Safeguarding Children

Transcription

1 liverpool.gov.uk Safeguarding Children A guide for childcare providers in Liverpool

2 Index Introduction... 3 Safeguarding is Developing Your Safeguarding Policy... 6 What about The Parents?... 7 Dealing With Disclosure... 8 Managing Allegations Safer Recruitment Introduction This booklet is designed to help you understand your duties and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This includes ensuring the safer recruitment of staff and other adults within your organisation and also the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against an adult working or living on the premises. It also explains how to deal with any concerns you may have about a child s welfare in an appropriate way. Safeguarding Children Everyone s responsibility It is important that all practitioners working to safeguard children and young people fully understand their responsibilities and duties as set out in primary legislation and associated regulations and guidance. For Early Years and Childcare providers, these duties are set out specifically in the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework and Ofsted Childcare Regulations. To support these specific duties, the government has produced statutory guidance for all agencies; Working Together to Safeguard Children A guide to inter-agency working (HM Government 2010). This guidance sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in accordance with the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act The Working Together guidance explains exactly what safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means. 2 3

3 Safeguarding is... The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully. (Working Together 2010 HM Government) Is that the same as child protection? Child Protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. This refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or are at risk of suffering significant harm. (Working Together 2010 HM Government) Early Years and Childcare Providers Early years services children s centres, nurseries, childminders, preschools, playgroups, and holiday and out of school clubs all play an important part in the lives of large numbers of children. As such, everyone working in early years services should know how to recognise and respond to the possible abuse and neglect of a child. (Working Together 2010 HM Government) The Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework (2012) states that all staff should have an up to date understanding of safeguarding issues and be able to implement the safeguarding policy and procedure effectively. Training made available by the provider must enable staff to identify, understand and respond appropriately to signs of possible abuse and neglect, including: Significant changes to children s behaviour Deterioration in children s general well being Unexplained bruising, marks or possible signs of abuse or neglect Children s comments which give cause for concern Inappropriate behaviour displayed by other members of staff, or any other person working with the children. For example, inappropriate sexual comments; excessive one to one attention beyond the requirements of their usual role and responsibilities; or inappropriate sharing of images. Except for childminder settings, a practitioner must be designated to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children within the setting and for liaising with the Local Authority Children s Services as appropriate. It is good practice to also designate a Deputy Safeguarding Officer. Any Designated Safeguarding Officers and all childminders must ensure that they undertake regular safeguarding training. The high content of this training must enable these practitioners to identify, understand and respond appropriately to signs of possible abuse and neglect. Policies and procedures should be updated at least once a year and should be based on Local Safeguarding Board guidance. Policies must include clear guidance on the use of mobile phones and cameras The Liverpool Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) has produced a Safeguarding Procedures manual which contains a section outlining the procedures to be followed in relation to safeguarding concerns within Early Years Childcare settings. The procedures are available to view or download at: 4 5

4 Developing your safeguarding policy Your Safeguarding policy should be a statement of your organisations aims and objectives in providing a service for children. This should include: your responsibilities in safeguarding children what you intend to encourage in the children you will be working with what kind of environment you intend to provide for the children This policy only needs to be brief keep it simple and realistic. Your procedures are the systems for ensuring that your policy is put into place. Procedures should be a tool for your staff (both paid and unpaid) when they are concerned about a child. Procedures are designed to protect vulnerable children from any harm or abuse and to ensure that children who wish to report any kind of harm or abuse are listened to and where concerns are raised about a child, they are acted upon. Procedures are also designed to protect practitioners from placing themselves in vulnerable situations. What to do if you re worried about a child in Liverpool Childcare practitioners or other staff working within an early years setting who suspect that a child is or may be suffering from significant harm should discuss their concerns immediately with the Designated Safeguarding Officer, Deputy or setting manager. If they are unavailable, the appropriate senior manager should be contacted and procedures for making a referral to Liverpool Children s Social Care via Careline Children s Services should be followed. Childminders who suspect that a child is or may be at risk of significant harm should ensure that any concerns are recorded and procedures for making a referral to Liverpool Children s Social Care via Careline Children s Services are followed. What about parents? It is important that all parents are made aware of your safeguarding duties and responsibilities and they have seen the setting safeguarding policy and procedure (or summary version where appropriate). Your duty to report concerns about a child s welfare should be made explicit in the contract with parents; terms and conditions or parent information pack. Generally the parents or carer s of a child should be informed of any concern and intention to contact Childrens Services via Careline. However, in cases of suspected significant harm this should only be done where such discussion will not itself place the child at risk of significant harm. Where there is concern that a criminal offence may have been committed, any decision about informing the parents should only be made after proper consultation between the police and Children s Social care staff. 6 7

5 Dealing with disclosure It is important that you conduct any conversations with a child or young person appropriately. Receive the information stay calm and listen to the child Reassure the child React appropriately don t promise confidentiality and do not ask any leading questions It is important that you do not attempt to investigate for yourself as this may jeopardise any future professional investigation and potentially contaminate evidence. Record you must keep accurate records of any concerns. Consider including in any record: child s full name and address date and time of the record details of what prompted your concern, for example observation of bruising, something the child told you details of any previous concerns details of any explanations given by the parent/carer or child any action you have taken such as speaking to parents All concerns should be reported quickly to minimise any risk to the child. How should concerns be reported? Where the child concerned already has an allocated social worker, referrals to Children s Social Care should be made to the child s social worker, the team leader or a team colleague. Where the child does not have an allocated social worker, or where the referrer is not aware of the involvement or identity of the allocated social worker, referrals should be made to Careline. Referrals are taken initially by Customer Advisors who process a wide range of referrals to Children s Social Care. Customer Advisors are trained and advised to refer any concern that a child may be at risk of Significant Harm, to a social worker within Careline as soon as possible Anyone making a referral can ask to speak to a qualified social worker. When a referral is made to Careline, the Social Worker or Customer Advisor will clarify with the referrer: the nature of concerns, including whether there are concerns about abuse or Neglect and whether there may be a need to take urgent action to safeguard a child; how and why the concerns have arisen; the apparent needs of the child and family; all relevant information about the child and family known by the referrer in as much detail as possible; Referrers will be asked specifically if they hold any information about difficulties being experienced by the family/household due to domestic abuse, mental illness, substance misuse, and/or learning difficulties. All concerns referred to Careline, whether the child has an allocated social worker or not, should be confirmed in writing, within 48 hours, to the appropriate Team Leader. To report your concerns or speak to a duty social worker call Careline Children s Services on: Referrals should be confirmed in writing by fax: or by post: Careline Children s Services, Venture Place, Sir Thomas Street, Liverpool L1 6BW. 8 9

6 Managing allegations or concerns about staff It is important that all childcare practitioners avoid putting themselves in situations that may lead to allegations being made against them. (This includes childminders, assistants and family members). Having a code of conduct means that everyone has a clear written understanding of what is acceptable behaviour. This should include guidelines on managing digital technologies within the setting for example; mobile phones, taking and storing of digital images, social networking. A code of conduct is a set of principles, values, standards or rules of behaviour which outline the requirements of practice for an individual within an organisation. Why is it helpful? It provides clarity regarding agreed appropriate boundaries. It enables specific practice to be challenged. It supports a culture of openness. All staff should be made aware of the setting code of conduct at induction and of the whistle blowing policy and procedure. All agencies, employers and settings should have procedures for dealing with allegations, and all staff and volunteers should understand what to do if they receive an allegation against another member of staff or they themselves have concerns about the behaviour of another member of staff. The procedure should make it clear: That all allegations should be reported immediately, normally to the senior manager in the organisation, To whom reports should be made in the absence of the senior manager, The identity of the person to whom the allegation should be reported, in a case where the senior manager is the subject of the allegation or concern. Anybody else who must be notified e.g., the Local Authority Designated Officer LADO (responsible for providing advice and monitoring cases) and Ofsted. This procedure should also be used when allegations are made against a person who works with children and their own family has been subject to child protection investigations or criminal prosecution. Where allegations or concerns are raised about a childminder this information should be reported to Careline Children s Services and to Ofsted. The Liverpool Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) Safeguarding Procedures manual contains a section outlining the procedures to be followed in relation to Allegations Against Adults working with children (6.2). The procedures and related flowcharts are available to view or download at: Some allegations will be so serious as to require immediate referral to social care, via Careline and the police for investigation. Others may be much less serious and at first sight might not seem to warrant consideration of a police investigation, or enquiries by children s social care

7 However, it is important to ensure that even apparently less serious allegations are seen to be followed up, and that they are examined objectively by someone independent of the organisation concerned. The LADO should be contacted in respect of all cases in which it is alleged that a person who works with children has: 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 s/he is unsuitable There may be up to three strands in the consideration of an allegation: A police investigation of a criminal offence; Enquiries and assessment by children s social care about whether a child is in need of protection or in need of services Consideration by an employer of disciplinary action in respect of the individual It is essential that any allegation of abuse made against a professional who works with children and young people or other member of staff or volunteer in any setting is dealt with fairly, quickly, and consistently, in a way that provides effective protection for the child and at the same time supports the person who is the subject of the allegation. (Liverpool LSCB Safeguarding Procedures 2012) To report your concerns about a staff member call Careline Children s Services If there is cause to suspect a child is suffering or is likely to suffer harm, a Strategy Meeting should be convened in accordance with the Strategy Discussions Procedure. N.B. in these cases the Strategy Meeting should include a representative of the employer, unless there are good reasons not to do that, and take account of any information the employer can provide about the circumstances or context of the allegation. Registered childcare providers must also inform Ofsted of any allegations of serious harm or abuse by any person living, working or looking after children on the premises (whether that allegation relates to harm or abuse committed on the premises or elsewhere). Ofsted must be made aware of these allegations as soon as is reasonable practicable, but at the latest within 14 days of the allegation being made. Providers who, without reasonable excuse, fail to comply with this requirement are committing an offence

8 Safer Recruitment Childcare providers must have effective systems in place to ensure that practitioners, and any other person who is likely to have regular contact with children (including those living or working on the premises), are suitable. (Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework 2012) It is good practice for registered childcare providers to have a safer recruitment policy which outlines the procedures in place to ensure that all staff, students and volunteers living or working on the premises are suitable to have contact with the children. This should also include the recording systems in place to ensure that records are updated as appropriate and stored confidentially. Training and support Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places duties on organisations and individuals to ensure that their functions are discharged with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. One of the ways a Local Authority can evidence that individuals and organisations, both statutory and within the private and voluntary sector are fulfilling their duties, is to request completion of an annual audit, As such this is now a requirement for all schools, colleges and more recently Early Years day care settings. The annual Safeguarding Audit is given to providers each April and should be used by childcare providers to review, update and amend their safeguarding policies. We ask that all providers return a completed copy of their audit to the Local Authority (this is also a requirement of your Local Authority RAG rating). There is a separate Safeguarding Audit for childminders to complete. The CAFIS team are able to provide a wide range of Business support including a Safeguarding review and help with completing the annual Safeguarding audit as also available from the CAFIS team. Support is also available in relation to the development of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice. If you would like any further advice or support, please contact the Early Years Registration and Quality Standards Officer at: earlyyears@liverpool.gov.uk We are also able to provide in house Basic Safeguarding Awareness training other related training opportunities including Managing Allegations made against staff working in a childcare setting, E-Safety and Digital Technologies in your childcare setting and Safer Recruitment. All courses are approved and endorsed by the Liverpool Safeguarding Children Board. All enquiries related to training should be made to the Childcare Workforce Development Officer at: earlyyears@liverpool.gov.uk 14 15

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