Professionals

Getting it right first time: top tips for professionals
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

All practitioners whose work brings them into contact with children and families should:

Be professionally curious
Be alert to the signs of abuse
Know where to signpost if a family need to ask for help
Be able to make referrals to the relevant agencies (e.g. children’s social care or to the police) if you suspect that an adult or child is at risk of harm or is in danger

In practice, here are the things you can do to protect those people who are at risk:

Be professionally curious
If something doesn’t feel right, it usually isn’t. It means looking, listening, asking direct questions, checking out and reflecting on information received. It means not taking a single source of information and accepting it at face value
As a professional, you could be the one person who is in a position to help a child/young person living in an abusive household. If you suspect abuse, follow safeguarding referral routes such as Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH) who can support families and individuals who need help

Be alert to the signs of abuse
The following list of signs of behaviour for adult victims is not exhaustive and should not be used as a definitive list, but should be used as guidance:

Has unexplained bruises or injuries
Shows signs of feeling suicidal
Becomes unusually quiet or withdrawn
Has panic attacks
Has frequent absences from work or other commitments
Wears clothes that conceal even on warm days
Is anxious about being out or rushes away
May never be seen alone, and is always accompanied by their partner
May become more isolated, possibly moving away from home, withdrawing from friends and family
Receive frequent, harassing phone calls from their partner
May have unexplained injuries, and may give other reasons for the injuries which refer to them being accidental

Younger children who experience and witness domestic abuse may:

Become aggressive
Display anti-social behaviour
Become anxious
Complain of tummy aches and start to wet the bed
Find it difficult to sleep, have temper tantrums and start to behave as if they are much younger than they are
Find it difficult to separate from their abused parent when they start nursery or school
Be clingy, have behavioural difficulties, may be tired and lethargic, and struggle in social settings and at school

Older children/young people who experience and witness domestic abuse react differently:

Boys seem to express their distress much more outwardly, for example by becoming aggressive and disobedient. Sometimes, they start to use violence to try and solve problems, and may copy the behaviour they see within the family
Older boys may play truant and start to use alcohol or drugs (both of which are a common way of trying to block out disturbing experiences and memories)
Girls are more likely to keep their distress inside. They may become withdrawn from other people, and become anxious or depressed
Girls may think badly of themselves and complain of vague physical symptoms. They are more likely to have an eating disorder, or to harm themselves by taking overdoses or cutting themselves

Take action. You must act if someone discloses abuse to you or you suspect abuse. Based on what you have seen and heard, make a professional judgment about what you should do next.
If you identify or recognise the above, be professionally supportive, inquisitive and take the following action:

If the victim or other vulnerable person is in immediate risk of harm this MUST be reported immediately - dial 999
Safeguard the victim and any children (discreetly and not in the presence of their suspected abuser)
Explain to the victim your priority is to make them and any other vulnerable people safe. Establish:
Their name, date of birth, address, contact details
Who are they at risk from – gather as much detail as possible about the offender name, date of birth, where they are now, are they known to police?
Details of what has happened
Whether there is anyone else living in the same dwelling e.g. children. Again full details if possible: name, date of birth and are they also at risk from the offender?
Does the victim already have a plan or suitable options to make themselves safe?
Will the victim will tell the police? (Discreetly and not in the presence of their suspected abuser):

If yes:

If no:

If there is immediate risk of danger

If the situation is urgent – for example there are injuries or a risk of immediate harm, dial 999 and ask for the police. Additionally, once you have dialled 999, if children are at risk, you should call your local authority children’s services or follow your organisation’s child protection policy.

If the situation is serious and the victim is scared and frightened, but there is no immediate risk of danger
You should seek advice from your service manager or your service’s domestic abuse champion and follow your organisation’s safeguarding protocols.

If the victim is not in immediate danger, but is scared or frightened, or unhappy in their relationship
Ask them how you can help. Make sure the victim knows about sources of help and support, such as those listed below, as well as any local services, and encourage them to get in contact.

Signposting for help and support
For details of the help and support agencies in Lancashire click here. If you believe there is an immediate risk of harm to someone, or it is an emergency, you should always dial 999.

If you are unsure what to do
If you are unsure about what to do, speak to a local domestic violence service, the police or children’s services for advice. They can suggest the right way forward and will speak initially on an anonymous basis.

Referrals
You can also make references via the usual routes – the MASH and Children’s Social Care. Alternatively, you signpost people to their local police safeguarding unit by calling 101 and asking for their local police safeguarding Units.

Reporting domestic abuse
If you want to report a crime, but you are not in immediate danger, you can call the police on 101 or report online here: Home – Lancashire Constabulary – Report Online

If you need the police in an emergency, please do not be afraid to dial 999 – they will help you and protect you from danger

Local authority colleagues
If you work for a local authority, Lancashire Safeguarding Adults Board has created a domestic abuse guide to support practitioners and managers. Click here to view the document.

Remember:

Never make decisions for people or advise them to leave their home or relationship. This may put them in danger
Use your professional judgement – if you sense there’s something wrong, you should act on it
Be human and use everyday language - people may not see themselves as victims of domestic abuse. It’s hard to talk about, so acknowledge that and thank them for being honest with you
Make a record – make notes of what has been said to you, including the time, date and injuries, including as much detail as possible. Use the person’s words wherever you can. Your professional judgement is also important. Write down what you think or feel about the situation and why
Act on it - it took a lot of courage for the victim to tell you. Don’t keep what you know to yourself. The victim and family need you to help them get help