Safeguarding disabled children guidance

Disabled children and young people can be more vulnerable to being harmed through abuse compared to their non-disabled peers. Safeguarding these children requires a heightened awareness of their unique vulnerabilities, individuality, and specific needs. It is crucial to consider the child within the context of their family and the community supports and services. 

There are several reasons why disabled children might be particularly vulnerable to abuse: 

• isolation: limited contact with others can increase vulnerability
• intimate care: the need for intimate care from multiple carers can raise the risk of exposure to abusive behaviour and complicate the establishment and maintenance of physical boundaries
• impaired resistance: some children may have a reduced capacity to resist or avoid abuse
• communication barriers: difficulties in communication can hinder a child's ability to tell someone about what is happening to them, especially if there is limited or support around their communication needs
• lack of awareness regarding abuse: disabled children may not be aware of what is safe or harmful and may not be able to define abuse
• challenge of seeking support: some disabled children do not have access to support through the internet, phone, or social networks. This challenge is exacerbated for children with no or limited verbal communication skills and vision impairments, as services intended for children to reach out for support or make sense of their experiences are often in printed format or on websites that are not accessible to them
• fear of complaining: concerns about losing services can inhibit raising an issue
• bullying and intimidation: disabled children might be more prone to bullying and intimidation and may be more accepting of such treatment due to a lack of recognition of these issues
• peer abuse: they may be more susceptible to harm and abuse from their peers
• attitudinal barriers: discriminatory attitudes can lead to a focus on the disability rather than seeing the child as a whole and recognising their voice

Challenges and assumptions: 

• it is often assumed that disabled children cannot express their views, or service providers find it difficult to gather their opinions
• effective service providers use creative methods to obtain the views of disabled children, including those who communicate non-verbally

Professional misinterpretations: 

• indicators like speech delay, distressed behaviour, or unexplained markings are sometimes not recognised as potential signs of abuse or neglect, leading to missed intervention opportunities

Professionals may not consider a child's lived experience beyond their diagnostic label, which could impact upon a professional's curiosity and considering harm and abuse.  

Service provision insights: 

• some services and professionals can engage with children considering their lived experiences and communication needs, but this may be less likely when resources are limited
• professionals do not always prioritise children's perspectives, feelings, and opinions, missing opportunities to adapt communication by involving specialists who understand the child's communication needs
• delays in providing equipment sometimes leave children without a way to express themselves or move about, and the safeguarding implications of this are not always considered
• practitioners may not always investigate why a child is not brought to appointments or offer the necessary support to help children access education, health, or social care provision

Service responsibilities: 

• ensure all disabled children can participate in decisions about: 
  • the activities they engage in 
  • how these activities are conducted 
  • the management of services and activities