Safeguarding Learners with SEND 

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection in the school. The role of the DSL for pupils with SEND is integral, as research shows us that children with SEND are at an increased risk of being abused compared with their non-SEND peers (Jones et al, 2012) and are also less likely to receive the protection and support they need when they have been abused (Taylor et al, 2014). Professionals sometimes have difficulty identifying safeguarding concerns when working with SEND children (NSPCC, 2016). It is important that within the school setting all staff have relevant safeguarding training and are fully aware of the additional vulnerabilities of these children. 

A key role of the SENCO is working to support the designated safeguarding lead to ensure that all school policies and procedures aimed at keeping children safe, including the child protection policy, reflect the additional vulnerabilities of SEND children. 

Additional information regarding the role and responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Lead is available within the statutory guidance document Keeping Children Safe in Education (2021):

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2

What puts learners with SEND at increased risk? 

Factors that increase risk and lessen protection for learners with SEND include: 

  • Attitudes and assumptions – e.g. a reluctance to believe learners with SEND are abused; minimising the impact of abuse; and attributing indicators of abuse to the child's impairment; 
  • Barriers preventing the learner with SEND and their family accessing support services; 
  • Issues related to a learner's specific impairment – e.g. dependency on a number of carers for personal or intimate care; impaired capacity to resist/avoid abuse, difficulties in communicating; 
  • An inability to understand what is happening or to seek help, limited opportunities for learners with SEND to seek help from someone else; 
  • A lack of professional skills, expertise and confidence in identifying child protection concerns and the lack of an effective child protection response. 

What do we know about learners with SEND’s experiences of abuse? 

Research suggests that: 

  • Learners with SEND are at a greater risk of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect than non-disabled children; 
  • Learners with SEND at greatest risk of abuse are those with behaviour/conduct disorders. Other high-risk groups include children with learning difficulties/disabilities, children with speech and language difficulties, children with health-related conditions and deaf children; 
  • Learners with SEND in residential care face particular risk; 
  • Bullying is a feature in the lives of many learners with SEND. 

 

What might help improve the protection of Learners with SEND? 

Research has identified a number of activities that can help to protect learners with SEND from abuse. 

These include: 

  • Personal safety skills activities, including sex and relationships education, that raise disabled children's awareness of abuse and ability to seek help; 
  • Peer support, which can have a beneficial effect on reducing bullying and enabling children to explore issues and make decisions; 
  • Creative therapies, which can provide children with opportunities to express themselves through indirect and non-verbal means. 

 

How else we can improve protection of learners with SEND? 

We need to share and build on existing knowledge and good practice and work together towards ensuring equal protection for disabled children. 

There is a need: 

  • To develop a wider and deeper evidence base to help us better understand the vulnerability of learners with SEND to abuse and how they can be protected; 
  • To raise awareness about the abuse of learners with SEND and challenge attitudes and assumptions that act as barriers to protection; 
  • To promote safe and accessible services; 
  • To raise learners with SEND’s awareness of abuse and ability to seek help including access to personal safety skills training; 
  • For agencies to build on good practice and measures already in place that help ensure the effective delivery of child protection and criminal justice services for learners with SEND. 

 

What practical steps can we take to support protection of learners with SEND? 

  • Display posters in the setting with photographs of the key people learners can speak to if they have a concern. 
  • Identify key workers to build trusting relationships with learners. 
  • Identify with staff those learners who may not be able to communicate their worries. 
  • Identify with staff those learners who may not be able to identify inappropriate behaviours towards them. 
  • Deliver age appropriate content in a cognitively accessible manner. For Example; Safe Touching (Seek support for this from outside agencies if required). 

The NSPCC Website has some useful resources and tips for supporting such discussions with children and young people which schools may find helpful.