2.6.7 Self Harming |
REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
England: STANDARD 3 - Promoting positive behaviour and relationships
STANDARD 4 - Safeguarding Children
STANDARD 6 - Promoting good health and wellbeing
Regulation 17 - Behaviour management, discipline and restraint Regulation 16 - Arrangements for the protection of children
Regulation 20 - Health needs of children
Regulation 21 - Medicines
Wales: Standard 17: Support for Individual Children See: Children's Homes Regulations and Standards (Wales) 2002
SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER
This chapter sets out the procedures that should be adhered to when working with child/young people who may do/or have attempted to self-harm.
Contents
1. Planning and Prevention
Broadly defined, self-harm refers to the deliberate attempt to physically injure oneself without causing death. This can include self-mutilation (e.g. cutting behaviours), self-poisoning, burning, scalding, banging, and hair-pulling.
Although clearly damaging, alcohol and drugs misuse, eating disorders, unsafe sex and other excessively risky behaviour, such as dangerous driving, are not generally classified as self-harm.
If a child is suspected or found to be self harming, the Strategies that should be taken are those determined by any existing plan, for example, in the child's Placement Plan.
If no plan or strategy exists, all reasonable measures should be taken to reduce or prevent continuation of the behaviour.
This may include providing additional supervision, confiscation of materials that may be used to self harm or, as a Last Resort, use of Physical Intervention or calling for assistance from the emergency services.
If there is any suspicion that the child may be involved in self harming, the social worker must be informed and a risk assessment undertaken with a view to deciding whether a Strategy should be adopted to reduce or prevent the behaviour. That strategy should be included in the child's Placement Plan.
If necessary, specialist advice or support should be sought.
2. Notifications and Management Review
There are different notifications procedures, depending on the seriousness of the self-harming.
2.1 Notifications of Minor or Non Persistent Self Harming
Minor or non persistent self-harming should be notified to the Manager at the first opportunity; the manager will decide whether to inform the relevant social worker.
2.2 Notifications of Serious or Persistent Self Harming
Serious or persistent self-harming is deemed to be an Incident; and must be notified to the Manager and relevant Social Worker within 24 hours or as soon as practicable thereafter.
The social worker should decide whether to inform the child's parent(s) and, if so, who should do so.
Depending on the seriousness of the Incident, other people/agencies may have to be notified, see Notifiable Events Procedure.
The manager must undertake a Management Review, as set out in Section 5, Management Reviews - Incidents General Guidance.
3. Recording
There are different recording procedures, depending on the seriousness of the self-harming.
3.1 Recording of Minor or Non Persistent Self Harming
Minor or non persistent self-harming should be recorded in the home's Daily Log, child's Daily Record, with detail provided on an Detail Record.
If first aid or medical treatment is provided, it should be recorded as follows:
3.2 Recording of Serious or Persistent Self Harming
Incidents of persistent or serious self-harming must be noted in the home's Daily Log, child's Daily Record, and recorded in detail in an Incident Report.
Having read the Incident Report and conducted a Management Review, the Manager should note the incident in the Incidents Log
If first aid or medical treatment is provided, it should be recorded as follows:
Not included
End