Guide gives childminders advice on child abuse

How should a childminder respond if a child confides that he or she is being abused? A new guide published last week by the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) gives advice on this and a range of other child protection issues, explaining how the childminder can react responsibly without causing the child further anxiety or trauma.

Safe & Secure - A Child Protection Good Practice Guide for Registered Childminders provides a list of tips for the childminder faced with a disclosure of abuse. These include listening carefully and patiently, without asking leading questions; reassuring the child that he or she is being believed and is not to blame for the abuse; and making an immediate timed, dated and signed record of the conversation, leaving any investigations to others who have specialist training.

The guide, launched at the SCMA's annual general meeting last month, also includes the official definition and categories of abuse, mechanisms for recording and reporting any concerns, and ideas on helping children use their own judgement to avoid potentially dangerous situations. It identifies indicators for concern and suggests ways for childminders to distinguish between accidental and non-accidental injuries.

Safe & Secure was developed with the support of the Lloyds TSB Foundation and Northern Rock Foundation. It is available from the SCMA on 01786 445 377. It is free to members or for 5 plus p&p to non-members. It will also be disseminated to members through a series of supporting sessions across Scotland.