If there is a suspicion that the child is being harmed or is a victim of abuse or direct evidence of such activity, it is necessary to take measures as soon as possible. However, it is also essential that such actions are carried out deliberately, without haste and following instructions and legislation. Otherwise, the situation may not only not be resolved but even worsened. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the available documentation and display a specific list of actions if a threat to the child is identified.
First of all, all actions taken must be consistent with the existing legislation. In the United Kingdom context, the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) is the governing body for most of these activities. Although not the most prominent child protection body, the LSCB is an inter-ministerial body present in every government (“Local safeguarding children boards,” n.d.). This body’s effectiveness is supported by interaction with the Director of Children’s Services, which sets the general line of conduct and the ability to work on children’s problems on a smaller scale, focusing on a specific area. Each LSCB has its guidelines that help professionals deliver child protection services more efficiently with helpful contact details. For example, the London LSCB updates the guidelines for social protection workers every six months, dividing them into basic procedures and practical approaches, as well as providing contact details for communication (“London child protection procedures,” 2020). Therefore, the first step in dealing with a potentially dangerous situation for the child is to check against the specific area’s current guidelines.
Besides, to know and understand the guidelines for action, each specialist must strictly know their rights and responsibilities for their activities’ most effective performance. While the specific list may differ from place to place, there is a general example of what skills a child protector should have and what activities he should perform. The main qualities are experience in working with children, interest in ensuring their welfare, the ability to listen and find compromises, as well as to make judgments in difficult situations (“Roles and responsibilities,” n.d.). However, in the modern context, it is necessary to pay attention to the basic principles and transform them according to technological progress.
In this regard, it is incredibly relevant to consider the child protection policy in media and online interactions. Unfortunately, on the Internet, children can be exposed to content that they should not see for one reason or another. Therefore, it is the child advocate’s responsibility in this context to create a safe environment for interaction by maintaining the privacy of conversations, using authorized accounts, and an age-appropriate language (“Social media and online safety,” 2020). Communication on the Internet can be challenging due to many different factors, such as slang, so a social worker must be familiar with most of the current modern trends to establish reliable contact with children.
Either way, a child protection officer’s primary purpose should be safeguarding children’s protection and welfare. To implement these tasks with maximum efficiency, it is necessary to turn to additional sources, as indicated above. They can be both direct targeting and general overviews of the system, providing general guidance and information regarding work in this area. For example, in addition to solving practical problems, Tickell (2011) advises all specialists to raise awareness of the society about existing issues, drawing attention to urgent matters. Naturally, ensuring the child’s safety is the most crucial task. However, society’s problems must be solved in dangerous situations and by taking systemic preventive measures. These actions are also part of the responsibilities of a specialist in this area. Thus, the child protection officer must act following general and local laws, be clear about their roles, and use existing guidelines to address the challenges they face, both direct and virtual.
References
Local safeguarding children boards. (n.d.). Citizens Advice. 2021, Web.
Roles and responsibilities. (n.d.). Orkney Islands Council. 2021, Web.
Social media and online safety. (2020). NSPCC Learning. Web.
Tickell, D. C. (2011) The early years: Foundations for life, health and learning. Department for Education. Web.
London child protection procedures and practice guidance (2020). London Child Protection Procedures. Web.