Question 1

What should you never say when a child discloses abuse?

Accepted Answer

Never promise to keep it secret. You cannot lawfully keep that promise, and breaking it damages the child's trust at the worst possible moment. Explain instead, in terms they understand, that you may need to tell someone whose job is to help keep them safe, and who that will be. Listen without leading or interrogating, and record what was said in the child's own words.

Question 2

Do you need to be certain before sharing a safeguarding concern?

Accepted Answer

No. The threshold is reasonable concern, not proof or certainty. Investigating is the role of children's social care and the police, not of the clinician who has the concern. Waiting until you are sure is the commonest and most damaging error.

Question 3

What is the difference between Gillick competence and the Fraser guidelines?

Accepted Answer

Gillick competence describes whether a child under 16 has sufficient understanding and maturity to consent to a particular proposed treatment, and it is decision-specific rather than a general status. The Fraser guidelines are distinct and apply specifically to contraceptive and sexual health advice. The 2 are often wrongly used interchangeably.

Question 4

Why is private one-to-one messaging with a young athlete a safeguarding issue?

Accepted Answer

It creates the private channel, outside the view of parents and colleagues, through which grooming most often begins in sport. The protection is structural: approved channels, the safeguarding policy on parental or organisational visibility, no personal social media or disappearing messages, and a record of clinically relevant exchanges. A competent young patient is still entitled to confidential clinical communication.

Safeguarding Children in Sport

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