Safeguarding Children is ‘Everybody’s Business’

This is a guide for you and your family about services within the hospital that are there to protect your child during their hospital admission.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is protecting children from maltreatment and preventing impairment of children’s health or development.

As NHS employees, all health professionals have a statutory duty and responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. This should be an integral part of care offered (Childrens Act 2004).

The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital staff have all undertaken safeguarding training in recognising and supporting families that require extra support. Occasionally staff members may feel that you require extra support, this will be discussed with you in a private room. If there is concern about a child’s safety or welfare, the staff have a responsibility to act and this may include contacting external agencies such as the Local Authority Children’s Services, educational settings, GP and other agencies.

Information gathering

You will be asked at the first appointment to complete a first contact form, this is to ensure our staff can support your family appropriately throughout your child’s hospital journey. The first contact form will request up to date information such as contact telephone numbers, parental responsibility, educational settings and social service involvement etc. This information is stored securely within the child’s hospital records and is reviewed by a health professional at every appointment.

Confidentiality  

The Trust is committed to keeping your information safe and secure, and protecting your confidentiality. On occasions we may need to liaise with outside agencies involved in you or your child’s care for example your child’s school, wherever possible we will try to gain your consent for this, and this process will be carried out on a “need to know basis” in order for us to act in your child’s best interests. This is called “lateral checks”, health professionals will only commence “lateral checks” if safeguarding concerns has been identified, a child has not been brought to their appointment on two or more consecutive occasions or at the request of third-party organisations

Parental Responsibility

If your child requires any treatment or procedures we will ask who holds parental responsibility for your child for consent purposes. If the child is under local authority care or they are no longer living with birth parents we may ask for evidence of parental responsibility which can include; a special guardianship order (SGO) or a care order.

Consent

Children aged 16 or over are entitled to consent to their own treatment. This can only be overruled in exceptional circumstances. Like adults, young people (aged 16 or 17) are presumed to have sufficient capacity to decide on their own medical treatment, unless there’s significant evidence to suggest otherwise.
Children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if they’re believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate what’s involved in their treatment. This is known as being Gillick competent.

Otherwise, someone with parental responsibility can consent for them.

This could be:

• the child’s mother or father
• the child’s legally appointed guardian
• a person with a residence order concerning the child
• a local authority designated to care for the child
• a local authority or person with an emergency protection order for the child

If a young person refuses treatment, which may lead to their death or a severe permanent injury, their decision can be overruled by the Court of Protection. This is the legal body that oversees the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

More information

If you have any concerns about a child or wish to speak to a member of staff concerning your own child please contact the Safeguarding Team:

0121 685 4000
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