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Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed in full by the Managing committee on an annual basis.
The policy was last reviewed and agreed by the Management committee on 21st March 2017.
It is due for full review on 21st March 2018 and was amended on 31st January 2019.
Signature: [pic] Date: 26th February 2019
Name: Balwant Bains
Headteacher
Signature: …………………………………….. Date: ………………………………….
Name: Sarah O'Boyle (Head Teacher - Galton Valley Primary School & Bright Lights Day Care)
Chair of STEPS Management Committee
SAFEGUARDING AND PROMOTING THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN
Section 157 of the Education Act 2002 places a duty on independent schools (which includes academies) to make arrangements to ensure that their functions are carried out with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
“Keeping Children Safe in Education” was issued to schools in 2018 detailing statutory guidance, placing a duty on schools to promote the welfare of children. In March 2018, the definition of safeguarding children was revised in the document “Working Together to Safeguard Children” to the following:
• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children’s’ health or development
• Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Safeguarding children is consequently more than contributing to the protection of individual children and the centre is committed to the development of policy and practice that supports children and their families to be safe, healthy, enjoy and achieve, contribute positively and achieve economic wellbeing
STEPS Centre strives to promote the welfare of our pupils by:
1. Creating and maintaining a safe learning environment.
2. Identifying child welfare concerns and taking appropriate action.
3. Using the curriculum to enable our children to develop keep safe strategies
4. Creating a listening culture to hear the child’s voice
5. Operating safe recruitment and selection procedures to prevent unsuitable people working with our children.
The centre has a suite of policies designed to meet these needs and are available on request or via the centre website.
This policy applies mostly to points 1, 2, 3, 4and 5 above and reflects current legislation, accepted best practice and complies with Government guidance: Working together to Safeguard Children (2018) and Keeping Children Safe in Education 2018
CONTENTS
|1 |Introduction |
|2 |Statutory Framework |
|3 |Centres Responsibilities |
|4 |Management Committee |
|5 |Designated Safeguarding Lead and Head Teacher |
|6 |STEPS Procedures |
|7 |Dealing with a Disclosure |
|8 |Early Help |
|9 |Making a Referral |
|10 |Communication with Parents |
|11 |Sharing Information and Confidentiality |
|12 |Children Who May Be Particularly Vulnerable |
|13 |Specific Safeguarding Circumstances |
|14 |School Community Support |
|15 |Safe Recruitment |
|16 |Allegations Against Staff - Position of Trust |
|17 |Complaints Procedures |
|18 |Whistle Blowing |
|19 |Statutory Policies |
|20 |Other Recommended Safe Environment Policies |
|21 |Useful Telephone Numbers/Websites |
|Appendix A |Indicators of Harm |
|Appendix B |Safer Guidelines |
|Appendix C |Referral Flowchart |
|Appendix D |Signs and Symptoms of Female Genital Mutilation |
|Appendix E |Signs and Symptoms of Child Sexual Exploitation |
| Appendix F |STEPS Concern about a Childs Safety & Welfare Referral Form |
| Appendix G |Chronology record for Child Protection /Safeguarding |
|Appendix H |STEPS -Managing allegation against a person in a position of trust |
|1. INTRODUCTION |
At The STEPS Centre we strive to be inclusive, to meet the needs of all students and to treat all students, parents, staff and members of the wider community with equal respect. We celebrate diversity and actively work to create a cohesive community. Our safeguarding policies are designed to promote this ethos and to create clear systems for any stakeholder with a complaint.
This document is the safeguarding and child protection policy for the centre and any extended services that it provides.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined by the Department for Education in the statutory guidance “Working Together to Safeguard Children” 2018 as:
• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
• Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.
Staff refers to anybody working for or on behalf of the centre in a full time, part time, temporary or permanent basis, in either a paid or unpaid capacity.
A parent refers to birth parents and other adults who are in a parenting role, e.g. step-parents (by marriage), foster carers and adoptive parents.
Principles
• The centre will ensure that the welfare of children is the paramount concern when developing and delivering all centre activities.
• All children, regardless of age, gender, ability, culture, race, language, religion or sexual identity, have equal rights to protection.
• All staff have an equal responsibility to act on any suspicion or disclosure that may suggest a child is at risk of harm in accordance with this guidance.
• All pupils and staff involved in child protection issues will receive appropriate support from the senior management of the centre who will follow this policy guidance in doing so.
Aims
• To provide all staff with the necessary information to enable them to meet their statutory responsibilities to promote and safeguard the wellbeing of children.
• To ensure consistent good practice across the centre.
• To demonstrate the centre’s commitment with regard to safeguarding children.
This Child Protection Policy forms one part of the centre’s safeguarding responsibilities and should be read in conjunction with other relevant policies as defined in the Annual Report to the Management Committee.
This policy applies to all teaching and non-teaching staff, volunteers, management committee and parents, and relates to all children and young people up to the age of 18.
|2. STATUTORY FRAMEWORK |
In order to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, the centre will act in accordance with the following legislation and guidance:
• The Children Act 1989
• The Children Act 2004
• Education Act 2002 (section 175)
• West Midlands Safeguarding Children Procedures
• Keeping Children Safe In Education (September 2018)
• Working Together to Safeguard Children (July 2018)
• What To Do If You Are Worried A Child Is Being Abused (2015)
Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges 2018
• The Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005
• Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 March 2015
• Information Sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services 2018
• DBS Referrals Guidance (as may be amended from time to time)
• Teacher misconduct: regulating the teaching profession March 2014 (and related guidance)
• Use of Reasonable Force in Schools 2013
• Preventing and Tackling Bullying 2014
• Prevent Duty Guidance, Channel Guidance, and Prevent Departmental Advice, 2015
• Counter-Terrorism and Security Act, 2015
|3. CENTRE RESPONSIBILITIES |
The Education Act 2002 states that education institutions have a legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. They must ensure that
• A safe learning environment is created and maintained for children and young people
• Children know that there are adults in the centre who are there to speak to if they are worried or want to talk to someone.
• Take action and challenge the use of discriminatory or derogatory language;
• Children welfare concerns are identified and appropriate action is taken to address them in partnership with other organisations where appropriate.
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2018 should also be read in conjunction with this policy. It places the following responsibilities on the centre:
• Schools should be aware of and follow the procedures established by the Safeguarding Children Board
• Staff should be alert to signs of abuse and know to whom they should report any concerns or suspicions
• Schools should have procedures (of which all staff are aware) for handling suspected cases of abuse of pupils, including procedures to be followed if a member of staff is accused of abuse, or suspected of abuse
• A DSL should have responsibility for co-ordinating action within the school and liaising with other agencies. This responsibility cannot be delegated to another member of staff.
• Staff should receive regular safeguarding updates, at least annually, and the DSL should receive training every two years, to fulfil their role. As well as formal training they should receive annual updates to support their role and that of staff in school. Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL) should receive training to the same standards as the DSL.
To achieve these responsibilities there are three main elements to our Child Protection Policy:
PREVENTION:
• Through the creation of an open culture which respects all individual’s rights and discourages discrimination and bullying of any kind;
• Through a positive school atmosphere, teaching and pastoral support to pupils. Pastoral support is the responsibility of all staff working in school;
• By identifying a member of staff – Balwant Bains (DSL) - with overall responsibility for Child Protection who is supported by other designated child protection staff,
• Through our pastoral care offering all pupils an opportunity to talk and discuss any worries or concerns;
• Through PSHE and an ongoing programme of support, at an age-appropriate level to promote self-esteem and social inclusion and address the issue of Child Protection in the wider context of child safety in general.
PROTECTION:
• By following agreed procedures ensuring staff are trained and supported to respond appropriately and sensitively to Child Protection concerns;
• Through fostering an ethos of “collective responsibility” within centre where staff communicate concerns timely and through appropriate centre systems.
SUPPORT:
• By working to support any pupil or member of staff who may have been abused and by working to support parents or guardians.
4 Management committee members
The Chair of Management Committee (and Safeguarding Governor) in this centre is:
NAME: Ms Sarah O'Boyle (Head Teacher - Galton Valley Primary School & Bright Lights Day Care) CONTACT NUMBER: 0121 558 1690
The Management committee is responsible for ensuring that the centre discharges its safeguarding functions effectively and within the law
The management committee ensures that the centre:
• Has a child protection policy and procedures in place that are in accordance with national legislation and guidance, local authority guidance and locally agreed inter-agency procedures;
• Has procedures in place for dealing with allegations of abuse against members of staff or volunteers that follow any guidance from Government, the local authority and locally agreed inter-agency procedures
• Has a staff code of conduct in place that are in accordance with any guidance from the government, the local authority and locally agreed inter-agency procedures
• Designates an appropriate senior member of staff to take lead responsibility for dealing with safeguarding and child protection whose duties include providing advice and support to other staff, liaising with the local authority and working with other organisations as necessary and ensures that they are given the time to undertake the role.
• Organises appropriate training for the Head Teacher and all other staff and volunteers who work with children to carry out their responsibilities for child protection effectively and are made aware of the school’s arrangements for child protection and their responsibilities;
• Identifies any instance where there are grounds for concern that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm either at the centre or at home and immediately refers any concerns to the local authority children’s social care services;
• Nominates a member of the management committee, or any other body managing the school, to be responsible for liaising with the local authority and/or partner agencies, as appropriate, in the event of allegations of abuse being made against the Head Teacher.
• Regular reports will be submitted to the Management committee to evidence how the centre is discharging their statutory safeguarding duties. Any weaknesses must be rectified without delay.
5. DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEAD
The Designated Safeguarding Lead in this centre is:
NAME: Balwant Bains CONTACT NUMBER: 0121 569 2835
The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead in this centre are:
NAME: Michele Alpanis/Kathy Ross/Jaswant Bhatthal/Ayesha Caan
CONTACT NUMBERS: 0121 569 2583/2449/2760/2014
The role of the DSL it to:
• Ensure that there is appropriate cover at all times. All steps should be taken to make sure that the DSL and Deputy DSL are not out of the centre at the same time
• Undertake appropriate training to carry out the role. This training should be regularly updated and at least annually.
• Act as a source of support, advice and expertise to the whole centre with regards to safeguarding and child protection.
• Ensure all staff that work with children undertake appropriate training to equip them to carry out their responsibilities. This training should be regularly updated and at least annually.
• Keep a record of staff attendance at child protection training.
• Ensure there are effective induction processes for new staff which include the child protection policy, staff conduct policy, “Keeping Children Safe In Education Information for School and College Based Staff “ and “What To Do If You’re Re Worried, a Child is Being Abused” be they staff or volunteers;
• Ensure that the child protection policy is regularly reviewed and updated annually
• Ensure that all staff sign to indicate that they have read and understood the child protection policy
• Make the child protection policy available publicly on the centre’s website.
• Encourage a listening culture so the wishes and feelings of children are taken in to account
• Be alert to the specific needs of children in need, those with special educational needs and young carers and any other specific issues relating the centre community
• Have a working knowledge of West Midland Safeguarding Children Procedures and the locally agreed early help processes.
• Keep securely stored safeguarding records of all child welfare concerns separate from the child’s main pupil file. These records must be reviewed on a regular basis.
• Ensure that when a child leaves the centre any safeguarding files are transferred to the receiving school as soon as possible ensuring secure transit and confirmation of receipt ore obtained.
• Refer cases of suspected abuse to children’s social care or police as appropriate
• Refer criminal matters to the police as required
• Support the head teacher to refer to the Designated Officer and/or the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) all cases concerning a member of staff as required
• Ensure there are appropriately trained staff to take the lead on and attend Early Help meetings;
• Ensure the centre is represented by a DSL all Initial and Review Child Protection Conferences meetings. If this is not possible, the Deputy DSL should attend. If neither can attend apologies must be given and a written report must be submitted prior to the conference;
• Ensure there is appropriate representation on Core Groups when a child is subject to a Child Protection Plan. If the most appropriate person is a class teacher, there must be joint working with the DSL – consider appropriate safeguarding supervision arrangements;
• Notify children’s social care if a child with a child protection plan is absent for more than two days without explanation.
• Liaise with the nominated Management Committee member and Head Teacher (where the role is not carried out by the Head Teacher) as appropriate.
Ensure parents are aware of the centre’s role in safeguarding and that referrals about suspected abuse and neglect may be made.
Head Teacher
The head teacher is Balwant Bains and is responsible for:
• Ensuring that the safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures are implemented and followed by all staff;
• Allocating sufficient time and resources to enable the safeguarding leads to carry out their roles effectively, including the assessment of pupils and attendance at strategy discussions and other necessary meetings;
• Ensuring that all staff feel able to raise concerns about poor or unsafe practice and that such concerns are handled sensitively and in accordance with the centre’s whistle blowing procedures;
• Supporting the designated teacher for looked after children to promote the educational achievement of any pupils who are looked after by the Local Authority, and the educational achievement of previously looked after children. To ensure that all staff have the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to keep looked after children safe.
• Referring all allegations that a child has been harmed by or that children may be at risk of harm from a member of staff or volunteer to the Designated Officer (DO) in the Local Authority and ensure that anyone who has harmed or may pose a risk to a child is referred to the Disclosure and Barring Service, as advised by the DO.
• Ensuring that children’s safety and welfare is addressed through the curriculum.
|CENTRE PROCEDURES |
All Centre staff and volunteers need to be alert to the potential abuse of children, both within their families and from other sources including members of the centre community.
All Centre staff will be made aware through training that our children and families must be treated with respect and dignity in relation to their age, disability, ethnicity, gender, religion and belief, sexual orientation and culture but that they will never prevent the centre from following the safeguarding and Child Protection Policy when concerns are identified.
If any member of staff is concerned about a child, the DSL or DDSL’S must be informed immediately. There is an absolute responsibility for all members of the centre to respond to any suspected or actual abuse of a child in accordance with these procedures.
Taking action to ensure that children are safe at the centre and at home All staff should follow the statutory guidance for schools and colleges; Keeping Children Safe in Education– Part One: Safeguarding information for all staff Taking action to ensure that children are safe at school and at home. All staff should follow the statutory guidance for schools and colleges; Keeping Children Safe in Education – Part One: Safeguarding information for all staff (2018).
It is not the responsibility of the centre staff to investigate welfare concerns or determine the truth of any disclosure or allegation. All staff; however, have a duty to recognise concerns and maintain an open mind. Accordingly all concerns regarding the welfare of pupils will be recorded and discussed with the designated safeguarding lead with responsibility for safeguarding (or the deputy designated safeguarding lead in the absence of the designated person) prior to any discussion with parents.
Staff must immediately report:
• Any suspicion that a child is injured, marked, or bruised in a way which is not readily attributable to the normal knocks or scrapes received in play
• Any explanation given which appears inconsistent or suspicious
• Any behaviours which give rise to suspicions that a child may have suffered harm
• Any concerns that a child may be suffering from inadequate care, ill treatment, or emotional maltreatment
• Any concerns that a child is presenting signs or symptoms of abuse or neglect
• Any significant changes in a child’s presentation, including non-attendance
• Any hint or disclosure of abuse about or by a child / young person
• Any concerns regarding person(s) who may pose a risk to children (e.g. living in a household with children present)
• Information which indicates that the child is living with someone who does not have parental responsibility for them (private fostering).
The member of staff must record information regarding the concerns using the STEPS Centre safeguarding log sheet (Appendix F - STEPS Concern about a Childs Safety & Welfare Referral Form) immediately. The recording must be a clear, precise and factual account of the observations.
The DSL will decide whether the concerns should be referred to children’s social care via the Contact Centre. If it is decided that a referral to children’s social care is required, this will be discussed with the parents, unless to do so would:
• Place the child at risk of significant harm or further risk of significant harm;
• Place a vulnerable adult at risk of harm; and
• Compromise any enquiries that need to be undertaken by children’s social care or the police.
When concerns have been raised regarding a child, or they are subject to any multi-agency work, a written record will be kept securely and separately from the child’s main pupil record.
The centre will robustly monitor the attendance of children on roll at the centre, in line with the attendance policy. When a safeguarding/child protection concern is being monitored all absences from the centre will be followed up with a home visit by an appropriate member of staff to ensure that the welfare of the child/children is/are maintained.
In cases where children are subject to a child protection plan, all absences of more than 2 days (without explanation) will be reported to the allocated social worker.
Whenever a child transfers to another school, all the centre records, including safeguarding/child protection files (Appendix F & G), will be sent to the receiving school as soon as possible ensuring secure transit and confirmation of receipt are obtained. Relevant agencies will be informed of the new school that the child has moved to.
The DSL is responsible for making the senior leadership team aware of trends in behaviour that may affect pupil welfare. If necessary, training will be arranged.
All staff, volunteers and management committee members, through on-going training, must be aware that the main categories of abuse are:
• Physical abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Neglect
All staff and volunteers should be concerned about a child if he/she presents with indicators of possible significant harm – see Appendix A for details.
Some children, and adults, may have an increased risk of abuse due to specific circumstances including prejudice and discrimination, isolation, social exclusion, communication issues and reluctance on the part of some adults to accept that abuse can occur. To ensure that all of our pupils receive equal protection, we will ensure staff receive appropriate information and support to meet the needs of the whole centre:
|DEALING WITH A DISCLOSURE |
Where a pupil actually discloses that he/she has been abused, the following guidelines must be followed:
LISTEN
• If a child wants to talk to you, never ask them to come back later. Ask them what they want to talk to you about and, if you are concerned about their welfare, give them the time to speak to you.
• Never promise confidentiality. Inform the child that you are happy to talk to them but, if they tell you anything which you believe may be putting them at harm; you will have to talk to someone.
• Listen carefully to the child. Do not stop a child who is freely recalling information.
• Where a child is visibly upset or has an obvious injury, it is good practice to ask a child why they are upset or how an injury was caused, or respond to a child wanting to talk to you to help clarify vague concerns and result in the right action being taken.
RESPOND
• If you need to clarify information ask open-ended questions e.g.” Is there anything you'd like to tell me?", “Can you explain to me…”, Can you describe to me….”
• Never ask leading or suggestive questions e.g. 'Did he/she do anything that they shouldn't have done?'
• Never ask 'accusing' questions e.g.” Why didn't you tell someone earlier?"
• Never criticise the alleged perpetrator, it may be someone that they will continue to live with.
• Never ask the pupil to repeat their disclosure for any other member of staff, it is your responsibility to share the information.
• These four factors may compromise enquiries that need to be made later by children’s social care or police.
SUPPORT
• Ensure that the child is aware that they have done the right thing in talking to you and that they have not done anything wrong.
• If you have any concerns that the child has been, or is at risk of harm, you must tell them that you will speak to someone to get help.
RECORD
• Make notes as soon as possible afterwards using the appropriate record of concern with the words that the child has used sheet (Appendix F - STEPS Child Protection Referral/Report Form)
• Do not record your assumptions and interpretations, just what you heard and observed.
• Do not destroy original notes even if you later write things up more neatly and fully.
• Record the date, time and place of the disclosure.
• Sign any written records and identify your position in the centre setting.
• Do not ask a child to write an account or sign any documentation or take any pictures of potential injuries as this may compromise enquiries undertaken by children’s social care or the police.
SPEAK
• Immediately inform the DSL via the centre’s process, or in their absence the Deputy DSL, for child protection who will take responsibility for following the appropriate procedures.
• To consult with your DSL does not mean a referral has been made. This decision will remain with the DSL who will contact the appropriate agency if and when required in line with the Multi-Agency Threshold Document. If the DSL (or their deputy) is unavailable or you are unhappy about the response you receive, contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub Early Help Desk on 0121 569 2516 or the Local Community Operating Group on 0121 569 7294 where you will be able to speak to a qualified social worker.
In exceptional circumstances, such as in emergency or a genuine concern that appropriate action has not been taken, staff members can speak directly to children’s social care by telephone number 0121 569 3100 (this number is available outside normal office hours); or contact the NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU LEAVE CENTRE WITHOUT DISCUSSING YOUR CONCERNS WITH SOMEONE.
1. EARLY HELP
Providing early help is more effective in promoting the welfare of children than reacting later. Early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child’s life.
Children and families may need support from a wide range of local agencies. Where a child and family would benefit from co-ordinated support from more than one agency the centre will use the Early Help process to identify what help the child and family require to prevent their needs escalating to a point where intervention would be needed via a statutory assessment under the Children Act 1989.
The centre is committed to working in partnership with children, parents and other agencies to:
• identify situations in which children and/or their families would benefit from early help;
• undertake an assessment of the need for early help, using the Early Help process; and
• provide targeted early help services to address the assessed needs of a child and their family, developing an action plan that will focus on activity to improve the child’s outcomes.
Any child may benefit from early help, but all centre staff should be particularly alert to the potential need for early help for a child who:
• is disabled and has specific additional needs;
• has special educational needs (whether or not they have a statutory education, health and care plan);
• is a young carer;
• is showing signs of being drawn in to anti-social or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups;
• is frequently missing/goes missing from care or from home;
• is misusing drugs or alcohol themselves;
• Is at risk of modern slavery, trafficking or exploitation;
• is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as substance abuse, adult mental health problems or domestic abuse;
• has returned home to their family from care;
• is showing early signs of abuse and/or neglect;
• is at risk of being radicalised or exploited;
• is a privately fostered child.
|MAKING A REFERRAL |
A referral involves sharing information in line with the Multi Agency Threshold Document to either the Early Help Team, with the consent of the parents/carers, children's social care or the police in matters of immediate risk.
Emergency Response
If a child is at imminent risk of significant harm/immediate danger you should consider calling 999 in the first instance (for police or ambulance) and contacting children’s social care by telephoning Sandwell’s contact centre on 0121 569 3100. You will be expected to complete a Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF) without delay.
Non-Emergency Response
If you believe that the risk is significant and is a child protection issue but the child is in no immediate danger you must complete a MARF as soon as possible and within a maximum of 24 hours. Send the MARF on completion via secure email to access_team@sandwell..uk
If the DSL (or their deputy) is unavailable or you are unhappy about the response you receive from your DSL, contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub Early Help Desk on 0121 569 2516 or the local Community Operating Group on 0121 569 7294 where you will be able to speak to a qualified social worker.
In exceptional circumstances, such as in emergency or a genuine concern that appropriate action has not been taken, staff members can speak directly to children’s social care
0121 569 3100.
Parents/carers should be informed if a referral is being made except in the circumstances outlined in communication with parents.
However, inability to inform parents for any reason should not prevent a referral
being made to children’s social care via the Contact Centre if you believe the child is at risk of harm. It would then become a joint decision with Children's Social Care about how and when the parents should be approached and by whom.
If low level multi-agency support is required for a child and/or their family, the DSL or DDSL will, with consent of the parent/carer, submit an Early Help Assessment to enable a team around the family plan to be initiated. This will be targeted multi-agency support to help the family resolve any identified concerns.
If the concerns are more complex and require statutory intervention, then the DSL will refer the matter to children’s social care via the Contact Centre service where a decision will be made whether any enquiries are needed under Section 17 (child in need enquiry) or Section 47 (child protection enquiry) of the Children Act 1989. A flowchart can be found at Appendix C detailing the referral procedure.
Referrals – Local Processes
• Early Help – An Early Help assessment is made via the ECAF system with the consent of the parent/carer to access multi-agency support via a Team around the Family (TAF))
• Social Care – Unless it is an emergency (see above), a password protected Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF) is submitted via secure email access_team@sandwell..uk where consideration will be given to the referral via the MASH screening process.
Accurate records must be made of the action agreed following the referral, including if no further action is to be taken and the reasons for this decision, noting with whom discussions were held and who made the decisions on the appropriate centre form.
|COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS |
The centre will always discuss concerns with parents/carers unless to do so would:
• Place the child at risk of significant harm or further risk of significant harm;
• Place a vulnerable adult at risk of harm; and
• Compromise any enquiries that need to be undertaken by children’s social care or the police.
In these situations, the centre will always seek advice from children’s social care. The centre will endeavour to ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibilities placed on the centre and staff for safeguarding children.
In situations where it is unclear whether information should be discussed with parents, the DSL will seek advice from the local Community Operating Group or Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub Early Help Desk where they will be able to seek advice from a qualified social worker.
|SHARING INFORMATION AND CONFIDENTIALITY |
Safeguarding children raises issues of confidentiality that must be clearly understood by all staff/volunteers in centre.
• All staff in the centre, both teaching and non-teaching staff and volunteers, have a responsibility to share concerns about the welfare of a child or young person with the DSL or, in situations where the concern is not centre based, other professionals, particularly children’s social care and the police.
• If a child wishes to confide in a member of staff/volunteer and requests that the information is kept secret, the member of staff/volunteer will tell the child, in an appropriate manner to the individual needs of the child, that they cannot promise confidentiality and may need to pass the information on to help keep the child or other children safe.
• Staff/volunteers who receive information about children and their families in the course of their work should share that information within the expectations of the centre’s confidentiality policy and other relevant policies e.g. West Midland Safeguarding Children Procedures and Information Sharing – Advice for Practitioners Providing Safeguarding Services.
• Child protection information will be stored and handled in line with Data Protection Act 1998 principles.
Record Keeping
The Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for ensuring that all safeguarding and child protection files are kept accurate and up to date (Appendix F & G).
Safeguarding files will be stored in a locked facility and any electronic information will be password protected and only made available to those individuals who are authorised to have access. Every effort will be made to prevent unauthorised access.
Any sensitive information held by the centre will not be held on laptop computers. If it is necessary to store child protection information on moveable devices, such as memory stick, they will be encrypted and stored securely.
Any child welfare concerns will be stored in a safeguarding file separately from the pupil’s centre file. An identifying mark will be placed on the main pupil file if a safeguarding file exists to ensure that all information follows the child should they leave the centre.
Safeguarding and Child protection records are normally exempt from the disclosure provisions of the Data Protection Act, which means that children and parents do not have an automatic right to see them. If any member of staff receives a request from a pupil or parent to see child protection records, they must refer the request to the Head Teacher. They will not be able to deal with the request themselves.
The Data Protection Act does not prevent centre staff from sharing information with relevant agencies, where that information may help to protect a child. The education guidance “Keeping Children Safe in Education” 2018 clearly states that anyone can make a referral to children’s social care when they are concerned that a child is at risk of harm. The centre’s policy on confidentiality and information-sharing is available to parents and pupils on request.
Escalation Procedures
Where concerns exist regarding the management of individual safeguarding/child protection cases the centre will follow the West Midlands Safeguarding Children - Escalation policy: Resolution of Professional Disagreements.
2. CHILDREN WHO MAY BE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE
Some children may be at increased risk of neglect and or abuse. Many factors can contribute to an increase in risk, including prejudice and discrimination, isolation, social exclusion, communication issues and reluctance on the part of some adults to accept that abuse happens, or who have a high level of tolerance in respect of neglect.
Adults in the centre are expected to take extra care to interpret correctly apparent signs of abuse or neglect. Indications of abuse will be reported as for other pupils. To ensure that all of our children receive equal protection, we will give special consideration and attention to children who are:
• Disabled or have special educational needs;
• Living in a known domestic violence and abuse situation;
• Affected by known parental substance misuse, mental ill health or adult learning disability;
• Asylum seekers;
• Living away from home;
• Vulnerable to being bullied, or engaging in bullying;
• Living in temporary accommodation;
• Living transient lifestyles;
• Living in chaotic, neglectful and unsupportive home situations;
• Vulnerable to discrimination and maltreatment on the grounds of race, ethnicity, religion or sexuality;
• Children who may be at risk of sexual exploitation; or
• Do not have English as a first language.
Special consideration includes the provision of safeguarding information, resources and support services in community languages and accessible formats.
We will provide a centre environment in which pupils with special educational needs, disabilities or additional needs feel confident and able to discuss their concerns. Whenever possible, pupils will be given the chance to express themselves to a member of staff with appropriate communication skills.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead will work with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator to identify pupils with particular communication needs.
3. SPECIFIC SAFEGUARDING CIRCUMSTANCES
The nature of work undertaken by the centre means that there will be other circumstances when the welfare of children, young people and the wider centre community needs to be taken in to consideration. These include:
• Extended Centre and off-site arrangements- Where extended centre activities are provided by and managed by the centre, our own child protection policy and procedures apply. If other organisations provide services or activities on our site the centre will undertake checks to ensure that they provide adequate safeguarding arrangements.
When pupils attend off-site activities, including day and residential visits and work related activities, the centre will ensure that the proprietors of the activity/venue operate safe practices to maintain the safety of our children/young people and liaise with investigating agencies in the locality relevant to where the concern has taken place.
• Online safety: As members of the centre are using electronic media more frequently we are aware that we need to keep everyone safe in the virtual world as well. Some people will use technologies to harm others whether by sending harmful or inappropriate messages or enticing others in to unsafe situations. The centre have an Online safety policy and procedures, which is available on the centre intranet/website, explains how we try to keep pupils and the wider centre community safe. Any incidences of cyber bullying will be dealt with through the centres anti-bullying procedures.
We endeavour to support parents and carers to help keep their children safe whilst online or using social media. The centre has an Online safety coordinator who can advise parents and carers on how to keep their children safe. The centre’s staff code of conduct makes it clear about how staff use social media and electronic technologies to ensure that they, and children, are kept safe.
• Sexting: There are a number of definitions of sexting but for the purposes of this policy sexting is defined as Images or videos generated by children under the age of 18, or of children under the age of 18 that are of a sexual nature or are indecent. These images are shared between young people and/or adults via a mobile phone, handheld device or website with people they may not even know. The centre will always deal with sexting as a safeguarding issue. Staff have been briefed on Online safety and will bring any concerns about sexting to the attention of the DSL. The DSL will follow the guidance issued by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety “Sexting in schools and colleges: responding to incidents and safeguarding young people” and follow the West Midlands Safeguarding Children Procedures as required.
• Bullying: is defined in the document “Safe To Learn: Embedding anti-bullying work in schools” as behaviour by an individual or group usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally. Bullying can involve verbal taunts, name calling, physical injury, and damage to property, rumour spreading, shunning or ridicule. It can be manipulative, making the disabled pupil do something they should not, or deliberately engineering their discomfort or isolation. It can be done through mobile phones, websites and email (cyberbullying). All incidences of bullying, including cyber-bullying and prejudice-based bullying should be reported and managed through the centre’s anti-bullying procedures using the “STEPS Incident Report Form”. Copies of this green form are available in the main office. The subject of bullying is addressed at regular intervals in the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. The centre has an Anti-Bullying Policy which contains further information on actions the centre may take.
The Head Teacher and DSL will consider on a case by case basis whether the centre’s safeguarding policy will be implemented when bullying incidents are brought to their attention.
Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic Bullying: is when people behave or speak in a way that makes someone feel bullied because of their actual or perceived sexuality. People may be targeted because of their physical traits, because they have friends or family who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) or just because they are seen as different.
Racist Bullying: can be identified by the motivation of the bully, the language used, and/or by the fact that victims are singled out because of the colour of their skin, the way they talk, their ethnic grouping or by their religious or cultural practices.
Disability Bullying: Published research suggests that disabled children are more likely to be bullied and that children with combinations of difficulties are more likely to be affected. A survey by the charity Mencap discovered that eight out of 10 children with a learning disability have been bullied. As well as forms of bullying already identified, children with disabilities may also experience forms of bullying like:
o manipulative bullying: where a person is controlling someone
o conditional friendship: where a child thinks someone is being their friend but times of friendliness are alternated with times of bullying
o exploitative bullying: where features of a child’s condition are used to bully them.
• Peer on Peer Abuse: when situations arise where children affect the wellbeing of others the centre’s Positive Behaviour Plan will be followed. Occasionally situations will arise between students which may be of a safeguarding nature. In these circumstances the centre will ensure that local procedures are followed as defined in section 8 – Making a Referral. The police will be informed of any circumstances where a possible criminal offence has been committed and will ensure parents/carers of all those involved are informed. The Centre will follow the Positive Behaviour Plan to decide whether exclusion is appropriate and risk assessment will be undertaken to minimize any risk. The Centre will put a support plan in place for any relevant individuals which will be monitored and reviewed accordingly in line with the “Peer on Peer Abuse Policy”- Safeguarding & Child Protection dealing with a child protection allegations made against another child.
• Attendance: All lateness and absences are recorded on the class registers and reasons will be sought for these. Our centre operates a first day calling system to establish the whereabouts and safety of any pupils absent without notification. If a child is persistently absent or late being brought to or collected from centre, parents may be asked to come into centre and meet with the Centre Manager to discuss how this may be resolved. Attendance is closely monitored and referrals to the Safeguarding Team can be made if appropriate. Parents will always be informed of concerns around attendance at the earliest point. If attendance concerns continue the centre may refer to the Attendance and Prosecution Service.
• Children Missing Education - a child who begins to miss education without explanation is a potential indicator of abuse and neglect, including sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. The DSL will monitor unauthorised absence, particularly where children go missing on repeated occasions and follow local procedures if safeguarding concerns arise in line with Section 8 - Making a Referral and the Local Authority
• Violence Against Women and Girls: Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a term which includes domestic abuse, as well as issues such as:
o Stalking and harassment
o Sexual assault and rape
o Honour based abuse
o Forced marriage
o Female genital mutilation
o Trafficking
o Prostitution
o Child sexual exploitation
Whilst women and girls are the most common victims of these crimes, it is important to recognise that men and boys are also at risk of domestic abuse and can access the same support as women and girls. Everyone has the right to live without fear, intimidation or abuse. Staff have been briefed on violence against women and girls and will report all concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy.
• Child Sexual Exploitation: the official definition is “Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.” In all cases those exploiting the child/young person have power over them by virtue of their age, gender, intellect, physical strength and/or economic or other resources. Violence, coercion and intimidation are commonly involved in exploitative relationships. Staff have been briefed on the indicators of possible sexual exploitation and will refer any concerns to the DSL or DDSL immediately. Further information is contained within the class safeguarding folders and is available on request. Appendix E illustrates signs, symptoms and effects of child sexual exploitation.
• Trafficking: The Crown Prosecution Service define Trafficking as involving the transportation of persons in the UK in order to exploit them by the use of force, violence, deception, intimidation, coercion or abuse of their vulnerability. The form of exploitation includes sexual and bonded labour exploitation and servitude. Those who are trafficked have little choice in what happens to them and usually suffer abuse due to the threats and use of violence against them and/or their family, or through debt bondage. Staff have been briefed on the indicators of possible trafficking and will refer any concerns to the DSL immediately.
• Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence: The NSPCC define a forced marriage as being one where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used. In the UK it is recognised as a form of violence against women and men, domestic/child abuse and a serious abuse of human rights. Honour based violence can be described as a collection of practices, which are used to control behaviour within families or other social groups to protect perceived cultural and religious beliefs and/or honour. Such violence can occur when perpetrators perceive that a relative has shamed the family and/or community by breaking their honour code. Staff have been briefed on the indicators of possible forced marriage and honour based violence and will refer any concerns to the DSL or DDSL immediately
• Domestic Abuse: The Home Office define Domestic Abuse as any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse:
• psychological
• physical
• sexual
• financial
• emotional
Controlling behaviour is: a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.
Coercive behaviour is: an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim. Staff have been briefed on the indicators of possible Domestic Abuse and will refer any concerns to the DSL OR DDSL immediately
• Female Genital Mutilation – The NSPCC define Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as the partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It is also known as female circumcision, cutting or sunna. Religious, social or cultural reasons are sometimes given for FGM however it is a dangerous practice and has been a criminal offence in the UK since 1985. There are no medical reasons to carry out FGM and it can cause severe and long-lasting damage to physical and emotional health. Staff have been briefed on the indicators of possible FGM and will refer any concerns to the DSL immediately. From October 2015, teachers have been subject to a statutory duty as defined by Section 5B of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (as inserted by section 74 of the Serious Crime Act 2015) to report to the Police where she or he discovers that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl who is aged under 18. This is known as mandatory reporting. Further information is contained within the class safeguarding folders and is available on request. Appendix D illustrates signs, symptoms and effects of child sexual exploitation.
• Extremism and Radicalisation – The Governments Prevent strategy 2011 emphasises that extremist organisations can develop and popularise ideas which create an environment conducive to violent extremism and terrorism. Exploring ideas, developing a sense of identity and forming views are a normal part of growing up but we recognise that, children and young people can be exposed to extremist influences or prejudiced views, particularly via the internet and other social media. We will endeavour to help pupils learn about different cultures and faiths (as directed by the Department for Education) and gain an understanding of the British values we share which are defined in the Governments 2011 Prevent Strategy as:
• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
Schools are subject to a duty under Section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act (CTSA 2015) to have “due regard” to those drawn into terrorism. Schools must ensure children are protected from extremist materials, including online; ensure staff are appropriately trained to identify any risks, and that they assess the risk of children being drawn into terrorism and extremism.
Protecting children from the risk of radicalisation is part of our wider safeguarding duties, and is similar in nature to protecting children from other forms of harm and abuse. During the process of radicalisation it is possible to intervene to prevent vulnerable people being radicalised.
Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and forms of extremism. In order for us to fulfil the Prevent duty, is it essential for our staff to be able to identify children who may be vulnerable to radicalisation and know what to do when they are identified. We will build our pupils’ resilience to radicalisation by promoting fundamental British values and enabling them to challenge extremist views. It is important to emphasise that the Prevent duty is not intended to stop pupils debating controversial issues. On the contrary, we will provide a safe space in which children, young people and staff can understand the risks associated with terrorism and develop the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge extremist arguments.
Centre staff have received training to help to identify signs of extremism and are made aware of the importance of identifying indicators of children being radicalised and reporting all concerns immediately to the DSL or DDSL.. The centre will make appropriate referrals in respect of any pupil whose behaviour or comments suggest that they are vulnerable to being radicalised and drawn into extremism and terrorism in order to ensure that children receive appropriate support in line with West Midlands Safeguarding Children Procedures and Local Authority protocols.
Further information is contained within the class safeguarding folders and is available on request.
• Fabricated and Induced Illness: The NHS definition of fabricated and induced illness states that it is a rare form of deliberate harm which occurs when a parent or carer, usually the child's biological mother, exaggerates or deliberately causes symptoms of illness in a child. It is also known as Munchausen's syndrome by proxy. Staff have received information about the indicators of possible fabricated and induced illness and will refer any concerns to the DSL or DDSL immediately. Further information is contained within the class safeguarding folders and is available on request.
• Faith Abuse: Cases of adults inflicting physical violence or emotional harm on children they regard as witches or possessed by evil spirits are known across the world, almost wholly involving tiny minorities or sub-sects within major religions, as well as pagan faiths. It is believed that underlying causes are often very similar to other forms of child abuse with the child being treated as a scapegoat for family stress, domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health problems. We believe that no child should be exposed to any form of violence or abuse regardless of their cultural heritage or faith beliefs within their family. If staff suspect that any of our pupils are experiencing faith abuse they will notify the DSL or DDSL immediately.
• Substance misuse: All incidents of child substance misuse will be brought to the attention of the DSL or DDSL immediately. Parental drug or alcohol use may cause concern about the welfare of children and is factor that needs to be considered when maintaining the safety of children. It is recognised that the use of drugs and alcohol does not good parenting. Drug or alcohol use by itself will not lead to a child being considered at risk and an automatic child protection issue unless other factors are involved which place a child at risk of harm. The long term effect of substance misuse may not be immediately apparent but the continued absence, emotional or physical, of a parent through substance misuse can have detrimental effects on a child. Staff have received information about parental or child substance misuse and will refer any concerns to the DSL or DDSL immediately.
• Health (including Mental Health): Any child with a significant health condition requiring regular medication or treatment will require a personal health care plan. This will be completed with the parent and school health nurse. To support children in centre it is vital that parents inform us if their child has a health condition of this nature to enable us to ensure that their child’s health needs are managed appropriately whilst they are at centre. Key staff members will be informed of the children individual needs to support them in centre.
Research suggests that one in ten children aged between 5 and 16 years has a mental health problem, and many continue to have mental health problems into adulthood. Early interventions, particularly with vulnerable children and young people, can help to improve their health and wellbeing and prevent mental illness.
o A positive mental health foundation can be supported by helping children:
o Be able to form and maintain relationships with others
o Be adaptable to change and other people’s expectations
o Be able to have fun
o Be open to learning
o Be able to develop a sense of right and wrong
o Be able to develop the resilience to manage ordinary setbacks
Our centre provides opportunities which promote positive mental health through:
o Play
o Differentiated learning activities
o Challenging stereotypes
o Rewards and celebrations
o Close links with outside agencies such as CAMHS, Children’s Services and School Health
o Referrals to child counselling services through Children’s Therapies.
o A broad and balanced curriculum
o Home/Centre links
• Private Fostering: A private fostering arrangement is essentially one that is made privately (that is to say without the involvement of a local authority) for the care of a child under the age of 16 (under 18, if disabled) by someone other than a parent or close relative with the intention that it should last for 28 days or more. Private foster carers may be from the extended family, such as a cousin or great aunt. However, a person who is a relative under the Children Act 1989 i.e. a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt (whether of the full or half blood or by marriage) or step-parent will not be a private foster carer. A private foster carer may be a friend of the family, the parent of a friend of the child, or someone previously unknown to the child’s family who is willing to privately foster a child.
Private fostering arrangements can be a positive response from within the community to difficulties experienced by families. Nonetheless, privately fostered children remain a diverse and potentially vulnerable group.
By law, a parent, private foster carer or other persons involved in making a private fostering arrangement must notify Children’s Social Care as soon as possible. When the centre becomes aware of a private fostering arrangement for a pupil that has not been notified to Children’s Social Care, the centre will encourage parents and private foster carers to notify Children’s Social Care and will share information with Children’s Social Care as appropriate.
• Supporting children to keep safe: The centre will endeavour to help children understand how to keep themselves safe through its curriculum and, in particular, through the centre’s Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) Policy. We provide opportunities for children to think about risks they may encounter and, with support from staff, work out how those risks might be overcome. The aim is to empower children and help them conduct themselves in a safe manner. The centre promotes an environment of respect for all and pupils are encouraged to speak to a member of staff in confidence about anything that is worrying them.
4. CENTRE COMMUNITY SUPPORT
If children have been exposed to harm, it can have a profound and lasting effect on the individual and those supporting them. We will support the centre community by:
• Ensuring all disclosures or concerns are taken seriously
• Keeping safeguarding and child protection records securely stored.
• Sharing information on a need-to-know basis only with relevant individuals and agencies
• Cooperating fully with statutory agencies as required.
• Nominating a central point of contact when safeguarding processes are implemented. Where a member of staff is the subject of an allegation made by a pupil, an individual will be identified to liaise with the child and family to avoid any conflict of interest
• Responding to any request from pupils or staff for time out to deal with distress or anxiety in a sensitive and supportive manner
• Offering details of support both in and out of centre as required
• Following the procedures laid down in our whistleblowing, complaints and disciplinary procedures as required
Looked after children
The most common reason for children being placed in the care of the local authority is as a result of abuse or neglect. The centre ensures that appropriate staff have information about a child’s looked after status and care arrangements. The Designated Teacher for Looked After Children and the DSL have details of the child’s social worker and the name and contact details of the local authority’s virtual head for children in care to ensure that their needs are met and maintained.
5. SAFE RECRUITMENT
The centre strives to employ ‘safe’ staff by following the guidance issued in” Keeping Children Safe in Education” (2018) and guidance issued by the LA/LSCB along with the school’s individual procedures.
At least one member of each recruitment panel will have attended safer recruitment training to promote the welfare of our centre community.
All applicants will be expected to:
• Complete an application form including their full employment history
• Provide two references, it is a given that at least one will comment on the applicant’s suitability to work with children
• Provide evidence of identity and qualifications to undertake the role in the centre.
• Be checked in accordance with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) regulations as appropriate to their role if offered employment
• Provide evidence of their right to work in the UK
• Be interviewed, if shortlisted.
Before commencing employment, the centre/Sandwell HR will verify the mental and physical fitness of the candidate to carry out their work responsibilities which will, in turn, help to promote a safe learning environment for our children.
All staff members will be recorded on the centre’s single central record which is a document that is maintained to evidence the recruitments checks that the centre has undertaken.
On appointment, all new members of staff will undergo an induction that includes familiarisation with the centre’s child protection policy and supporting documents to maintain a safe learning environment.
This process will also help identify and additional training needs in regard to child protection and maintaining a safe learning environment.
The centre obtains written confirmation from supply agencies that agency staff have been appropriately checked to work in the centre in line with the requirements above.
Contractors and Volunteers
Volunteers
Any person engaged by the centre to work in a voluntary capacity with pupils will be subject to vetting procedures and Criminal Records Checks (Sandwell HR).
Those working in a regulated activity will (teaching/looking after children on a regular basis or providing personal care) will be subject to an enhanced DSB certificate (including barred list check) which will be rechecked as required.
Any volunteer who has not been vetted will under no circumstances be left unsupervised or allowed to work in a regulated activity.
Supervised volunteers have been removed from regulated activity and there is no legal requirement to obtain DBS certificate for volunteers who are not in regulated activity and who are supervised regularly and on ongoing day to day basis by a person who is in regulated activity. An enhanced DBS check without a barred list check may be requested following a risk assessment.
Volunteers will be subject to the same code of conduct as paid employees of the centre.
Voluntary sector groups that operate within this centre or provide off-site services for our pupils or use centre facilities will be expected to adhere to this policy or operate a policy which is compliant with the procedures adopted by Sandwell Safeguarding Children Board. Premises lettings and loans are subject to acceptance of this requirement.
Contractors
Contractors on the centre site will be made aware of this policy and their responsibilities to the welfare of the centre community. Long-term contractors who work regularly in the centre during term time will be asked to provide their consent for DBS checks to be undertaken. These checks will be undertaken when individual risk assessments deem this to be appropriate.
All contractors and sub-contractors will be issued with copies of the centre’s code of conduct for staff and be expected to wear identification when on site.
Individuals and organisations that are contracted by the centre to work with or provide services to pupils will be expected to adhere to this policy and will be subject to the appropriate level of DBS check, if any such check is required
Contractors for whom an appropriate DBS check has not been undertaken will be supervised if they will have contact with children. Under no circumstances will a contractor for whom no checks have been obtained be allowed to work unsupervised or engage in a regulated activity.
The identity of contractors and their staff will be checked on arrival at the centre.
Disqualification by Association
Where appropriate, the centre will follow the guidance issued in the document “Keeping Children Safe in Education: Childcare Disqualification Requirements – Supplementary Advice” and any additional guidance issued by the LSCB.
|ALLEGATIONS AGAINST STAFF – POSITION OF TRUST |
It needs to be acknowledged that those who are concerned about the conduct of a colleague are placed in a challenging situation. Although they may worry that they have misinterpreted a situation it must be remembered that the welfare of the child is paramount.
A position of trust describes relationships where an adult (18 years or older) has power or authority in a child’s life (under 18 years) and may have a key influence on their future, by the nature of their role within an organisation. In the Centre environment this will be when the care for, advise or train them. Concerns arise when this power of influence may be used to persuade, encourage or intimidate a child or young person into certain behaviours or activities that are not suitable or acceptable.
While young people aged between 16 and 18 can legally consent to some types of sexual activity this is not the case in a situation where there is an abuse of trust.
All concerns of poor practice or possible child abuse by colleagues should be reported to the Head Teacher Complaints about the Head Teacher should be reported to the Chair of Governors/DCS/DoE.
Staff may also report their concerns directly to the Designated Officer, children’s social care or the police if they believe direct reporting is necessary to secure action.
The centre also has a whistle blowing policy that may be followed to ensure the safety and welfare of the whole centre community
An allegation relates to an adult who works with children (in a paid or
unpaid capacity) and they have:
• Behaved in a way that has harmed or may have harmed a child;
• Possibly committed a criminal offence against, or related to, a child; or
• Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she would pose a risk of harm if they work regularly or closely with children.
In these circumstances, the allegation should be taken seriously and the Head Teacher, who has the responsibility for managing allegations against persons in a position of trust in the centre, should be informed immediately.
It is not the responsibility of the person receiving the allegation to make any enquiries or discuss the allegation with any one other than the Head Teacher.
As with all other concerns about the welfare of children, the member of staff receiving the allegation should make a written record of the allegation using the informant's words - including time, date and place where the alleged incident took place, brief details of what happened, what was said and who was present. This record should be signed, dated and immediately passed on to the Head Teacher. (Appendix F - STEPS Child Protection Referral/Report Form).
Under no circumstances should the informant be asked to make a written record of the allegation or asked to sign any documentation. This is the responsibility of the person receiving the allegation.
The Head Teacher will not investigate the allegation them self, or take written or detailed statements, but will consult with the Designated Officer and notify OfSTED in matters relating to the Early Years and Foundation Stage.
If the Head Teacher is implicated in the concerns, the maangement committee, or in their absence, the Vice Chair of the management committee should be contacted. They will then liaise with the Designated Officer.
The Vice Chair of Management committee and Director of Education of the centre is:
NAME: Chris Ward CONTACT NUMBER: 0121 5569 8194
The same process will be followed by the chair or vice chair of management committee as that followed by the Head Teacher.
To reduce the risk of allegations, all staff should be aware of safer working practice and should be familiar with the guidance contained in the staff handbook, centre code of conduct.
If you have safeguarding or child protection concerns relating to the parents/carers of children and you are aware that they work with children, young people or vulnerable adults, you must inform the DSL or DDSL. This will allow for consideration to be given as to whether the position of trust process needs to be applied.
If it is decided that the allegation meets any of the three criteria outlined above, procedures will be followed in accordance with West Midlands Safeguarding Children Procedures.
If it is decided that the allegation does not meet the threshold for safeguarding, it will be handed back to the employer for consideration via the centre’s internal procedures.
The Head Teacher, as soon as possible and after consulting with the Designated Officer, informs the person against whom the allegation has been made of the concern. Appendix H- STEPS Managing allegations against a person in a position of Trust.
Further information regarding Position of Trust issues can be found in this document.
Escalation Procedures
Where concerns exist regarding the management of individual safeguarding/child protection cases the centre will follow the West Midlands Safeguarding Children Procedures Escalation Policy: Resolution of Professional Disagreements.
6. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
Our complaints procedure will be followed where a pupil or parent raises a concern about poor practice towards a pupil that initially does not reach the threshold for child protection action. Poor practice examples include unfairly singling out a pupil or attempting to humiliate them, bullying or belittling a pupil or discriminating against them in some way. Complaints are managed by senior staff, the head teacher and management committee. A copy of the complaints procedures is available on request.
7. WHISTLE BLOWING PROCEDURE
Employees are often the first to realise that there may be something seriously wrong within the centre/Local Authority. However, they may not express their concerns because they feel that speaking up would be disloyal to their colleagues, the centre or to the LA. They may also fear harassment or victimisation. In these circumstances it may be easier to ignore the concern rather than report what may just be a suspicion of malpractice.
The management committee are committed to the highest possible standards of openness, probity and accountability. In line with that commitment we expect employees, and others that we deal with, who have serious concerns about any aspect of the centre’s or Local Authority’s work to come forward and voice those concerns. It is recognised that most cases will have to proceed on a confidential basis.
The centre has a whistle blowing policy which makes it clear that concerns can be raised without fear of victimisation, subsequent discrimination or disadvantage and is intended to encourage and enable employees to raise serious concerns within the centre or the LA rather than overlooking a problem.
The NSPCC operate a whistleblowing advice line offering free advice and support to professionals with concerns about how child protection issues are being handled in their own or another organisation if they feel that any concerns raised are not being addressed on 0800 028 0285.
|STATUTORY SCHOOL POLICIES |
A full list of statutory policies can be found at the DfE. Note that none of these policies relate to safeguarding and child protection.
|OTHER RECOMMENDED SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICIES |
|Anti-bullying |PSHE curriculum |
|Drugs and substance misuse |Race, Disability and Equality Policy |
|Online safety (including Acceptable Use Policies and Use of |Recruitment and selection |
|Digital Images) | |
|First aid (including management of medical conditions, intimate |Physical Intervention |
|care) | |
|Management of allegations against staff |Whistle blowing |
|USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS/WEBSITES |
Sandwell Contact Centre (children’s social care referrals) – 0121 569 3100
Sandwell Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub Early Help Desk – 0121 569 2516
Wednesbury Local Community Operating Group – 0121 569 7294
West Midlands Police – 0345 113 5000
Designated Officer – 0121 569 4771
All Locality Community Operating Groups
Tipton COG: Unity Walk Owen Street Tipton. DY4 8QL. 0121 569 7291
Wednesbury COG: Wednesbury Library, Walsall Street. WS10 9EH. 0121 569 7295
West Bromwich Central COG: West Bromwich Town Hall, High Street. B70 8DT. 0121 569 7293
West Bromwich North COG: West Bromwich Hall, High Street. B70 8DT. 0121 569 7292
Oldbury COG: Brandhall Library, Tame Road, Oldbury. B68 0JT. 0121 569 7295.
Rowley COG: Payne Street, Blackheath,B65 0DH. 0121 569 7296.
Smethwick COG – Smethwick Council house ,High Street Smethwick. B66 3NJ.. 0121 569 7297.
|APPENDIX A INDICATORS OF HARM |
EMOTIONAL ABUSE
Emotional abuse is difficult to:
- define
- identify/recognise
- prove.
Emotional abuse is chronic and cumulative and has a long-term impact. Indicators may include:
Physical, mental and emotional development lags
Sudden speech disorders
Continual self-depreciation ('I'm stupid, ugly, worthless, etc.')
Overreaction to mistakes
Extreme fear of any new situation
Inappropriate response to pain ('I deserve this')
Unusual physical behaviour (rocking, hair twisting, self-mutilation) - consider within the context of any form of disability such as autism
Extremes of passivity or aggression
Children suffering from emotional abuse may be withdrawn and emotionally flat. One reaction is for the child to seek attention constantly or to be over-familiar. Lack of self-esteem and developmental delay are again likely to be present
Babies – feeding difficulties, crying, poor sleep patterns, delayed development, irritable, non-cuddly, apathetic, non-demanding
Toddler/Pre-School – head banging, rocking, bad temper, ‘violent’, clingy. Spectrum from overactive to apathetic, noisy to quiet. Developmental delay – especially language and social skills
School age – Wetting and soiling, relationship difficulties, poor performance at school, non-attendance, antisocial behaviour. Feels worthless, unloved, inadequate, frightened, isolated, corrupted and terrorised
Adolescent – depression, self-harm, substance abuse, eating disorder, poor self-esteem, oppositional, aggressive and delinquent behaviour
Child may be underweight and/or stunted
Child may fail to achieve milestones, fail to thrive, experience academic failure or under achievement
Also consider a child's difficulties in expressing their emotions and what they are experiencing and whether this has been impacted on by factors such as age, language barriers or disability
NEGLECT
There are occasions when nearly all parents find it difficult to cope with the many demands of caring for children. But this does not mean that their children are being neglected. Neglect involves ongoing failure to meet a child's needs.
Neglect can often fit into six forms which are:
• Medical – the withholding of medical care including health and dental.
• Emotional – lack of emotional warmth, touch and nurture
• Nutritional – either through lack of access to a proper diet which can affect in their development.
• Educational – failing to ensure regular school attendance that prevents the child reaching their full potential academically
• Physical – failure to meet the child’s physical needs
• Lack of supervision and guidance – meaning the child is in dangerous situations without the ability to risk assess the danger.[1]
Common Concerns:
With regard to the child, some of the regular concerns are:
• The child’s development in all areas including educational attainment
• Cleanliness
• Health
• Children left at home alone and accidents related to this
• Taking on unreasonable care for others
• Young carers
Neglect can often be an indicator of further maltreatment and is often identified as an issue in serious case reviews as being present in the lead up to the death of the child or young person. It is important to recognise that the most frequent issues and concerns regarding the family in relation to neglect relate to parental capability. This can be a consequence of:
• Poor health, including mental health or mental illness
• Disability, including learning difficulties
• Substance misuse and addiction
• Domestic violence
School staff need to consider both acts of commission (where a parent / carer deliberately neglects the child) and acts of omission (where a parent’s failure to act is causing the neglect). This is a key consideration with regard to school attendance where parents are not ensuring their child attend school regularly.
Many of the signs of neglect are visible, however school staff may not instinctively know how to recognise signs of neglect or know how to respond effectively when they suspect a pupil is being neglected. Children spend considerable time in school so staff have opportunities to identify patterns over time and recognise and respond to concerns about their safety and welfare. All concerns should be recorded and reflected upon, not simply placed in a file.
Here are some signs of possible neglect:
Physical signs:
Constant hunger;
Poor personal hygiene;
Constant tiredness;
Emaciation;
Untreated medical problems;
The child seems underweight and is very small for their age;
The child is poorly clothed, with inadequate protection from the weather;
Neglect can lead to failure to thrive, manifest by a fall away from initial centile lines in weight, height and head circumference. Repeated growth measurements are crucially important;
Signs of malnutrition include wasted muscles and poor condition of skin and hair. It is important not to miss an organic cause of failure to thrive; if this is suspected, further investigations will be required;
Infants and children with neglect often show rapid growth catch-up and improved emotional response in a hospital environment;
Failure to thrive through lack of understanding of dietary needs of a child or inability to provide an appropriate diet; or they may present with obesity through inadequate attention to the child’s diet;
Being too hot or too cold – red, swollen and cold hands and feet or they may be dressed in inappropriate clothing;
Consequences arising from situations of danger – accidents, assaults, poisoning
Unusually severe but preventable physical conditions owing to lack of awareness of preventative health care or failure to treat minor conditions;
Health problems associated with lack of basic facilities such as heating;
Neglect can also include failure to care for the individual needs of the child including any additional support the child may need as a result of any disability.
Behavioural signs:
No social relationships;
Compulsive scavenging;
Destructive tendencies;
If they are often absent from the centre for no apparent reason;
If they are regularly left alone, or in charge of younger brothers or sisters;
• Lack of stimulation can result in developmental delay, for example, speech delay, and this may be picked up opportunistically or at formal development checks;
Craving attention or ambivalent towards adults, or may be very withdrawn;
Delayed development and failing at school (poor stimulation and opportunity to learn);
Difficult or challenging behaviour
PHYSICAL ABUSE
When dealing with concerns regarding physical abuse, refer any suspected non-accidental injury to the Designated Safeguarding Lead without delay so that they are able to seek appropriate guidance from the police and/or Children’s Services in order to safeguard the child.
Staff must be alert to:
• Unexplained recurrent injuries or burns; improbable excuses or refusal to explain injuries;
• Injuries that are not consistent with the story: too many, too severe, wrong place or pattern, child too young for the activity described.
Physical signs:
• Bald patches
• Bruises, black eyes and broken
• Untreated or inadequately treated injuries
41. Injuries to parts of the body where accidents are unlikely, such as thighs, back, abdomen
42. Scalds and burns
43. General appearance and behaviour of the child may include:
- Concurrent failure to thrive: measure height, weight and, in the younger child, head circumference;
- Frozen watchfulness: impassive facial appearance of the abused child who carefully tracks the examiner with his eyes.
44. Bruising:
- Bruising patterns can suggest gripping (finger marks), slapping or beating with an object.
- Bruising on the cheeks, head or around the ear and black eyes can be the result of non-accidental injury.
- Mongolian blue spots may be mistaken for bruises. Mongolian blue spots are rare in children of white European background, but very common in children of African, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean or Asian background. Mongolian blue spots are can vary in size, but most are a few centimetres across. They can appear anywhere on the body, but are most common at the base of the spine, the buttocks or on the lower back. Occasionally they are present on the back of the shoulder. It is very unusual for a child to have a Mongolian blue spot on the scalp or face. However, because of their colour and location, they can wrongly be confused with bruising. The difference between them is that bruises change colour and shape over a period of days, whereas Mongolian blue spots take many years to fade.
• Other injuries:
- Bite marks may be evident from an impression of teeth;
- Small circular burns on the skin suggest cigarette burns;
- Scalding inflicted by immersion in hot water often affects buttocks or feet and legs symmetrically;
- Red lines occur with ligature injuries;
- Retinal haemorrhages can occur with head injury and vigorous shaking of the baby;
- Tearing of the frenulum of the upper lip can occur with force-feeding. However, any injury of this type must be assessed in the context of the explanation given, the child’s developmental stage, a full examination and other relevant investigations as appropriate;
- Fractured ribs: rib fractures in a young child are suggestive of non-accidental injury;
- Other fractures: spiral fractures of the long bones are suggestive of non-accidental injury.
[pic]
[pic]
Behavioural signs:
• Wearing clothes to cover injuries, even in hot weather;
• Refusal to undress for gym;
• Chronic running away;
• Fear of medical help or examination;
• Self-destructive tendencies;
• Fear of physical contact - shrinking back if touched;
• Admitting that they are punished, but the punishment is excessive (such as a child being beaten every night to 'make him study');
• Fear of suspected abuser being contacted Injuries that the child cannot explain or explains unconvincingly;
• Become sad, withdrawn or depressed;
• Having trouble sleeping;
• Behaving aggressively or be disruptive;
• Showing fear of certain adults;
• Having a lack of confidence and low self-esteem;
• Using drugs or alcohol;
• Repetitive pattern of attendance: recurrent visits, repeated injuries;
• Excessive compliance;
• Hyper-vigilance.
SEXUAL ABUSE
Sexual abuse is usually perpetrated by people who are known to and trusted by the child – e.g. relatives, family friends, neighbours, and people working with the child in school or through other activities.
Characteristics of child sexual abuse:
• It is usually planned and systematic – people do not sexually abuse children by accident, though sexual abuse can be opportunistic;
• Grooming the child – people who abuse children take care to choose a vulnerable child and often spend time making them dependent. This can be done in person or via the internet through chat-rooms and social networking sites;
• Grooming the child’s environment – abusers try to ensure that potential adult protectors (parents and other carers especially) are not suspicious of their motives. Again, this can be done in person or via the internet through chat-rooms and social networking sites.
In young children behavioural changes may include:
• Regressing to younger behaviour patterns such as thumb sucking or bringing out discarded cuddly toys;
• Being overly affectionate - desiring high levels of physical contact and signs of affection such as hugs and kisses;
• Lack of trust or fear of someone they know well, such as not wanting to be alone with a babysitter or child minder
• They may start using sexually explicit behaviour or language, particularly if the behaviour or language is not appropriate for their age;
• Starting to wet again, day or night/nightmares
In older children behavioural changes may include:
• Extreme reactions, such as depression, self-mutilation, suicide attempts, running away, overdoses, anorexia;
• Personality changes such as becoming insecure or clinging;
• Sudden loss of appetite or compulsive eating;
• Being isolated or withdrawn;
• Inability to concentrate;
• Become worried about clothing being removed;
• Suddenly drawing sexually explicit pictures;
• Trying to be 'ultra-good' or perfect; overreacting to criticism;
• Genital discharge or urinary tract infections;
• Marked changes in the child's general behaviour. For example, they may become unusually quiet and withdrawn, or unusually aggressive. Or they may start suffering from what may seem to be physical ailments, but which can't be explained medically;
• The child may refuse to attend school or start to have difficulty concentrating so that their schoolwork is affected;
• They may show unexpected fear or distrust of a particular adult or refuse to continue with their usual social activities;
• The child may describe receiving special attention from a particular adult, or refer to a new, "secret" friendship with an adult or young person;
• Children who have been sexually abused may demonstrate inappropriate sexualised knowledge and behaviour;
• Low self-esteem, depression and self-harm are all associated with sexual abuse
Physical signs and symptoms for any age child could be:
• Medical problems such as chronic itching, pain in the genitals, venereal diseases;
• Stomach pains or discomfort walking or sitting;
• Sexually transmitted infections;
• Any features that suggest interference with the genitalia. These may include bruising, swelling, abrasions or tears;
• Soreness, itching or unexplained bleeding from penis, vagina or anus;
• Sexual abuse may lead to secondary enuresis or faecal soiling and retention;
• Symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease such as vaginal discharge or genital warts, or pregnancy in adolescent girls
|APPENDIX B SAFER GUIDELINES |
Aide-memoire for Professionals to support efficient and appropriate telephone referrals of children who may be suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm
Situation
• I am (give your name / designation / base). I am calling about (child’s name(s) / date of birth / address, or mother’s details if an unborn child).
• I am calling because I believe this child is at risk of harm.
• The parents are/aren’t aware of the referral.
Assessment and actions
• I have assessed the child and the specific concerns are (provide specific factual evidence, ensuring the points in Section A are covered).
• Or: I fear for the child’s safety because (provide specific facts – what you have seen, heard and/or been told).
• An Early Help Assessment has/hasn’t been completed/followed prior to this referral.
• The child is now (describe current condition and whereabouts).
• I have not been able to assess the child but I am concerned because ..
• I have (actions taken to make the child safe).
Family factors
• Specific family factors making this child at risk of significant harm are (base on the Assessment of Need Framework i.e. parenting capacity, family/environment, child’s developmental needs)
• Additional factors creating vulnerability are …
• Although not enough to make this child safe now, the strengths in the family situation are ….
Expected response
• In line with “Keeping Children Safe in Education” 2018, “Working Together to Safeguard Children”2018 and Section 17 and/or Section 47 of the Children Act I recommend that a specialist social care assessment is undertaken (urgently?).
• Other recommendations.
• Ask: Do you need me to do anything now?
Referral and recording
• I will follow up with a written referral (MARF/Early Help Referral) and would appreciate it if you would get back to me as soon as you have decided your course of action.
• Exchange names and contact details with the person taking the referral.
• Now complete the MARF/Early Help Referral ensuring that it is sent within 24 hours and record details and time and outcomes of telephone referral.
APPENDIX D
Female Genital Mutilation – Signs Symptoms and Effects
A girl or woman who's had FGM may:
• have difficulty walking, sitting or standing
• spend longer than normal in the bathroom or toilet
• have unusual behaviour after an absence from school or college
• be particularly reluctant to undergo normal medical examinations
• ask for help, but may not be explicit about the problem due to embarrassment or fear.
What to look out for before FGM happens:
A girl at immediate risk of FGM may not know what's going to happen. But she might talk about:
• being taken 'home' to visit family
• a special occasion to 'become a woman'
• an older female relative visiting the UK.
She may ask a teacher or another adult for help if she suspects FGM is going to happen or she may run away from home or miss school.
The effects of FGM
FGM can be extremely painful and dangerous. It can cause:
• severe pain
• shock
• bleeding
• infection such as tetanus, HIV and hepatitis B and C
• organ damage
• blood loss and infections that can cause death in some cases.
Long-term effects
Girls and women who have had FGM may have problems that continue through adulthood, including:
• difficulties urinating or incontinence
• frequent or chronic vaginal, pelvic or urinary infections
• menstrual problems
• kidney damage and possible failure
• cysts and abscesses
• pain when having sex
• infertility
• complications during pregnancy and childbirth
• emotional and mental health problems.
Please contact the school’s DSL (Helen Jackson) if you are at all concerned about the welfare of a child.
This document is reproduced from the NSPCC website.
APPENDIX E
Child Sexual Exploitation – Signs Symptoms and Effects
Sexual exploitation can be very difficult to identify. Warning signs can easily be mistaken for 'normal' teenage behaviour.
Young people who are being sexually exploited may:
• go missing from home, care or education.
• be involved in abusive relationships, intimidated and fearful of certain people or situations
• hang out with groups of older people, or antisocial groups, or with other vulnerable peers
• associate with other young people involved in sexual exploitation
• get involved in gangs, gang fights, gang membership
• have older boyfriends or girlfriends
• spend time at places of concern, such as hotels or known brothels
• not know where they are, because they have been moved around the country
• be involved in petty crime such as shoplifting
• have unexplained physical injuries
• have a changed physical appearance, for example lost weight.
They may also show signs of sexual abuse or grooming.
Sexual abuse: signs and symptoms
Children who are sexually abused may:
Stay away from certain people
• they might avoid being alone with people, such as family members or friends
• they could seem frightened of a person or reluctant to socialise with them.
•
Show sexual behaviour that's inappropriate for their age
• a child might become sexually active at a young age
• they might be promiscuous
• they could use sexual language or know information that you wouldn't expect them to.
Have physical symptoms
• anal or vaginal soreness
• an unusual discharge
• sexually transmitted infection (STI)
• pregnancy.
Grooming: signs and symptoms
The signs of grooming aren't always obvious. Groomers will also go to great lengths not to be identified.
Children may:
• be very secretive, including about what they are doing online
• have older boyfriends or girlfriends
• go to unusual places to meet friends
• have new things such as clothes or mobile phones that they can't or won't explain
• have access to drugs and alcohol.
In older children, signs of grooming can easily be mistaken for 'normal' teenage behaviour, but you may notice unexplained changes in behaviour or personality, or inappropriate sexual behaviour for their age.
Groomers who sexually exploit children online may focus on quickly gaining control over a child rather than spending time building up a trusting relationship. The period of time between contacting a child and offending may be extremely short. (CEOP, 2013)
The effects of sexual exploitation on children
Sexual exploitation can have devastating effects on a child or young person that can last throughout their lives. Every child and situation is different.
Child sexual exploitation has long-term effects on young people's social integration and economic well-being and may adversely affect their life chances. Some of the difficulties faced by victims include:
• isolation from family and friends
• teenage parenthood
• failing examinations or dropping out of education altogether
• unemployment
• mental health problems
• suicide attempts
• alcohol and drug addiction
• aggressive behaviour
• criminal activity.
(PACE, 2013; Safe and Sound, 2013; Berelowitz, 2012)
Please contact the school’s DSL (Helen Jackson) if you are at all concerned about the welfare of a child.
This document is reproduced from the NSPCC website.
APPENDIX F
STEPS Concern about a Childs Safety & Welfare Referral Form
Details of child and parent carer (if appropriate)
|Name of child: | |Gender: |M / F |
|Date of birth: | |Ethnicity: | |
|Additional needs: |Y / N | | |
|Names of Parents: | |
|Address: | |
| | |
Your Details
|Name: | |Role: | |
|Date and time of incident | |
|Are you reporting your own concerns or responding to concerns raised by someone else? |
|Reporting my own concerns | |
|Responding to concerns raised by someone else, please provide name and role | |
| | |
|Details of your ‘concern’, please give a factual account of your concerns below including times, dates and location: |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|Have you attached an account by the child? Y / N |
|Were there any witnesses to the incident/referral? If yes please give their details below: |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|Please summarise your actions including your conversation with the Designated Safeguarding Lead: |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|After your discussions with the DSL do you still have a child protection concern? |
|Contact SMBC Social Care (0121 5693100), NSPCC 0808 800 5000 or police 999 for advice |
| |
|Was any action agreed with these ‘authorities’? briefly record this below: |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Designated Safeguarding Lead Action
|Please note that concerns should be discussed with the family to gain consent from any further action unless: |
|The view is that a family member might be responsible for the abusing the child |
|Someone may be put in danger by the parents being informed |
|Informing the family might interfere with a criminal investigation |
|If any of these circumstances apply, consult SMBC Social Care (0121 5693100) to decide whether or not discussions with the family should take |
|place. |
|Have you spoken to the child’s parent/carers? If so please give an account of what was said. If not please state the reason for not doing so: |
| |
| |
|What has happened since the referral to the statutory agencies (if appropriate)? |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|Has the member of staff who made the referral been informed of the actions taken, include times and dates: |
| |
| |
| |
|Signed |Position |Date and time |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
APPENDIX G
Chronology record for Child Protection /Safeguarding
Name of child________________________
|Date |Enquiry/concern by |Action/ response |
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Appendix H
[pic]
Managing allegations against a person in a position of trust – guidance notes
• behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;
• possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child; or
• behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she would pose a risk of harm to children.
Allegations against a teacher who is no longer teaching should be referred to the police. Historical allegations of abuse should also be referred to the police
Employers have a duty of care to their employees. They should ensure they provide effective support for anyone facing an allegation and provide the employee with a named contact if they are suspended. It is in everyone’s interest to resolve cases as quickly as possible consistent with a fair and thorough investigation. All allegations should be investigated as a priority to avoid any delay.
If the allegation is about physical contact, the strategy discussion or initial evaluation with the police should take into account that teachers and other centre and college staff are entitled to use reasonable force to control or restrain children in certain circumstances, including dealing with disruptive behaviour.
Support for the individual is vital to fulfilling this duty. Individuals should be informed of concerns or allegations as soon as possible and given an explanation of the likely course of action, unless there is an objection by the children’s social care services or the police. The individual should be advised to contact their trade union representative, if they have one, or a colleague for support. They should also be given access to welfare counselling or medical advice where this is provided by the employer.
It is extremely important that when an allegation is made, the centre or college makes every effort to maintain confidentiality and guard against unwanted publicity while an allegation is being investigated or considered.
Suspension should be considered only in a case where there is cause to suspect a child or other children at the centre or college is/are at risk of harm or the case is so serious that it might be grounds for dismissal.
Based on assessment of risk, the following alternatives should be considered by the case manager before suspending a member of staff:
• redeployment within the school or college so that the individual does not have direct contact with the child or children concerned;
• providing an assistant to be present when the individual has contact with children;
• redeploying to alternative work in the school or college so the individual does not have unsupervised access to children;
• moving the child or children to classes where they will not come into contact with the member of staff, making it clear that this is not a punishment and parents have been consulted; or
• temporarily redeploying the member of staff to another role in a different location, for example to an alternative school or college or work for the local authority or academy trust.
-----------------------
[1] Source: Horwath, J (2007): Child neglect: identification and assessment: Palgrave Macmillan
-----------------------
Sandwell Transition Education Partnership Service
Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
September 2018
BB/JB/SOB
[pic]
Key Personnel:
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Balwant Bains
Deputy DSL: Michele Alpanis, Kathy Ross,
Jaswant Bhatthal and Ayesha Caan
Chair of Management Committee: Chris Ward
This may be a significant harm situation. The DSL must take the following actions:
1. Do not discuss your concerns with members of the child’s family if you think it will place the child at risk;
2. Refer to the Contact Centre immediately;
3. Complete the Multi Agency Notification Form (MARF) immediately and email to access_team@sandwell..uk
(The referral will not be progressed until the MARF is received unless there are clear concerns regarding immediate significant harm)
SHARING INFORMATION WHEN THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT HARM CONCERNS:
• Record the concern on a STEPS Concern about a Childs Safety & Welfare Referral Form, distinguishing fact from opinion.
• Consider whether the criterion for an Early Help Assessment (formally CAF) is met, and complete an ECAF with consent of the parent/carer if appropriate. Consider lack of consent as an additional risk factor.
• Inform the person the information relates to that the information is being shared, if they were not aware of this, and if it would not create or increase the risk of harm to the child, a vulnerable adult or compromise any enquiries that police or social care need to make. Seek advice if in doubt.
• Where there is an immediate risk of significant harm, contact children’s social care via the contact centre and complete a MARF. (If the child is in immediate danger consider contacting emergency services)
• Where the criteria are met for referral to Children’s Social Care in non-emergency matters complete a MARF in line with the Multi Agency Threshold Document, as soon as possible and at least within 24 hours to the MASH team. Unless the matter is clearly one of immediate significant harm the referral will not be progressed until the MARF is received.
• Record the information sharing decision, your reasons, and open a confidential Safeguarding file for the child (if one does not already exist). Also note any agreed action, who is to complete this and by when.
No
Complete a STEPS Concern about a Childs Safety & Welfare Referral Form prior to the end of the working day
No
Yes
APPENDIX C REFERRAL FLOWCHART
Is there a legitimate purpose for sharing information with other agencies in line with the Multi Agency Threshold Document?
Seek advice if in doubt from your local COG/ MASH Early Help Desk
Discuss your concern with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) immediately. If the DSL is not available contact your local COG or MASH Early Help Desk
Under no circumstances leave work before sharing your concerns.
DO NOT SHARE – Record the information sharing decision and reasons on the appropriate centre document and place on child’s file.
Can you share?
Concern(s) exist about a child’s welfare
DSL to consider whether the concern is one of significant or immediate harm
(If in doubt, seek advice immediately from the MASH Early Help Desk or Local COG)
Yes
Safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare Procedural Flowchart
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