place on a face-to-face basis inside or outside of an organisational setting, or
indirectly via the internet, for example, Twitter, Facebook or Skype, or via emails and instant
messaging. In short, there is a potential for abuse whatever young people do and wherever they
spend their time.

We’ll now move on to look at ten different categories of abuse.

As you read the following sections, please note that your duty of care is to be aware of signs and
indicators of abuse, but NOT to investigate. Your role is to gather the information competently and
pass it to the designated staff with additional responsibility for safeguarding, who then
communicate the information to external agencies.

The ten categories of abuse are:

1. Physical abuse, which may involve:

• hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise

causing physical harm
• someone fabricating the symptoms of, or deliberately inducing, illness.

2. Psychological abuse which includes emotional abuse may involve:

• conveying to a young person that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only
because they meet the needs of another person
• not giving the young person opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or
making fun of what they say or how they communicate
• imposing expectations that are inappropriate to the age or development of the young person
(especially where there are additional areas of vulnerability; for example, a learning disability)
or preventing them from taking part in normal social interaction
• seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of someone else
The information in this course was current in September 2019

Whilst EduCare Learning Ltd. have made every effort to ensure that the courses and their content have been devised and written by leading experts who have ensured that they reflect best practice
in all aspects, EduCare Learning Ltd. exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and EduCare Learning Ltd. make
no warranty or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

No part of this material may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system
without permission in writing by EduCare Learning Ltd.
• serious bullying, including cyberbullying, which causes the young person to frequently feel
frightened, intimidated or in danger
• exploitation or corruption.

Psychological abuse also includes radicalising a child or young person who may be subsequently
drawn into terrorist-related activity. You can learn more about radicalisation and the ‘Prevent’
strategy in the ‘Resources’ section.
There is some level of emotional abuse in all types of abuse, but it may also occur alone.

3. Sexual abuse which may involve:

• physical contact, including assault by penetration (eg rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts
(eg masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing)
• non-contact activities, such as involving young people in looking at or producing sexual
images, watching sexual activities, or encouraging young people to behave in sexually
inappropriate ways, or grooming a young person in preparation for sexual exploitation –
including via the internet.

4. Neglect and acts of omission may involve a parent or carer failing to:

• provide adequate food, clothing and shelter, including excluding the young person from home
or abandoning them
• protect a young person from physical and emotional harm or danger
• ensure access to appropriate health, education or social care services.

It also includes:

• being unresponsive to a young person’s basic needs

• deliberately withholding information about a person’s rights or entitlements.

5. Financial or material abuse which may involve:

• theft or exploitation in financial matters or transactions

• the misuse or misappropriation of possessions or benefits.

6. Discriminatory abuse which may involve:

• racist, sexist and religious abuse

• abuse that is based on a person’s disability, size, age, gender or marital status
(including harassment, slurs or similar treatment).

The information in this course was current in September 2019

Whilst EduCare Learning Ltd. have made every effort to ensure that the courses and their content have been devised and written by leading experts who have ensured that they reflect best practice
in all aspects, EduCare Learning Ltd. exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and EduCare Learning Ltd. make
no warranty or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

No part of this material may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system
without permission in writing by EduCare Learning Ltd.
7. Organisational abuse; for example, in care homes, young offenders’ institutions, pupil
referral units, services for those with learning difficulties, substance treatment centres may
involve:

• letting an organisation’s procedures or routines get in the way of a person’s

individual needs; for example, having restrictive bedtimes, not providing
adequate activities for mental stimulation or spiritual fulfilment.

8. Domestic abuse – including psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse; so

called ‘honour’ based violence.

9. Modern slavery – encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic
servitude. Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their disposal to
coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment.

10. Self-neglect – this covers a wide range of behaviours, including neglecting to care for one’s
personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding.

Abuse may fall clearly into one category, but in many cases, the abused person may be suffering
from several forms of abuse at the same time. For example, constantly threatening and then
expelling a young person out of the family home will incorporate psychological abuse and neglect,
whilst threatening to spread information about a young person’s sexual orientation on social
networking sites until money is handed over is discriminatory abuse and financial abuse.

The impact of abuse

When young people experience abuse it can have very serious and long-lasting effects. It can
create a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem that is carried over into all areas of their lives and
it can have a negative impact that will affect the young person’s study and work, their relationships
and later, the way they parent their own children. It is also known that abuse, in whatever form it
takes, is a major contributing factor in both self-harm and suicide.

When young people are vulnerable, their situation is often made worse because they are
frequently overlooked by child protection procedures that focus on younger children and adult
procedures that focus on much older adults. In other words, they fall through the safeguarding net,
so it is very important that everyone who works with young people is alert to the possibility of
abuse in all its forms and is prepared to seek help on their behalf.

The information in this course was current in September 2019

Whilst EduCare Learning Ltd. have made every effort to ensure that the courses and their content have been devised and written by leading experts who have ensured that they reflect best practice
in all aspects, EduCare Learning Ltd. exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and EduCare Learning Ltd. make
no warranty or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

No part of this material may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system
without permission in writing by EduCare Learning Ltd.
In summary

In this module, we have looked at what abuse is and who may be vulnerable or ‘at risk’. We
considered circumstances that may mean a young person is especially vulnerable and we outlined
ten categories of abuse. To be alert to the possibility of abuse, you will need to be able to
recognise the signs and indicators that it may be taking place and so this is what we will cover in
the next module.

You are now ready to complete Questionnaire 1.

The information in this course was current in September 2019

Whilst EduCare Learning Ltd. have made every effort to ensure that the courses and their content have been devised and written by leading experts who have ensured that they reflect best practice
in all aspects, EduCare Learning Ltd. exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and EduCare Learning Ltd. make
no warranty or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

No part of this material may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system
without permission in writing by EduCare Learning Ltd.