PARK VIEW
POLICY FOR CHILD PROTECTION
1. INTRODUCTION
“Because of their day to day contact with individual children, teachers and other staff in the Education Service are particularly well placed to observe outward signs of abuse, changes in behaviour or failure to develop” (Protecting Children from Abuse : The Role of the Education Service, Circular 10/95).
The responsibilities of schools and colleges with regard to protecting children are laid down in Working Together Under the Children Act 1989: A Guide to Arrangements for Inter-agency Co-operation for the Protection of Children from Abuse and DfEE Circular 10/95. and in the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), guidance for schools, Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in education (DfES2006) which came into force on 1 January 2007. This sets out the responsibilities placed on schools to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
School recognises its responsibilities with regard to the protection of children from abuse and from inappropriate and inadequate care and is committed to acting in accordance with Bury Safeguarding Children Board Procedures for Safeguarding Children in all cases where there is concern.
2. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
The main purpose of this document is to outline the procedures that should be adopted should any member of staff, both teaching and non-teaching have cause to be concerned that a child is being neglected or subject to physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
3. DESIGNATED TEACHER FOR CHILD PROTECTION
In accordance with Circular 10/95 our school has a designated teacher for child protection. This person is Mrs K M Yarnall (Headteacher).
In her absence Mrs R McClean (Assistant Headteacher/SENCO) will assume responsibility.
The responsibilities of the designated teacher are:-
1. to liaise with the Social Services Department (SSD) and other agencies when there is a concern about a pupil;
2. to ensure that all teaching and non-teaching staff are aware of and understand the Bury Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB) Procedures and their role within them;
3. to support and advise staff when dealing with child protection issues;
4. to liaise with relevant staff over teaching in the curriculum regarding child protection issues;
5. to keep up to date with developments in child protection through appropriate in-service training and to disseminate such information to members of staff.
The designation of a co-ordinating teacher should not be seen as diminishing the role of all teachers in being alert to signs of abuse as part of their pastoral responsibilities.
4. PROCEDURES
If any members of staff, either teaching or non-teaching, has a child protection concern about a pupil she/he will IMMEDIATELY inform the designated teacher and accurately record the event or events giving rise to the concern on the Inter-Agency Referral and Initial Information Record Form. These records will be hand-written to preserve confidentiality.
The designated teacher will then follow the procedures set out in Bury’s BSCB Procedures.
5. HANDBOOK
The school has one copy of the BSCB Procedural Guide which is kept in the Head teacher’s office.
6. CONFIDENTIALITY
Staff have a professional responsibility to share relevant information about the protection of children with other professionals. If a child confides in a member of staff and asks that the information be kept secret, it is important to tell the child that they have a responsibility to share the information with someone who can help. This needs to be done with care and sensitivity and the child needs to be reassured that the matter will only be discussed with people who need to know.
7. RECORDS
Good practice for keeping child protection records includes noting the date, event and action taken in cases of:-
a) Suspected child abuse (Incident Referral Form).
b) When the child’s progress is being monitored because of the school’s concerns but which the Social Services has not been able to act upon (Monitoring Sheet).
c) When a pupil’s name is on the Child Protection Register and is the subject of an inter-agency child protection plan (Monitoring Sheet).
Child protection records should be kept securely locked. They can be kept on computer and are exempt from the disclosure provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984. For manual records, the Education (School Records) Regulations 1989 exempt information relating to child abuse from the requirement of disclosure. However, in cases of alleged child abuse which come to court, the court may require the school to provide its child protection records.
8. REPORTS
Reports prepared for Child Protection Conferences should focus on the child’s educational progress, attendance, behaviour, relations with other children and staff, and where appropriate, the child’s appearance. If relevant, reports should also include what is known about the child’s relations with his or her family and the family structure.
Reports should be objective and based on evidence. They should distinguish between fact, observation, allegation and opinion. It should be noted that the school’s report would normally be made available to the child’s parents at the Child Protection Conference.
Child protection records and reports will be kept separate from the child’s personal file, but where there are child protection concerns, these will be indicated by a red dot on the child’s personal file.
9. SCHOOL TRANSFERS
When a child, about whom there are child protection concerns, leaves our school, we will endeavour to transfer the information to the child’s new school as soon as possible. We will also inform the Key Worker that the child has left.
10. CHILD PROTECTION CONFERENCES
The school will endeavour to be represented at all Child Protection Conferences and will inform the member of staff who attends as fully as possible about the school’s concerns.
11. CORE GROUPS AND CHILD PROTECTION PLANS
If a child’s name is placed on the Child Protection Register and becomes the subject of a child protection plan, it is more than likely that a member of the school staff will become a member of the Core Group set up to implement the plan. The appropriate person to be on the Core Group will be chosen by the designated teacher and given whatever support is necessary.
NB The vast majority of children whose names are placed on the Child Protection Register remain at home.
12. ABUSE BY PROFESSIONALS
Where there are concerns about abuse by a member of staff, the Head Teacher must be informed immediately. Where the allegation is made against the Head Teacher, the Deputy Head Teacher must be informed. The procedures outlined by the BSCB will then be followed. Detailed information regarding this issue is contained in Management Handbook Item 7.9 (Child Protection Within the Education Service). In all cases the LA’s designated officer for Child Protection must be made aware of all concerns.
13. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Where staff are aware of incidents of violence between adults in households where there are children, they will share these concerns with the designated teacher.
The designated teacher will consider the need for a formal referral to the SSD on the basis of their professional judgement and the level of any potential/actual risk to the child.
14. STAFF SUPPORT
The stress on staff involved in any aspects of child protection work is considerable and the school will ensure that such staff are properly supported. The Head and the designated teacher will be responsible for supporting the staff concerned and, where necessary, seeking help from outside the school.
15. PARENTS
It is essential that parents are made aware of the school’s responsibilities with regard to child protection. The following statement is included in the school’s prospectus:-
“Because of day-to-day contact with children, schools are particularly well placed to observe outward signs of abuse, changes in behaviour, or failure to develop. Parents should be aware, therefore, that where it appears to a member of school staff that a child may have been abused, the school is required, as part of the local Child Protection Procedures, to report their concerns to the Social Services Department immediately.”
16. CHILD PROTECTION AND THE CURRICULUM
We believe that schools can play a part in the prevention of child abuse through the curriculum. Courses in personal and social education can help young people to become aware of the responsibilities of adult life, including parenthood.
Through the curriculum pupils can also be taught about the risks of different kinds of abuse and be taught skills they need to help them keep safe and to feel that they can speak to members of staff should they have concerns of this nature. We will also establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to and ensure children know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried.
Our school makes this information available to pupils in the following ways:- assemblies, class discussions, national and local helpline telephone numbers etc.
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.
· The school behaviour policy which is aimed at supporting vulnerable pupils in the school. The school will ensure that the pupil knows 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 pupil such as social services, Child and Adult Mental Health Service, education welfare service and educational psychology service.
17. DESIGNATED GOVERNOR FOR CHILD PROTECTION
The Designated Governor with responsibility for Child Protection is Mrs A Garner.