School Policy Document. Safeguarding (Child Protection) Policy. Ratified by the Governing Body June Review Date June 2017

Transcription

1 School Policy Document Safeguarding (Child Protection) Policy Ratified by the Governing Body June 2016 Review Cycle Annual Review Date June 2017 Contents Introduction... 2 Statutory Responsibilities... 2 The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)... 3 What all staff should know... 3 Allegations of abuse made against teachers and other staff... 5 Types of abuse and neglect... 5 What to do if you are worried...9

2 Introduction Orchard School Bristol Safeguarding is defined as protecting children from maltreatment, preventing impairment of health or development and ensuring that children and young people grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care in order to achieve positive outcomes. Orchard School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children by: The provision of a safe environment in which children and young people can learn Fulfilling our statutory (legal) responsibilities to identify children who may be in need of extra help or who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm (abuse or neglect) All staff at Orchard School have a responsibility to safeguard pupils attending our school, irrespective of their role within the school by; Identifying concerns early, contributing to multiagency assessments and providing help for children and young people, to prevent concerns escalating to a point where intervention would be needed via a statutory assessment under the Children Act In such cases a single assessment should be undertaken by a lead professional who could be the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), SENCO, GP, family support worker, health visitor or school nurse Sharing appropriate information irrespective of whether this is reported by other children or young people, members of the public, parents or relatives of pupils attending our school. The Designated Safeguarding Lead will determine what action if any will follow Statutory Responsibilities All action taken by Orchard School will be in accordance with: Current legislation namely: Children Act 1989 and 2004; Education Act 2002 and 2011 and the Education and Inspection Act Statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015), which sets out the multiagency working arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people and protect them from harm and the roles and responsibilities of schools. The Designated Safeguarding Lead for [Any School] will support staff in their safeguarding duties and they will liaise with other services, including Children's Services where there are concerns relating to the welfare of pupils at our school. Keeping Children Safe in Education (2015) is statutory guidance from the Department for Education issued under Section 175, Education Act 2002, the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and the Education (Non-Maintained Special Schools) (England) Regulations Schools and colleges must have regard to it when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.

3 The Teacher Standards 2012 state that teachers, including headteachers, should safeguard children s wellbeing and maintain public trust in the teaching profession as part of their professional duties and sets out professional expectations to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils. The Childcare Act 2006, Childcare Regulations 2009 and statutory guidance Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 (2015) in relation to staff working in early years provision, reception class, before and after school (breakfast and after school provision) and lunchtime supervision for children under the age of 8 years. In addition the school must follow specific legislation and guidance and advice provided by the Department for Education (DfE) in relation to the wider safeguarding agenda e.g. behaviour, health and safety, bullying, e-safety and medical needs. The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Each school is required to have a Designated Safeguarding Lead who is a senior member staff to take lead responsibility for safeguarding. The DSL has the status and authority within the school to carry out the role, including committing resources and, where appropriate, supporting and directing other staff and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team. The broad areas of responsibility for the DSL are: To support and advise staff on matters of child welfare (including contributing to early help assessments) and safeguarding and to liaise with relevant agencies, including Children's Services and/or Police where abuse and neglect are suspected. To fulfil statutory responsibilities in relation to children and young people subject to a child protection plan by attending child protection conferences and contributing to, implementing and monitoring the multiagency child protection plan. Liaise with the designated officer (NB in Bristol the procedure will for the time being remain to contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)) where there are concerns about the conduct of or an allegation is made against a member of staff or volunteer at the school (NB if there is an allegation against the Headteacher then the Chair or Vice Chair of Governors will undertake this role). To provide an annual report to the governing body on safeguarding and child protection activity within the school. What all staff should know All staff must Be aware of who the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is and their nominated deputy or deputies if they are not on site or available for consultation. Be aware of who the Chair and Vice Chair of Governors are and how they can be contacted.

4 Access, read and understand this policy as part of their induction and revisit the policy at the annual safeguarding training event held at Orchard. Be aware of and follow the school s procedures in order to identify early help for children and young people and to take appropriate action where there are concerns for the welfare and protection of children and young people. Read Keeping children safe in education; Information for all school and college staff (March 2015) ( issued by the DfE and sets out part one the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education (2015). In addition a copy of which will be given to all new starters as part of their induction. Attend annual whole school safeguarding training. In addition Report any concerns about a child or young person immediately or as soon as practicable to the DSL and confirm this in writing on the Child Welfare Concern Sheet Whereby staff fall within the scope of the Disqualification by Association under the Childcare Act 2006 staff must self-declare if they live in the same household where a disqualified person lives or is employed within the household. In such circumstances the school will undertake a risk assessment or other relevant action as deemed appropriate. Orchard School has uploaded additional guidance via the Orchard School shared platform: FROG where the DfE guidance; What to do if you are worried a child is being abused - Advice for practitioners (2015) can be accessed to help all practitioners identify child abuse and neglect. If a child or young person makes a disclosure staff should always listen first, and report this to the DSL as soon practicably possible. At an appropriate time they should make a contemporaneous record of the disclosure including date, approximate time, the disclosure as told, sign and date this record and hand this to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (NB: this can be done electronically in accordance with the schools IT policy). On no account should a child or young person be asked to write an account of their disclosure or concerns relating to the conduct of a member of staff. Free narrative provides contextual information which is often lost when children or young people write their accounts. In addition in circumstances whereby a child or young person has a SEN, disability or whereby English is an additional language they are placed at a significant disadvantage Staff should be aware that if a child or young person goes missing from home, care or educational setting this may be a potential indicator of abuse or neglect. Staff should follow Orchard School procedures for dealing with children who go missing, particularly on repeat occasions. They should act to identify any risk of abuse and neglect, including sexual abuse or exploitation. Concerns should be notified directly to the DSL and always confirmed in writing by the person reporting their concerns on the

5 Child Welfare Concern Record. (NB: this can be done electronically in accordance with the schools IT policy) If, at any point, there is a risk of immediate, serious harm a referral should be made to Children's Services [City Hall, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR. Telephone: anybody can make a referral and concerns should always lead to help for the child at some point. Allegations of abuse made against teachers and other staff If you witness inappropriate professional conduct or a child or young person makes an allegation against a colleague then you must report this immediately to the DSL or in their absence to the Headteacher or if the concern relates to the Headteacher to the Chair or Vice Chair of Governors Orchard School Policy and procedure on the management of allegations is available on the Orchard School shared platform: FROG Types of abuse and neglect Abuse and neglect is defined as the maltreatment of a child or young person whereby somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children and young people may be abused by an adult or adults or by another child or children. The following are the definitions of abuse and neglect as set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) however, the ultimate responsibility to assess and define the type of abuse suffered is that of the Police and Children's Services our responsibility is to understand the signs and symptoms and how this can impact on the welfare and development of our pupils and where we have concerns that a child or young person may be at risk of abuse and neglect (one or more categories can apply) to take appropriate action as early as possible At Orchard School we will always seek to work in partnership with parents and carers where we have concerns share our concerns and seek consent to refer either to early help services or Children's Services except whereby we have concerns that to do so will place the child or young person at increased risk. In such circumstances will seek further guidance and advice for Children's Services or the Schools Safeguarding Team. As a school we will always listen to and take into account the wishes and feelings of the child especially in light of the age and understanding. However, as professionals we have to sometimes make a judgement about whether or not to take further action. We will however, explain why to our pupil(s) and seek their consent to making a referral or to share information (in light of their age and understanding). Physical abuse: a form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a Neglect: the persistent failure to meet a child s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); protect a child from physical and emotional harm or

6 child(fii) Sexual abuse: involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children danger; ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child s basic emotional needs. Emotional abuse: the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and adverse effects on the child s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or making fun of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child s developmental capability as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyberbullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, although it may occur alone. In addition to the above there are other areas of safeguarding Orchard School has a responsibility to address specific areas of risk, these include Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Child Trafficking involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where young people receive something (for example food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, gifts, money or in some cases simply affection) as a result of engaging in sexual activities. Sexual exploitation can take many forms ranging from the seemingly consensual relationship where sex is exchanged for affection or gifts, to serious organised crime by gangs and groups. What marks out exploitation is an imbalance of power in the relationship. The perpetrator always Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) professionals in all agencies, and individuals and groups in relevant communities, need to be alert to the possibility of a girl being at risk of FGM, or already having suffered FGM. There is a range of potential indicators that a child or young person may be at risk of FGM, which individually may not indicate risk but if there are two or more indicators present this could signal a risk to the child or young person. Victims of FGM are likely to come from a community that is known to practise FGM. Professionals should note that girls at risk of FGM may

7 holds some kind of power over the victim which increases as the exploitative relationship develops. Sexual exploitation involves varying degrees of coercion, intimidation or enticement, including unwanted pressure from peers to have sex, sexual bullying including cyberbullying and grooming. However, it also important to recognise that some young people who are being sexually exploited do not exhibit any external signs of this abuse. All types of bullying including cyberbullying and sexting Orchard School has a separate Anti-Bullying policy which is accessible on the S drive Domestic violence, Gender-based violence/violence against women and girls (VAWG) and teenage relationship abuse involves any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behavior, violence or abuse between those who are, or have been in relationships or family members regardless of gender or sexuality and is applicable to teenagers engaged in abusive relationships Drugs. As part of school s duty to promote pupils wellbeing, we a role to play in preventing drug misuse as part of our pastoral responsibilities (health and wellbeing/healthy Schools) and to support the Governments drug strategy (2010) to provide information, advice and support to pupils via the curriculum Allegations of abuse made against other children: further guidance is available via the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board and the South West Child Protection Procedures which can be accessed: not yet be aware of the practice or that it may be conducted on them, so sensitivity should always be shown when approaching the subject. Looked after Children: The most common reason for children becoming looked after is as a result of abuse and/or neglect. Every member of staff at Orchard acts as their corporate parent and as such must ensure that any concerns are shared with the Designated Teacher of Looked after Children in order to keep them safe. Forced marriage is not the same as an arranged marriage, as it involves coercion and force and a marriage based on free choice. It affects both males and females. Gangs and youth violence. Teachers and designated staff have a range of powers in relation to discipline to tackle problems, including violence, in the school environment. Such powers cover disciplinary actions, the power to restrain violent pupils, and the power to search pupils for prohibited items. Fabricated or induced illness. This supplementary guidance Safeguarding Children in whom Illness is Fabricated or Induced (2008) sets out a national framework within which agencies and professionals at local level individually and jointly draw up and agree upon their own more detailed ways of working together where illness may be being fabricated or induced in a child by a carer who has parenting responsibilities for him or her. Faith abuse. The National Action Plan to Tackle Child Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief is intended to help raise awareness of the issue of child abuse linked to faith or belief and to encourage practical steps to be taken to prevent such abuse

8 and-young-people/bristol-safeguardingchildren-board-professionals Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Good mental health and resilience are fundamental to our physical health, our relationships, our education, our training, and our work and to achieving our potential. Radicalisation: The school is aware of its responsibilities under Section 26 of the Counter Terrorism and security Act 2015 and the Prevent Strategy to safeguard pupils at risk of radicalisation by identifying and risk assessing individuals who may be drawn into terrorism, violent or non-violent extremism. We provide a safe environment for our pupils to explore, understand and discuss sensitive topics, including terrorism and extremist ideology. We use the curriculum and pastoral support to educate our pupils and to enable them to challenge these ideas. Staff are aware of the risks posed by other students and adults who may have been radicalised and impact of radicalisation via social media. All staff have received appropriate training and have the knowledge and confidence to identify pupils at risk of being drawn into terrorism and extremism and challenge extremist ideals. Our IT filters are regularly reviewed in order to prevent access to terrorist and extremist materials on line at school Boarding schools, children s home and host families: Schools and colleges that offer residential accommodation should be particularly alert to children s safeguarding, in particular alert to pupil relationships and the potential for peer abuse particularly in schools and colleges with a significant gender imbalance. Considerations for such schools and colleges are set out in Annex C in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2014) which also covers issues where children stay with host families. Private Fostering is essentially one that is made privately 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, 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. The period for which the child is cared for and accommodated by the private foster carer should be continuous, but that continuity is not broken by the occasional short break.

9 WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT A CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON Member of staff has concerns about a child/young person s welfare Where a young person has disclosed abuse or neglect, they (and the alleged abuser) should not be questioned further, but listened to unjudgementally, carefully, respectfully. Use TED (Tell, Explain, Describe) to manage the disclosure. A written record must be made of what has been said and this is passed on immediately to any designated person (see below). Contact the designated person/ Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Amy Spencer Tim Cox Ingrid Hooper Debbie Piper (or in their absence Mr Coxon /Dr Holman who then may contact the LADO) Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Nicola Laird These members of staff will then consider seeking information from parents / carers. Discuss concerns either formally or informally with FIRST RESPONSE ( for Bristol ), FIRST POINT ( for South Glos) Still has concerns; Refers to a social worker Telephone referrals followed up in writing within 48hours Social Worker and Manager No longer has concerns; No further child protection action Is the child in need of other support? Consider with family and relevant agencies 1. Acknowledge receipt of referral 2. Decide on next course of action (within 1 working day) 3. Feedback to the referrer the outcome by 3.00pm that day or the following morning.