Child Protection and Safeguarding

Governors’ Statement of Policy

Date: December 2017

Date of next review: December 2018

Policy approved by: Governing Body

Persons responsible for this Policy: Steven Kitchen, Rachael Twining & Kirstie Andrew-Power (Designated Safeguarding Leads)

It is the School’s collective and moral accountability to provide the best quality learning for all - so everyone in the school community makes progress, achieves to their best, and is happy and well. This School therefore recognises its prime responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all its learners.

Young people have a right to feel secure and be well cared for and cannot learn and develop effectively unless they do so. Parents, carers and other people (including other young people) can harm young people either by direct acts or failure to provide proper care or both. Young people may suffer neglect; emotional, physical or sexual abuse or a combination of such types of abuse. All young people have a right to be protected from abuse.

What is Safeguarding?

There are many situations that young people may encounter that raise Safeguarding concerns. Staff and volunteers are required to be alert to such situations, to play their part in supporting young people to keep themselves safe and to report Safeguarding concerns to appropriate colleagues.

What is Child Protection?

Some young people are at risk of or have already suffered significant harm (abuse) and for these situations there are specific Child Protection procedures that staff, volunteers and other agencies must follow.

Our policies and procedures aim to:

  • Ensure we practice safe recruitment procedures for checking and recording the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with young people.
  • Raise awareness of child protection and safeguarding with staff, governors and volunteers to help them understand and discharge their roles and responsibilities
  • Develop, implement and review procedures in the School that enable staff and volunteers to identify and report cases, potential cases and suspected cases, of significant harm (abuse) and the range of safeguarding concerns
  • Raise awareness of child protection and safeguarding issues and equip young people with the skills needed to keep themselves safe
  • Establish a safe environment in which young people can learn and develop
  • Provide an environment in which young people feel to talk about any concerns they may have
  • Address concerns at an early stage
  • Support young people with additional needs eg through referrals for external support such as Early Help Hub, Supporting Families, through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), The Locality Team, School Health, the Education Psychology Service.
  • Support young people who have suffered or at risk of significant harm, in accordance with their Child Protection Plan or Child in Need Plan
  • Ensure that allegations or concerns about staff and volunteers are dealt with in accordance with DfE and LSCB guidance / procedures.
  • Staff will attend case conferences and planning meetings in order to work with the agencies involved in the Child Protection Procedures, to support the young person.
  • The School will notify the appropriate social worker of any unexplained absence of 2 days or more for a young person with a CPP.

Whole school responsibilities:

The School publishes their safeguarding policies and practices on its website, and information and activity is provided for parents supporting them in their role in keeping their children safe.

Staff in the School are given guidance and training throughout the school year on the need to be alert for signs of abuse and on the procedures to be followed in cases where significant harm is disclosed or suspected. Staff are given clear training and guidance to be vigilant in not promising confidentiality to a young person but will treat all disclosures with strictest confidence within the bounds of the information sharing protocols and child protection procedures regarding disclosures.

The School follows the procedures and practices outlined in the following statutory documentation:

  • Working together to safeguard children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children March 2015

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/419595/Working_Together_to_Safeguard_Children.pdf

  • Working together to safeguard children: Government consultation response March 2015

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416795/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_government_consultation_response.pdf

  • Prevent Duty for England and Wales (2015) under section 26 of the counter terrorism and Security Act 2015
  • Section 5B of the female genital mutilation Act 2003 (as inserted by section 74 of the serious crimes act 2015)
  • Dealing with allegations of Abuse against Teachers and other staff (2012)
  • Guidance through The Hampshire Safeguarding Children Board:
  • OFSTED requirements for Academies September 2015
  • The Data Protection Act 1998 (relevant: part 1 and schedule 11) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents
  • Keeping Children Safe in Education (2016) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/550511/Keeping_children_safe_in_education.pdf

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) (Kirstie Andrew-Power) is responsible for safeguarding across the Gosport and Fareham Multi Academy Trust and is an Associate Head Teacher working within the Headship Team. Steven Kitchen and Rachel Twining are the DSL’s at Bay House School and Brune Park respectively. They are informed of all cases of disclosure of abuse, suspicion of abuse and where there is potential for abuse, they ensure that the Children’s Services Department is informed. The DSL’s receive referrals and information from External Agencies and follows information sharing protocols if the information received needs to be shared internally. They work closely with the Head of Virtual School, and three Heads of School all have responsibility to identify and support young people who have increased vulnerabilities due to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Looked after Children.

The deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads are Deanne Coombs, Head of the Virtual School and SENCO, and Gill Halls Head of School.

The Responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Lead are shown in Annex 3.

Responsibilities of Adults within the school community

  • All adults are required to be aware of and alert to the signs of abuse and a range of potential safeguarding concerns
  • If an adult identifies that a young person may be in an abusive situation they should record their concerns and report them as soon as practical to one of the Safeguarding team. If there is likelihood of immediate risk to the young person, the information must be discussed with the DSL or Deputy DSLs without delay
  • If a young person discloses allegations of abuse to an adult, the adult will follow the guidance in the Annex to this policy
  • If the disclosure is an allegation against a member of staff or volunteer working in the School or in school-related activities, the adult to whom the disclosure is made will inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy DSL or if not available, another member of the Headship Group, who will follow the procedures as defined in the separate document ‘Allegations of abuse against staff and volunteers’.
  • All adults are required to comply with the Bay House Code of Conduct for Staff and Volunteers This includes reporting concerns about the conduct of other members of staff and volunteers. If a member of staff has reported serious concerns and is not satisfied that the School and/ or Governing Body is dealing with the matter as required by this Policy or the law, the NSPCC’s ‘Whistleblowing’ helpline is available to them (0800 028 0285). Please also refer to the School’s own Policy in Protected Disclosures
  • Report allegations of child abuse from a member of staff
  • If staff members have concerns about another staff member, then this should be referred to the headteacher or principal. Where there are concerns about the headteacher or principal, this should be referred to the chair of governors, chair of the management committee or proprietor of an independent school as appropriate. In the event of allegations of abuse being made against the headteacher, where the headteacher is also the sole proprietor of an independent school, allegations should be reported directly to the designated officer(s) at the local authority (LADO). Staff may consider discussing any concerns with the school’s designated safeguarding lead and make any referral via them.

Physical Restraint

We do all we can within our school to manage behaviour positively. However, there are times when we may need to use force to keep a child or children safe, or to maintain good order within the school. In such cases, we would always act within the principle of reasonable force. We have a policy which gives more detailed guidance on the use of restrictive physical intervention. This policy is available to parents on request.

As a school we will educate and encourage young people to Keep Safe through:

  • The content of the curriculum – including the tutor time programme, assemblies and citizenship schemes of learning.
  • A school ethos which promotes a positive, supportive and secure environment and gives young people a sense of being valued and respected
  • The creation of a culture which helps young people to feel safe and able to talk freely about their concerns, believing that they will be listened to and taken seriously.

Annual review: As a school, we review this policy annually in line with Local Safeguarding Children’s Board procedures, Local Authority and DfE guidance.

Annex 1

Safeguarding and Child Protection Governors’ Statement of Policy

WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE?

What is abuse and neglect?

Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Young people may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. They may be abused by an adult or adults, or other young people.

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.

Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the young person’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to young people that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on young people. These may include interactions that are beyond the young person’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying, causing young people frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of young people. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

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, buggery or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving young people in looking at, or in the production of, sexual online images, watching sexual activities, or encouraging young people to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Neglect

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a young person’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the young person’s health or 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, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment)
  • protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
  • ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers)
  • ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment

It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a young person’s basic emotional needs.

Indicators of Abuse

NEGLECT

The nature of neglect

Neglect is a lack of parental care but poverty and lack of information or adequate services can be contributory factors. Far more young people are registered to the category of neglect on child protection plans than to the other categories. As with abuse, the number of young people experiencing neglect is likely to be much higher than the numbers on the plans.

Neglect can include parents or carers failing to:

  • provide adequate food, clothing and shelter
  • protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
  • ensure adequate supervision or stimulation
  • ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.

NSPCC research has highlighted the following examples of the neglect of children under 12

  • frequently going hungry
  • frequently having to go to school in dirty clothes
  • regularly having to look after themselves because of parents being away or having problems such as drug or alcohol misuse
  • being abandoned or deserted
  • living at home in dangerous physical conditions
  • not being taken to the doctor when ill
  • not receiving dental care.

Neglect is often linked to other forms of abuse, so any concerns school staff have should at least be discussed with the designated person/child protection co-ordinator.

Indicators of neglect

The following is a summary of some of the indicators that may suggest a child is being abused or is at risk of harm. It is important to recognise that indicators alone cannot confirm whether a child is being abused. Each child should be seen in the context of their family and wider community and a proper assessment carried out by appropriate persons. What is important to keep in mind is that if you feel unsure or concerned, do something about it. Don’t keep it to yourself. Neglect is a difficult form of abuse to recognise and is often seen as less serious than other categories. It is, however, very damaging: young people who are neglected often develop more slowly than others and may find it hard to make friends and fit in with their peer group. Neglect is often noticed at a stage when it does not pose a risk to the child.

The duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of young people (What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused 2006) would suggest that an appropriate intervention or conversation at this early stage can address the issue and prevent a child continuing to suffer until it reaches a point when they are at risk of harm or in significant need.

Physical indicators of neglect
  • Constant hunger and stealing food
  • Poor personal hygiene - unkempt, dirty or smelly
  • Underweight
  • Dress unsuitable for weather
  • Poor state of clothing
  • Illness or injury untreated
  • Looking sad, false smiles
/ Behavioural indicators of neglect
  • Constant tiredness
  • Frequent absence from school or lateness
  • Missing medical appointments
  • Isolated among peers
  • Frequently unsupervised
  • Stealing or scavenging, especially food
  • Destructive tendencies

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EMOTIONAL ABUSE

The nature of emotional abuse

Most harm is produced in low warmth, high criticism homes, not from single incidents. Emotional abuse is difficult to define, identify/recognise and/or prove. Emotional abuse is chronic and cumulative and has a long-term impact. All kinds of abuse and neglect have emotional effects although emotional abuse can occur by itself. Young people can be harmed by witnessing someone harming another person – as in domestic violence.

Indicators of emotional abuse

The following is a summary of some of the indicators that may suggest a child is being abused or is at risk of harm. It is important to recognise that indicators alone cannot confirm whether a child is being abused. Each child should be seen in the context of their family and wider community and a proper assessment carried out by appropriate persons. What is important to keep in mind is that if you feel unsure or concerned, do something about it. Don’t keep it to yourself. It is sometimes possible to spot emotionally abusive behavior from parents and carers to their young people, by the way that the adults are speaking to, or behaving towards young people. An appropriate challenge or intervention could affect positive change and prevent more intensive work being carried out later on.

Developmental issues

  • Delays in physical, mental and emotional development
  • Poor school performance
  • Speech disorders, particularly sudden disorders or changes.

Behaviour

  • Acceptance of punishment which appears excessive
  • Over-reaction to mistakes
  • Continual self-deprecation (I’m stupid, ugly, worthless etc)
  • Neurotic behaviour (such as rocking, hair-twisting, thumb-sucking)
  • Self-mutilation
  • Suicide attempts
  • Drug/solvent abuse
  • Running away
  • Compulsive stealing, scavenging
  • Acting out
  • Poor trust in significant adults
  • Regressive behaviour – eg, wetting
  • Eating disorders
  • Destructive tendencies
  • Neurotic behaviour
  • Arriving early at school, leaving late

Social issues

  • Withdrawal from physical contact
  • Withdrawal from social interaction
  • Over-compliant behaviour
  • Insecure, clinging behaviour
  • Poor social relationships

Emotional responses

  • Extreme fear of new situations
  • Inappropriate emotional responses to painful situations (“I deserve this”)
  • Fear of parents being contacted
  • Self-disgust
  • Low self-esteem
  • Unusually fearful with adults
  • Lack of concentration, restlessness, aimlessness
  • Extremes of passivity or aggression

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PHYSICAL ABUSE

Indicators of Abuse

The following is a summary of some of the indicators that may suggest a child is being abused or is at risk of harm. It is important to recognise that indicators alone cannot confirm whether a child is being abused. Each child should be seen in the context of their family and wider community and a proper assessment carried out by appropriate persons. What is important to keep in mind is that if you feel unsure or concerned, do something about it. Don’t keep it to yourself. Most young people collect cuts and bruises quite routinely as part of the rough and tumble of daily life. Clearly, it is not necessary to be concerned about most of these minor injuries. But accidental injuries normally occur on the bony prominences – eg shins. Injuries on the soft areas of the body are more likely to be inflicted intentionally and should therefore make us more alert to other concerning factors that may be present.