Child Protection Procedures - East Ayrshire Council

SECTION 1
Definitions and Categories
1.0 Definitions of Abuse
Child Protection Procedures apply to children and young people who have not yet
reached their sixteenth birthday and young people aged between sixteen and
eighteen years of age who are currently on Supervision Requirements through the
Children’s Hearing system. Appropriate consideration should also be given to any
young person over the age of sixteen years affected by disability. (See Children
(Scotland) Act 1995 Section 93(2) (b))
1.0.1 Definitions perform two helpful functions.
1.0.1.1 They encourage the keeping of an open mind about Child
Protection responsibilities and the wide range of abusive
acts which may be committed against children.
1.0.1.2 They limit Child Protection interventions only to those
circumstances where it is appropriate and necessary.
1.0.2 The general definition of child abuse adopted by Central Government
is contained in the Scottish Office document ‘Protecting Children – A
Shared Responsibility – Guidance on Interagency Co-operation’
issued in June 1998.
1.0.3 It states:
‘Children may be in need of protection where their basic needs are
not being met in a manner appropriate to their stage of development,
and they will be at risk from avoidable acts of commission or
omission on the part of their parent(s), sibling(s) or other relative(s)
or carer(s) (i.e. the person while not a parent who has actual care or
control of a child).
1.0.4 When it is suspected that a child or young person has been abused
by an acquaintance or stranger, consideration will also have to be
given as to whether Child Protection Procedures require to be
followed. In such cases it would depend on whether the abusive
event was thought to demonstrate an avoidable lack of care on the
part of the parent or person having parental responsibility, care or
control. Where it is established that there has been avoidable lack of
care on the part of the parent or persons having parental
responsibility, care or control, the police and team leader should
discuss whether or not there is a role for social workers to jointly
interview children with the police. This may be appropriate, for
example, where there is a social worker involved with the family
whom the child already knows and trusts.
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