There is never a 'wrong' answer

When a safeguarding incident happens, it is no surprise that many dental teams become frustrated over deciding on the ‘right’ action to take. Confirming whether or not a person has been a victim of abuse can be tough, but it becomes especially difficult when our contact with the person in question is not on a regular enough basis for us to build a case. We are all aware that any concerns we have should be reported or recorded according to our practice’s safeguarding procedures, but how do we tell the difference between coincidence and evidence? The fear of being wrong and falsely accusing someone prevents many staff from reporting incidents – but when it comes to safeguarding, it is necessary to remember that there is never a ‘wrong' answer, and nobody will condemn you for reporting a genuine concern. There are certain signs and behaviours victims might display that could be indicators of possible abuse. Knowing what these signs are and paying attention to them is crucial for every member of the dental team. The better your knowledge, the more confident you will be in knowing when it is necessary to report an incident, and this, in turn, could mean the difference between preventing abuse, or leaving a victim of abuse to go unnoticed.