All Adults in School Share the Duty and Responsibility for the Protection of All Children

ST PATRICK’S RC PRIMARY SCHOOL

NURSERY CLASS

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

Introduction:

Annual review required

"Every adult in Scotland has a role in ensuring that all our children and young people live safely and can reach their full potential. Teachers and school staff provide support to children and young people in their daily work and have a vital role in protecting children and young people from harm.

School staff must be effectively prepared and supported for their role. Any action in response to a child or young person's need for help and support, or action to protect them, must be properly coordinated in schools.

Schools must have appropriate policies and practices that help to keep children and young people safe and well. Schools should also provide appropriate learning opportunities that enable children to develop the skills to protect themselves and make positive and safe life choices."

'Safe and Well. A Handbook for Staff,

Schools and Education Authorities' Scottish Executive 2005

Annual review required

The protection, care, welfare and safety of children, is of paramount importance in St Patrick’s Primary School and Nursery Class. All adults in school share the duty and responsibility for the protection of all children. This document applies to all classes: Nursery to Primary 7.

The Headteacher in St Patrick’s Primary School is the designated member of the management team who is responsible for the coordination of the Child Protection Procedures

i.e. the Headteacher is the Child Protection Coordinator

The Headteacher is responsible for:

Ensuring that all staff follow this policy and the Child Protection Guidelines (Appendix 1)

Liaising with the Head of Schools Management or Quality Improvement Manager, as appropriate

Ensuring that all staff are aware of Falkirk Council’s Child Protection Procedures and their responsibilities as part of Education Services

Ensuring that procedures are implemented and followed

Alerting relevant staff to pupils who are considered to be at risk

Coordinating appropriate participation at child protection case conferences, including the provision of reports and attendance at conferences, as requested by the authority’s Child Protection

Coordinator

Coordinating staff development related to Child Protection in consultation with Support Officer guidance

Making available to staff, information received from Falkirk Council’s Child Protection Committee

Liaising with the members of staff responsible for curricular programmes of Personal, Social and Health Education in relation to child protection, care, welfare and safety

Ensuring parents/carers are made aware of the responsibilities of Education Services’ staff in relation to the protection of children through, for example, ensuring the inclusion of information in the school brochure

Ensuring that the Depute Headteacher is aware of the procedures and will deputise in the absence of the Headteacher

Referring concerns:

The aim of this procedure is to alert Social Work Services to the possibility that a pupil has been abused so that appropriate action can be taken.

When a member of staff has suspicions that a pupil has been abused, he/she must bring these to the attention of the Headteacher. Please note, the procedures instruct staff to report suspicions, not certainty of abuse.

Education Services’ staff must not become involved in investigating abuse. Suspicions must be reported so that Social Work Services, in conjunction with the Police, can carry out the investigation where appropriate.

The Headteacher must, immediately, take the following action:

Notify, by telephone, the local Children and Families Team Manager

Make a note of the name of the person who received the information from you as this is needed when completing form CP1

After telephoning the above, complete form CP1 (Appendix 2) and retain it in a confidential file which is kept in HT’s office, sending, under confidential cover, copies to:

-Child Protection Coordinator, Social Work Services, Brockville, Falkirk, FK1 5RW

-Head of Schools Management, Education Services,

Sealock House, Grangemouth

-Principal Psychologist, Education Psychology Services,

Sealock House, Grangemouth

A copy of the CP1 must be retained on file throughout their school career. The pupil’s PPR is marked with a red flag to indicate CP forms are on file.

When the allegation involves the Headteacher, the member of staff making the referral should contact by telephone the Head of Schools Management, telephone 01324 506683. Thereafter, the Head of Schools Management will be responsible for taking forward the appropriate procedures.

When the allegation involves a member of staff, other than the Headteacher, the referrals should be made in the normal way but additionally the Head of Schools Management or Quality Improvement Manager should be advised by telephone as soon as possible.

This policy mirrors the document set out in Service Circular No. 9. The procedures have been taken from best practice set out in Protecting Children and Young People: Practitioners Handbook. Our associated list of key personnel was updated in June 2010.

All staff receive an update on the policy and procedures in August each year.

St Patrick’s Primary and Nursery Class

Appendix 1: Child Protection Procedures – Guidelines

Staff will be made aware of those children who have been identified by the Social Work Department or other agencies as at risk of abuse and should maintain an awareness of the nature of the abuse. This will take place during the annual consultation for receiving teachers in June, or throughout the year as a new situation occurs.

Child Protection information may be obtained from the Headteacher – PPRs are indicated with a red flag. The information is strictly confidential and this confidentiality must not be abused.

If a member of staff suspects that a child may have been the victim of abuse, he or she should immediately bring this to the attention of the Headteacher, or in the manager’s absence, the Depute Headteacher or Principal Teacher who should take action outlined in Education Services: Service Circular No. 9.

If there are no members of the management team available, for whatever reason, then the staff member raising the suspicion must telephone the Children and Families Team at Denny Social Work Office (504160). The duty officer or a social worker will provide advice. Note the date, time, person’s name and content of conversation for transfer to the CP1 form (Appendix 2). A chronology log is started at this point (Appendix 3).

Education Services provides information for all staff on the intranet:

Service Circular 9 – Child Protection Policy
Protecting Children and Young People: Practitioners Handbook

The above documents, as well as, the school’s policy, guidelines and associated materials, including key personnel details (Appendix 4), are available to all staff in the conference room. National documents are available on the internet.

Recognising Indicators of Abuse and Neglect:

Although most injuries to children are accidental it is vital that all staff should be alert for possible signs of neglect and non-accidental injury. To this end, annual training in Child Protection Policy and Procedures takes place, in school, each August In-Service Day. It is delivered by the Headteacher. There is, also, a school commitment to having staff trained in Child Protection externally on a rolling programme, subject to budget and cover restraints.

There are a number of signs which on their own, or in combination, may indicate that a child has been abused. Among these are:

appearance - inappropriate dress, hungry, tired

mood - changed, unusually withdrawn, aggressive, emotionally fragile, low self-esteem, destructive tendencies

relationships - changes in the way the child or young person works, plays or interacts with peers or staff

unexplained yet significant changes in patterns - attendance, attainment

inappropriate sexual language or behaviour

development difficulties or delay

compulsive stealing

untreated medical problems

unexplained bruises or other injuries

something said or overheard.

Categories of Abuse:

Physical injury is defined as:

actual or attempted physical injury to a child, including the administration of toxic substances, where there is definite knowledge, or reasonable suspicion, that the injury was inflicted or knowingly not prevented.

Indicators include:

bruising, fractures, scratches, burns, scalds, poisoning, drowning, smothering

unreasonable physical chastisement

serious risk or actual injuries resulting from parental lifestyle prior to birth

running away, secretive/defensive behaviour, unexplained absences

repeated visits to Accident and Emergency departments.

Attention is drawn to these indicators where the injuries are not consistent with the age of the child or young person, on soft tissue areas or with the explanation given.

Sexual abuse is defined as:

when any child may be deemed to have been sexually abused when any person(s), by design or neglect, exploits the child, directly or indirectly, in any activity intended to lead to sexual arousal or other form of gratification of that person or any other person(s), including organised networks.

This definition holds whether or not there has been genital contact and whether or not the child is said to have initiated the behaviour.

Indicators include:

sexually explicit behaviour or language, overly affectionate or withdrawn behaviour, knowledge beyond age and stage of development

sexually transmitted infection, pregnancy

specific illness or injury, poor personal hygiene

depression, self harming.

Emotional abuse is defined as:

failure to provide for the child's basic emotional needs, such as, to a severe effect on the behaviour and development of the child.

It may include the following types of behaviour towards the child or young

person: constant ridicule, found wanting, denigration, rejection, scapegoating, focus of all things negative, isolation from

normal social experiences, encouragement to behave in anti-social ways, prevention of forming friendships.

Indicators include:

parental attitude of high criticism and low warmth

nervousness, anxiety, withdrawn, low self-esteem and self confidence

panic attacks, developmental delay, obsessive or compulsive behaviour

attention seeking

aggressive, self harming behaviours.

Physical neglect is defined as:

when a child's essential needs are not met and this is likely to cause impairment to physical health and development. Such needs include food, clothing, cleanliness, shelter and warmth. A lack of appropriate care may result in persistent or severe exposure, through negligence, to circumstances which endanger the child.

Physical neglect may also include a failure to secure appropriate medical treatment, failure to ensure that a child follows a course of medical treatment; lack of proper supervision; persistent exposure to a lifestyle inappropriate to the development or needs of the child.

Indicators include:

constant hunger, stealing food, inappropriate size and weight

distress, unhappiness, poor concentration, attention seeking, inappropriate self-caring, body odours, inappropriate dress

financial problems

bullied

untreated illness or injury, lack of parental presence.

Non-organic failure to thrive is defined as:

when children significantly fail to reach normal growth and developmental milestones i.e. physical growth, weight, motor, social and intellectual development, where physical and genetic reasons for the failure have been medically eliminated and a diagnosis of non-organic failure to thrive has been established.

Non-organic failure to thrive may be a consequence of a complex interplay between physical and emotional deprivation. In its chronic form it can lead to greater susceptibility to more serious childhood illnesses and for younger children especially, may be life threatening in a relatively short period of time.

Indicators include:

developmental delay including language, intellectual, motor, social and behavioural;

behavioural signs such as still, unresponsive, confused, insecure, sad, anxious, detached, minimal or lack of smiling, frantic.

St Patrick’s Primary and Nursery Class

Appendix 2: Child Protection 1 Form

CONFIDENTIAL FORM CP1

FALKIRK COUNCIL : EDUCATION SERVICES

CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES

1. Name of Pupil...... Date of Birth......

Address......

......

Previous Address......

......

2.School......

3. Name of Parent/Guardian......

4. When were suspicions reported to headteacher or other member of teaching staff?

Date...... Time......

5. Are either or both parents aware that this case has been referred YES/NO

under the Child Protection Procedures?

6. Has the young person expressed a view on this information

being passed on under the Procedures? YES/NO

7. Contact with Social Services

(a) Which Area Office of the Social Work Service was contacted?

......

(b) Name of member of Social Work Services contacted ......

......

8. State what suspicions were.

(Continue on a separate sheet if necessary and use a diagram if appropriate)

......

9. Name, designation and signature of member of staff who reported the suspected abuse to the headteacher/manager

Name......

Designation......

Signature...... Date......

Signed...... Date......

Headteacher/Manager

Copy to:

Child Protection Co-ordinator

Head of Service

Principal Psychologist

Team Manager, Social Work

St Patrick’s Primary and Nursery Class

Appendix 5: Updated June 2010

LIST OF KEY PERSONNEL- Please complete and keep in School/Nursery office

Child Protection Co-ordinator in Establishment:
Name: Anne O’Donnell Tel: 01324 508840
E-mail:
Name of Depute CPC:
Name: Francis McIntyre Tel: 01324 508840
E-mail:
Falkirk Council Education Services Senior Officer with Responsibility for Child Protection:
Name: Alex Black Tel: 01324 506629
E-mail:
Falkirk Council Education Services Principal Educational Psychologist:
Name: Nick Balchin Tel: 01324 504681
E-mail:
Social Work Services Local Children and Families Team:
Location: Denny Social Work Office Tel: 01324 504160
Fax: 01324 504161
Falkirk Council Child Protection Co-ordinator:
Name: Mary Mitchell Tel: 01324 504222
E-mail:
Central Scotland Police Local Community/Liaison Officer:
Name: Tel:01324 823688
Ask for local Child Protection Liaison Officer
Forth Valley Health Board
Local Health Visitor: Contact medical centre listed on child’s PPR
School’s Nurse:
Name: Jan Wighton Tel: 01324 624611
E-mail:
Curriculum Support Officer:
Name: Marian Boyle Tel: 01324 506636
E-mail:

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