Humiliating or constantly criticising the child or mocking the child’s disability.

Threatening, shouting at a child or calling them names.

Making the child the subject of jokes or using sarcasm to hurt the child.

Blaming and scapegoating

Making a child perform degrading acts.

Not recognising a child’s own individuality or trying to control their lives.

Pushing a child too hard or not recognising their limitations.

Exposing a child to upsetting events or situations, like domestic abuse or drug taking.

Failing to promote a child’s social development.

Not allowing them to have friends or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction.

Persistently ignoring them.

Being absent.

Manipulating a child.

Never saying anything kind, expressing positive feelings or congratulating a child on successes.

Never showing any emotions in interactions with a child, being emotionally unavailable.

Making a child feel worthless, unloved or inadequate, or a burden.

Not giving a child the opportunity to express their views, deliberately silencing them or “making fun” of what they say or how they communicate.

Age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on a child.  These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s development capability, as well as an overprotection and limitation of exploration of learning.

Serious bullying, including Cyberbullying.

Seeing or hearing the ill treatment of another. 

Causing a child to feel frightened or in danger or using extreme forms of punishment.

Treating the child as incapable beyond what their disability requires. 

Denying age-appropriate independence or decision making.

Threatening to withdraw care, medical support or assistive devices.

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

The child has warm and supportive relationships within and outside of their family environment which respect their protected characteristics

The child experiences discrimination in their day-to-day life either in their family environment, at school or in their community resulting in them being disadvantaged

The child experiences discrimination in their day-to-day life either in their family environment, at school or in their community resulting in disadvantage, exclusion and distress

The child experiences discrimination in their day-to-day life either in their family environment, at school or in their community resulting in acute distress, feelings of worthlessness and leading to a concern that they may harm themselves

The child is provided with an emotionally warm, supportive relationship and stable family environment providing consistent boundaries and guidance, meeting developmental milestones to the best of their abilities.

Parenting often lacks emotional warmth and/or can be overly critical and/or inconsistent, occasional relationship difficulties impacting on the child’s development. Struggles with setting age-appropriate boundaries, occasionally not meeting developmental milestones and occasionally prioritises their own needs before child’s.

Carers inability to engage emotionally with child leads to developmental milestones not met. Family environment is volatile and unstable resulting in a negative impact on the child, leading to possible vulnerabilities and exploitative relationships, parent/ carer unable to judge dangerous situations / set appropriate boundaries. Allegations parents making verbal threats to children. Child rarely comforted when distressed / under significant pressure to achieve / aspire.

Relationships between the child and carer have broken down to the extent that the child is at risk of significant harm / frequently exposed to dangerous situations and development significantly impaired. Child has suffered long term neglect due to lack of emotional support from parents.

Child has good mental health and psychological wellbeing.

The child has a mild a mental health condition which affects their everyday functioning but can be managed in mainstream schools and parents are engaged with school /health services including accessing remote support services to address this. Child is accessing social media sites related to self-harm, has expressed thoughts of self-harm but no evidence of self-harm incidences. History of mental health condition but have been assessed and discharged home with safety plan and follow up.

The child has a mental health condition which significantly affects their everyday functioning and requires specialist intervention in the community. Parent is not presenting child for treatment increasing risk of mental health deterioration problems as a result No evidence child has accessed mental health advice services and suffers recurrent mental health problems as a result. Child is known to be accessing harmful social media sites to facilitate self-harming. Child self-harms causing minor injury and parent responds appropriately. Child has expressed suicidal ideation with no known plan of intent. Child is under the care of hospital engaging with mental health services.

Child expressed suicidal ideation with intent or psychotic episode or other significant mental health symptoms. Refuses medical care or is in hospital following episode of self-harm or suicide attempt or significant mental health issues. Carer unable to manage child’s behaviours related to their mental health increasing the risk of the child suffering significant harm. Child or young person has ongoing suicidal ideation following attempt or is in hospital following episode of self-harm or suicide attempt.

The child engages in age-appropriate activities and displays age-appropriate behaviours, having a positive sense of self and abilities reducing the risk of those wanting to exploit them.

Child has a negative sense of self and abilities, suffering with low self-esteem and confidence making them vulnerable to those who wish to exploit them resulting in becoming involved in negative behaviour/activities.

Child has a negative sense of self and abilities, suffering with low self-esteem and confidence which results in child becoming involved in negative behaviour / activities by those exploiting / grooming them.

Evidence of exploitation linked to child’s vulnerability. Child frequently exhibits negative behaviour / activities that place self or others at imminent risk.

Mental health of the carer does not affect / impact care of the child.

Sporadic / low level mental health of carer impacts care of child, however, protective factors in place.

Mental health needs of the carer (subject to a section under MHA) is impacting on the care of their child and there are no supportive networks and extended family to prevent harm. Carer has expressed suicidal ideation with no known plan of intent.

Mental health needs of the carer significantly impacting the care of their child placing them at risk of significant harm. Carer has ongoing suicidal ideation following attempt or is in hospital following episode of self-harm or suicide attempt.

Child has not suffered the loss of a close family member or friend

Child has suffered a bereavement recently or in the past and is distressed but receives support from family and friends and appears to be coping reasonably well – would benefit from short term additional support from early help services.

Child has suffered bereavement recently or in the past and recent there has been a deterioration in their behaviour. Low level support has not assisted, long term intervention required.

Child has suffered bereavement and is missing, self-harming, disclosing suicidal thoughts, risk of exploitation, involvement in gang/criminal activity.

LA notified the child is privately fostered by adults who are able to provide for his/her needs and there are no safeguarding concerns.

Some concern about the private fostering arrangements in place for the child, there may be issues around the carers’ treatment of the child. The local authority hasn’t been notified of the private fostering arrangement.

There is concern that the child is a victim of exploitation, domestic slavery, or being physically abused in their private foster placement.