I am often asked what to do during a disclosure. Here are some of the questions.
Am I allowed to be alone with the child, or do I need to ask for someone else to be present?
If a child asks to speak to you alone, then you can be alone with them. However, there are steps to take in order to protect yourself and the child. Firstly, try and choose somewhere that has windows where you can be seen. If in a classroom, sit where anyone passing by the door can see you through the windowpanes. Contact the office and explain that you are not to be disturbed due to meeting with a pupil and that you’ll call them again when finished.
It is important to remember that the child has chosen to talk to you because they trust you. If you bring in another person, the child may not disclose what they were going to, resulting in a missed opportunity to help.
Do I need to tell them that I can’t keep anything to myself and that I have to share what they’ve told me?
Until a child makes a disclosure, you don’t know what they are going to tell you. If a child asks you not to tell anyone else or to keep something to yourself, your response is to say, “It depends. If you tell me something that puts you or another child at risk, then I will have to share the information with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)/Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP)/Safeguarding Team.”
At this point, a child may decide not to share information with you. Make sure they know you are always available if they change their mind, and then you must report what has happened to the DSL/DSP. If the child decides to continue and doesn’t disclose anything that puts them or anyone else at risk, e.g., they’re going to Disneyland for their younger brother’s birthday, you can tell them you don’t need to share that with anyone. However, if they do disclose anything that puts them or anyone else at risk, you must say to them, “Remember what I said at the start, that I would need to share what you have told me with the DSP/DSL/Safeguarding team if you or anyone else is at risk.”
Remember, you have a legal duty to share information if you have concerns about a child. You can explain this to the child too.
Can I write things down during the disclosure?
This is a hard question as you need to record as much information as possible during a disclosure, and it may be tempting to go and get some paper and start writing down notes.
Firstly, all your attention needs to be on the child. If you have paper and pen to hand, then you can ask the child if it would be ok to take notes to help you remember what has been said. If the child says no, then don’t take notes. If they agree, remember your main focus is the child and not ensuring that you write everything down word for word.
You need to ensure that the child is not inhibited in any way and that they are allowed to go at their own pace.
How can I try and remember what was said?
One of the best ways to remember and check that you have heard correctly is to repeat to the child what you think they have said to ensure accuracy. This also helps you to remember. Use the terminology that the child uses, e.g., if they refer to their penis as their “jimmy riddle” or “dingle dangle”, then that is what you call it when feeding back and recording afterwards.
What about asking questions?
You are allowed to ask open questions to decide if the child is at risk or experiencing abuse. Though, these are only used to aid the child. If they are already talking, there is no need to ask questions.
If the child is unsure how to start, you could use prompts, such as:
- Could you explain to me what happened?
- Tell me what you are concerned about.
- Describe how you got that bruise on your arm.
We are not investigators, so it is not for us to work out the finer details and who did what. There are professionals who are trained in Achieving Best Evidence (ABE) interviews. One question you must always ask at the end is, “Is there anything else that you would like to tell me?” If they say no, explain to them that if they think of anything else to come back and speak to you.
Good practice tips
- Let the child go at their own pace.
- When we are nervous, we tend to talk quickly, change our pitch and fill in any gaps in conversation. Pauses are fine as this allows children to process what they want to share. Use this opportunity for you to take a deep breath.
- Give reassurance that they are doing well and that they can take their time.
- We must control our own emotions in order to support the child. Afterwards though, you must let your emotions out and talk to the DSL/DSP about how you are feeling.
- Conduct check-ins to see that the child is ok.
- Check that what you have heard is what was said.
- Explain the next steps (whom you are going to tell and when).
- Once you have told the DSL/DSP/Safeguarding team, then let the child know.
- Treat the child in the same caring way you did before the disclosure.
- Get support for yourself as vicarious trauma can occur.