Over the years the definition of significant harm has changed to reflect a growing understanding of behaviours which are harmful to children’s physical and emotional well-being, and to reflect societal changes that may make children vulnerable to different forms of harm, such as online abuse.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 outlines the different forms of significant harm:
"Suffering or being likely to suffer significant harm is the threshold for child protection enquiries and can take different forms, including sexual, physical or emotional abuse, neglect or domestic abuse (including controlling or coercive behaviour), exploitation by criminal gangs or organised crime groups, trafficking, online abuse, sexual exploitation, and the influences of extremism which could lead to radicalisation."
All those working with vulnerable children should be offered training in respect of understanding significant harm, safeguarding and their role and responsibilities to protect children and report concerns. Foster carers need to have an understanding of the safeguarding policy of their fostering service. You should request a copy if this hasn’t been shared with you (as this is part of The National Minimum Standards 22.3). All foster carers should receive regular training to keep up to date.
When there is concern a child has suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm a child protection investigation will be instigated by the local authority. This is undertaken in accordance with Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 and will result in enquiries being made involving the child, their family and a range of related agencies such as the police, education, health and others to enable the local authority to decide on any action needed to protect a child from abuse, neglect and/or exploitation.
