Gateshead Council Learning and Schools

Safeguarding

Policy

Revised June 2016

Introduction

Gateshead Council Learning and Schools Servicestriveto adopt the highest possible standards to ensure the safety and welfare of everyone.

This policy applies to all staff, volunteers and partners who work with children (i.e. those aged under 16), young persons (i.e. those aged 16 to 18) and vulnerable adults (i.e. as defined by section 59 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and/or those persons aged over 18 who by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness are or may be unable to take care of themselves or are or may be unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation) whom Gateshead Council Learning and Schools encounters.

It is the responsibility of everyone within Gateshead Council Learning and Schoolsto record and report any concerns they have immediately.

Whatever your role, if you see, hear or know something that concerns you, and suspect that anyone is at risk of being harmed or abused, you must immediately report what you have seen, heard or know. Doing nothing is not an option.

While it is not possible to ensure that no one would ever come to harm, the adoption of this policy, associated guidelines and code of practice aims to facilitate the management of the risk associated with the duty to protectstaff and service users. .

Legislation

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 was passed as a result of the Bichard Inquiry arising from the Soham murders in 2002. This policy has been written in line with this act and is in place to ensure that

children, young people and vulnerable adults are protected from harm and abuse

staff and volunteers know what to do if they are worried or have concerns

everyone is responsible for safeguarding

learners and staff feel safe

This Policy should be read in conjunction with the following guidelines

Keeping Children Safe in Education (HMG July 2015)

Working Together to Safeguard Children (HMG March 2015)

What To do if You Are Worried a Child is being Abused (HMG March 2015)

Information Sharing (HMG March 2015)

Childcare Disqualification Guidance

Aim and Objectives

The essence of safeguarding is to protect the rights of children and young people to live in safety and be free from abuse, neglect and exploitation. This is in keeping with Gateshead Council’s Vision 2030

‘Local people realise their full potential, enjoying the best quality of life in a healthy, equal, safe, prosperous and sustainable Gateshead’

Protecting the rights of children and young people is at the heart of the Learning and Schools Mission statement which is:

  • To be a champion for education.
  • To be a champion for vulnerable children and young people
  • To ensure children and young people can access places within high quality schools/settings.

And their goal which is to provideExcellent education for everyone

Strategic Safeguarding Aims and Objectives

  • To identify, promote and deliver effective safeguarding practice for children, young people, vulnerable adults and families and service staff
  • To promote wellbeing
  • To prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse

This is undertaken through the safeguarding objective of:

  • Adopting a whole organisation approach towards safeguarding, to protect children, young people, vulnerable adults and service staff from harm.

Definition of Safeguarding

In relation to children and young people, safeguarding and promoting their welfare is defined in ‘Working together to safeguard children 2015’ as:

  • protecting children from maltreatment
  • preventing impairment of children’s health or development
  • ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
  • taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

It is on this basis that safeguarding action may be needed to protect children and learners from:

  • neglect
  • physical abuse
  • sexual abuse
  • emotional abuse

Safeguarding is not just about protecting children, young people and/or vulnerable adults, from deliberate harm, neglect and failure to act. It relates to broader aspects of care and education, including:

  • Children’s and learners’ health and safety and well-being
  • the use of reasonable force
  • meeting the needs of children and learners with medical conditions
  • providing first aid
  • educational visits
  • intimate care and emotional well-being
  • online safety and associated issues
  • appropriate arrangements to ensure children’s and learners’ security, taking into account the local context.

Additional information in relation to the definition of safeguarding can be found at Appendix 2

Responsibilities

Gateshead Council Learning and Schools Service fully recognises its responsibilities to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of all. To this end, it will ensure that:

lThe Service Director, asPrinciple Designated Safeguarding Lead for the Service, oversees this policy and champions protection issues, raise awareness and promote the welfare of all learners.

Every Team within the Service has a Designated SafeguardingLead

lProcedures are in place for reporting and dealing with allegations and/ or incidents relating to Safeguarding pertaining to staff, children and young people

lThe Designated Safeguarding Leads within each Team will receive appropriate training toensure they have the knowledge and skill needed to fulfil their duties.

lThat Designated Safeguarding Leads within Teams meet regularly to share experience and develop expertise, and review policy and practice.

lAll staff receive appropriate training and updates in Safeguarding

lThe Designated Safeguarding Leadsensure Gateshead Council Learning and Schools Service operates a safe recruitment policy in line with Council procedures. [for further information relating to Safer Recruitment see Appendix 3]

lGateshead Council Legal and Corporate Services approve this policy and that the policy is reviewed and updated regularly.

l

Where services or activities are provided separately by another agency Gateshead Council Learning and Schools will require assurance that the agency concerned has policies and procedures in place for safeguarding all learners which are compatible with this policy and procedures and there are arrangements in place to liaise with Gateshead Council Learning and Schools on these matters.

Designated Safeguarding Team

The Designated Safeguarding Team comprises of the Service Director (Principle Designated Safeguarding Lead) Learning and Schools together with the individual Team Designated Safeguarding Leads. Together they willundertake the role of ensuring staff, children and young people with whom the service worksare safeguarded.

The Service Director (Principle Designated Safeguarding Lead) has overarching responsibility for safeguarding within Gateshead Council Learning and Schools Service, ensuring that safeguarding policies and procedures are fully implemented.

Responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Team:

  • The Service Director Learning and Schools is the Principle Safeguarding Designated Person
  • The Designated Safeguarding Team Leads are the first point of contact for all staff and volunteers to go to for advice
  • Designated Safeguarding Team Leads have a higher level of safeguarding training and knowledge than the rest of the staff; the equivalent of Designated Teacher level in a school environment
  • Are responsible for ensuring that the Service’s safeguarding policy is kept up to date and reviewed at least every 2 years;
  • Ensure compliance with safer recruitment procedures for new staff members and their induction;
  • Assess information from staff regarding safeguarding concerns and identify the appropriate course of action
  • Ensure that concerns are logged and stored securely; this includes putting the event into context, noting the date and time and any actions which have been taken
  • Are responsible for ensuring that the Service’s safeguarding policy and related policies and procedures are implemented;
  • Are responsible for promoting safeguarding practice
  • Ensure that staff are appropriately vetted using the statutory requirements before appointing staff
  • Know the contact details (or where to find them) of relevant statutory agencies e.g. Children’s Social Work Services (CSWS), Police, Local Safeguarding Children Board, Local Safeguarding Adults Board, and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for allegations against staff.
  • Ensure that staff are aware of this policy and the associated procedures
  • Identifying any appropriate training that staff may require; ensuring as a minimal that all staff have the basic child protection training, which is updated on a regular basis
  • Ensure that, where appropriate, staff attend the required meetings and produce the required reports including strategy, core group and planning meetings

It is not the responsibility of the Designated Safeguarding Team to decide whether children, young people and/or vulnerable adults have been abused or not, that is the responsibility of investigative statutory agencies such as Children’s Social Work Services or the police.

However keeping children, young people and/or vulnerable adults safe is everybody’s business and all staff should know who to go to and how to report any concerns they may have about children, young people and/or vulnerable adults being harmed or at risk of being harmed.

Please note that vulnerable adults are supported through the Gateshead Safeguarding Adults from Abuse Multi-agency Policy and Procedures 2015 documents.

Staff

All staff within Gateshead Council Learning and Schools have a responsibility to ensure that children, young people and/or vulnerable adults are safe.

Staff must ensure they have the knowledge to identify Safeguarding Issues, and fully understand the procedures e.g. that they know who to go to and how to report any concerns they may have about children, young people and/or vulnerable adults being harmed or at risk of being harmed.

To assist this appropriate training and development will be provided.

Training and Support

The Learning and Schools Service will work closely with the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and Work Force Development Service who regularly run child protection training. Staff will undertake mandatory training in this area.All staff members will receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training which is regularly updated. In addition all staff members will receive safeguarding and child protection updates (for example, via email, e-bulletins and staff meetings), as required, but at least annually, to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.

Training activities will be recorded for staff who attend to ensure thatcurrency of training/qualification can be monitored. Where, for any reason, a staff member has not met the training requirements, managers will be responsible for ensuring compliance at the earliest opportunity. Failure to meet the mandatory training requirements of the Learning and Schools Servicemay result in disciplinary action being taken.

Where necessary, staff will receive supplementary training to ensure that they are able to fully implement the Safeguarding policy.

New members of staff will receive a thorough safeguarding induction which will include safeguarding training. Where they can show that they have completed the required standard of training recently, they may be exempt from some aspects of the training but will still be expected to be trained in the reporting methodology and expectations ofthe Learning and Schools Service.

Regular safeguarding updates are added to the Learning Platform to ensure that any updates or developments are disseminated to staff so they remain current. Staff also have access to the LSCB website.

Training will include a wide range of topics including, but not be restricted to:

  • Basic child protection procedures
  • Abuse
  • Bullying
  • De-escalation Techniques
  • Grooming
  • E-Safety
  • Radicalisation
  • Risk Assessment

All staff will receive a thorough safeguarding induction and training in relation to preventative action, roles and responsibilities and reporting mechanisms.

Risk Assessments

educationGateshead staff work across a range of settings in Gateshead and with children and young people with a varying needs. Where appropriate a risk assessments may needto be undertaken, for example when: :

  • it is known that a learner has a difficulty or disability that might impact on their learning. A Risk Assessments should be completed on the venue, activity and the learner. Such Risk Assessments will be held with the course/class register [as in learningSkills].
  • a learner is identified as having a difficulty or disability that might impact on their egress in cases of emergency in this case, a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) must also be produced
  • a learner displays behaviour which could put a member of staff at risk
  • parents are flagged as violent or aggressive or there is cause for concern expressed about staff undertaking home visits alone
  • An educational visit is being organised. In this case, the Visit Co-ordinatorwill be responsible for completing the required Risk Assessment. Gateshead Council uses EVOLVE to record visits and trips. All visits and trips must be uploaded no later than 4 weeks prior to a visit taking place. This will ensure that appropriate risk assessments and relevant documentation has been collated and recorded. Separate training for staff who use EVOLVE will be given.
  • Staff areengaged in Off Site and Lone Working arrangements. In this case, staff must be familiar with the Lone Working Policy and adhere to its requirements. The Lone Working Policy is based on a thorough appraisal of the Risks and how to mitigate them. [Further information relating to Lone Working is provided at Appendix 4]

Ensuring the Safety of Staff/Visitors/Learners

It should not be assumed that fire evacuation and first aid policies are the same in every venue that staff work in.When working in other venues; schools, children centres, libraries etc, all staff should be familiar with the arrangements relating to first aid and fire evacuation procedures;

First Aid –

lwho is first aid qualified and where the first aid box is located

Fire evacuation procedures.

lWhat to do in the event of a fire

lNearest fire exit

lLocation of assembly point Location of fire extinguishers

Further information relating to health and safety and safe working practices can be located in the Council’s Health and Safety policy located on the intranet or within the Employer Handbook.

Visitors

All visitors to Gateshead Council Dryden Centre will be required to sign in and out of the venue.

Staff must ensure that where they arrange meetings with visitors to the Dryden Centre they notify reception, ensure they are available to meet the visitor/s on arrival, and accompany the visitor throughout their stay.

Appendix 1: Related policies

Further information on any issues detailed in this policy can be located in your employee handbook or looking on the Council Intranet, VLE, internet or alternatively by contacting your designated person.

Council Disciplinary procedure

Council Grievance Procedure

Council Physical intervention

Council Bullying and Harassment Policy

Council Racist Incident Reporting Policy

Council Equality Policy

Council Health and Safety policy

Council Fraud and Corruption Policy

Council ICT security Policy

Council Child protection Policy

Council Code of Practice

Council Anti-Bullying Strategy for Children and Young People 2011-2014

Council Confidential Reporting Code (Whistle Blowing)

E-Safety

Appendix 2: Additional Information relating to the Safeguarding of Children, Young people and Vulnerable Adults and Forms of Abuse

Supporting learners

Statistically children, young people and/or adults with identified needs e.g. behavioural difficulties and/or disabilities are more vulnerable to abuse. Gateshead Council Learning and Schools Service staff who work in any capacity with children, young people and/or adults with profound and multiple disabilities, sensory impairment and/or emotional and behavioural problems will need to be particularly sensitive to signs of abuse.

Gateshead Council Learning and Schools Service recognise that children, young people and vulnerable adultswho are abused may find it difficult to develop a sense of self-worth and to view the world as benevolent and meaningful. They may have feelings of helplessness, humiliation and some sense of self-blame.

Gateshead Council Learning and Schools Service recognise that some children, young people and vulnerable adults actually adopt abusive behaviour and that these learners must be referred on for appropriate support and intervention.

Gateshead Council Learning and Schools Service will promote a positive, supportive and secure environment and will liaise with other agencies to ensure children; young people and vulnerable adults are valued and have an opportunity to achieve.

Definition of Safeguarding

In relation to children and young people, safeguarding and promoting their welfare is defined in ‘Working together to safeguard children’ as:

  • protecting children from maltreatment
  • preventing impairment of children’s health or development
  • ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
  • taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

It is on this basis that safeguarding action may be needed to protect children and learners from:

  • neglect
  • physical abuse
  • sexual abuse
  • emotional abuse
  • bullying, including online bullying and prejudice-based bullying
  • racist, disability and homophobic or transphobic abuse
  • gender-based violence/violence against women and girls
  • radicalisation and/or extremist behaviour
  • child sexual exploitation and trafficking
  • the impact of new technologies on sexual behaviour, for example sexting
  • teenage relationship abuse
  • substance misuse
  • issues that may be specific to a local area or population, for example gang activity and youth violence
  • domestic violence
  • female genital mutilation
  • forced marriage
  • fabricated or induced illness
  • poor parenting, particularly in relation to babies and young children
  • other issues not listed here but that pose a risk to children, young people and vulnerable adults.

The following are classified as categories of abuse: