This page is designed to answer the following questions:
- 3.2 Identify actions to take when conflicts and dilemmas about safeguarding arise (Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care, Safeguard Children and Young People who are Present in the Adult Social Care Sector)
NOTE: This page has been quality assured for 2023 as per our Quality Assurance policy.
When you are confronted with conflicts and dilemmas relating to safeguarding children and young people, you should always act in the best interests of the child.
If something does not seem right, you should trust your gut instincts and always discuss your concerns with your manager or the safeguarding lead in your organisation. If your concern is not escalated, you may need to escalate it yourself or whistleblow to other agencies, such as social services.
Even if you are unsure, you should err on the side of caution because it is in the best interest of the child to ensure that they are kept safe.
If a child discloses that they have been abused but asks you not to tell anyone, you should not promise that you will keep it confidential. Instead, you should explain that you have a duty to report it but will do everything you can to keep them protected.
For all disclosures and suspicions, your organisation will use similar processes for that of adult safeguarding. One of the main differences is that safeguarding concerns related to children are passed on to the children’s team of the local authority’s social services department, rather than the adults team.