Signs and Symptoms

Local Advice

Child abuse is a very difficult subject to deal with for everyone. This is certainly the case for those providing day care for children, not least because a decision to report concerns or suspicions of possible child abuse might seem to go against the principle of working in partnership with parents.

However, you have a responsibility to the children you care for and because of your close contact with these children, you may well be the first person to spot early signs and symptoms of abuse.

Click here to download a useful leaflet on recognising signs of Child Abuse. (NOTE: There are references to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006 in this leaflet, not the latest – 2010 – version. However, the essential advice and guidance is up to date).

National Advice

In July 2009. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a quick reference guide ‘When to suspect child maltreatment’.

The guidance was updated in December 2009.

This quick reference guide is for all healthcare professionals working in the NHS who work with children and young people. It may also be of interest to people outside of the NHS who work with children and young people.

This guidance is available in PDF (Hard Copy) and can be viewed ‘online’.