Child Protection and Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedure Guidelines

Health Education Partnership Limited

Child Protection and Safeguarding Children Policy and Guidelines, page 1 of 11

Child Protection and Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedure Guidelines

Child Protection and Safeguarding Children Statement

Health Education Partnership Limited

We are committed to ensuring that children are safe and protected from all forms of abuse and neglect.

Our policy applies to all directors and independent advisers within our company. We recognise our responsibility to respond appropriately and, with respect to children and young people, to work with other agencies to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children and young people with whom we have contact and to have clear guidelines for our procedures.

1. We believe every child should be valued, safe and happy. We want to make sure that children we have contact with know this and are empowered to tell us if they are suffering harm.
2. We want children who have contact with this company to enjoy what we have to offer in safety.
3. We want parents and carers who have contact with this company to be supported to care for their children in a way that promotes their child’s health and wellbeing and keeps them safe.
4. We want organisations that work with or commission work from us to have confidence and recognise that we are a safe company.
5. We will achieve this by having an effective safeguarding children procedure and following the national guidance in ‘What To Do If You’re Worried A Child Is Being Abused’ (2015) and ‘Mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation’ (2015)
6. If we discover or suspect a child is suffering harm we will notify Children’s Services of the relevant local authority via the identified contact.
7. This Safeguarding Children Policy Statement and our Safeguarding Children Procedure applies to all directors and independent advisers of Health Education Partnership Limited and anyone carrying out any work for us.
8. We will review our safeguarding children policy and procedures at least every 2 years to make sure they are still relevant and effective.

Child Protection and Safeguarding Children Policy

Health Education Partnership Limited will:

1. Arrange to take all reasonable measures to ensure the risks of harm to children are minimised.
2. Arrange to take all appropriate actions to address concerns about the welfare of the child, or children, working to agreed local policies and procedures in full partnership with other local services.
3. Ensure safe employment practices are observed as we recognise this is an important part in safeguarding children.
4. Have a senior member of the company to take lead responsibility for dealing with safeguarding / child protection issues, providing advice and support to other directors and independent advisers, liaising with other directors and independent advisers, and working with other agencies, who will be known as the ‘Named Senior Person’. All directors and independent advisers will be made aware of this role:

The Named Senior Person for this company is David Millard.

1. Listen to children, encourage them to respect and care for others and take action to stop any inappropriate verbal or physical abuse-taking place.
2. Endeavour to create an open and accountable environment, permitting adults and young people to voice their concerns about inappropriate behaviour and misconduct while providing strong sanctions to deter abuse, victimisation and cover up of serious malpractice
3. Ensure our policies and procedures apply to all directors and independent advisers, children, young people, parents and carers regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or religion.

Our company is aware of the responsibilities, which its directors and independent advisers have with regard to the protection of children from abuse and from inappropriate and inadequate care, and is committed to responding in all cases where there is concern.

This document will be shared with all directors and independent advisers within their induction process to ensure they are familiar with the company’s beliefs and guidelines and understand their own responsibilities.

The documents below provide the framework for the company’s responsibilities as part of a co-ordinated shared response to the health and well being of children. All directors and independent advisers will be made aware of these documents and how they can access them.

oWorking Together To Safeguard Children 2015

oFramework For The Assessment of Children in Need and their families 2000

oWhat to do if you’re worried A child is Being Abused (2015)

oMandatory reporting of female genital mutilation (2015)

oChildren and Social Work Act (2017)

Practice Guidance

This document has been designed to help directors and independent advisers know how to respond to situations where they may have concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a child that they have contact with in any situation.

Due to the nature of our work Health Education Partnership Limited may be in the frontline of work with some children and their families. This may mean that we are the first to know that a child has been abused or that we are concerned about a child’s wellbeing. Everyone has an equal responsibility to ensure that children’s needs are put first and to safeguard any child with whom we may come into contact. This responsibility rests not only with the Directors but also with every independent adviser within our company whilst at work or at home.

It is essential that all directors and independent advisers know how to respond in these circumstances.

All directors and independent advisers must endeavour at all times to safeguard all children from harm and exploitation whatever their:

oRace, Religion, First Language or Ethnicity

oGender or Sexuality

oAge

oHealth, ill-health or disability

oLocation or placement (e.g. living alone, in a hostel or residential unit, with their family or a foster family, as a tourist in a hotel etc)

oCriminal or offensive behaviour

oWealth or lack of it

oPolitical or immigration status

Individuals within the company need to be alerted to the potential abuse of children both within families and also from other sources including abuse bydirectors and independent advisers in our and other organisations. They need to know how to recognise and act upon indicators of abuse or potential abuse involving children. There is an expected responsibility for all members of the company to respond to any suspected or actual abuse of a child in accordance with the procedures provided.

Confidentiality

It is important for all directors and independent advisers to follow the statement of confidentiality outlined below:

We treat all children, young people, parents and families with respect. Information that is given to us will be treated confidentially and shared only with those persons who have an agreed reason to have the information. Information will only be passed to other people with the agreed consent of the person giving the information, except if there are concerns about the welfare of a child. In these circumstances a discussion will be held with the designated worker/line manager and if it is considered appropriate the information will be shared with professionals in the local authority/police/health.

Immediate Action

Immediate action may be necessary at any stage in involvement with children and families.It is always good practice to be as open and honest as possible with parents/carers about any concerns.

IN ALL CASES IT IS VITAL TO TAKE WHATEVER ACTION IS NECESSARY TO SAFEGUARD A CHILD. THIS MAY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

oIf emergency medical attention is required this can be secured by calling an ambulance (dial 999) or taking a child to the nearest Accident and Emergency Department.

oIf a child is in immediate danger the police should be contacted (dial 999) as they alone have the power to remove a child immediately if protection is necessary, via a Police Protection Order.

Recognition of Abuse or Neglect

‘Child abuse and neglect’ is a generic term encompassing all ill treatment of children, including serious physical and sexual assaults as well as cases where the standard of care does not adequately support the child’s health or development.

Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to prevent harm.

Children may be abused in the family or an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. An adult or adults or another child or children may abuse them.

Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2015 sets out definitions and examples of the four broad categories of abuse:

oPhysical abuse

oEmotional abuse

oSexual abuse

oNeglect

These categories overlap and an abused child does frequently suffer more than one type of abuse (e.g. a child may be suffering physical and emotional abuse).

1. Physical Abuse

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child (Working Together, 2015).

1. Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capacity, as well as over-protection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interactions. It may involve serious bullying causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone (Working Together, 2015).

1. Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative (e.g. rape or buggery or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts. They may include 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 (Working Together, 2015).

1. Neglect

Neglect involves the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health and development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food and clothing, shelter including exclusion from home or abandonment, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger, failure to ensure adequate supervision including the use of inadequate care-takers, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs (Working Together, 2015).

N.B. Children need to be protected even when it appears that they are not aware that the physical abuse, or sexual activity that they are involved in or witness, or the neglect they experience, is harmful to them.

Signs of Possible Abuse

When considering whether there is evidence to suggest a child or young person has been abused there are a number of possible indicators (listed below). However, there may be other explanations, so it is important not to jump to conclusions but rather seek advice from Children’s Services or the Police Child Abuse Investigation Unit. There may also be no signs or symptoms; this does not mean that a report of abuse is false.

1. Signs Suggesting Physical Abuse

oAny injuries not consistent with the explanation given for them

oInjuries that occur to the body in places, which are not normally exposed to falls, rough games etc.

oInjuries that have not received medical attention

oNeglect – under nourishment, failure to grow, constant hunger, stealing or gorging food, untreated illnesses, inadequate care etc.

oReluctance to change for, or participate in, games or swimming

oRepeated urinary infections or unexplained tummy pains.

oBruises, bites, burns, fractures etc that do not have an accidental explanation*

oCuts/scratches/substance abuse*

oChanges in routine

1. Indicators of Possible Sexual Abuse

oAny allegations made by a child concerning sexual abuse

oChild with excessive preoccupation with sexual matters and detailed knowledge of adult sexual behaviour, or who regularly engages in age-inappropriate sexual play

oSexual activity through words, play or drawing

oChild who is sexually provocative or seductive with adults

oInappropriate bed-sharing arrangements at home

oSevere sleep disturbances with fears, phobias, vivid dreams or nightmares, sometimes with overt or veiled sexual connotations

oEating disorders – anorexia, bulimia*

oBed wetting and soiling

1. Signs Suggesting Emotional Abuse

oChanges or regression in mood or behaviour, particularly where a child withdraws or becomes clingy – also depression/aggression, extreme anxiety

oNervousness, frozen watchfulness

oObsessions or phobias

oSudden under-achievement or lack of concentration

oInappropriate relationships with peers and/or adults

oAttention-seeking behaviour

oPersistent tiredness

oRunning away/stealing/lying

N.B. These signs may also indicate the possibility that a child or young person is self-harming.

What To Do If Children Talk To You About Abuse Or Neglect

oIt is recognised that a child may seek out an adult to share information about abuse or neglect with, or talk spontaneously either individually or in groups when an adult is present. In these situations directors and independent advisers members or volunteers must:

oListen carefully to the child, and NOT directly question the child.

oGive the child time and attention.

oAllow the child to give a spontaneous account; do not stop a child who is freely recalling significant events.

oMake an accurate record of the information given taking care to record the timing, setting and people present, the child’s presentation as well as what was said. Do not throw this away as it may later be needed as evidence.

oUse the child’s own words where possible.

oExplain that they cannot promise not to speak to others about the information they have shared.

• Reassure the child that:
• You are glad they have told them;
• S/he has not done anything wrong;
• What you are going to do next;
• Explain that you will need to get help to keep them safe;
• You must NOT ask the child to repeat his or her account of events to anyone.

Consulting about the concern

The purpose of consultation is to discuss concerns in relation to a child and decide what action is necessary. Directors and independent advisers or volunteers may become concerned about a child who has not spoken to them, because of something they have observed, or information they have heard about a child.

If a child is upset or has a visible injury it is good practice to ask them why they are upset or how a cut or bruise was caused, or respond to a child who wants to talk. This practice can help clarify vague concerns and result in appropriate action.

If directors and independent advisers are concerned about a child they must share their concerns. Initially they should talk to David Millard, Director of Health Education Partnership Limited.

If a member of our team is implicated in any concerns about a child, directors and independent advisers should discuss their concerns directly with the relevant Children’s Services Referral and Assessment Team. (See section on Allegations Management below)

Directors and independent advisers and volunteers should consult externally with the local Children’s Services Referral and Assessment Team in the following circumstances:

oWhen they remain unsure after internal consultation as to whether child protection concerns exist

oWhen there is disagreement as to whether child protection concerns exist

oWhen they are unable to consult promptly or at all with the designated internal contact for child protection

oWhen the concerns relate to any individual within our organisation

Consultation is not the same as making a referral but this should help a decision to be made as to whether a referral to Children’s Services or the Police should progress.

Making a referral

A referral involves giving Children’s Services or the Police, information about concerns relating to a child or family in order that enquiries can be undertaken by the appropriate agency followed by any necessary action.

In certain cases the level of concern will lead straight to a referral without external consultation being necessary.

Parents/carers should be informed if a referral is being made except in circumstances where it is considered that informing parents/carers would place a child, yourself or others at immediate risk.

However, inability to inform parents for any reason should not prevent a referral being made. It would then become a joint decision with Children’s Services about how and when the parents should be approached and by whom.

If the concern is about abuse or risk of abuse from someone not known to the child or child’s family, (stranger abuse) make a telephone referral directly to the police and advise the parents.

If the concern is about abuse or risk of abuse from a family member or someone known to the child, make a telephone referral to the local Children’s Services Referral and Assessment Team.

Information required

oDirectors and independent advisers should be prepared to give as much of the following information as possible (in emergency situations all of this information may not be available). Unavailability of some information should not stop anyone making a referral.

oProvide your name, telephone number, position and request the same details from the person to whom you are speaking.

oFull name and address, telephone number of family, date of birth of child and siblings.

oGender, ethnicity, first language, any special needs.

oNames, dates of birth and relationship of household members and any significant others.