Print Version: VCF welcomes child protection guidance for doctors

VCF – The Victoria Climbié Foundation UK welcomes the draft guidance issued by the GMC – for public consultation – to help doctors protect children from abuse and to make sure they receive the support they need to keep them safe.

Commenting on the draft guidance, Mor Dioum, VCF Director praised the GMC on their efforts to raise awareness of child protection within GP practices. “Doctors and practice staff play a key role in identifying areas of concern within families, and need to be fully supported when making difficult decisions. The GMC have provided the necessary assurances to enable doctors to engage in the process without fear or retribution for the decisions that they make, regardless of the outcome, where such decisions have been made out of genuine concern.”

VCF is one of a number of organisations that participated in pre-consultation discussions about the roles and responsibilities of doctors working to protect children and young people. We recognise that doctors will often be faced with a diverse range of needs, which may go beyond known medical boundaries – just how do doctors deal with families who present with cultural or faith ideals that are at odds with what is being prescribed, not to mention the raft of challenges that arise with other known minority groups such as refugees, asylum seekers, gypsies and travellers, migrant workers or even the homeless.

VCF campaigns for the right of the BME child to be protected from abuse and to challenge crimes against children committed either by families, communities, or by the inaction of statutory and governmental agencies.

The draft guidance calls for doctors to seek specialist help either within the local community or through colleagues with specialist knowledge to ensure that a parent’s right to bring up a child according to their own cultural values or beliefs does not become a cause for concern for the physical or emotional wellbeing of that child. It can often be difficult to know what to share, and with whom, and whether to talk to the adult or the child. Ultimately, where such concerns exist, the welfare of the child is paramount and should be reported to the relevant authorities.

A cause for concern at VCF is the way professionals seek to address the reporting of concerns within the Working Together framework, which in the context of information sharing has reduced trust towards health professionals. Health has traditionally been viewed as the most trusted statutory agency by the community. In order to preserve this trust, we would advise health professionals to seek a second opinion before referring or reporting children to social care. It also helps to better prepare a social worker to address the issues with the relevant child, young person or family.

Doctors are also urged to seek cultural competency training where possible. At VCF, we believe this is key for all agencies working to protect children, to aid awareness and understanding around aspects of culture and faith, to deliver a more holistic health approach for BME families and to assist with identifying early help. Practitioner training is set within a safeguarding context, reflects on existing guidance and aims to apply practical measures to remove barriers to good practice.

The GMC is seeking views from doctors, other professionals (social workers, nurses and lawyers), parents, and children on a wide range of issues, to include communication and the importance of working with other professionals in safeguarding.

The consultation runs from 27 June to 16 October 2011. To take part in the consultation, please visit www.gmc-uk.org/childprotection (consultation now closed)

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See also:

Consultation on draft guidance for doctors
VCF Submission to GMC Oral Evidence Session