SPALDING GRAMMAR SCHOOL CHILD PROTECTION POLICY OCTOBER 2015

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1 SPALDING GRAMMAR SCHOOL CHILD PROTECTION POLICY OCTOBER INTRODUCTION Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board Child Protection Procedures The School follows the procedures established by the Lincolnshire Local Safeguarding Children s Board (LSCB) multi-agency child protection procedures ( which provide a guide to procedure and practice for all professional staff in Lincolnshire who work with children. This policy has been developed with the involvement the Designated Safeguarding Lead, who is the Assistant Head Teacher responsible for child protection, and the Designated Safeguarding Officers. Other school policies which may need to be referred to in conjunction with this policy are: Safeguarding Policy E-safety and Acceptable Use Policy Attendance Policy Purpose of the Child Protection Policy To inform staff, parents, volunteers and governors about the school's responsibilities for safeguarding children. To enable everyone to have a clear understanding of how these responsibilities should be carried out. This will support the school in its responsibility to: Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to when they have a worry or concern. Ensure children know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried. Ensure that all school staff and volunteers are particularly well placed to observe outward signs of abuse, changes in behaviour and failure to develop. Ensure that all school staff and volunteers are aware of the important role the school has in the early recognition of the signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect and the appropriate referral process. 2. STATUTORY FRAMEWORK In order to protect children from harm the school will act in accordance with the following legislation and guidance: The Children Act 1989 The Children Act 2004 Education Act (2002), section 157

2 Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board Child Protection Procedures (2007) DFE Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSE 2015) Children and Families Act (2014) HM Government 'Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) HM Government Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) requires all schools to follow the procedures for protecting children from abuse which are established by the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board. Schools are also expected to ensure that they have appropriate procedures in place for responding to situations in which they believe that a child has been abused or are at risk of abuse - these procedures should also cover circumstances in which a member of staff is accused of, or suspected of, abuse. DEFINITION OF ABUSE A form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children. (Working Together to Safeguard Children, March 2015) The school knows how to identify and respond to: Signs/symptoms of any type of abuse, e.g. Physical, Sexual, Emotional, Neglect Drug/substance/alcohol misuse (both pupil and parent) Child sexual exploitation / trafficked children Children missing education Domestic abuse Peer relationship abuse Risky behaviours including concerns around extremism/radicalisation Sexual health needs Obesity/malnutrition Inclusion and diversity including SEND, HIV, LGBT pupils On line grooming Inappropriate behaviour of staff towards children Bullying, including homophobic, racist, gender and disability. Breaches of the Equality Act Self Harm Female Genital Mutilation Forced Marriage Unaccompanied asylum seeking children Responsibilities placed on our school: The school should be aware of and follow the procedures established by the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board. Staff should be alert to signs of abuse and know to whom they should report any concerns or suspicions. The school 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. Any accusations against a member of staff are followed up initially by the Headmaster. A Designated Safeguarding Lead should have responsibility for co-coordinating action within the school and liaising with other agencies. Staff with designated responsibility for Child Protection should receive appropriate training.

3 EXTREMISM AND RADICALISATION Spalding Grammar School seeks to protect children and young people against the messages of all violent extremism. The current threat from terrorism in the United Kingdom may include the exploitation of vulnerable people, to involve them in terrorism or in activity in support of terrorism. The normalisation of extreme views may also make children and young people vulnerable to future manipulation and exploitation. Spalding Grammar School is clear that this exploitation and radicalisation should be viewed as a safeguarding concern. The School adheres to the Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales, July Reference is also made to the Counter-Terrorism Local Profile (CTLPs), which assess the risk of individuals being drawn into terrorism and the PREVENT strategy in Lincolnshire. The CHANNEL panel is the operational group for Lincolnshire. The School will ensure that all staff are equipped to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism, as well as challenge extremist ideas. This will be cascaded to staff by the DSL/DSOs following any training/updates. The staff will be given guidance on how to refer children and young people for further help. 3. THE DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEAD (DSL) and OFFICERs (DSOs) DFE Keeping Children Safe in Education (2014) outlines the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead, in which it details 3 broad areas of responsibility (Managing Referrals, Training, and Raising Awareness). At Spalding Grammar School the Designated Safeguarding Lead is Cathy Lee and there are currently two named Designated Safeguarding Officers; collectively they take responsibility for the majority of these, as detailed below. The Designated Safeguarding Officers in this school are Jane Lutton and Amanda Stamp. In the absence of the DSL, any concerns should be reported to one of the DSOs, the Headmaster or a member of the Senior Leadership Team. However, if, at any point, there is a risk of immediate serious harm to a child a referral should be made to children s social care immediately ( ). Anybody can make a referral. If the child s situation does not appear to be improving the staff member with concerns should press for re-consideration. Concerns should always lead to help for the child at some point. The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Officers is to ensure that the school operates within the legislative framework and recommended guidance as follows: Managing Referrals: To develop effective working relationships with other agencies and services. To refer cases of suspected abuse or allegations to Lincolnshire children s social care (Customer Services Centre ) or to the Police in cases where a crime may have been committed. The Emergency Duty Team will be contacted outside normal working hours ( ). To act as a source of support, advice and expertise to staff on matters of safety and safeguarding and when deciding to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies. To liaise with the Headmaster to inform him of issues especially ongoing enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 and police investigations.

4 Complete training every 2 years in order to: Understand the assessment process for providing early help and intervention, for example through locally agreed common and shared assessment processes such as early help assessments. Have a working knowledge of how local authorities conduct a child protection case conference and a child protection review conference and be able to attend and contribute to these effectively when required to do so. Ensure each member of staff has access to and understands the school s child protection policy and procedures, especially new and part time staff. Be alert to the specific needs of children in need (as detailed in KCSE 2014), those with special educational needs and young carers. Be able to keep detailed, accurate, secure written records of concerns and referrals. Obtain access to resources and attend any relevant or refresher training courses, including PREVENT training. Encourage a culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings, among all staff, in any measures the school may put in place to protect them. Raising Awareness: To ensure the establishment s child protection policy is updated and reviewed annually and the procedures and implementation are updated and reviewed regularly, and work with the governing body regarding this. Ensure the child protection policy is available publicly and parents are aware of the fact that referrals about suspected abuse or neglect may be made and the role of the school in this. Where children leave the establishment to ensure their child protection file is copied for the new establishment as soon as possible but transferred separately from the main pupil file. Where children join the establishment to request from the last establishment, any child protection files that they may hold. Link with LSCB to make sure staff are aware of training opportunities and the latest local policies on Safeguarding. 4. SCHOOL PROCEDURES If any member of staff is concerned about a child he or she must inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Officer. If a child makes a disclosure: The member of staff to whom the child has made a disclosure should listen to the child following the guidance in section 6 of this policy. The member of staff must record information regarding the concerns on the same day. The recording must be a clear, precise, factual account of the observations. (Child Protection Disclosure Forms are available in the Staff Room or with this policy in the Teacher Drive). The Designated Safeguarding Lead/Officer will decide whether the concerns should be referred to Customer Services Centre. If it is decided to make a referral this should be done with prior discussion with the parents, unless to do so would place the child at further risk of harm. If a member of staff is concerned about the safety or wellbeing of a child: They should record this concern in writing. This concern should be passed on to the DSO as soon as possible.

5 The DSL/DSO will make an assessment of the case. If the concern requires consideration of a referral to the Customer Services Centre, the DSL/DSO will take a lead on this. If the case requires support from the Additional Needs Department in school, then the child will be referred to this team, and a record of this referral kept. If, at any stage, the Additional Needs Department have any concerns surrounding the safety of the child which goes beyond their support, then they will refer the case back to the DSL/DSO immediately, making the appropriate records as set out earlier in this section of the policy. Particular attention will be paid to the attendance and development of any child about whom the school has concerns, or who has been identified as being the subject of a child protection plan and a written record will be kept in their Child Protection file. If a pupil who is/or has been the subject of a child protection plan changes school, the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Officer will inform the social worker responsible for the case and transfer the appropriate records to the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Officer at the receiving school, in a secure manner, and separate from the child s academic file. If a member of staff has a concern about the behaviour of a colleague which may affect the wellbeing or safety of any child they should immediately inform the Headmaster (see Section 8 of this policy). In order to support staff, there is a What to do flowchart available to be found on the teacher drive with this policy. 5. WHEN TO BE CONCERNED All staff and volunteers should be concerned about a child if he or she: Has any injury which is not typical of the bumps and scrapes normally associated with accidental injury. Regularly has unexplained injuries. Frequently has injuries (even when apparently reasonable explanations are given). Gives confused or conflicting explanations about how injuries were sustained. Exhibits significant changes in behaviour, performance or attitude. Indulges in sexual behaviour which is unusually explicit and/or inappropriate to his or her age/stage of development. Discloses an experience in which he or she may have been significantly harmed. Any other cause to believe that a child may be suffering harm. 6: DEALING WITH A DISCLOSURE: LISTENING & REPORTING If a child discloses abuse, remember that this may be the beginning of a legal process, as well as of process of recovery for the child. Legal action against a perpetrator can be seriously damaged by any suggestion that the child s words have been influenced in any way by the person they told.

6 The following guidance should be followed as far as possible: Listening to a Disclosure: Rather than directly questioning the child, just listen and be supportive. Allow the child to freely recall significant events, but don t push the child to tell you more than they wish. Listen to what is being said without displaying shock or disbelief. Accept what is being said. Reassure the child, but don t make promises which it might not be possible to keep. Do not promise confidentiality it might be necessary to refer to Customer Services Centre. Reassure him or her that what has happened is not his or her fault. Stress that it was the right thing to tell. Do not criticise the alleged perpetrator. Explain what has to be done next and who has to be told. Make a written record (see Record Keeping). Pass information to the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Officer without delay. Record Keeping: A record should be kept as follows on the School s Disclosure Form Write an account of the conversation immediately afterwards, as close to verbatim as possible. Record statements and observations rather than interpretations or assumptions. As far as possible include in your account any noticeable non-verbal behaviour and particular words used by the child. If appropriate, draw a diagram to indicate the position of any bruising or other injury. Put the time when the child spoke to you and the time you wrote your transcript, the date, the place, and name anyone else who was present. Then sign it, and promptly hand all records to the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Officer. No copies of the record should be retained by the member of staff or volunteer. Do not destroy any original notes in case they are needed by a court. Where appropriate, you should try to ensure that all subsequent events affecting the child are also recorded, up to the time that any formal video interview is to take place. Records are kept in a secure place for a period of 5 years or until the young person moves to another institution whilst they are still under the age of 18 years. Other Important Information: Children will talk about their concerns and problems to people they feel they can trust. The person a child talks to will not necessarily be a senior member of staff. If you are approached by a child wanting to talk, you should listen positively and follow the advice given above. The way you talk to a child in such situations may affect the evidence if the case goes to court. It is important that you don t jump to conclusions, ask leading questions, or put words in a child s mouth. Staff and volunteers should be aware that it is not your responsibility to investigate suspected cases of abuse. You should act in line with local safeguarding children board procedures. You must not promise a child complete confidentiality you should explain that you may need to pass information to other professionals to help keep the child or other children safe. Dealing with a disclosure from a child, and a child protection case in general, is likely to be a stressful experience. The member of staff/volunteer should, therefore, consider seeking support for him/herself and discuss this with the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Officer.

7 7. CONFIDENTIALITY Child Protection raises issues of confidentiality that must be clearly understood by all staff/volunteers in schools. All staff in schools, both teaching and non-teaching staff, have a responsibility to share relevant information about the protection of children with other professionals, particularly the investigative agencies (Social Services, Customer Services Centre and the Police). If a child confides in a member of staff/volunteer and requests that the information is kept secret, it is important that the member of staff/volunteer tell the child in a manner appropriate to the child s age/stage of development that they cannot promise complete confidentiality instead they must explain that they may need to pass information to other professionals 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 only within appropriate professional contexts. Information about individuals must only be shared on a needs to know basis. 8. ALLEGATIONS INVOLVING SCHOOL STAFF/VOLUNTEERS If an allegation of abuse is made against a member of staff/volunteer, the person receiving the allegation must take it seriously and immediately inform the Headmaster. If any member of staff/volunteer has reason to suspect that another member of staff/volunteer may have abused a child at the school, or elsewhere, they must immediately inform the Headmaster. They should also make a record of the concerns including a note of anyone else who witnessed the incident/alleged incident. If the concerns are about the DSL or DSO the Headmaster must immediately be informed. If the concerns are about the Headmaster, then the Chair of Governors should be contacted. The Headmaster will refer any allegation to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), including cases where a person is dismissed or has left due to risk/harm to any child. Cases where a crime may have been committed by a member of staff will be referred to the Police. If a member of staff/volunteer is removed from working at the School (or would have been, had they not left first) because they pose a rick of harm to children, the School will make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Headmaster will refer to CSF Client Services ( ). The allegation will be investigated in accordance with the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board Child Protection Procedures.

8 For further information see: Lincolnshire Local Safeguarding Children Board Child Protection at This policy was written in October It will monitored and updated, as necessary to reflect changes in legislation, guidance and practice by Jane Lutton, DSO. Ratified by Governors: to be presented to Governors in November 2015 Review date: October 2016