BSPD appoints new safeguarding representative
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 8th March 2021
Marielle Kabban, a Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, has been appointed as British Society of Paediatric Dentistry’s (BSPD) new Safeguarding Representative.
She has been a passionate advocate for child safeguarding since early in her career. Marielle worked for 10 years in the community service in South London and for a time was the dental safeguarding lead for that service. She remembers well an early experience which made her appreciate the role that dentists could have in protecting children.
A boy aged about five was brought to the clinic with fractured teeth. Marielle asked him what had happened and he said his father had hit him. His mother said nothing to contradict him. “As soon as I had treated him I picked up the phone, discussed my concerns with the safeguarding lead and made a referral to social services.”
Marielle continued: “As part of my role in the community, I worked on the school screening programme. This took me into inner city schools and gave me greater insight into the needs of some of the most vulnerable children. We would screen the children for dental disease and offered dental treatment to those who needed it. There was always a cohort of children who, no matter what you did, would not be brought in for a dental appointment. This inspired me to highlight the issue of dental neglect at every opportunity.”
Her next role was as King’s College Hospital Dental School where she worked as a Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry, also taking on the lead safeguarding role. She recently accepted the new consultant position at Guy’s and Thomas’.
As BSPD’s safeguarding representative, Marielle is taking over from Jenny Harris. A member of BSPD’s executive committee, it is Jenny’s vision that has shaped the role. Jenny has made it her mission to ensure that the safeguarding of children is integral to dentistry and that all members of the dental team are supported with training and resources to take on this sometimes challenging task.
It is thanks to connections Jenny made that the BSPD is represented at the NSPCC Health Liaison Committee and Marielle takes on this responsibility as part of the BSPD safeguarding remit. She will continue as a trainer on the Child Protection Recognition and Response Course, run by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Marielle commented: “I am excited and honoured to be taking on this role. Jenny has always inspired me greatly, and whilst I have big shoes to fill, she has already given me a great deal of support and remains a much-valued mentor.”
