Child Protection Training

Safeguarding children is a proactive approach to and the steps taken to keep children safe. Child protection is a reactive approach to keeping our tamariki safe. It’s everybody’s responsibility to keep children safe. Nothing hurts children more than doing nothing when they’re suffering. As adults we always need to follow-up whenever we hear or see abuse.

The Safeguarding Initiative has 7 Rs when it comes to working with children:

• Recognise signs of abuse and neglect

• Respond to concerns or disclosures

• Report/Refer to an agency

• Record your records

• Remain and Review if possible. Remain involved and check-in with child/young person.

• Re-notify if nothing has improved

• Reflect on what worked/what didn’t. Did policy support and guide me?

On the 21st of July, we had Sarah Callow from Safeguarding Children run a Child Protection training workshop at Te Waipuna Puawai. We had 12 people attend, a mix of both community members and professionals keen to learn or brush-up on recognizing and responding to child abuse and neglect.

Learning how we can protect our tamariki in our community is key in building and maintain healthy relationships in Tamaki. Children are an amazing gift and our most vulnerable members of the community. Recognising the vulnerabilities and responding to abuse using a child-centered approach will only better serve their needs and will hopefully prevent a lifetime of heartache, and our tamariki will grow and become amazing adults.