CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY

Rationale
This policy has been formulated with regard to the DCSF guidance ¡¥Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education¡¦.
Everyone employed at our school has a responsibility in relation to child protection. In most cases this will be the referral of concerns to the designated child protection member of staff. In day to day contact with children at risk, we have the opportunity to note concerns and to meet with parents and other associated adults, where this is appropriate.

Increasingly, schools are expected to work with, and support, different agencies to enable the most appropriate form of intervention to take place. This policy aims to outline the role that the school will have, the procedures that staff should follow and guidance on issues related to child protection generally. It is not exhaustive. All staff should use, as a rule of thumb, the needs and safety of the child as being at the centre of any decision they may need to take.
We operate safer recruitment procedures as set out in the Recruitment and Selection policy and at least on member of any interviewing panel has completed the ¡¥Safer Recruitment¡¦ training.

Aims
„« To raise awareness of individual responsibilities in identifying and reporting possible cases of abuse
„« To provide a systematic means of monitoring, recording and reporting of concerns and cases
„« To provide guidance on recognising and reporting suspected child abuse.

Responsibilities
Designated practitioners
The Headteacher is the designated member of staff for child protection. In the EYFS, the Head of Nursery is the designated practitioner and takes lead responsibility for safeguarding children within the EYFS setting and liaising with local statutory agencies. The designated practitioners should have appropriate Level 2 Child Protection training every two years.

They are responsible for:
„« Co-ordinating action within the school and liaising with Social Care and other agencies over cases of abuse and suspected abuse
„« Acting as a source of advice within the school
„« Ensuring that staff are familiar with the policy and procedures
„« Referral of individual cases of suspected abuse
„« Liaising with agencies about individual cases
„« Organising training on child protection within school

Where verbal referrals are made to Social Care, the referral should be confirmed in writing within 24 hours. Where there is uncertainty about making a full referral, advice can still be sought from the Social Care department without giving the child¡¦s details.
As registered providers of the EYFS we must inform Ofsted of any allegations of serious harm or abuse by any person working at the premises (whether that allegation relates to harm or abuse committed on the premises or elsewhere), or any other abuse which is alleged to have taken place on the premises, and of the action taken in respect of these allegations. Ofsted must be informed as soon as is reasonably practicable, but at the latest within 14 days of the allegations being made.

Teaching staff and support staff
New teachers and supply staff are informed on the main points of this child protection policy through the staff handbook. In addition, every member of the school staff should ideally have Child Protection training every three years. All staff need to be alert to the signs of abuse as detailed in this policy. They should report any concerns immediately, where possible to the designated member of staff. If in any doubt they should consult with the designated members of staff.
Apply the procedures detailed below for responding to a suspected case remembering that:
„« You cannot promise confidentiality
„« Information should only be shared with those who need to know
„« It is important to stay calm and reassuring
„« The needs and safety of the child must always come first
„« When in doubt-ask

Non-teaching staff
Non-teaching staff may also be approached by children or have concerns. They should follow the same procedure as teaching staff in seeking referral at the earliest opportunity to the designated members of staff. This includes staff involved in ¡¥out of school¡¦ care.

Guidance on recognising suspected abuse
Child abuse is a term used to describe ways in which children are harmed by someone often in a position of power. It may not be our responsibility to decide whether child abuse is occurring but we are required to act on any concerns and report it to the appropriate party. The health, safety and protection of a child are paramount.

Physical abuse
Can include hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, suffocating or causing any form of physical harm to a child.
Possible signs include:
Unexplained injuries or burns
Refusal to discuss injuries
Improbable explanations of injuries
Untreated injuries or lingering illness
Admission of punishment which seems to be excessive
Shrinking from physical contact
Fear of returning home or parents being contacted
Fear of undressing
Fear of medical help
Aggression/bullying
Over compliant behaviour
Running away
Significant changes in behaviour
Deterioration in work
Unexplained patterns of absences

Emotional abuse
This is persistent emotional ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on a child¡¦s emotional development. It can include:

„« Conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved
„« Placing inappropriate age-related expectations on children
„« Making children feel frightened or in danger on a frequent basis

Possible signs of emotional abuse include:
Continual self-deprecation
Fear of new situations
Inappropriate emotional responses to painful situations
Self-harm or mutilation
Compulsive stealing/scrounging
Drug/solvent abuse
Neurotic behaviour e.g. obsessive rocking, thumb sucking
Air of detachment, ¡¥don¡¦t care¡¦ attitude
Social isolation
Attention-seeking behaviour
Eating problems
Depression, withdrawal

Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. They can include non-contact activities such as involving children looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Possible signs include:
Bruises, scratches, burns or bite marks
Scratches, abrasions of persistent infection in the anal or genital regions
Sexual awareness inappropriate to the child¡¦s age
Attempts to teach other children about sexual activity
Refusing to stay with certain people or go to certain places
Aggressiveness, anger, anxiety, tearfulness
Withdrawal from friends

Neglect
Neglect is also a form of abuse. It is the persistent failure to meet a child¡¦s basic physical and/or psychological needs and can affect the child¡¦s health and development. It might include failure to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failure to protect a child from physical harm or danger, failure to ensure appropriate access to medical care and treatment.
Possible signs include:
Constant hunger
Poor personal hygiene
Inappropriate clothing
Frequent lateness or non-attendance
Untreated medical problems
Low self-esteem
Poor social relationships
Compulsive stealing/scrounging
Constant tiredness

Bullying
Bullying can be defined as using deliberately hurtful behaviour, usually over a period of time, where it is difficult for those bullied to defend themselves. The three main types of bullying are:

„« Physical
„« Verbal
„« Emotional

All incidents of bullying should be dealt with by the adult in charge in the first instance, then by the Form teacher, followed by deputy head teacher and/or the Headteacher as appropriate. A more detailed guide can be found in the school¡¦s Anti-Bullying Policy.
Self-harm
If it comes to the attention of a member of staff that a child is self-harming, they should alert the designated member of staff for child protection. Actions taken by the designated member of staff might include:

„« Contacting parents
„« Contacting Child Adolescent Mental Health Services
„« Contacting Social Care if the child meets the referral criteria

Guidance on dealing with suspected abuse
All staff should refer concerns to the designated member of staff as a soon as possible. In the meantime, they should:

„« Listen to the pupil, keeping calm and offering reassurance
„« Observe bruises but should not ask a child to remove or adjust their clothing to observe them
„« If a disclosure is made the child should lead the discussion. Do not press for details by asking questions such as ¡¥what did they do next?¡¦
„« Listen ¡V don¡¦t investigate using questions such as ¡¥is there anything else you¡¦d like to tell me?¡¦
„« Accept what the pupil says without challenge ¡V reassure them that they are doing the right thing and that you recognise how hard it is for them
„« Don¡¦t lay blame or criticise either the child or the perpetrator
„« Don¡¦t promise confidentiality ¡V explain that they have done the right thing and who you will need to tell and why

Procedures for monitoring, recording and reporting
At the time
Take brief notes immediately after the incident, this will help you to complete an incident form when you are able. You should note:

„« Date and time of disclosure/incident observed
„« Place and context of disclosure or concern
„« Facts you need to report

When you can
Complete an incident form. This should then be passed to the designated member of staff.
In addition, the class diary can be used for small concerns to be noted.
Remember to keep to factual information and not assumption or interpretation. Use the child¡¦s own language to quote rather than translating into your own terms. Be aware that these forms may be used at a later date to support a referral to an external agency.

Designated members of staff
The designated members of staff will:
„« Follow-up the referral using the incident form as a basis for consideration before action
„« Make additional records of discussions and any investigation that takes place
„« Make a decision whether to continue to monitor the situation or take the referral further. This decision should be communicated to the individual making the initial referral. In the EYFS, this may mean that Ofsted should be informed.
„« Where a child is referred to Social Services, a referral form should be completed and sent within 24 hours
Recorded information from Social Care meetings and other reports are stored in separate document wallets next to the child¡¦s records in secure cabinets in the school office. Any documents for inclusion in this folder should be given directly to the designated member of staff.

Inter-agency liaison
Social Care meetings
At times school staff may be called to participate in meetings organised and chaired by Social Care. These might be:

„« Strategy discussions
„« The child protection review conference
„« Child protection conferences
„« Family group conferences ¡V for children in need, in a range of circumstances where a plan is required for the child¡¦s future welfare
„« Professionals¡¦ meetings ¡V in which representative professionals from different agencies are asked to meet to discuss children and their families with a view to providing support or making recommendations in terms of next stages of involvement
„« Core group meetings ¡V meeting in which a ¡¥core¡¦ group of professionals associated with the family are asked to meet to review the progress of actions decided at case conferences and register reviews

At these meetings, representatives from the school should be ready to report providing information about:

„« Attendance and punctuality
„« Academic achievement
„« The child¡¦s behaviour and attitude
„« Relationships with peer group and social skills generally
„« Child¡¦s appearance and readiness for school
„« Contact with parents/carers
„« Any specific incidents that need reporting

Prior to the meeting, classteachers and other adults working closely with the child should be asked for their comments. Following the meeting, feedback should be given and staff brought up-to-date with any actions that are needed.

Children with a plan of protection
These children will require additional support and monitoring. The Social Care department will inform a school receiving a child with a plan of protection and accompanying records should follow from the child¡¦s previous school.

Confidentiality
Where children have a plan of protection and leave one school for another the designated member of staff must inform the receiving school and the key worker at the Social Care department.
Education staff have a professional responsibility to share relevant information about the protection of children with the investigative agencies. Members of staff should not promise confidentiality but can let a child know that only those who need to know will be informed and that that will be for the child¡¦s own sake.
Time should be taken to reassure the child and confirm that information given will be treated sensitively. Reassurance should be given and the adult involved listen sympathetically and non-judgementally.
Staff should be careful and ensure that information is only given to the appropriate person. All staff should be kept aware of issues relating to confidentiality and the status of information they may hold.

Members of staff, other than the designated member and those involved closely, should only have enough details in order for then to act sensitively and appropriately to a pupil. Sensitive information regarding pastoral issues and for children on the child protection register is kept in a folder securely in the school office.

Discretion should be used when talking about the personal and changing circumstances of children e.g. when a child goes into care. Care is particularly necessary after attending child protection meetings. Information received should be treated sensitively and discretion will be needed as issues emerge on a formal and informal basis.

Supporting children at risk
For children at risk, school may be the one stable place from which they can expect security and reassurance. It is not only being alert to potential abuse but providing the support to help children through difficult times, providing them with the coping skills that can help avoid situations arising and deal with the emotional difficulties afterwards if they do.

The pastoral support programme
Children who are ¡¥looked after¡¦ should have their own pastoral support programme which will be drawn up in discussion with Social Care, the classteacher, foster parents and the child themselves.

Support in school ¡V pastoral care
All Form teachers are responsible, in conjunction with other school staff, for the pastoral needs of children in their care. This includes maintaining opportunity for children to share their concerns and following the guidance in this policy. Our curriculum includes ¡¥Circle Time¡¦ during which children may be presented with issues included in our PSHE and C guidance. In addition Circle Time can be used to raise issues spontaneously that are particularly relevant to the class at that time.

Care should always be taken in regard to the discussion of sensitive issues and advice should always be sought where there are concerns. The PSHCE co-ordinator has available a variety of resources to support Circle Time and the discussion of issues.

Support in school ¡V the curriculum
Within our curriculum there will also be opportunities to discuss issues which some children might find sensitive and disturbing. Care should be taken particularly in relation to discussion about families and their make up. Assumptions about member of families and the presence of both parents should be avoided both in discussion and the presentation of materials. During health and safety discussion and sex education, staff should be alert to the fact that some children will have very different experiences and may find content ¡¥sensitive¡¦ within their own histories. Staff should make themselves familiar with the background of the children in their care in order to avoid children becoming distressed.

Physical contact with pupils
Some form of physical contact with pupils by teachers is inevitable. In some cases it is necessary for reassurance. However, all teachers should be aware of issues related to touching and the way in which this might be misconstrued. This relates particularly to any sensitive areas of the body. The ¡¥Guidance for Safe Working Practice¡¦ document gives further guidelines on this subject.

In the event of physical restraint being used it is important that only the minimum amount is used in order to prevent the pupil causing injury to themselves, others or property. The policy on the ¡¥Use of force to control or restrain pupils¡¦ contained within the Staff Handbook gives further guidelines and procedures.

Working with parents
It is important that the school has an established approach to working with parents. Parents¡¦ and children¡¦s needs for privacy should be respected. Attitudes to and contact with parents should be non-judgemental in order to obtain the most conducive working relationship. The priority is the need of the child and effective liaison is crucial for this.

It should be recognised that families from different backgrounds and cultures will have different approaches to child-rearing. These differences should be acknowledged and respected provided they do not place the child at risk as defined earlier in the policy.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Review
The school will review this policy regularly and assess its implementation and effectiveness. The policy will be promoted and implemented throughout the school.

Policy Development and Review
This policy document was produced in consultation with the entire school community, including pupils, parents, school staff and Governors.

This document is freely available to the entire school community. It has also been made available on the school web-site.

It will be reviewed on an annual basis as well as the efficiency with which the duties have been discharged.

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