SAFEGUARDING POLICY. Ensuring we practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children

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1 WOODCROFT NURSERY SCHOOL AND LITTLE WOODCROFT SAFEGUARDING POLICY Woodcroft fully recognises its responsibilities for child safeguarding. Throughout this policy the term staff refers to all adults working with the children, including teachers, nursery nurses, teaching assistants, learning support assistants, mid day assistants, additional support staff and office staff, and as appropriate, students, voluntary placement persons. This policy applies to all those working in this School community. These are the main elements of our policy: Ensuring we practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children To maintain a Single Central Record of all staff, Governors and students. This is constantly updated and reviewed annually. Raising awareness of child safeguarding issues and equipping children with the skills needed to keep them safe as appropriate Developing and implementing procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases of abuse - at Woodcroft we follow the procedures set out in the Southend, Essex and Thurrock (SET) Safeguarding Children Board s procedures (2011 revised version) Supporting pupils who are at risk in accordance with his/her agreed child protection plan Ensuring that we are implementing the main duties under the new Prevent Duty (June 2015) Establishing a safe environment in which children can learn and develop To establish fundamental British Values, which helps us to ensure that our children are not drawn into terrorism when they are older Staff receive whole school training on Child Safeguarding every 3 years. This is checked with new members of staff. We recognise that because of the day to day contact with children, school staff are well placed to observe the outward signs of abuse. The school will therefore: Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk and are listened to

2 Ensure we follow the SET procedures which include not asking the child leading questions (SET sec 4.5) Ensure children know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried Provide an induction process for staff students and volunteers, which includes an overview of the SET procedures Include opportunities in the curriculum for children to feel secure and confident enough to share personal experiences Develop opportunities for children to understand how to keep themselves safe, this includes how to take safe risks (appendix c) Ensure that the Fundamental British Values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs are embedded into our curriculum and explored fully, appropriately to the age range. Maintain a record of existing injuries. This is held confidentially in each homebase. The teacher/keyperson would discuss this with the child s parent/carer. A regular check is made to notice trends Ensure that all staff know that use of mobile phones during contact time is not permitted. Any exception to this (eg staff member awaiting urgent call) will be agreed in advance with the HT. Ensure that use of digital camera and digital video is only permitted for school use. Non staff adults are not to take photos without direct permission and guidance this usually applies to students. Photography is a key part of our record keeping and photos are also used on our website and facebook page. Parents are aware of this and have given signed permission. We will follow the procedures set out by the Southend, Essex and Thurrock Safeguarding Children Board (revised 2011 version)and take account of guidance issued by the DCSF to: Ensure we have a designated teacher for child safeguarding who has received appropriate training and support for this role Ensure we have a nominated governor responsible for child safeguarding Ensure every member of staff, volunteer and governor knows the name of the designated teacher responsible for child safeguarding and their role

3 Ensure all staff and volunteers understand their responsibilities in being alert to the signs of abuse and responsibility for referring any concerns to the designated teacher responsible for child safeguarding Ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibility placed on the school and staff for child safeguarding by setting out its obligations in the prospectus It is the specific duty of the designated teacher to:- Notify social services if there is an unexplained absence of more than two days of a pupil who is on the child protection register, or seek guidance for the child s individual care/protection plan Develop effective links with the relevant agencies and cooperate as required with their enquiries regarding child safeguarding matters including attendance at case conferences Keep written records of concerns about children, even where there is no need to refer the matter immediately Ensure all records are kept securely, separate from the main pupil file, and in locked locations Develop and then follow procedures where an allegation is made against a member of staff or volunteer we follow the procedures set out in the SET Child Safeguarding Procedures (section 5) Ensure safe recruitment practices are always followed Ensure that every interview panel includes someone who has received, and passed, the Safer Recruitment training Deliver WRAP (Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent {duty})training to all staff We recognise that children who are abused or witness violence may find it difficult to develop a sense of self worth. They may feel helplessness, humiliation and some sense of blame. The school may be the only stable, secure and predictable element in the lives of children at risk. When at school their behaviour may be challenging and defiant or they may be withdrawn. The school will endeavour to support the pupil through: The content of the curriculum The school ethos which promotes a positive, supportive and secure environment and gives pupils a sense of being valued

4 The behaviour policy which is aimed at supporting vulnerable pupils in the school. The school will ensure that the children know that some behaviour is unacceptable but they are valued and not to be blamed for any abuse which has occurred Liaison with other agencies that support the children such as Social Services, Child and Adult Mental Health Service, Education Welfare Service and the Educational Psychology Service, Ofsted (LW) Ensuring that, where a pupil on the child safeguarding register leaves, their information is transferred to the new school/setting immediately and that the child s social worker is informed 15 th October 04 Reviewed 3 rd October 05 8 th November 06 - added Procedure for dealing with Allegations Against Staff (appendix a) Reviewed Nov 2009 added appendix b safer recruitment procedures Appendix c - induction process Reviewed May 2010 Reviewed Dec 2012 updated against revised SET procedure (2011) mobile phone and camera use added Reviewed May 2014 staff updated Reviewed Nov 2015 update in line with Prevent Duty Appendix (a) to Safeguarding Policy PROCEDURE IN THE EVENT OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST A MEMBER OF STAFF The Headteacher or Senior Teacher contacts the Educational Safeguarding Service. Discussion and consultation will take place and a decision reached about whether to refer to Social Care Once agreed with the Educational Safeguarding Service inform Social Care by telephone or Written confirmation of the referral should be sent to Social Care within 24 hours and a copy to ESS ESS will liaise with HR advice and consultancy Inform Chair of Governors and designated Child protection Governor

5 Social care will decide whether or not staff need to be suspended and arrangements will be made for meetings with Social Care and the Police on the Child Safeguarding issues, and HR for the HR issues Care must be given to provide the member of staff with support, and support for the other staff members Support may also be needed for the child/children involved and the parents will need to be consulted Please also see the SET procedures section 13.8 And safeguarding children in education dealing with allegations of abuse against teachers and other staff - DFES S2044/2055 Created Nov 2006 Reviewed May 2010 Reviewed Dec 2012, May 2014 Appendix (b) to Safeguarding Policy SAFER RECRUITMENT PROCEDURES At least one person on the recruitment panel must have received, and passed, the National Safer Recruitment training All applicants must complete an ECC application form, which includes two referees Shortlisted candidates complete a SSD2 (self declaration form) and a medical request form. References are sent for. All volunteer students/placements have their identities checked and they complete an application form. References are taken up and a CRB is applied for (admin cost charged). The CRB must be in place before the placement begins. All students have a student safeguarding checklist (purple sheet) completed upon starting their placement. Students on the year old college based courses have their CRB details logged on the purple sheet. If their placement is in excess of 1 week they will be logged onto the SCR. Students on the yr old part time college/school courses are still considered children and are not subject to CRB. If their placement exceeds 2 weeks their details are logged on the SCR. All candidates attending interview and voluntary students/helpers have their identities checked.

6 Appointment/ placement is subject to suitable references being received, and a satisfactory CRB. All new members of staff, volunteers, governors and students receive a full induction, which includes safeguarding. Please make yourself familiar with the SET procedures book (available online) Appendix (c) to Safeguarding Policy INDUCTION OF ALL ADULTS IN THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY - safeguarding There is a named person responsible for Safeguarding across the whole school. This is Mrs Helen Roberts Headteacher. In her absence the Deputy Headteacher Mrs Jacqui Shadrake will deputise for her. The named Governor is Mr Steve Roberts (chair of Governors) If you are concerned in any way about a child in the school, please talk to the named person. She will record your concerns and inform you of the next steps. Confidentiality it is very important that concerns are dealt with confidentially. Ensure that anything shared with you is kept confidentially. Student and volunteers are not to speak with parents/carers about the children. Please always refer to a member of staff. There may be ongoing concerns of which you are unaware. The decision for referral to an outside agency, such as Social Care, is only taken by the named person. If you are unhappy about the response you receive from her, please take the concern to the deputy named person. Be aware that sometimes there may be issues/concerns about a child that you may, or may not, be aware of. This may affect the way you interact with the child. Please be led by the experienced staff around you. More specifically, do not ask leading questions of a personal nature of the children. There is record kept of existing injuries in each homebase. If you notice a mark or injury on a child, please report this to the teacher/keyperson. All staff will receive regular Safeguarding training. Please ensure that the headteacher knows when you were last trained. May 2010, reviewed 2012, May 2014, Nov 2015