Nottingham Education Ltd, Harby Cottage Clinton Avenue Nottingham NG5 1AW - 01159 621850

Safeguarding Policy

September 2017

Nottingham Education Ltd

Nottingham Education Ltd, Harby Cottage Clinton Avenue Nottingham NG5 1AW - 01159 621850

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Alternative Provision Commitment

3. Roles and Responsibilities

4. Types of abuse

5.. Procedures

6. Records

7. Supporting Pupils at Risk

8. Reporting Safeguarding Concerns about teachers and other members of staff

(including volunteers)

9. Dealing with Allegations

10. Nottingham City Council Safeguarding Documents and Guidance

11. Safeguarding test

Mission Statement

**Our mission is to work in partnership with parents and carers to provide high quality education for all our young people.**
**Inspiring young people to achieve their full potential academically and socially in a range of extracurricular activities.**
**Helping young people to respect themselves and the community they are in.**
**Practising core moral values and helping those in need, within our community and society as a whole.**

1. Introduction

At Nottingham Education we are committed to safeguarding children and young people and we expect everyone who works in our alternative provision to share this commitment. Adults in our AP take all welfare concerns seriously and encourage children and young people to talk to us about anything that worries them. We will always act in the best interest of the child. Nottingham Education fully recognises the contribution it can make to protect children and support pupils in the AP. The aim of the policy is to safeguard and promote our pupils’ welfare, safety and health by fostering an honest, open, caring and supportive climate. The pupils’ welfare is of paramount importance.

At Nottingham Education, pupils are taught about safeguarding, including online, through various teaching and learning opportunities, as part of providing a broad and balanced curriculum.

There are four main elements to our Safeguarding Policy:

• Prevention (e.g. positive AP atmosphere, teaching and pastoral support for pupils).
• Protection (by following agreed procedures, ensuring staff are trained and supported to respond appropriately and sensitively to Child Protection concerns).
• Support (to pupils and school staff and to children who may have been abused).
• Working with parents (to ensure appropriate communications and actions are undertaken).

This policy applies to all staff, directors and visitors to the AP.

Where the directorsprovides services or activities directly under the supervision or management of school staff, the school’s arrangements for safeguarding will apply. Where services or activities are provided separately by another body, the directors should seek assurance that the body concerned has appropriate policies and procedures in place to safeguard and protect children and there are arrangements to liaise with the AP on these matters where appropriate.

2. AP Commitment

The AP adopts an open and accepting attitude towards children as part of its responsibility for pastoral care. Staff hope that children and parents will feel free to talk about any concerns and will see the AP as a safe place when there are difficulties. Children’s worries and fears will be taken seriously and children are encouraged to seek help from members of staff.

Our AP will therefore:

• Establish and maintain an ethos where children feel secure and are encouraged to communicate, and are listened to;
• Ensure that children know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried or are in difficulty;
• Include in the curriculum activities and opportunities for PSHE/Citizenship which equip children with the skills they need to stay safe from abuse, and which will help children develop realistic attitudes to the responsibilities of adult life, particularly with regard to childcare and parenting skills;
• Ensure every effort is made to establish effective working relationships with parents and colleagues from other agencies;
• Operate safe recruitment procedures and make sure that all appropriate checks are carried out on new staff and volunteers who will work with children.
• Support staff to recognise that safeguarding concerns could happen anywhere and should be alert to possible concerns raised in this school.

The key training elements are:

Induction Training– Mandatory

DSLs – attend training every two years; and in addition to formal training, their knowledge and skills should be refreshed at regular intervals, at least annually.

All other staff – will receive regular safeguarding and child protection updates as required, but at least annually, to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.

Safer Recruitment training is available to all relevant staff and directors who are involved in the recruitment process.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

All adults working with or on behalf of children have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. There are, however, key people within schools and the Local Authority who have specific responsibilities. The names of those carrying these responsibilities for the current year are available in the main office and on the website

The Senior Designated Person is Mr James Hart who is the Head of Provision.

The additional Designated Persons are Mrs Emma Ridgardewho provide the additional support to ensure the responsibilities for child protection and safeguarding children are fully embedded within the APl ethos and specific duties are discharged. If any person has concerns regarding child protection please speak with one of the three named members of staff urgently.

The role of the Senior Designated Person for Child Protection includes:

Referrals

• Refer cases of suspected abuse or allegations to the relevant investigating agencies;
• Act as a source of support, advice and expertise within the educational establishment when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies;
• Liaise with the Directors to inform him/her of any issues and on-going investigations and ensure there is always cover for this role.

Training

• To recognise how to identify signs of abuse and when it is appropriate to make a referral;
• Have a working knowledge of how the Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board operates, the conduct of a child protection case conference, and be able to attend and contribute to these effectively when required to do so;
• Ensure each member of staff has access to and understands the AP’s Safeguarding Policy, especially new or part-time staff who may work with different educational establishments;
• Ensure all staff have induction training covering child protection and are able to recognise and report any concerns immediately they arise;
• Be able to keep detailed, accurate and secure written records of referrals/concerns;
• Obtain access to resources and attend any relevant or refresher training courses at least every two years.

Raising Awareness

• Ensure the school’s Child Protection Policy is updated and reviewed annually, and work with the Directors regarding this;
• Ensure parents see copies of the Child Protection Policy which alerts them to the fact that referrals may be made and the role of the school in this to avoid conflict later;
• Where children leave the AP, ensure their child protection file is discussed with the Senior Designated Person at the new establishment as soon as possible and the child protection file transferred separately from the main pupil file.

Head of Provision

The Head of Provision will ensure that:

• The policies and procedures adopted by the Directors are fully implemented, and followed by all staff;
• Sufficient resources and time are allocated to enable the designated person and other staff to discharge their responsibilities, including taking part in strategy discussions and other inter-agency meetings, and contributing to the assessment of children;
• All staff and volunteers feel able to raise concerns about poor or unsafe practice in regard to children, and such concerns are addressed sensitively and effectively in a timely manner in accordance with agreed whistle-blowing policies.

Directors

The Directors are accountable for ensuring that:

• Their AP has effective policies and procedures in place in accordance with this guidance, and monitoring the AP’s compliance with them;
• The Head of Provsision, and all other staff who work with children, undertake appropriate training which is kept up-to-date by refresher training at three yearly intervals.
• Temporary staff and volunteers who work with children are made aware of the school’s arrangements for child protection and their responsibilities.

The nominated Director for Child Protection is Mr James Hart

The LA Child Protection contact is: The Safeguarding Children in Education Officer, Nottingham City Safeguarding Children Board Nottingham City Council, Loxley House Station Street Nottingham NG2 3NG United Kingdom

4. Types of abuse

All staff are aware through training that there are different types of abuse.

Abuse: a form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults or by another child or children.

Physical abuse: a form of abuse which 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: the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’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 (including cyberbullying), 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, although it may occur alone.

Sexual abuse: involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

Neglect: 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 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); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

Child sexual exploitation is a form of sexual abuse where children are sexually exploited for money, power or status. It can involve violent, humiliating and degrading sexual assaults. In some cases, young people are persuaded or forced into exchanging sexual activity for money, drugs, gifts, affection or status. Consent cannot be given, even where a child may believe they are voluntarily engaging in sexual activity with the person who is exploiting them. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact and can happen online. A significant number of children who are victims of sexual exploitation go missing from home, care and education at some point.

Some of the following signs may be indicators of sexual exploitation:

Signs and symptoms of abuse

Physical Abuse / Emotional Abuse / Sexual Abuse / Neglect / FGM / CSE
Bruising .
Nervous behaviour.
Bite or burn marks.
Self-harm.
Flinching.
Sudden behaviour change.
Frequent absences.
Hinting at secrets.
Fear of a specific individual. / Aggressive behaviour.
Nervous behaviour.
Lack of confidence.
Self-harm.
Flinching.
Sudden behaviour changes.
Fear of making mistakes.
Lack of friends.
Fear of a specific individual. / Sexualised language
Nervous behaviour.
Lack of confidence
Self harm
Flinching
Sudden Behaviour changes.
Hinting at a secret
Lack of friends
Fear of a specific individual. / Stealing food
Nervous behaviour
Lack of confidence.
Frequent absences
Sudden behaviour changes.
Lack of friends.
Fear of a specific individual. / spend long periods of time away from the classroom during the day with bladder or menstrual problems
have prolonged absences from school plus a noticeable behaviour change
seek to be excused from physical exercise without the support of their GP / appear with unexplained gifts or new possessions;
associate with other young people involved in exploitation;
have older boyfriends or girlfriends; suffer from sexually transmitted infections or become pregnant;
suffer from changes in emotional well-being;
misuse drugs and alcohol;
go missing for periods of time or regularly come home late; and who regularly miss school or education or do not take part in education

5. Procedures

Where it is believed that a child may be suffering, or may be at risk of suffering significant harm, the school will follow procedures outlined by - the Nottingham City Council Safeguarding Children Board / DFE statutory guidance – Keeping Safe in Education (2016) / Working Together to Safeguard Children ( HM Govt. 2016). Parents should be aware that it is the role of the school to alert the appropriate agencies when a safeguarding concern has been raised.

6. Records and Monitoring

Well-kept records are essential to good child protection practice. All staff are clear about the need to record and report concerns about a child or children within our AP, this is to be done as promptly as possible and in writing. The Senior Designated Person is responsible for such records and for deciding at what point these records should be passed over to other agencies. Child Protection records are held separately from a child’s school file and in secure storage.

• It is reinforced that staff place all concerns in writing to the DSL as soon as possible, including any verbal conversations with key individuals.
• All concerns are to be taken to the safeguarding team and the DSL made aware.
• All concerns are stored in the DSL’s office and within a protected location on the school system.
• If it is deemed that the child is at risk, the DSL will make the decision to involve the appropriate agencies (E.G. police, social services, LADO).

Nottingham City Social Care - 8765600

Nottinghamshire Social Care – 0300 5008090

Families and Children Direct 01158764800

LADO- 0115 8041272

7. Supporting Pupils at Risk

Our school seeks to protect children and young people from being drawn into and against the messages of all violent extremism.

Students at risk of FGM

The Serious Crime Act 2015 sets out a duty on professionals (including teachers) to notify police when they discover that FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl under 18. In AP’s, this will usually come from a disclosure. Teachers must personally report to the police cases where they discover that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out; and discuss any such cases with the safeguarding lead and children’s social care. The duty does not apply in relation to at risk or suspected cases.

Students at risk of honour based crime

So-called ‘honour-based’ violence (HBV) encompasses crimes which have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or the community, including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, and practices such as breast ironing. All forms of so called HBV are abuse (regardless of the motivation) and should be handled and escalated as such.

Where staff are concerned that a child might be at risk of HBV, they must contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead as a matter of urgency.

Children missing education

Knowing where children are during AP hours is an extremely important aspect of Safeguarding. Missing AP can be an indicator of abuse and neglect and may also raise concerns about child sexual exploitation. We monitor attendance carefully and address poor or irregular attendance without delay. In response to the guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2016) the AP has:

1. Staff who understand what to do when children do not attend regularly

2. Appropriate policies, procedures and responses for pupils who go missing from education on repeat occasions.

3. Staff who know the signs and triggers for travelling to conflict zones, FGM and forced marriage.

Prevent Duty

As part of the Counter Terrorism and Act 2015, schools have a duty to‘ prevent people being drawn into terrorism’. This has become known as the ‘Prevent Duty’. Where staff are concerned that children and young people are developing extremist views or show signs of becoming radicalized, they should discuss this with the Designated Safeguarding Lead. The Designated Safeguarding Lead has received training about the Prevent Duty and tackling extremism and is able to support staff with any concerns they may have. The use of social media and the internet more generally as tools to radicalise young people online cannot be underestimated. We recognise that those that seek to recruit young people to follow extremist ideology often target those who are already vulnerable in some way and that exposure to extreme views can make young people vulnerable to further manipulation and exploitation. As anAP we are clear that we have a duty to safeguard young people from such dangers and we will actively promote resilience to such risks.