Child and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Policy

CHILD AND VULNERABLE ADULT SAFEGUARDING POLICY

CONTENTS

Organization Position and Commitment Statement
Contact Details for Designated Persons in Peterborough Adult Learning Service with Responsibilityfor Safeguarding
Abuse and Definitions of the Different Types of Abuse
Staff Guidance on Procedure for Dealing with and Reporting Disclosureof Abuse and Concerns of Abuse Relating to a Child or Vulnerable Adult
Staff Guidance on Procedure for Reporting and Dealing with Allegations of Abuse or Concerns against Members of Staff, Carers and Volunteers
Safe Recruitment and Selection Procedures(including DBS Policy)
Whistle Blowing Policy: Peterborough City Council Confidential Reporting Policy and Procedures
Transporting Young People and Vulnerable Adults
Appendix 1: Summary Flowchart of Actionsto take
Appendix 2: Template for Recording Nagging or Low Level Concern
Appendix 3: Disclosure /Allegation Referral Template
Appendix 4: Guidance on Transporting Children and Vulnerable Adults
Appendix 5: Safe Working Practice Guidelines
Appendix 6: Guidance on Safeguarding Incident Reporting
Appendix 7: Incident Reporting Form
Appendix 8 Guidance on forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM)
Appendix 9: Links with other Policies and Procedures

CCP017 v6October 2014

AORGANIZATION POSITION AND COMMITMENT STATEMENT

City College Peterboroughhas a statutory and moral duty to ensure that the College functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and vulnerable adults receiving education and training.

All learners regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm and abuse.

All staff, including volunteers and agency staff working for City College Peterborough are responsible for the safety and welfare of children and vulnerable adults by following the procedures laid down in this policy.

All staff have a duty to maintain the highest standards of professional behaviour and confidentiality when dealing with children and vulnerable adults and personal and sensitive issues relating to these groups.

All staff hava a duty to identify and support people who may be vulnerable to being drawn into violent extremist activity (Preventing Violent Extremism/ Prevent strategy)and young people, especially girls who may be forced to marry or be subject to “honour‐based violence”. (Forced Marriage & Honour‐based Violence).

City College Peterboroughhas a zero tolerance policy to instances of abuse and other harmful behaviour affecting learners or staff within the Service

City College Peterboroughtakes very seriously its responsibility to practice Safer Recruitment Procedures to protect learners and staff

All staff have a duty to be alert to any suspicions, nagging doubts or allegations raised with regard to the safety and welfare of children or vulnerable adults and to refer to or seek advice from the Designated Persons for Safeguarding.

The Designated Persons will share information about concerns or allegations with statutory agencies, involving learners and parents/ carers appropriately

DEFINITIONS OF CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND VULNERABLE ADULTS

Throughout these policies and procedures, reference is made to “children and young people and vulnerable adults”. The terms “children” and “young people” are used to mean “those under the age of 18”. City College Peterborough recognizes that some adults are also vulnerable to abuse. A vulnerable adult is someone aged 18 years or over who has, or may need someone to assist in caring for them because of a mental disability, age or illness and is unable to protect themselves against harm or exploitation.

Accordingly, the procedures may be applied (with appropriate adaptations) to allegations of abuse and the protection of vulnerable adults over the age of 18. This policy applies to staff and full and part-time learners enrolled at the college who are covered by the relevant legislation.

City College Peterboroughis committed to ensuring that the College:

Provides a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults to learn or train
Identifies children and vulnerable adults who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm and
Takes appropriate action to see that such children and vulnerable adults are kept safe at College and in College venues and workplaces.

In pursuit of these aims, the governing body will approve and annually review policies and procedures with the aim of:

Raising awareness of issues relating to the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and the promotion of a safe environment for them
Aiding the identification of children and vulnerable adults at risk of significant harm, and providing procedures for reporting concerns
Establishing procedures for reporting and dealing with allegations of abuse against members of staff
The safe recruitment of staff

In developing the policies and procedures, the governing body will consult with, and take account of, guidance issued by the Department for Education (DfE)and the department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and other relevant bodies and groups. The procedures have been developed in cooperation with the Peterborough Safeguarding Children Board (PSCB) and Peterborough Vulnerable Adult Protection Committee (PVAPC).

The College will refer concerns that a child or vulnerable adult might be at risk of significant harm to the appropriate agencies as agreed with the PSCB and PVAPC.

Staff leading on Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection within the College and staff working with children and vulnerable adults will receive training adequate to familiarise them with child and vulnerable adult protection issues and responsibilities and the College’s procedures and policies, with refresher training at least every two years. All staff will receive appropriate training, updated as needed but as a minimum every three years.

The governing body will receive an annual report in September,from the designated Senior Member of Staff with lead responsibility for child and vulnerable adult protection.This report reviews how the duties have been discharged.

B. CONTACT DETAILS FOR DESIGNATED PERSONS IN CITY COLLEGE PETERBOROUGH WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFEGUARDING

THE DESIGNATED PERSON AT BROOK STREET AND THE JOHN MANSFIELD CAMPUS IS:
BEVERLEY PEASGOOD, CURRICULUM MANAGER TEL. 01733 555197 EXT. 808.
EMAIL:
THE SENIOR MANAGER WITH OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHILD AND VULNERABLE ADULT SAFEGUARDING IS TANYA MEADOWS, VICE PRINCIPAL, LOCATED AT JOHN MANSFIELD CAMPUS. TEL. 01733 555197 EXT. 812
EMAIL:

The Senior Manager with overall responsibility for Safeguarding is responsible for:

Overseeing Safeguarding processes and procedures, incidents, concerns and the referral of cases of suspected abuse or allegations to the relevant investigating agencies as agreed with PSCB / PVAPC
Ensuring that staff receive basic training in child and vulnerable adult protection issues and are aware of the College child and vulnerable adult protection procedures
Receiving regular training in child and vulnerable adult protection issues and inter-agency working, as required by the PSCB and PVAPC, and will receive refresher training at least every 2 years
Providing an annual report in September to the governing body of the College setting out how the College has discharged its duties. She is responsible for reporting deficiencies in procedure or policy identified by the PSCB / PVAPC to the governing body at the earliest opportunity and will receive refresher training at least every two years.

The Designated Person is responsible for:

Reporting to the Vice Principal
Providing advice and support to other staff on issues relating to child and vulnerable adult protection
Maintaining a proper record of any child and vulnerable adult protection referral, complaint or concern (even where that concern does not lead to a referral). All recording and record maintenance will comply with Data Protection legislation.
Ensuring that parents / carers of children, young people and vulnerable adults within the College are aware of the College’s child and vulnerable adult protection policy
Liaising with the LA and PSCB / PVAPC and other appropriate agencies. Liaising with schools which send pupils to the College to ensure that appropriate arrangements are made for students.
Liaising with employers and training organisations that receive children and vulnerable adults from the College on long term placements to ensure that appropriate safeguards are put in place.
Making an appropriate referral.
Providing advice and support to other staff on issues relating to child and vulnerable adult protection.
Being available to talk and listen to children and vulnerable adults studying at the College.
Dealing with individual cases, including attending case conferences and review meetings as appropriate.
Receiving regular training in child and vulnerable adult protection issues and inter-agency working, as required by the PSCB and PVAPC, and will receive refresher training at least every 2 years.

Governing Board

The Governing Board will be responsible for liaising with the Principal and Senior Staff Member with Lead Responsibility over matters regarding child and vulnerable adult protection, together with updates on the strategic plan:

Ensuring that the College has procedures and policies which are consistent with PSCB / PVAPC procedures
Informing the governing body of any omissions or discrepancies in the policy and / or procedures
Ensuring that the governing body reviews the College policy (and strategic plan) on child and vulnerable adult protection each year
Ensuring that each year the governing body is informed of how the College and its staff have complied with the policy, including, but not limited to, a report on the training that staff have undertaken

The Governing Board will be responsible for overseeing the liaison between agencies such as the police, social services – as defined by the PSCB - in connection with allegations against the Principal or the Designated Senior Staff Member with Lead Responsibility. This will not involve undertaking any form of investigation, but will ensure good communication between the parties and provide information to assist enquiries.

To assist in these duties, the Governing Board will receive appropriate training.

C. ABUSEAND DEFINITIONS OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABUSE

Signs and symptoms of abuse

Abuse can occur anywhere – at home; at work; at college; in care homes, public places or in the community. The person causing the abuse could be a paid or unpaid carer, a professional person, someone who visits regularly, or a neighbour, friend or relative.

Abuse can be intentional, or unintentional because of lack of training or understanding.

The governing body recognises the following as definitions of abuse:

PHYSICAL ABUSE

Physical abuse causes harm. It may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning or suffocating. It may be done deliberately or recklessly, or be the result of a deliberate failure to prevent injury occurring. It can also occur when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of or deliberately causes ill health to a child whom they are looking after.

NEGLECT AND ACTS OF OMISSION

Neglect is the persistent or severe failure to meet a person’s basic physical and / or psychological needs. It will result in serious impairment of health or development. It may involve failure to provide adequate food, clothing or shelter, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger or failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also involve neglect of, or inadequate response to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

SEXUAL ABUSE

Sexual abuse involves a child, young person or vulnerable adult being forced or coerced into participating in or watching sexual activity. It is not necessary for the child to be aware that the activity is sexual and the apparent consent of the child is irrelevant. The acts may involve physical contact including penetrative or non- penetrative acts. They may involve non-contact activities such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

EMOTIONAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE

Emotional or psychological abuse occurs where there is persistent emotional ill treatment or rejection. It causes severe and adverse effects on the child’s, young person’s or vulnerable adult’s behaviour and emotional development, resulting in low self worth. It may involve conveying to children or vulnerable adults that they are worthless or unloved or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children or vulnerable adults. It may involve causing children / vulnerable adults to feel frightened or in danger or the exploitation or corruption of children or vulnerable adults. Some level of emotional abuse is present in all forms of abuse.

FINANCIAL OR MATERIAL ABUSE

Financial or material abuse occurs where there is deliberate misappropriation of another’s possessions, money, valuables, property or inheritance. Forcing changes to a Will or Testament and forced loans if dishonestly exacted or obtained under threat or duress are also examples of financial or material abuse. Another example would be taking a loan out under duress for another person.

DISCRIMINATORY ABUSE

Discriminatory abuse is motivated by oppressive or discriminatory attitudes towards a person’s disability, race, gender, age, religion, cultural background or sexual orientation and it may manifest itself as unequal treatment, verbal abuse, inappropriate use of language, derogatory remarks, harassment and deliberate exclusion

INSTITUTIONAL ABUSE

Institutional abuse can occur within an institution charged with the care of a person and can manifest itself as lack of respect for the individual being cared for, sub standard service, inappropriate use of Restrictive Physical Interventions, poor practice in intimate care and no account being taken of individual needs, culture, religion or ethnicity. The outcome of the behaviour must result in harm or risk of harm to include not only ill treatment, mental and physical but also the impairment of, or avoidable, deterioration in mental or physical health and physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development.

RADICALISATION

Radicalisation is the process by which people come to support terrorism and violent extremism and, in some cases, then to participate in terrorist groups. There is no obvious profile of a person likely to become involved in extremism, or single indicator of when a person might move to adopt violence in support of extremist ideas. Potential diagnostic indicators may include use of inappropriate language, possession of violent extremist literature, behavioural changes and so on. If members of staff do have concerns about a young person, they should seek advice from the SO immediately.

FORCED MARRIAGE AND HONOUR BASED VIOLENCE

A forced marriage is a marriage in which one or both spouses do not (or, in the case of some adults with learning or physical disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and duress is involved. Duress can include physical, psychological, financial, sexual and emotional pressure.

The terms “honour crime” or honour based violence” or “izzat” embrace a variety of crimes of violence (mainly but not exclusively against women), including assault, imprisonment and murder, where the person is being punished by their family or their community. They are being punished for actually, or allegedly, undermining what the family or community believes to be the correct code of behavior. In transgressing this correct code of conduct, the person is perceived as having brought “shame” or dishonor” to the family or community.

Additionally, the governing body notes and draws to the attention of the college staff the criminal offences that may be committed in connection with the welfare of children and vulnerable adults (in particular, those involving abuse of trust) which prohibit staff from engaging in or encouraging sexual activity with learners under the age of 18 or vulnerable adults.

Appendix

D.STAFF GUIDANCE ON DEALING WITH AND REPORTING DISCLOSURE OF ABUSE AND CONCERNS OF ABUSE RELATING TO A CHILD OR VULNERABLE ADULT

WHO DO I REPORT TO?

All complaints, disclosures, allegations or suspicions of abuse oranysignificant concerns about a child or vulnerable adult must be takenseriouslyand reported toa Designated Person as soon aspossible or within 24 hours.

If the Designated Person is not available, staff should report to a member of

the Senior Leadership Team.

In emergency situations, seek any necessary medical attention. If a crime may have been committed, the concern, suspicion or allegation should be reported to the Police. The Child or Vulnerable Adult Protection Coordinator can advise about this.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING REPORTING

If the complaint, disclosure, allegation or suspicion involves a child or young person and should no member of the Senior Leadership Team be available, staff have a personal responsibility to contact Referral and Assessment (and the Police and / or Ambulance Service as required).

Child Protection issues in relation to school pupils attending College provision should be referred to the lead on Child Protection in the child’s school.

(Child Social Care)

The Manager
Children’s Services
Referral and Assessment
1st Floor
Bayard Place
Broadway
Peterborough
PE1 1AY / Tel: 01733 864180
Fax: 0870 238 4083
Out of hours: Tel. 01733 561370

Where there is difficulty getting through, the NSPCC (01733 207624) or the Police Child and Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit (0345 4564564 ext 4260) may be contacted.

In addition, the referral should be copied to:

Safeguarding in Education Manager

Children’s Services

Bayard Place

Broadway

Peterborough

PE1 1FB

Tel: 01733 863713

ADULT SAFEGUARDING REPORTING

If the complaint, disclosure, allegation or suspicion involves a vulnerable adult, and should no member of the Senior Leadership Team be available, staffhave a personal responsibility to contact Peterborough Vulnerable Adult Protection Unit

Grace Macdonald
Lead Officer Adult Protection
Peterborough
Tel: 01733 746634
Email:
grace.macdonald@peterboroughpct.nhs.uk
Fax: 01733 746140 / Outside 9:00a.m. – 5:00p.m. Monday to Friday: contact the Emergency Duty Team 01733 234724

HOW DO I DEAL WITH THE DISCLOSURE OR ALLEGATION?

If a child or vulnerable adult tells a member of staff about possible abuse: