Safeguarding Flashcards

What does the term 'significant harm' mean in child safeguarding?

Answer: Harm that is serious enough to warrant action to protect the child — used as the threshold for child protection proceedings under the Children Act 1989

'Significant harm' (Children Act 1989 s47) is the threshold for compulsory intervention. It includes serious injury, chronic neglect, and emotional abuse where the impact significantly affects development or wellbeing.

What is a 'Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub' (MASH)?

Answer: A coordinated multi-agency team (social care, police, health, education) that receives, shares, and evaluates safeguarding information to decide appropriate responses

MASHs bring together professionals from different agencies to share information and decide the most appropriate response to safeguarding referrals, improving coordination and response times.

A healthcare professional is treating a 15-year-old who discloses consensual sexual activity with a 16-year-old peer. Is this a safeguarding concern?

Answer: Not automatically — assess maturity, consent, and context; report only if exploitation, significant age gap, or vulnerability indicators are present

Consensual sexual activity between peers of similar age near the age of consent is not automatically a safeguarding concern. Professionals must assess for indicators of exploitation, coercion, or vulnerability before deciding to report.

What is 'Female Genital Mutilation' (FGM) and what are the mandatory reporting obligations in England?

Answer: A harmful cultural practice — healthcare professionals must notify police when they identify FGM in girls under 18 years (mandatory reporting duty since 2015)

FGM Act 2003 and mandatory reporting duty (since October 2015): healthcare professionals must report to police when they identify or are told FGM has been carried out on a girl under 18. This is a legal obligation.

What is a 'Domestic Homicide Review' (DHR)?

Answer: A statutory review by Local Community Safety Partnerships when a person aged 16+ is killed by a family member or partner, to identify lessons for prevention

DHRs review the circumstances of domestic homicides to identify how agencies could improve responses to domestic abuse, looking for missed opportunities for intervention that might have prevented the death.

What is the 'Think Family' principle in safeguarding?

Answer: When working with an adult or child, consider the impact on and risks to the whole family — adult concerns may indicate child protection issues and vice versa

'Think Family' recognises that safeguarding concerns rarely exist in isolation. A parent with mental health or substance misuse issues may also pose risks to children; adult and children's services must share information.