{"id":5594,"date":"2022-03-30T13:26:20","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T12:26:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.devon.gov.uk\/supportforschools\/?post_type=dcc_docs_document&#038;p=5594"},"modified":"2024-11-20T18:56:53","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T18:56:53","slug":"safeguarding-no-16-disguised-compliance","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/safeguarding\/guidance-policy-and-tools-2\/safeguarding-one-minute-guides\/safeguarding-no-16-disguised-compliance\/","title":{"rendered":"No.16 Disguised compliance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-abed67cc wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-is-disguised-compliance\">What is \u2018disguised compliance\u2019?<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#risk-factors-of-disguised-compliance\">Risk factors of disguised compliance<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-might-it-look-like\">What might it look like?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#when-does-it-occur-and-what-is-the-impact\">When does it occur and what is the impact?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-can-you-do\">What can you do?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#case-study-daniel-pelka\">Case study: Daniel Pelka<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#further-information\">Further Information<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"dcc-documents-cpt-fixed dccdocs-sticky dccdocs-hidden\">\r\n    <div class=\"grid-container\">\r\n        <div class=\"grid-x grid-margin-x\">\r\n            <div class=\"cell medium-12\">\r\n                <a class=\"back-to-top hide-for-print\" href=\"#content\"><svg class=\"app-c-back-to-top__icon\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"13\" height=\"17\" viewBox=\"0 0 13 17\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 0L0 6.5 1.4 8l4-4v12.7h2V4l4.3 4L13 6.4z\"><\/path><\/svg> Contents<\/a>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-abed67cc wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:41.333%\"><div class=\"document-meta-acf-block clearfix \" id=\"block_acf-block-673e30f29c853\"><div class=\" dcc-documents-meta\"><div class=\"dcc-documents-widget dcc-documents-widget-block\"><div class=\"dcc-documents-widget-box2\"><p class=\"dcc-documents-published\"><span>Published<\/span> <time datetime=\"2022-03-30T13:26:20+00:00\">30\/03\/2022 1:26pm<\/time><\/p><p class=\"dcc-documents-updated\"><span>Last Updated<\/span> <time datetime=\"2024-11-20T18:56:53+00:00\">20\/11\/2024 6:56pm<\/time><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:58.666%\"><div class=\"document-download-acf-block clearfix \" id=\"block_acf-block-673e30f29c8d6\">\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\" dcc-documents-downloads hide-for-print\"><div class=\"dcc-documents-widget dcc-documents-widget-block\"><div class=\"dcc-documents-widget-box2\"><div class=\"content-container\"><div class=\"content-column download-copy\"><h2 class=\"dcc-documents-title\">Document resources<\/strong><\/h2><p class=\"dcc-documents-intro\">These files may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"content-column download-button\"><ul class=\"dcc-documents-widget-dropdown dcc-documents-widget-menu\"><li class=\"dcc-documents-widget-is-dropdown\"><button class=\"button secondary dcc-documents-widget-noarrow dcc-documents-widget-button dcc-documents-widget-download-button\" >Download<\/button><ul id=\"\" class=\"dcc-documents-widget-vertical dcc-documents-widget-menu dcc-documents-widget-is-submenu\" data-disable-hover=\"true\" data-click-open=\"true\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/devoncc.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/s\/PublicDocs\/Education\/EUdvVsCucRVEj21KAZFOthkBFbsKjnQwpVCyQQzhAL4AxQ?e=gqTl0A\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"dcc-documents-widget-text\"><span>No.16 Disguised compliance (Document)<\/span><\/span><span class=\"dcc-documents-widget-size\">163KB<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-disguised-compliance\">What is \u2018disguised compliance\u2019?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2018Disguised compliance\u2019 is a term used to describe when a parent or carer gives the appearance of cooperation with agencies to avoid raising suspicion, to allay professional concerns and ultimately to weaken professional intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Babies and very young children are at particular risk from a lack of timely intervention due to disguised compliance<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"risk-factors-of-disguised-compliance\">Risk factors of disguised compliance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>missing opportunities to make interventions: a reduction or downgrading in concern on the part of professionals can allow cases to drift, so losing the opportunity to make timely interventions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>removes focus from children: disguised compliance can lead to a focus on adults and their engagement with services, rather than on achieving safer outcomes for children.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>over optimism about progress: professionals can become over optimistic about progress being achieved, again delaying timely interventions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-might-it-look-like\">What might it look like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a sudden increase in school attendance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>attendance at appointments with a range of agencies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>parents may focus on one particular issue, deflecting attention away from other areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>selective engagement with professionals, such as school staff or health visitor<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>cleaning the house before a pre-arranged visit from a professional<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>encouraging disengagement of a parent or carer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>children\u2019s account of an incident\/lived experience differs from that of their parents\/carers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>parents\/carers appearing critical of professionals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>parents telling professionals \u2018What they want to hear\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>selective engagement, where \u2018just enough\u2019 is done to keep professionals at bay<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>controlling discussions, ensuring the focus is on the parents and their problems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"when-does-it-occur-and-what-is-the-impact\">When does it occur and what is the impact?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It occurs when a parent\/carer wants to deflect attention away from allegations of harm. It can lead to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>professionals not understanding the severity of harm being experienced by the child<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the focus is taken away from the child, who can go unseen and unheard<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>case drift<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>risks to the child may remain\/increase<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>cases may be closed early<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-can-you-do\">What can you do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>constantly question all assumptions and maintain \u2018respectful uncertainly\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>bring in a fresh pair of eyes\/talk to other professionals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>adopt an approach of \u2018healthy scepticism\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>establish facts and gather evidence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>keep detailed records and build up a chronology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ensure all those with parental responsibility are informed\/involved<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ensure there are clear plans with responsibilities and timescales identified<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>identify outcomes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All disguised compliance involves resistance to change and an inability or unwillingness on the part of parents and carers to address risks to their child. Assessments of the parent\u2019s capacity and willingness to change should therefore be carried out alongside assessments of the child\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"case-study-daniel-pelka\">Case study: Daniel Pelka<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Daniel was a 4-year-old boy who spoke no English. The school he attended spoke to his mother about his apparent obsession with food and the fact that he was taking food from other children\u2019s lunch boxes. She told the school that he must not be allowed to eat more than what was in his own lunch box because he had a \u2018medical problem\u2019. Staff believed his mother when she&nbsp; said this was being investigated. She continued to \u2018work with\u2019 the deputy Head Teacher and Daniel\u2019s school attendance improved. A string of injuries which were observed by a range of school staff were not recorded. The school used Daniel\u2019s sister to speak to him but he refused to say how he had got the injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Daniel died, he weighed a little over a stone and a half \u2013 the average weight of an 18-month-old baby. Teaching Assistant AT broke down in tears in court, when she said he wanted to eat \u2018muddy and dirty\u2019 pancakes which had been on the floor. Daniel\u2019s mother claimed he was being treated for a rare eating disorder and school staff were not to feed him. They complied with her instructions. The family also had contact with social workers, doctors, health visitors and police. Education officials investigated Daniel\u2019s poor school attendance and health visitors went to the home but never saw him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What were the indicators of disguised compliance? Think about what the school could have done differently and what you would do if faced with a similar situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"further-information\">Further Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DCFP: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcfp.org.uk\/training-and-resources\/child-safeguarding-practice-reviews\/learning-briefing-ed-non-accidental-injury-to-infant\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Learning briefing, Ed<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DCFP: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcfp.org.uk\/training-and-resources\/child-safeguarding-practice-reviews\/six-step-briefing-cn18-baby-f\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Learning briefing, CN18 Baby F<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DCFP: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcfp.org.uk\/training-and-resources\/policies-and-procedures\/case-resolution-protocol-and-escalation-procedures\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Case resolution Protocol and Escalation Procedures<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NSPCC: <a href=\"https:\/\/learning.nspcc.org.uk\/research-resources\/learning-from-case-reviews\/disguised-compliance\" rel=\"noopener\">Learning from case reviews<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is \u2018disguised compliance\u2019? \u2018Disguised compliance\u2019 is a term used to describe when a parent or carer gives the appearance of cooperation with agencies to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2436,"featured_media":0,"parent":5639,"menu_order":15,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"longdocument-template.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-5594","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"updated":"","dccdocs_documents":[{"title":"No.16 Disguised compliance","file":"https:\/\/devoncc.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/s\/PublicDocs\/Education\/EUdvVsCucRVEj21KAZFOthkBFbsKjnQwpVCyQQzhAL4AxQ?e=gqTl0A","file_size":"","unit_type":"KB","file_type":"Document"}],"section-guidance":"","sections":null},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-27 08:53:38","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2436"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5594"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27981,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5594\/revisions\/27981"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}