BHSCP Information and Updates

Date: Tuesday, 07th Apr 2020 | Category: COVID-19

Coronavirus – Safeguarding Children & Adults:

Information and Updates

(Updated Tuesday 7th April)

 

During the current Coronavirus outbreak we still need to help keep children and adults at risk safe from abuse and neglect and share up to date information with the public and professionals. The threat the country is facing from COVID-19 is evolving by the day and is placing the residents of Brighton and Hove in a position of real vulnerability.  We are seeing many examples of positive action from communities, with offers of help and support from networks of volunteers and agencies across the public and private sectors.

At the same time a picture is emerging of a number of safeguarding issues and areas of exploitation that are a direct result of the pandemic.  A significant concern of the Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership (BHSCP) and the Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Adults Board (B&HSAB) is that much of this abuse may be hidden, particularly with people living in isolation, perhaps with perpetrators of abuse, and with the additional current issue that professionals are not able to visit clients as frequently.

We ask everyone – the public, volunteers and professionals from all sectors – to be particularly vigilant in identifying and reporting any concerns if you feel that a child or adult is at risk or is experiencing abuse or neglect. If you have a safeguarding concern about a child, please contact Front Door For Families or any concerns about an adult, please contact Health and Adult Social Care.

The BHSCP and B&HSAB would like to thank all our partner agencies for their hard and dedicated work in the current challenging circumstances.

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Update from Brighton & Hove City Council’s Children’s Services

• Social workers and other practitioners within Safeguarding & Care provide essential services to children and families in the city. We want to keep supporting families during the current coronavirus situation at the same time as minimising the risk to our staff and our community due to the virus outbreak.
• Key safeguarding functions will continue during this period, including for example multi-agency Strategy Meetings, Initial Child Protection Conferences. Children’s Services will operate in accordance with government Covid-19 guidance on vulnerable children and young people.
• If you are concerned about the welfare of a child or have a safeguarding concern, please contact or Front Door for Families for advice:

 Phone: 01273 290400

Out-of-hours: 01273 335905 (Emergency Duty Service).

Please leave a voicemail and a member of staff will get back to you.

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Update from Sussex Police

Functions continue to operate as normal although much of the business has moved to the virtual space where appropriate and possible.

As a general note, police are responding to the new legislation with regards to reducing social gatherings and movement, our approach is based on 4 E’s – engage, explain, encourage and as a last resort enforcement.

• Police continue to respond to public protection calls
• Strategy meetings continue to be prioritised
• The police are maintaining their role in MASH, although triage may become more difficult if staff levels reduce
• Daily and weekly meetings continue to address risks in relation to Child Exploitation.

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Update from Health

At this stage services across the system are operating as normal. Clinical practitioners across the health services may be redeployed to frontline health care facilities to meet the demand of increased pressure on hospitals. This may include paediatricians who may be asked to support clinical work with adults.

• The CCG is co-ordinating weekly system calls across all health providers, named and designated professional to discuss all issue relating to safeguarding children, and escalate concerns and mitigate risks.
• In addition, there is a weekly system call specifically in relation to Looked After Children, to discuss risks and actions
• Safeguarding medicals (CP medicals) may need to occur at venues other than hospitals due to capacity issues:
  • Paediatricians must be invited to all strategy discussions involving suspected NAI or CSA. They will help guide decision making around the need and timing of CP medicals.
  • Paediatricians will prioritise infants and high-risk cases, at the strategy discussion.
• GP’s are continuing to provide primary care health input as needed within the guidance from Public Health England
• Primary Care settings, CCG staff and all providers are being provided with resource packs to help empower staff to work with increased rates of Domestic Abuse, including a direct link into a dedicated resource within the CCG safeguarding team.
• All national guidance that is produced by Public Health England, NHS England or other relevant health organisations, is being analysed and reviewed in terms of its relevance to safeguarding, and how this may affect local delivery.