New Guidance to spot child abuse
22nd July 2009
The BBC reports that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has issued guidance to help expert spot abuse. There were apparently 538,000 referrals to social services for child protection last year.
Failure to spot the signs of child abuse is a consistent theme in the civil courts, when Claimant allege that they should have been protected from abuse and taken into care. In the case of PIERCE V DONCASTER METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL [2008] EWCA Civ 1416 the court found that a local authority had failed to protect a child from abuse, whilst in the care of his parents. However in TF AND LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM Unreported Mayor’s and City of London County Court 30th September 2008 the court found that there had been no negligence on the part of social services.
