Unit 10 Caring for Children P3
Safeguarding is a term which is broader than ‘child protection’ and relates to the action the commission takes to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
Safeguarding legislation and government guidance says that safeguarding means:
Protecting children from maltreatment also preventing impairment of children’s health or development. This ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care. Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.
If a child often has injuries, there seems to be a pattern, or the explanation doesn’t match the injury then this should be investigated. But you always need to be careful need to ask yourself is it persistent? What is the context? What is the motivation? You can never jump to conclusions, or make assumptions.

Some of the symptoms for physical abuse may be: Bruising
The bruising is commonly on the head but also on the ear or neck or soft areas - the abdomen, back and buttocks. Defensive wounds are commonly found on the forearm, upper arm, back of the leg, hands or feet. Clusters of bruises would be on the upper arm, outside of the thigh or on the body. Bruises with dots of blood under the skin. A bruised scalp and swollen eyes from hair being pulled violently.
Burns or Scalds
Burns and scalds can be from hot liquids, hot objects, flames, chemicals or electricity. It can be found on hands, back, shoulders or buttocks; scalds may be on lower