- who may observe signs of child abuse and neglect, or hear something that causes them concern about a child
- who are not responsible for making a diagnosis of child abuse or neglect, but must share concerns appropriately
- who all share the responsibility, it is not just the dentist’s responsibility2,3
- who may not treat children themselves but, if they treat adults who are parents, they too need to be aware of these issues
What the General Dental Council says
What the Victoria Climbié Inquiry said
Research has shown that many dentists feel unprepared for this role.5 If we are to fulfil this responsibility, we will have to communicate, cooperate and support one another within our own teams, and learn to work with other agencies for the benefit of children.
What the General Dental Council says
The General Dental Council’s Standards Guidance (2005)2 clearly states that the dental team have an ethical obligation to:
- find out about and follow local procedures for child protection
| Find out about local procedures for child protection. Make sure you follow these procedures if you suspect that a child may be at risk because of abuse or neglect. |
| Standards for Dental Professionals, 1.8 p7 |
- ensure that children are not at risk from members of our own profession and to take action to prevent this e.g. by safe staff recruitment
| Maintain appropriate boundaries in the relationships you have with patients. Do not abuse those relationships. |
| Standards for Dental Professionals, 2.5 p7 |
What the Victoria Climbié Inquiry said
In his report of the inquiry into the tragic death of Victoria Climbié,4 commenting on how similar events might be prevented in the future, Lord Laming said:
| ‘I am convinced that the answer lies in doing relatively straightforward things well. Adhering to this principle will have significant impact on the lives of vulnerable children’ |
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