Safeguarding is all about utilising 'reachable moments'

Health professionals have to be 'professionally curious' at all times

Health and social care professionals with safeguarding concerns 'won't give up' on vulnerable people on the Isle of Man.

That's the message from the Island's head of safeguarding for children and adults.

This week marks Safeguarding Week and this year's theme is 'All Age Exploitation' - aiming to highlight the harms young people and vulnerable adults face.

Here at Manx Radio we're publishing a series of reports throughout the week focussing on the work that goes on behind the scenes by various agencies.

We've heard from the Detective Inspector for Protecting Vulnerable People Sam Cannell and the Independent Chair of the Island's Safeguarding Board, Lesley Walker.

Today (13 November) the focus is on Manx Care.

Siobhán Fletcher caught up with Samantha Holmes, the named professional for contextual safeguarding, and Head of Safeguarding for Children and Adults Terri Banks - who covers the acute and community health services here on the Island:

'REACHABLE MOMENTS'

So-called 'reachable moments' represent the times in a child or vulnerable adult's life that they might be open to engage and make changes to their behaviour.

The National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s report on safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation (March 2020) calls this a ‘critical moment’.

It's essential that professionals are flexible and able to capitalise on them when they suspect something is amiss.

Terri and Samantha describe this as being 'professionally curious'.

This is where a practitioner 'explores and proactively tries to understand what is happening within a family or for an individual, rather than making assumptions or taking a single source of information and accepting it at face value'.

Samantha gives the example of a young person attending A&E whilst intoxicated.

Questions should arise surrounding where they got the alcohol or substance from, who provided it and who they are in attendance with.

But she says it's key to note that some children or vulnerable adults may not know they are being exploited to be able to reach out:

On Friday the team from the Isle of Man Safeguarding Board is hosting a Child Exploitation and Preventing ‘Victim Blaming’ Language workshop.

It will look at how those with concerns should approach children who may be being exploited.

Another area of concern around safeguarding on the Island is sexual exploitation.

Terri told Manx Radio the improvement in the Sexual Assault Referral Centre services here have made a huge difference for her teams:

EVENTS

Safeguarding Week runs from 11 November to 15 November and events are happening across the Island.

Today (13 November) Manx Care is hosting a number of exploitation workshops at Keyll Darree - adult exploitation drop-in sessions are being held in Port Erin and Douglas.

You can find out more here.

Tomorrow (14 November) Manx Radio will be finding out more about the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub and how the various agencies we've heard from this week work together.

SUPPORT

If you think you or someone you know is being exploited or is at risk of being exploited, contact the Isle of Man Constabulary on 01624 631212 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

You can hear more from Samantha and Terri in this episode of Newscast: