National guidance for child protection in Scotland - Scottish ...

Appendix 5
INDICATORS OF RISK IN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES
Part 4 of the National Guidance sets out child protection in specific
circumstances. This appendix give additional information on certain
circumstances of which health professionals may become aware. As stated in
the National Guidance not all the indicators set out here are common, nor should
their presence lead to any immediate assumptions about the level of risk for an
individual child or young person. Where identified they should act as a prompt for
all staff, where in an adult of child care setting to consider how they may impact
on a child or young person.
Supporting the Unseen Child or Young Person
Healthcare professionals frequently have patients or carers where there is a
pattern of non attendance for health appointments or where they cannot gain
access to the home of the client. A patient/carer may make excuses for the
professional not to see the child or young person, or refuse the service.
In such circumstances, best practice would suggest that health practitioners will
review the child or young person and wider family records to find out whether
there is any other information that would suggest increased vulnerability. They
must inform the named person and key health professionals working with the
family.
This guidance has been developed to assist practitioners in determining the most
appropriate course of action to take in situations where the child or young person
is “unseen”, and incorporates the core components of Getting It Right for Every
Child (GIRFEC).
The unseen child or young person may result from the following:
Address unknown
Mobile or travelling families
Homelessness
Failure to attend routine appointments (e.g. immunisations, dental care)
Failure to attend specialist appointments (e.g. diabetes clinic)
Refusal of the service
No access visits
Denied access visit
Definitions regarding visits by universal services
Child or young person not seen – when the healthcare professional is granted
access but does not see the child or young person (e.g. the child is said to be
asleep and not to be disturbed, or is in the care of others, not in the house).
Denied access visits – when the door is opened by the carer in charge and the
healthcare professional is refused access.
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