Non-accidental injury (NAI) refers to physical harm to an infant or child caused by a deliberate action or neglect, rather than by an accident.
It can be difficult to spot non-accidental injuries. In some cases, signs can be missed because they are complex, and it is unclear what has happened. Often non-accidental injuries involve inconsistent explanations or unusual patterns like bruises on a non-mobile infants, an immediate safeguarding action is required.
Please visit our Learning and Development page for further information on Non-accidental injuries training.
The following resources are useful for anyone working or volunteering with children.
Resources
Unexplained, Non-accidental Bruising or Injuries to Babies and Young Children Resources
National Review of Non-Accidental Injury in under 1s (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Bruising in non-mobile infants (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Management of Suspicious, Unexplained Injuries or Bruising in Children for Frontline Practitioners
SET Child Protection Procedures Bruising in babies & children - Section 2.0.2
NICE
When to suspect different types of child maltreatment
NSPCC
Bruises on children (CORE-INFO leaflet) (nspcc.org.uk)
CORE – INFO: Head and spinal injuries in children (nspcc.org.uk)
Using ‘non-accidental head injury’ and not ‘shaken baby syndrome’ | NSPCC Learning
North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership
One Minute Guide – Unintentional Injuries in the Under 5’s
7 Point Briefing - Learning relating to non-accidental injury in a baby
Lewisham Safeguarding Partnership
East Sussex
Non-Accidental Injury Under 5 Deep Dive: Summary for Practitioners & Managers April 2021
Mind the gap
Identifying bruising in black and brown skin
Virtual College
Learning from Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (Free online course)
This free course looks to raise awareness about critical learning from Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews and potentially help save lives by equipping those who come into contact with children, with the knowledge and understanding they need. Learners will be able to identify and refer concerns, assess and intervene and work effectively within the multidisciplinary safeguarding system.
If you have found any of these resources particularly helpful, please do let us know by emailing escb@essex.gov.uk