Professionals

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Whether you work in the statutory, private, voluntary or independent sector in Stoke-on-Trent and provide services for, or come into contact with, children and young people, you have an important role to play in keeping them safe. This includes volunteers who provide support and services to children.

Restorative Practice:

Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Partnership will develop and embed a restorative approach in our work with each other and with the children and families that our agencies work with.

Restorative Practice is a proactive strength-based approach that reinforces the importance of building and maintaining positive relationships by seeking to understand the needs of the people in your community. The Restorative Approach involves a journey of change using the principles of collaboration and inclusion.

Restorative Practice is a way to be, not a process to follow or a thing to do at certain times. It’s a term used to describe principles, behaviours and approaches which build and maintain healthy relationships and a sense of community and can resolve difficulties and repair harm where there has been conflict. It is a way of being with people, essentially to work with and alongside others to create sustainable change.

Restorative practice is built on a number of key principles that are supported by research. These principles include:

Relationships are central to effective working
Everyone’s voices should be heard and valued
Problem-solving should be collaborative
Accountability and responsibility lead to change and growth

Restorative practice is about creating and maintaining respectful and trusting relationships and working WITH people, rather than just “doing to” or “doing for”.

The relationships practitioners build should be child focused and engage the whole family. Recognising that to achieve and sustain change we need to support parents to care for children, not just repeatedly assess or criticise. Instead we need to provide practical support and recognise that families are the experts in their lives and their strengths and goals will be central to our approach.

Restorative practice is also about high support and high challenge. Recognising we support parents but we will also not collude with each other as professionals or with parents. Therefore, high challenge, inquisitive practice and escalation where needed is vital and central to the approach being taken.

The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) has responsibility for managing allegations against adults who work with children. (See: Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 and Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026).

The LADO procedures for Stoke-on-Trent SCP (see Resources section) provide guidance relevant to a wide range of situations in which an allegation or concern arises about the conduct of a person who works with children.

This includes: those in paid employment, including temporary, casual, and agency staff; volunteers; individuals who are self-employed; prospective adopters, or adult members of their household (standard 22 Adoption: national minimum standards). A useful test for deciding upon the applicability of the LADO procedures is to consider whether the individual subject to the allegation or concern occupies a position of trust.

Where the following threshold criteria apply, a referral to LADO should be made within 24 hours. An allegation relating to a person who works with children who has:

behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child
possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child
behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children
behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children

The allegation could be about physical, sexual, emotional, online abuse and neglect. The allegation can be recent and/or historical. It may relate to a single incident or be a cumulation of concerns. The suitability criteria may also cover other forms of behaviours and attitudes either at or outside of the work place, particularly where this calls into question the values that govern the person’s personal behaviour and/or area of work, or questions their ability to safeguarding children.

Consultations about whether an allegation reaches LADO threshold can be organised by contacting the LADO LADO.sp@stoke.gov.uk

If LADO advice is required, email the LADO and LADO will screen as soon as they are able to.

The LADO will hold an initial discussion with the Senior Manager to consider the nature, content, and context of the allegation, and to agree an appropriate course of action.

The LADO may hold LADO meetings (also known as Position of Trust) to consider the allegation more fully. Detailed guidance on the Stoke-on-Trent LADO procedures can be found in the Resources section of this website.

Information about LADO training can be obtained by contacting: safeguarding.training.administrator@stoke.gov.uk

This area contains information to consider when working with families.

Safe sleeping

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby where no cause is found. While SIDS is rare, it can still happen and there are steps parents and carers can take to help reduce the chance of this tragedy occurring.

As professionals, it’s important you know and can talk to families about Safe Sleeping particularly when parents have additional vulnerabilities that may place babies and young children at risk.

QUICK TIPS FOR SAFER SLEEP

The mechanisms that cause unexplained deaths in infancy is not yet fully understood, therefore it is not possible for any manufacturer to say that a particular product will prevent SIDS. It is possible, however, to significantly lower the chances of it happening by following this safer sleep guidance. This advice is based on strong scientific evidence where, unlike many products, safety has been proven. You should give the advice to parents for all sleep periods where possible, not just at night.

For more information, go to the Lullaby Trust site.

Children with disabilities

The Children Act 1989 states that a child is disabled if s/he is ‘blind, deaf or dumb or suffers from mental disorder of any kind or is substantially and permanently handicapped by illness, injury or congenital deformity or other such disability as may be prescribed.’

Disabled children are recognised as one of the most vulnerable groups in terms of safeguarding their wellbeing because they trust and rely on their care-givers to be sensitive to their personal care needs, their health, their emotional well-being and their safety. Disabled children may be especially vulnerable due to a number of reasons; for example, they may:

have fewer outside contacts than other children
receive intimate care, possibly from a number of carers, which may both increase the risk of abusive
behaviour and make it more difficult to set and maintain physical boundaries
have an impaired capacity to resist or avoid abuse
have communication difficulties which may make it difficult to tell others what is happening
be inhibited about complaining through fear of losing services
be especially vulnerable to bullying and intimidation
be more vulnerable to abuse by peers

It is important to remember that evidence of good quality care does not always mean that there are no safeguarding issues.

Additional Information:

Safeguarding disabled children in England | NSPCC Learning

Domestic abuse

Domestic Abuse includes any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse:

Psychological;
Physical;
Sexual;
Financial;
Emotional;

Controlling behaviour is: a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.

Coercive behaviour is: an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.

This definition, which is not a legal definition, includes so called ‘Honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, and is clear that victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group.

Domestic Abuse Act:

The Domestic Abuse Act was published in April 2021. The aim of the Act is to ensure that domestic abuse is properly understood and that it is considered unacceptable behaviour that will be challenged in the cCourts and in the minds of the public.

The new Act supports the view that domestic abuse can take many forms. The legal definition now incorporates a range of abuses beyond physical violence, including emotional, coercive or controlling behaviour and economic abuse. The abuse can be behaviour consisting of a single incident or a course of conduct.

The new Actlegislation will also provide further protection to the millions of people who experience domestic abuse, as well as strengthen measures to tackle perpetrators.

The full Act can be accessed by clicking here.

The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme:

The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) was introduced on the 8th of March 2014.The DVDS gives members of the public a formal mechanism to make enquires about an individual who they are in a relationship with, or who is in a relationship with someone they know, where there is a concern that the individual may be violent towards their partner. This scheme adds a further dimension to the information sharing about children where there are concerns that domestic violence and abuse is impacting on the care and welfare of the children in the family.

Members of the public can make an application for a disclosure, known as the ‘right to ask’. Anybody can make an enquiry, but information will only be given to someone at risk or a person in a position to safeguard the victim. The scheme is for anyone in an intimate relationship regardless of gender.

Partner agencies can also request disclosure is made of an offender’s past history where it is believed someone is at risk of harm. This is known as ‘right to know’. If a potentially violent individual is identified as having convictions for violent offences, or information is held about their behaviour which reasonably leads the police and other agencies to believe they pose a risk of harm to their partner, a disclosure will be made.

Domestic Abuse and Children:

Children living with domestic violence and abuse is now recognised as a matter for concern in its own right by both government and key children’s services agencies. The link between child physical abuse and domestic violence is high, with estimates ranging between 30% to 66%.

In 2002, nearly three quarters of children subject of a Child Protection Plan lived in households where domestic violence and abuse occurs.

Children living in a family environment where there is dDomestic violence and aAbuse are at risk whether or not they have directly witnessed the abuse. Some children living with domestic violence and abuse are at risk of significant harm.

A key concern in safeguarding children and young people is the potential for long term emotional damage caused by the presence of domestic violence and aAbuse during early formative years. Children can witness and be affected by domestic violence and aAbuse from all corners of the household, and over 90% are aware of it happening.

Additional Information:

Learning from Case Reviews- The NSPCC has published a briefing based on case reviews published since 2019 where children experienced domestic abuse. Domestic abuse: learning from case reviews | NSPCC Learning

The Staffordshire and Stoke Domestic Abuse strategy 2021-2024 can be found here. The strategy aims to: “Prevent domestic abuse from happening and to respond appropriately and effectively to those vulnerable to, or affected by, domestic abuse to enable them to move forward, living safe, fulfilling and independent lives.”

Parent substance misuse

Parental substance misuse refers to the abuse of drugs and/or alcohol by parents and carers of children and young people. Whilst there may be different treatment methodologies for adults with these problems, they are considered together because the consequences for the child are quite similar. Substance misuse refers to both illicit drugs, alcohol, prescription drugs and solvents, the consumption of which is either dependent use, or use associated with having harmful effect on the individual or the community.

Risks:

Drug or alcohol misuse of a parent can have a negative impact on children in a number of ways, including:

Substance misuse in pregnancy may impair the development of an unborn child;
The risk of physical injury to a child sleeping next to an adult, occurring as a result of the adult lying over or against the child (over lay) is increased if the adult is sedated due to the effects of alcohol and/or prescribed or illicit drugs;
The risk from drugs and drug equipment being left lying around – there have been a number of cases recently in Wirral where children have ingested methadone that was left unattended
A parent’s practical caring skills may be diminished by substance misuse;
Substance misuse, or withdrawal from substance misuse, may give rise to mental states or behaviour that put children at risk of injury, psychological/emotional distress or neglect;
Children’s physical, emotional, social, intellectual and developmental needs can be adversely affected by their parent’s misuse of substances
Substance misusing parents may find it difficult to prioritise the needs of the children over their own i.e.: health appointments, schooling;
Children may be introduced to drug and alcohol misuse at an early age by the behaviour of the parents and the availability of the substances within the home.
Money available to the household to meet basic needs may be reduced;
Members of the family, including children, may be drawn into criminal activity;
Children may be at risk of Physical Harm, or death if drugs and drugs paraphernalia are not stored safely and children have access to them;
Children may be endangered if they are carried as passengers in vehicles driven by a substance misusing parent;
Children being forced to take on a caring role and feeling they have the responsibility to solve their parent’s, alcohol and drug problems.
There are potential risks to the child from parental acquaintances or family members if they are also involved in drug/alcohol misuse.

Protective Factors:

Risks associated with parental drug use can be mitigated by other protective factors. These include:

Sufficient income and good physical standards in the home.
A consistent and caring adult, who will provide for the child’s needs and give emotional support.
Regular monitoring and help from health and social work professionals, including respite care and accommodation.
An alternative, safe residence for mothers and children subjected to violence and the threat of violence.
Regular attendance at nursery or school.
Sympathetic and vigilant teachers.
Belonging to organised out-of-school activities, including homework clubs.

Parental mental health issues

Some children grow up with parent(s) and or carers who have diagnosable mental health problems. Some of these mental health problems may be mild and or short-lived, whilst others may be severe and enduring which include: depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders and bi-polar disorder. Some parents/ carers may also have long-term alcohol and or substance dependency and or a combined mental health problem and alcohol and substance dependency. Mental ill health in a parent or carer does not necessarily have an adverse impact on a child's development. Just as there is a range in severity of illness, so there is a range of potential impact on families.

It is important to recognise other issues that can exacerbate the risk presented by mental health issues. For example, the presence of drug or alcohol dependency and domestic abuse in addition to mental health problems with little or no family or community support would indicate an increased likelihood of risk of harm to the child, and to the parents' mental health and wellbeing. Relying on a diagnosis is not sufficient to assess levels of risk. This requires an assessment of every individual's level of impairment and the impact on the family and parenting capacity.

It is essential that the diagnosis of a parent/carer's mental health is not seen as defining the level of risk. Similarly, the absence of a diagnosis does not equate to there being little or no risk. An assessment should consider the impact on the child.

Where a parent has enduring and / or severe mental ill-health, children in the household are more likely to suffer significant harm. This could be through physical, sexual or emotional abuse, and / or neglect.

A child likely to suffer significant harm or whose well-being is affected, could be a child:

Who features within parental delusions;
Who is involved in parental obsessional compulsive behaviours;
Who becomes a target for parental aggression or rejection;
Who has to take on caring responsibilities
Who may witness disturbing behaviour arising from the mental illness (e.g. self-harm, suicide, uninhibited behaviour, violence, homicide);
Who is neglected physically and / or emotionally by an unwell parent;
Who does not live with the unwell parent, but has contact (e.g. formal unsupervised contact sessions or the parent sees the child in visits to the home or on overnight stays)

The following factors may impact upon parenting capacity and increase concerns that a child may be suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm:

History of mental health problems with an impact on parental functioning;
Unmanaged mental health problems with an impact on parental functioning;
Maladaptive coping strategies;
Misuse of drugs, alcohol, or medication;
Severe eating disorders;
Self-harming and suicidal behaviour;
Lack of insight into illness and impact on child, or insight not applied;
Non-compliance with treatment;
Poor engagement with services;
Previous or current compulsory admissions to mental health hospital;
Disorder deemed long term 'untreatable', or untreatable within time scales compatible with child's best interests;
Mental health problems combined with domestic abuse and / or relationship difficulties;
Mental health problems combined with isolation and / or poor support networks;
Mental health problems combined with criminal offending (forensic);
Non-identification of the illness by professionals (e.g., untreated post-natal depression can lead to significant attachment problems);

The NSPCC lists the potential impact on children when living with parents with mental health problems. These include:

increased risk of developing behaviour problems such as physical aggression by the time they reach school age
risk of developing mental health difficulties
taking on a caring role, providing emotional and social support, basic household chores and more intimate tasks such as nursing or bathing their parents
demands of caring may lead to fewer opportunities to have fun and build friendships, disruption of education, educational underachievement and reduced life chances
constant worry about their parents' or carers' health and wellbeing and denial of their own needs and feelings
distress if faced with frightening situations such as a parent's suicide attempt, overdose or volatile behaviour
a lower standard of living or financial hardship if their parent's illness makes it difficult for them to work
embarrassment or shame over their parents' or carers' condition, limiting their friendships and social interaction due to the social stigma attached to mental illness
bullying and social isolation
separation from parents or carers by Children's Services or the parent's hospitalisation
in the most serious cases, children may suffer abuse or neglect from a parent or carer with a mental health problem.

Additional information:

Child abuse

Safeguarding concerns may arise in many different contexts, and can vary greatly in terms of their nature and seriousness. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or by a stranger, including, via the internet. In the case of female genital mutilation, children may be taken out of the country to be abused. They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.

An abused child will often experience more than one type of abuse, as well as other difficulties in their lives. Abuse and neglect can happen over a period of time, but can also be a one-off event. Child abuse and neglect can have major long-term impacts on all aspects of a child's health, development and well-being.

The warning signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect can vary from child to child. Disabled children may be especially vulnerable to abuse, including because they may have an impaired capacity to resist or avoid abuse. They may have speech, language and communication needs which may make it difficult to tell others what is happening. Children also develop and mature at different rates so what appears to be worrying for a younger child might be normal behaviour for an older child.

Parental behaviours may also indicate child abuse or neglect, so you should also be alert to parent-child interactions which are concerning and other parental behaviours. This could include parents who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol or if there is a sudden change in their mental health.

By understanding the warning signs, you can respond to problems as early as possible and provide the right support and services for the child and their family. It is important to recognise that a warning sign doesn’t automatically mean a child is being abused.

Physical abuse

Physical abuse is deliberately physically hurting a child. It might take a variety of different forms, including hitting, pinching, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning or suffocating a child.

Physical abuse can happen in any family, but children may be more at risk if their parents have problems with drugs, alcohol and mental health or if they live in a home where domestic abuse happens. Babies and disabled children also have a higher risk of suffering physical abuse.

Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child. Physical abuse can also occur outside of the family environment.

Indicators of Physical Abuse:

Some of the following signs may be indicators of Physical Abuse:

Children with frequent injuries;
Children with unexplained or unusual fractures or broken bones;
Children with unexplained, bruises, cuts, burns, scalds or bite marks.

Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child. It is also sometimes called psychological abuse and it can have severe and persistent adverse effects on a child’s emotional development.

Although the effects of emotional abuse might take a long time to be recognisable, practitioners will be in a position to observe it, for example, in the way that a parent interacts with their child.

Emotional abuse may involve deliberately telling a child that they are worthless, or unloved and inadequate. It may include not giving a child opportunity to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate.

Emotional abuse may involve serious bullying – including online bullying through social networks, online games or mobile phones – by a child’s peers.

Indicators of Emotional Abuse:

Some of the following signs may be indicators of emotional abuse:

Children who are excessively withdrawn, fearful, or anxious about doing something wrong;
Parents or carers who withdraw their attention from their child, giving the child the ‘cold shoulder’;
Parents or carers blaming their problems on their child;
Parents or carers who humiliate their child, for example, by name-calling or making negative comparisons

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse is any sexual activity with a child. You should be aware that many children and young people who are victims of sexual abuse do not recognise themselves as such. A child may not understand what is happening and may not even understand that it is wrong. Sexual abuse can have a long-term impact on mental health.

Sexual abuse may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside clothing.

It may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in the production of sexual images, forcing children to look at sexual images or watch sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet).

Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

Indicators of Sexual Abuse:

Some of the following signs may be indicators of sexual abuse:

Children who display knowledge or interest in sexual acts inappropriate to their age;
Children who use sexual language or have sexual knowledge that you wouldn’t expect them to have;
Children who ask others to behave sexually or play sexual games;
Children with physical sexual health problems, including soreness in the genital and anal areas, sexually transmitted infections or underage pregnancy

Find out more about sexual abuse in the links below:

Understanding and responding to AI generated Child Sexual Abuse Material

This guidance has been developed by the Internet Watch Foundation in response to the increasing amount of AI generated content being produced (up 400% in 2025). The concern is that it may be inevitable that full length AI generated child sexual abuse films will be produced – and these synthetic videos will become indistinguishable from real footage.

AI CSAM Guides for Professionals | IWF & NCA

Harmful sexual behaviour

Harmful Sexual Behaviour – HSB (also called sexually harmful behaviour) is the term used to describe children or young people who sexually abuse other children, young people or adults. The sexual abuse perpetrated by children can be just as harmful as that perpetrated by an adult, so it is important to remember the impact on the victim of the abuse as well as to focus on the treatment of the child or young person exhibiting the HSB.

Harmful sexual behaviour can be defined as: ‘One or more children engaging in sexual discussions or acts that are inappropriate for their age or stage of development. These can range from using sexually explicit words and phrases to full penetrative sex with other children or adults’,NICE, September 2016

There is similarity between HSB and other forms of abuse, particularly child sexual exploitation and it is important that professionals are aware about what is HSB.

Harmful sexual behaviour includes using sexually explicit words and phrases, inappropriate touching, using sexual violence or threats, and full penetrative sex with other children or adults. It can happen face to face, virtual (on-line), through the use of gaming consoles (e.g. XBox, Play Station) and other social media and ‘apps’.

The understanding of harmful sexual behaviour needs to be within the context of healthy sexual behaviour and how to differentiate between harm and normal exploration and sexual development.

Abusive/inappropriate behaviour is often characterised by a lack of true consent, the presence of a power imbalance and exploitation.

Additional Information:

NSPCC
NSPCC Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) Audit Framework
Technology Assisted Harmful Sexual Behaviour - TA-HSB is when children and young people use the internet or other technology to engage in sexual activity that may be harmful to themselves and others. TA-HSB covers a range of behaviour including the developmentally inappropriate use of pornography, online sexual abuse, grooming, sexting.
NICE Guidance
What works for children and young people with harmful sexual behaviours, 2004 - Report from Barnardos which is available in summary form as a free download or the full report is available to purchase.
Now I know it was wrong: Report of the parliamentary inquiry into support and sanctions for children who display harmful sexual behaviour, - Chaired by Nusrate Ghani MP, supported by Barnardo’s, 2016

Harmful practices

Harmful traditional practices are forms of violence which have been committed, primarily against women and girls, in certain communities and societies for so long that they are considered, or presented by perpetrators, as part of accepted cultural practice. They have often been embedded in communities for a long time and are born out of community pressure.

The most common forms of harmful practices are:

female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM).
so called ‘honour’ based violence/abuse
forced or early marriage

Other less common forms include:

Spirit Possession
Breast Ironing

Female genital mutilation

The World Health organisation defines female genital mutilation (FGM) as ‘all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.’ FGM is prevalent as a cultural ritual in 28 African countries as well as in parts of the Middle East and Asia. For this reason, FGM is also known by alternative definitions which are better received in the communities that practice it, who do not see themselves as engaging in mutilation. However, FGM is also recognised internationally as a violation of Human Rights and is illegal in the United Kingdom.

Honour based violence and abuse

For some communities, ‘honour’ is deemed to be extremely important. To compromise a family’s ‘honour’ is often to bring dishonour and shame and this can have severe consequences. The punishment for bringing dishonour can be emotional abuse, physical abuse, family disownment and in some cases even murder. In most honour-based abuse cases there are multiple perpetrators from the immediate family, sometimes the extended family and occasionally the community at large. Mothers, sisters, aunties and even grandmothers have been known to be involved in the conspiring of honour crimes.

Karma Nirvanasupports victims of Honour Based Abuse and Forced Marriage.
The Halo Projectprovides support for victims and advice for agencies.
The Freedom Charityoffers a 24 hour helpline service to provide support and protection of victims of abuse.

Forced or early marriage

There is a clear distinction between a ‘forced’ marriage and an ‘arranged’ marriage. In arrangedging marriages, the families of both spouses take a leading role in arranging the marriage, but the choice whether or not to accept the marriage remains with the prospective spouses.

A ‘forced’ marriage is a marriage in which one or both spouses do not and/or cannot consent to the marriage and duress is involved. Duress can include physical, psychological, financial, sexual and emotional pressure. Duress cannot be justified on religious or cultural grounds.

Breast ironing/flattening

Breast Ironing also known as “Breast Flattening” is the process whereby young pubescent girls breasts are ironed, massaged and/or pounded down using hard or heated objects in order for the breasts to disappear or delay the development of the breasts entirely.

The United Nations states that breast ironing affects 3.8 million women around the world and has been identified as one of the five under-reported crimes relating to gender-based violence. The custom uses large stones, a hammer or spatulas that have been heated over scorching coals to compress the breast tissue of girls as young as 9 years old. Those who derive from richer families may opt to use an elastic belt to press the breasts so as to prevent them from growing. The mutilation is a traditional practice from Cameroon designed to make teenage girls look less “womanly” and to deter unwanted male attention, pregnancy and rape. Although there is no specific law against breast ironing, it is physical abuse and therefore professionals must make a referral to Children’s Services.

More information can be found on the National FGM Centre website.

Child abuse linked to faith or belief

The National Action Plan includes the ideas below when referring to Child Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief:

“Belief” in the concept of:

witchcraft and spirit possession, demons or the devil acting through children or leading them astray (traditionally seen in some Christian beliefs),
the evil eye or djinns (traditionally known in some Islamic faith contexts) and dakini (in the Hindu context);
ritual or muti murders where the killing of children is believed to bring supernatural benefits or the use of their body parts is believed to produce potent magical remedies;
use of belief in magic or witchcraft to create fear in children to make them more compliant when they are being trafficked for domestic slavery or sexual exploitation.

The above list is not exhaustive and there may well other examples of where children and young people have been harmed when one or more adults believe their actions have brought bad fortune.

The belief in “possession or “witchcraft” is widespread. It is not confined to particular countries, cultures or religions, nor is it confined to new immigrant communities in this country. The definition, which is commonly accepted across faith-based organisations, non-governmental organisations and the public sector, is the term ‘possession by evil spirits’ or ‘witchcraft’.

The number of known cases of child abuse linked to accusations of “possession” or “witchcraft” is small, but children involved can suffer damage to their physical and mental health, their capacity to learn, their ability to form relationships and to their self-esteem.

Such abuse generally occurs when a carer views a child as being “different”, attributes this difference to the child being “possessed” or involved in “witchcraft” and attempts to exorcise him or her. A child could be viewed as “different” for a variety of reasons such as, disobedience; independence; bed-wetting; nightmares; illness; or disability. There is often a weak bond of attachment between the carer and the child.

There are various social reasons that make a child more vulnerable to an accusation of “possession” or “witchcraft”. These include family stress and/or a change in the family structure. The attempt to “exorcise” may involve severe beating, burning, starvation, cutting or stabbing and isolation, and usually occurs in the household where the child lives. Siblings or other children in the household may be well cared for with all their needs met by the parents and carers. The other children may have been drawn in by the adults to view the child as “different” and may have been encouraged to participate in the adult activities.

Additional Information:

Child exploitation is a form of abuse where individuals or groups manipulate, coerce, or force a child or young person into activities for the exploiter’s benefit. This includes criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, and other forms such as trafficking or forced labour. Exploitation always involves a power imbalance and causes significant harm.

Stoke-on-Trent children’s services have a small but dedicated team that focuses on children that are at risk of, or subject to either strand of child exploitation. The social work team work closely with professionals from internal and external agencies to reduce harm outside of the home. The team work with children at each stage of intervention within the family home and children in care. The key evidence-based principles that inform the teams robust support plans for children and young people are highlighted below;

Snapchat Safety Hacks.

1. Trauma-Informed Care

Children who have been exploited often experience complex trauma. Trauma-informed approaches ensure that interventions prioritize safety, trust, and empowerment.

Key principles:

Safety first: Create physical and emotional safety in all interactions.
Trust and transparency: Explain processes clearly to reduce anxiety.
Avoid re-traumatisation: Limit repeated interviews; use child-friendly environments.
Empowerment: Give children choices and respect their pace.
Collaboration: Work with families and other professionals to support recovery. [zalkin.com], [childwelfare.gov], [practicenotes.org]

2. Evidence-Based Therapeutic Interventions

Several interventions have strong empirical support for children who have experienced sexual or criminal exploitation:

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT):
- Proven effective for reducing PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
- Includes psychoeducation, coping skills, trauma narration, and caregiver involvement. [tfcbt.org], [link.springer.com]
Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP):
- Focuses on strengthening attachment and addressing trauma in the parent-child relationship. [nice.org.uk]
Multisystemic Therapy (MST):
- Addresses behavioural issues and family dynamics, often used for youth involved in exploitation and delinquency. [unh.edu]
Skill-Based Interventions (CBT variants):
- Effective for co-occurring issues like substance misuse and emotional regulation. [unh.edu]

3. Relationship-Based and Contextual Approaches

Build trusting, consistent relationships with the child.
Use mentorship programs and peer support to reduce isolation.
Apply Contextual Safeguarding: Address risks in peer groups, schools, and communities, not just within the family. [nya.org.uk], [tce.resear...ice.org.uk], [safeguardi...dren.co.uk]

4. Multi-Agency Collaboration

Implement Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) panels to coordinate responses.
Share information across social care, police, health, education and youth services.
Follow Practice Principles: child-cantered, rights-based, and inclusive approaches. [tce.resear...ice.org.uk], [link.springer.com]

5. Practical Strategies

Early identification and intervention: Train staff to spot indicators of exploitation.
Holistic assessment: Consider vulnerabilities, family context, and community risks.
Safety planning: Develop strategies to reduce immediate harm.
Advocacy and voice: Ensure the child’s views shape decisions. [learning.n...pcc.org.uk]

The child exploitation team within Stoke-on-Trent children’s services also works closely alongside the missing from home and CSE team. Numerous missing episodes is a key indicator of young people who may be vulnerable to or are being exploited. The missing team work hard to ensure that all children are seen promptly following an episode in which they have been reported missing from home or care, and a return home interview (RHI) is conducted to explore the reasons for the missing episode, to identify risks and what support can be offered.

Children Missing from Home and Care Joint Protocol can be found on the Resources page of this website SoTSCP Resources

The internet is a great way for children and young people to connect with others and learn new things. As interactions between people are increasingly taking place on-line it is essential that we safeguard children as robustly in the digital world as we do in the real one. We can do this through:

Promoting safe on-line behaviour to children, young people and their families
Listening to children and families when they talk about their experiences in the digital world
Taking children, young people and their families’ on-line activity and networks into account when assessing, planning and providing support

Children, young people and their families go online for a variety of reasons, including:

To search for information or content on search engines
Share images and watch videos through websites or mobile apps
Use social networking websites
Write or reply to messages on forums and message boards
Play games alongside or with others through websites, apps or games consoles
Chat with other people through on-line, games, messenger apps, games consoles, webcams, social network, and other instant communication tools
Find new friends and partners

The digital world is accessed through a variety of mediums, including tablets, lap-tops, phones, games consoles, TVs. There are lots of benefits in going on-line, and also some risks. These risks include:

Exposure to and sharing of explicit material (including sexting)
Grooming
Radicalisation
Exploitation
Identity theft
Cyber-bullying
Cyber-hacking

It’s important that as online activity is an increasingly significant part of children’s lives, we include this in our work with them. Practitioners should feel confident in talking with children, young people and their families about their on-line choices and interactions, such as:

How they share their personal information on-line: privacy settings, contact details, location / geotagging
On-line behaviours: sharing inappropriate images (e.g. sexting), online bullying or harassment; meeting up with on-line friends or potential partners,
On-line networks and relationships: online friendships and support networks, genograms and ecomaps

Advice and Resources

CEOP Thinkuknow provides advice for parents and carers, children and young people, and those that work with them.
NSPCC Online Safety has further advice and tools.
Online Abuse and Bullying prevention Guide for professionals working with young people
CEOP is there to support young people, parents and carers while surfing online, and offers help and advice on topics such as cyberbullying, hacking and harmful content
Snapchat Safety Hacks.

It also enables people to immediately report anything on-line which they find concerning, such as harmful or inappropriate content, or possible grooming behaviour.

Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP)

The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) was established in April 2008. The panel has created local structures and processes to review all deaths of children normally resident in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. It is the final, independent scrutiny of a child’s death by professionals.

When a child dies

All child deaths are recorded on our secure electronic business system called eCDOP. To notify the Child Death Overview Panel of a child death please follow this link: Https://www.ecdop.co.uk/stafford/live/public

When a child dies leaflet for parents and carers When a Child Dies Leaflet

Annual report Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent CDOP Annual Report 2024-2025

Procedures

Guidance for all deaths

The panel provides oversight and assurance of the whole child death review processes in accordance with the National Child Death Review Statutory and Operational Guidance (England) 2018 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-death-review-statutory-and-operational-guidance-england

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Multi-Agency Guidance for Joint Agency Response to Sudden and Unexpected Death in Infancy/Childhood (SUDIC)

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Multi-agency SUDIC Guidance 2024)

The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR)

The LeDeR Programme is the first national programme of its kind aimed at making improvements to the lives of people with learning disabilities. The CDOP notifies the programme, which is run and funded by NHS England, of all the deaths of children with learning disabilities (from 4-18 years) with a view to improve the standard and quality of care for people with learning disabilities.

Support for Family / Carers – ‘When a child dies’

A guide for parents, families, and carers to help understand and navigate the child death review process, When a Child Dies. This booklet is available from the CDOP in printed colour format and is offered to all bereaved families and /or carers.

Key Worker

You may hear the term ‘key worker’. This is a person who acts as a single point of contact for the bereaved family, who they can turn to for information on the child death review process, and who can signpost them to sources of support. This person will usually be a healthcare professional.

Campaigns

Protect Your Little Bundle – From Birth to Beyond 2025

Newsletters

The Child Death Overview Panel Newsletter contains public health messages to raise awareness of hazards, share learning from local child death reviews and promote local and national campaigns:

Summer Holiday Newsletter 2026

Contact CDOP

Child Death Overview Panel: Tel 01785 232724

Child Protection & Exploitation Team, Staffordshire Police Headquarters, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0YY

The CE Screening Tool (Risk Factor Matrix) is designed to collect information to help identify children who may be vulnerable to or at risk of exploitation. (Note: this form does not serve as a referral to social care.)

Police can use a PPN as a referral, however, they must ensure there is lots of detail and that the questions on the RFM are answered.
WMAS can also use their ‘safeguarding ambulance report’ to send to MACE.
All other professionals must complete the Risk Factor Matrix. Please use the QR code to access the form. This supports auditing as it is evidence of addressing risk.

Completed forms for Stoke-on-Trent should be sent to ChildExploitation@stoke.gov.uk (RFMs should be referred to the relevant LA panel).

Working together

Restorative Practice:

Making a referral

Threshold framework

Information sharing

Seven Golden Rules to Information Sharing:

Managing allegations against adults that work with children

Whistleblowing

What should professionals do?

For more information:

Early help services

Family hubs

Private fostering

Additional information:

Working with families

Families First

Training

Upcoming Q&A Drop-in Sessions:

Website:

Abuse

Harmful practises

Harmful practices

Honour based violence and abuse

Neglect

Exploitation

1. Trauma-Informed Care

2. Evidence-Based Therapeutic Interventions

3. Relationship-Based and Contextual Approaches

4. Multi-Agency Collaboration

5. Practical Strategies

Radicalisation

Digital safeguarding

Advice and Resources

Voice of child

When a child dies

Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP)

When a child dies

Procedures

Guidance for all deaths

The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR)

Support for Family / Carers – ‘When a child dies’

Key Worker

Campaigns

Newsletters

Contact CDOP

Impact of abuse and trauma on children

Stoke-on-Trent youth justice and support service

Prevention Service

Out of Court Responses

Court Disposals

Victim Services