1. How would you act on a suspicion of child abuse when there has been no disclosure? (Enter Response Here) Office use only Assessor Feedback Trainers Name, Date 2. Why is it important to write down...

CHC50113 Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care
CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk
Student Name: Sadhana Yalamanchi
Student Number: E0921149
Assessment: 31863/01
All terms mentioned in this text that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalised. Use of a term in this text should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
© Open Colleges Pty Ltd, 2015
All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
File naming
Once you feel confident that you have covered the learning materials for this unit, you are ready to attempt this assessment. 
To help Open Colleges manage your assessment, please use the following file-naming convention when you save your Microsoft Word document. Your file should be named and saved to your computer’s hard drive using your:
[student number]_[assessment]_[assessment number].doc
Assessment submission
When you are ready to submit your assessment, upload the file in OpenSpace using the Assessment Upload links in the relevant module of your course. If you need further assistance, the Student Lounge provides a ‘Quick Guide to Uploading Assessments’. Uploading assessments in OpenSpace will enable Open Colleges to provide you with the fastest feedback and grading for your assessment.
Please ensure any supporting documents uploaded with your assessment have your student name and number provided.
It is important that you keep a copy of all assessments submitted to Open Colleges.
    
Open Colleges     Assessment
CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk    Page 3 of 52
    
Getting started
The assessment activities in this booklet have been designed to allow you to provide evidence that demonstrates your competence in the unit CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk.
Your trainer will:
· answer any questions that you might have about the assessment
· assess your competence as required by the unit of competency, by making judgments about the evidence you have presented in line with the rules of evidence: validity, authenticity, currency and sufficiency
· provide feedback on the outcomes of the assessment process.
Introduction
You are required to complete one written assessment, which has two components for CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk.
In completing the final assessments, you will show evidence of your ability to:
implement work practices which support the protection of children and young people.
report indications of possible risk of harm.
apply ethical and nurturing practices in work with children and young people.
    Assessment number
    Assessment deliverables
    31863/01
    Written assessment
31863/01 Written assessment
A) Short answer questions
Student instructions
· Answer the following questions.
· Your responses may be recorded or presented in a written format. Written responses for each answer should be approximately 100 words in length. The written responses may be presented in narrative or bullet point format.
· To help answer questions accurately you may refer to child protection legislation in your state or territory, the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics, your organisation’s child protection policies and procedures, your position description and duty of care responsibilities, or other sources of information such as professional readings and the course textbooks.
· If applicable, ensure you acknowledge and cite your sources accordingly. This is important whether you use your own words or use the author’s own words.
· When referring to organisational policies and procedures or position descriptions please submit with your assessment to support your answer.
Short answer questions
1. In your own words, define the term ‘’child abuse’’?
    Child abuse can be defined as actions by a main parent or caregiver whose actions or failure to act by being negligent results in either injury, emotional harm or serious harm to a child. Mistreatment may also be a result of neglect whereby the failure to act or the experience that the children have of regularly seeing a parent or both parents consuming alcohol and drugs or being left alone can lead to long lasting psychological damage.
    Office use only
Assessor Feedback
    Thank you for your response,
Please note also that child abuse can be defined as something done or not done by a Parent. This can be someone other than a parent and it can also be something that endangers or impairs the child’s emotional or physical health or development. Abuse neglect and maltreatment of a child can also describe situations where a child may need protection.
Joelle Dagher, 22.08.2019
2. What are some possible signs that a child is witnessing domestic violence at home? Identify 6 that you may observe in an early childhood setting.
    • If a child comes in and regularly has hard to explain visible bruises on their face or arms or has injuries which cannot be explained.
• Access required to health services regularly with signs of scratching, bites, burns that may not heal very quickly
• Sleepiness, blood in the eyes, black eyes and vomiting are signs that the child may have a head injury or has been strongly shaken.
• A child’s explanation of persistent damage is not consistent with the injuries that the child has.
• The child continually complains of stomach pains.
• Self-harming occurs which involves cutting behavior or consuming substances.
    Office use only
Assessor Feedback
    Thank you- other examples may include poor relationship skills, anxiety, aggressive behaviour or language as well as withdraw or distant behaviour.
Joelle Dagher, 22.08.2019
3. How would you act on a suspicion of child abuse when there has been no disclosure?
    If we have suspicions that there has been child abuse despite their being no disclosure, we should record the reasons for suspicions and report our information to the relevant government departments who will investigate to make sure that the child is safe. It is important to report such information rather than leave the child in potential risk.
    Office use only
Assessor Feedback
    You are on the right track, however when you mention record the reasons for suspicion, how will you do this? What methods will you use?
Will you speak to anyone? If so, who?
Are there any procedures or policies that you need to follow?
Please revise
Joelle Dagher, 22.08.2019
    Please provide resubmitted response below:
I would use the method of counselling and activities to ensure that this is subjected to any kind of abuse.
It has been seen that children use the method of drawing to express their pain.
Once my suspicion is clear, I will alert the social services who deal with these situations and take the necessary action.
Then, I will try to identify the involvement of parents in the child abuse.
Once it gets clear whether parents are responsible or not then, I will discuss the issue with them so that they can also remain alert about their child.
I will guide the parents about the ways they can protect their child or signs they need to notice to check whether their child is being abused or not.
I would observe the child to check the visible signs of the abuse.
then, I would refer to the organization policy to identify the measures which need to be taken according to the service policy
I would regularly note the situation and make a report
Meanwhile, I would use the methods after considering ethics to communicate with the child so that root of the abuse can be identified
    Assessor Feedback: Georgina Antoune
    Please reflect on your response to this further Sadhana
REMEMBER: Reporting this to your Nominated Supervisor is certainly within your role and responsibility as an Educator
This question is asking how YOU would act, how you would behave, what actions you would take if you believe a child in your care is experiencing abuse/neglect.
I would encourage you to return to TOPIC 5 2.4 Recognise potential ethical issues and dilemmas and discuss with an appropriate person from your Leaner Guide.
I would have liked to see you include critical details such as:
*** I will refer to the service policy.
*** I will document what I observed
*** I will continue to observe the child
4. Why is it important to write down your concerns in an accurate, objective, non-judgemental and timely manner about a situation of possible child abuse or neglect?
    It is important to write down your concerns in a timely manner.
By doing so, the information you provide will be more accurate, and the statements you record must be objective and not judged about the likely circumstances of child abuse or neglect.
May be used in future legal proceedings.
    Office use only
Assessor Feedback
    You are close, you have identified the importance of ensuring documentation is objective and accurate however If there were to be an investigation for example, and if your written evidence was not detailed and accurate, objective and documented in a timely manner, what might happen?
Joelle Dagher, 22.08.2019
    Please provide resubmitted response below:
It is important to write down the concern in an accurate, objective, non-judgmental, and timely manner about the situation or neglect because it will act as a proof when legal action will be taken against the parents who are involved in the child neglect or abuse. Apart from this, entire incident when recorded properly, it can be helpful for the social services to investigate the matter. Social services can use the timeline and investigate in the neighbourhood about parents or scenarios that occur on that day.
It is also a helpful piece of record about child, which can be handed over to the other staff members, who are providing care to the child.
This report acts as an important piece of evidence when legal action was taken against the person causing abuse. Since a child in such a small age fails to provide clear narration of the incident that happened with them, thus, report of the educator acts as a necessary piece of incident.
If this report is not written properly then it will not be considered as a piece of evidence and the culprit will not be held accountable for this crime.
    Assessor Feedback: Georgina Antoune
    Correct- by keeping accurate and objective records of events, you are building the bigger picture, a history of incidents.
It is also evidence should you require it for anything legal in the long term.
5. When dealing with suspected or alleged child abuse why is it important not to disclose or use the information in a way that breaches confidentiality?
    The main priority is to protect child safety, which includes personal information about child abuse
and allows me to continue to maintain trust between children (especially if they have disclosed
information).
If I discuss suspicious abuses with anyone who doesn't need to participate (my
supervisor/responsible person, this may include other educators working directly with the child,
such as another educator who has 20 4 years old Educators working there in the child's room allow
them to continue to observe, record and report any other signs of abuse) and follow the service
policies and procedures and my obligations as a mandatory journalist.
As an educator of the service, my job is to adhere to service policies and procedures, including self-confidence and discussion with others that may endanger the child.
As an educator who has not witnessed abuse, I am reporting my suspected abuse, so I discuss with my parents that if the parents are abusers and think their children may have said something, they may withdraw the child from the service. Stop the child's help.
I must abide by national laws and standards and guarantee their safety.
    Office use only
Assessor Feedback
    I am a little concerned with your response as its unclear and I’m unsure as to whether you are saying you will or will not speak to the parents.
Can you please revise ensuring your responses are clear as well as focusing on WHY its important not to disclose any information that breaches confidentiality?
What might happen if the information is shared?
Who will you not share this information this?
I hope this feedback is helpful ?
Joelle Dagher, 22.08.2019
    Please provide resubmitted response below:
A child’s entire life remains in front of them.
Hence, it is necessary not to disclose any personal information of the child, who is subjected to the abuse.
This kind of information makes the child vulnerable. Their identity can be misused by people for their personal benefits.
It is important to note that people who breach the confidentiality about the child with suspected abuse are subjected to legal suit.
Using the example of the child when taking about the abuse can result in breach of privacy.
Thus, child’s information cannot be used without the permission of the family or local guardian.
Every child has a right to privacy
If confidentiality is breached, then it can pose the greater harm to the child
The information about the child subjected to the abuse must remain between parents, educator, and the social service agent so that the identity of the child can remain protected
On contrary, breach of the confidentiality can have psychological impact on the child in long term
    Assessor Feedback: Georgina Antoune
    Please be mindful here Sadhana
It seems you have over-complicated this ?
This question is asking WHY is confidentiality important.
REMEMBER: it is illegal to share information with unauthorized persons.
I am curious why you have not accessed the information from your Learner Guide?
APPENDIX/ Responding to possible risk of harm
Information here would have supported your response to include:
** every child has a right to privacy
** this may place the child at greater risk of harm if confidentiality is not adhered to
Have you noticed this question is similar to the one you completed in Module 1?
6. Provide 2 examples of open and non-leading questions that you could use if a child tells you that they have been abused. Give a brief explanation explaining why you would use the questions.
    Children may disclose spontaneously (disclosure as an event) or indirectly and slowly
(disclosure as a process).
The child's type of disclosure may be influenced by their developmental features, such as their age at the onset of abuse and/or their age at time of disclosure. 
    Office use only
Assessor Feedback
    Please revise, you have not identified 2 open ended, non-leading questions you can use if a child tells you they have been abused.
IF a child has disclosed information to you, what are some questions you may ask them to gather more information. Please ensure your questions are open ended and non-leading.
Joelle Dagher, 22.08.2019
    Please provide resubmitted response below:
Since open and non-leading questions do not have any direct answers, these questions are used to paint the big picture.
I would ask a child that I had been seeing it sad for a time, and ask it why it is so sad.
This question would allow the child to provide all the reasons making a child sad.
Once it has been clear about the type of abuse, then I will try to find out whether the child has faced any other kind of abuse.
For example, I would ask the child, “I saw the bruise on your head. How did you get it?”
I could also add, “I had seen you find difficulty in sitting on the chair, what is the reason?”
These questions will help me find out if child is subjected to physical or sexual or both kinds of abuse.
Example of the two open ended and non-leading questions include
· How are you feeling now?
· You look bit sad, what can I do for you?
Since child has undergone abuse, this means it is necessary to find out whether he is feeling fine now or feeling any kind of pain.
On the contrary, the child who faced abuse, has psychological impact on them which means they often seem sad and this question will be helpful in identifying their mental state.
    Assessor Feedback: Georgina Antoune
    
Please reflect on your comments above Sadhana
You have referred to a child as an inanimate object
“I would ask a child that I had been seeing it sad for a time, and ask it why it is so sad.”
The child is a person/he/she – please do not refer to a child as “it”
It is not in line with EYLF Principles
Using open questions is the most supportive way of responding to children and young people’s personal disclosures.
It is a gentle and respectful approach that protects both the child/young person’s emotions as well as protecting against you influencing what the child/young person wants to say.
Other examples of open-ended questions may include:
· Are things going ok for you at the moment?
· You look a bit down - can I help you with anything?
Did you find the Information in the Appendix (following Table 7.6) helpful?
For your own reflection: I would really like you to imagine yourself with a child, and she has just disclosed to you that she has been abused.
Please consider if asking whether she has told anyone else is REALLY relevant here.
In this exact moment, an educator’s primary concern should be for the emotional and psychological safety of this child.
Remember it is not your role to investigate or confirm the abuse or confront the suspected abuser—it is your role to respond and act in the best interest of the child.
We are not investigators, it is not an educator’s role to be a detective here.
We observe, monitor, report and continue to monitor and support
7. How can you, as an educator, protect yourself against a vexatious or unfounded claim of abuse against one of the children in your care?
    In order to protect ourselves against false allegations of child abuse it is important that we
always have the door open whenever we are talking to a child or female one on one. We
also, must maintain our space with young people and avoid dealing with emotions of kids
which can be misread. It is important to maintain professional standards, and this means
we do not see the student in private behind closed doors and do not meet them outside of
work on a personal level.
    Office use only
Assessor Feedback
    Well done, they are great examples.
Other examples may include ensuring you are not left alone with a child during nappy change or toileting transitions, ensuring you follow service policies and procedures regarding social media as well as always ensuring there is always an educator present with you in the room.
Joelle Dagher, 22.08.2019
8. Identify and briefly outline 4 child-focused practices you can routinely employ in your role to uphold the rights of the child and that encourage children to participate in age-appropriate decision making.
    Ensuring the child or young person is able to participate in decision making about his or her future. Four child focused practices that we can employ include;
1. Ensure that children are actively listened to so that they can express their ideas and make an informed decision irrespective of their age.
2. Engage with a young person that takes into account their developmental stage including their ability to make decisions and understand the consequences.
3. Inform young people of the type of decisions to be...