Safeguarding Children & Child Protection Policy

 Statement of intent

Larksmead Pre-school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will work with children, parents and the community to ensure the safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. All children have the right to be safeguarded from harm or exploitation whatever their: race, religion, first language or ethnicity; gender; age; health or disability; or political or immigration status.

 The key commitments of our policy for safeguarding children:

1. We are committed to building a ‘culture of safety’ in which children are protected from abuse and harm in all areas of our service delivery.

2. We are committed to responding promptly and appropriately to all incidents or concerns of abuse that may occur and to work with statutory agencies in accordance with the procedures that are set down in ‘What to do if you are worried a child is being abused’ (DfES 2006).

3. We are committed to promoting awareness of child abuse issues through our induction training programme. We are also committed to empowering young children, through our curriculum, promoting their right to be strong, resilient and listened to.

Aims

Our aims are to carry out this policy by:

• Promoting children’s right to be strong, resilient and listened to by:

•  Creating an environment in our setting that encourages children to develop a positive self image.

• Encouraging children to develop a sense of autonomy and independence.

• Enabling children to have the self confidence and the vocabulary to resist inappropriate approaches.
• Helping children to establish and sustain satisfying relationships within their families, with peers, and with other adults

• Working with parents to build their understanding of and commitment to the principles of safeguarding all our children.

The legal framework for this work is:

Primary legislation

The Children Act 1989 - s 47

The Protection of Children Act 1999

Data Protection Act 1998

The Children Act 2004 (Every Child Matters)

The Children (NI) Order

The Children (Scotland) Order

Guidance

Working Together to Safeguard Children (revised 2006)

What to Do if You are Worried a Child is Being Abused (revised 2006)

The Framework for the Assessment of children in Need and Their Families (2000)

The Common Assessment Framework (2005)

Secondary Legislation

Sexual Offences Act (2003)

Criminal Justice and Court Services Act (2000)

Human Rights Act (1999)

Race Relations (Amendment) Act (2000)

Race Relations (Amendment) Act (1976) Regulations

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

Liaison with other bodies

• We work within Dorset Bournemouth & Poole Inter-Agency Safeguarding Children guidance.

• We have a copy of ‘What to do if you a worried a child is being abused’ for parents and staff and all staff are familiar with what to do if they have concerns.

• We have contact details for our Local Authority Children’s Social Care department.

• We notify Ofsted of any incident or accident and any changes in our arrangements which may affect the wellbeing of children.

• Contact details of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) are also kept.

• If a referral is to be made to the Local Authority Children’s Social Care department, we act within the Dorset Bournemouth & Poole Inter-Agency Safeguarding Children guidance in deciding whether we must inform the child’s parents at the same time.

Method

We carry out the following procedures to ensure we meet the three key commitments of our Safeguarding Children Policy

Key Commitment 1

We are committed to building a ‘culture of safety’ in which children are protected from abuse and harm in all areas of our service delivery.

Staffing and volunteering

• Our designated person who co-ordinates child protection issues is

Christine Coull – Play Leader

• Our Committee oversees this work.

• We provide adequate and appropriate staffing resources to meet the needs of children.

• Staff are not left alone with individual children or with small groups in a room with the door closed or for outdoor activities. Doors will always be left open between rooms during free play sessions. When children are divided into groups for certain activities there will always be two adults with each group. Where children are all together for snack time ; story time or playing outside there will be at least two adults present when there are 16 children or less and at least three adults present when there are between 17 and 24 children.

• Applicants for posts within our setting are clearly informed that the positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

• Candidates are informed of the need to carry out ‘enhanced disclosure’ checks with the Criminal Records Bureau before posts can be confirmed.

• Where applications are rejected because of information that has been disclosed, applicants have the right to know and to challenge incorrect information.

• We abide by Ofsted requirements in respect of references and Criminal Record Bureau checks for staff and volunteers, to ensure that no disqualified person or unsuitable person works at our setting or has access to the children.

• Apart from their own parents only staff or other adults who have had ‘enhanced disclosure’ checks with the Criminal Records Bureau will toilet the children.

• Volunteers do not work unsupervised.

• Anyone working directly with the children are expected to declare all convictions and/or cautions; as well as court orders which may disqualify them from working with children or affect their suitability to do so.

• We abide by the Protection of Children Act requirements in respect of any person who is dismissed from our employment, or resigns in circumstances that would otherwise have led to dismissal for reasons of child protection concern.

• We have procedures for recording the details of visitors to the setting.

• We take security steps to ensure that we have control over who comes into the setting so that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children.

Key Commitment 2

We are committed to responding promptly and appropriately to all incidents or concerns of abuse that may occur and to work with statutory agencies in accordance with the procedures that are set down in ‘What to do if you are worried a child is being abused’ (DfES 2006).

Responding to suspicions of abuse

• We acknowledge that abuse of children can take different forms - physical, emotional, and sexual, as well as neglect.

• When children are suffering from physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or may be experiencing neglect, this may be demonstrated through the things they say (direct or indirect disclosure) or through changes in their appearance, their behaviour, or their play.

• Where such evidence is apparent, the child’s key person makes a dated record of the details of the concern and discusses what to do with the Play Leader who is acting as the ‘designated person’. The information is stored on the child’s personal file.

• Staff take care not to influence the outcome either through the way they speak to children or by asking questions of children.

Disclosures

Where a child makes a disclosure to a member of staff, that member of staff:

• offers reassurance to the child

• listens to the child

• gives reassurance that she or he will take action

The member of staff does not question the child.

Recording suspicions of abuse and disclosures

Staff make a record of:

• the child’s name

• the child’s address

• the age of the child

• the date and time of the observation or the disclosure

• an objective record of the observation or disclosure

• the exact words spoken by the child as far as possible

• the name of the person to whom the concern was reported, with date and time

• the names of any other person present at the time

• Record in writing all concerns, discussions about the child, decisions made, and the reasons for those decisions.

These records are signed and dated and kept in the child’s personal file.

Informing parents

• Parents are normally the first point of contact.

• In general concerns will be discussed with parents/carers and advise them of any referrals to Children’s Social Care unless it is considered that to do so will place the child at risk of harm. Advice will be taken from the investigating agencies if there is any doubt.

Making a referral to the Local Authority Children’s Social Care department.

• If after discussion with the designated person (or most senior member of staff if they are unavailable) there are still concerns contact children’s social care on 01258 472652.

• When you make your referral, agree with the recipient of the referral what the child and parents will be told, by whom and when.

• Confirm in writing within 48 hours. Children’s social care should acknowledge your written referral within one working day of receiving it, so if you have not heard back within 3 working days, contact children’s social care again.

• All members of staff are familiar with the procedures for recording and reporting.

Confidentiality

• All suspicions and investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Any information is shared under Dorset Bournemouth & Poole Inter-Agency Safeguarding Children guidance.

Allegations against staff

• We ensure that all parents know how to complain about staff or volunteers which may include an allegation of abuse.

• We follow Dorset Bournemouth & Poole Inter-Agency Safeguarding Children procedures in responding to any complaint that a member of staff or volunteer has abused a child.

• We respond to any disclosure by children or staff that abuse by a member of staff may have taken, or is taking place, by first recording the details of any such alleged incident.

• We refer any such complaint immediately to the Local Authority Children’s Social Care department to investigate and inform Ofsted as soon as possible and within at least 14 days.

• We co-operate entirely with any investigation carried out by Children’s Social Care in conjunction with the police.

• Our policy is to suspend the member of staff on full pay for the duration of the investigation; this is not an indication of admission that the alleged incident has taken place, but is to protect the staff as well as children and families throughout the process.

Disciplinary action

• Where a member of staff or a volunteer is dismissed from the setting or internally disciplined because of misconduct relating to a child, we notify the Department of Health administrators so that the name may be included on the List for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults.

Key Commitment 3

We are committed to promoting awareness of child abuse issues through our induction training programme. We are also committed to empowering young children, through our curriculum, promoting their right to be strong, resilient and listened to.

Training

• Our induction training endeavours to ensure that staff and volunteers are able to recognise the signs and symptoms of possible physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. We keep a Safeguarding Children/Child Protection file at our setting that contains relevant literature and includes information on recognising signs of child abuse. All staff and volunteers are expected to read this and refer to it as and when they think necessary. They are aware of the local authority guidelines for making referrals.

• We ensure that all staff know the procedures for reporting and recording their concerns in the setting.

Planning

• The layout of the rooms allows for constant supervision. No child is left alone with staff or volunteers in a one to one situation without being visible to others.

Curriculum

• We introduce key elements of child protection into our programme to promote the personal, social and emotional development of all children, so that they may grow to be ’strong, resilient and listened to’ and so that they develop an understanding of why and how to keep safe.

• We create within the setting a culture of value and respect for the individual,

• We ensure that this is carried out in a way that is developmentally appropriate for the children.

Support to families

• We believe in building trusting and supportive relationships with families, staff and volunteers in the group.

• We make clear to parents its role and responsibilities in relation to Child Protection, such as for the reporting of concerns, providing information, monitoring of the child, and liaising at all times with the local children’s services department.

• We continue to welcome the child and the family whilst investigations are being made in relation to any alleged abuse.

• We follow the Child Protection Plan as set by the children’s social care department in relation to the setting’s designated role and tasks in supporting the child and the family, subsequent to any investigation.

• Confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child’s parents or those who have parental responsibility for the child in accordance with the procedure and only if appropriate under the guidance of Dorset Bournemouth & Poole Inter-Agency Safeguarding Children guidance.

This policy was adopted at a meeting of Larksmead Pre-school

Held on: 13^th June 2008

This policy was reviewed on 23rd January 2009