1.6.8 Self Harming

Contents

1. Planning and Prevention
2. Notifications and Management Review
3. Recording 

1. Planning and Prevention

Broadly defined, self-harm refers to the deliberate attempt to physically injure oneself without causing death. This can be include self-mutilation (e.g. cutting behaviours), self-poisoning, burning, scalding, banging, and hair-pulling.

Although clearly damaging forms of self harm behaviours to be considered also are  alcohol and drugs misuse, eating disorders, unsafe sex and other excessively risky behaviour, such as dangerous driving.

All children must have a Risk Assessment completed upon admission which is updated regularly and indicates if the level of risk present is based upon care plan needs.

If a child is suspected or found to be self harming, consideration should be given to developing strategies and outlining them in the Child's Care Programme or Behaviour Management Plan.

If no plan or Strategies exists, all reasonable measures should be taken to reduce or prevent continuation of the behaviour - with an emphasis on planned ignoring or neutral response except where there is a serious risk to the Child or others, in which case, the Manager must be consulted as to the appropriate actions or strategies to adopt.

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. 

A child who needs hospital treatment for self harming or is consistently self harming should have a specialist Mental Health Assessment. If necessary, specialist advice or support should be sought.

2. Notifications and Management Review

There are different notifications procedures depending on the persistence and seriousness of the self harming.

Where self harming is not persistent or not serious it should be notified to the Manager at the first opportunity; the Manager will inform the Social Worker and agree what further actions to take.

If the self harming is persistent or serious, it is to be deemed to be an Incident which must be notified to the Manager and relevant Social Worker without delay but within 1 working day. 

It may be necessary to notify the Regulatory Authority and other Agencies, see the Notifiable Events Procedure.

The Social Worker should decide whether to inform the child’s Parent(s) and, if so, who should do so.

3. Recording

Minor/Non Persistent self harming should record it in the home's daily/routine records (e.g. Daily Log, child's Profile or Diary Sheet / health care records / incident report procedure

Serious/Persistent self harming should be recorded in a Detailed Record Sheet and Incident Form/Report / health care records . It may be necessary to review/update the child's Care Programme.

End