Information about the Child Abuse Reporting Code

It is estimated that 120,000 children in our country fall victim to abuse every year. 50 to 80 children die as a result.

Child abuse is a huge threat to children’s health and development. Child abuse doesn’t stop on its own. That is why in the Netherlands, all professionals who work with children are legally obliged to act on signs of child abuse or neglect. This applies, for example, to teachers and also to general practitioners and nurse specialists. How to do this is described in the Reporting Code Act.

If the safety, health, well-being and/or development of the child is at risk, we want to stand up for the child within the GP emergency stations De LIMES. We do this by offering help where possible and consulting with Safe Home (see below). To do this, we follow the step-by-step plan of the Reporting Code of the GP emergency stations De LIMES. This step-by-step plan is an elaboration of the national reporting code.

When you have concerns about a child

General practitioners, nurse specialists and triage nurses pay close attention to signs that they can see that a child may be in trouble. If the staff notice signs during telephone or physical contact with parents/guardians, they will discuss this with a GP on duty. The GP discusses the concerns with the parents/carers to find out if the parents share these concerns. If the care is shared, the GP will look for a solution together with the parents/guardians.

A ‘head to toe’ physical examination follows. In case of doubt, the GP or nurse specialist on duty will seek advice from a colleague, paediatrician or a GP who is the Child Abuse Attention Officer, an expert in this field.

The hospital also thinks about children of adult patients

Sometimes the situation of adult patients, who take care of children at home, is not in order. It may therefore be the case that it is checked that those children do not suffer from it. General practitioners, nurse specialists or triage nurses ask whether an adult patient is caring for minor children. If the caregivers think that there is a risk to children, they will discuss this with the patient. Sometimes a conversation is not possible, for example due to the patient’s health. In that case, Safe Home will be asked to investigate the safety of the children.

When it’s no longer safe

When it is no longer safe for the children, solutions are sought together with parents/guardians. In such a situation, there is consultation with Safe Home. This organization has a lot of knowledge about how the home situation can be made safe again and what help is possible and desirable.

Finally

By using the reporting code, the employees of the GP Emergency Posts De LIMES hope to recognize problem situations in the home situation and therefore offer help quickly.

Learn more

On the website www.vooreenveiligthuis.nl , the government has compiled all information about campaigns on this subject. You can find a lot of information here. For advice and help, you can also call Safe Home on 0800-2000 (free of charge and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).