Identifying and protecting children from physical abuse: the social work role

Following the tragic deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson, professional and public attention has refocused on the risks to children within their family, especially from non-accidental injury. Many social workers are concerned about what skills are needed and what their responsibilities are and will be as recommendations from the child protection review are implemented. This session will feature medical as well as social work perspectives to help you feel more confident in identifying children at risk, and working in a multi-agency way to safeguard them.

Learning outcomes:

• How to approach parental consent and thresholds when there are concerns about injury and physical abuse
• Talking to parents about concerns; the social work role in assessing parental explanations
• The different types of medical investigation that may be carried out, how and when to request them
• What effective multi-agency working and triangulating information looks like

Wendy Thorogood, Association of Child Protection Professionals