Keeping them safe

The social aspect of health and wellbeing is as important as measuring blood pressure. It is important to record in writing any concerns. Some of the worst failures in safeguarding and child protection have occurred when professionals have lost sight of the child and concentrated instead on their relationship with the adults. Where a child is either suffering from or at risk of significant harm, that child's interests override those of their parents or carers. Although an unborn child has no legal rights until it is separate from its mother, following publication of a number of documents, midwives are now obliged to take particular steps to protect vulnerable children once they are born.