COPTHORNE PRIMARY SCHOOL

SAFEGUARDING & CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

Date of issue / Review date / Date ratified by Governing Body
October 2015 / October 2016 / October 2015
Print name / Signature / Date
Head of School / Mrs C Shepherd
On behalf of Governing Body / Nadia Hussain


Safeguarding Policy for Copthorne Primary School

“Because of their day to day contact with individual children during the school terms, teachers and other school staff are particularly well placed to observe the outward signs of abuse, changes in behaviour or failure to develop.” (Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015)

Copthorne Primary School fully recognises its responsibilities for child protection and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its pupils.

This policy has been developed in accordance with the principles established by the Children Acts 1989 and 2004; the Education Act 2002, and in line with government publications: ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ 2015, Revised Safeguarding Statutory Guidance 2 ‘Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families’ 2000, ‘What to do if You are Worried a Child is Being Abused’ 2015 and Information Sharing 2015. The guidance reflects, ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ 2015 and our responsibilities with regard to the Prevent Strategy 2011.

Copthorne Primary School recognises that a number of other policies and procedures developed and operated by school form part of the wider agenda of Safeguarding, protecting and Promoting Children’s Welfare and this policy should be read in conjunction with the policies listed below:

·  Whole school anti bullying policy

·  Behaviour policy

·  Pupil Restraint policy

·  Health and safety policy

·  Safer recruitment policies and practice

·  Lettings policy

·  Induction and Code of conduct for staff

·  Website Policy

·  Meeting the needs of Pupils with Medical Conditions

·  Intimate Care

·  Disclosure and Barring

·  Educational Visits

·  Disqualification by Association

Our policy applies to all staff, governors, volunteers and visitors to the school. There are five main elements to our policy:

Ø  Ensuring we practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers to work children

Ø  Raising awareness of child protection issues and equipping children with the skills needed to keep them safe

Ø  Developing and then implementing procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse

Ø  Supporting pupils who have been abused in accordance with his/her agreed child

protection plan

Ø  Establishing a safe environment in which children can learn and develop

Overall aims:

·  To support the child’s development in ways that will foster security, confidence and independence

·  To provide an environment in which children and young people feel safe, secure, valued and respected, and feel confident, and know how to approach adults if they are in difficulties, believing they will be effectively listened to

·  To raise the awareness of all teaching and non-teaching staff of the need to safeguard children and of their responsibilities in identifying and reporting possible cases of abuse

·  To ensure staff are aware of the Prevent Strategy and able to protect children and young people who are vulnerable or at risk of being radicalised

·  To provide a systematic means of monitoring children known or thought to be at risk of harm, and ensure we, the school, contribute to assessments of need and support packages for those children

·  To develop a structured procedure within the school which will be followed by all members of the school community in cases of suspected abuse, extremism and radicalisation

·  To develop and promote effective working relationships with other agencies including local prevent co-ordinators and police

·  To ensure that all staff working within our school who have substantial access to children have been checked as to their suitability, including verification of their identity, qualifications, a satisfactory DBS check and, where relevant, a disqualification by association declaration. This will be kept on a central record for audit.

Safe School & Safe Staff

We will ensure that all members of the governing body understand and fulfil their responsibilities, namely to ensure that:

·  There is a Child Protection policy together with a staff behaviour (code of conduct) policy

·  The school operates safer recruitment procedures by ensuring that there is at least one person on every recruitment panel that has completed Safer Recruitment training

·  The school has procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse against staff and volunteers and to make a referral to the DBS if a person in regulated activity has been dismissed or removed due to safeguarding concerns, or would have had they not resigned.

·  A senior leader has Lead Designated Child Protection Officer (DCPO) responsibility

·  On appointment, the DSL undertakes interagency training and also undertake DSL ‘new to role’ and an ‘update’ course every 2 years

·  All other staff have Safeguarding training updated as appropriate

·  Ensure staff are aware of the risks to children and young people of being radicalised and provide WRAP (workshop to raise awareness of prevent) training

·  A member of the Governing Body, usually the Chair, is nominated to liaise with the LA on Child Protection issues and in the event of an allegation of abuse made against the Executive Head or Head of School

·  Child Protection policies and procedures are reviewed annually and that the Child Protection policy is available on the school website or by other means

·  Teachers are aware they have a mandatory duty to report disclosures of FGM of girls under 18

·  The Governing Body considers how children may be taught about safeguarding. This may be part of a broad and balanced curriculum covering relevant issues through personal social health and economic education (PSHE), sex and relationship education (SRE), SMSC and Citizenship

·  That enhanced DBS checks are in place for the Chair of Governors

·  The Designated Lead, Frances Whalley, is a member of the Senior Leadership Team. The Deputy Designated Leads are Christabel Shepherd, Chris Lloyd and Duncan Jacques

·  The Designated Safeguarding Lead and DDL’s who are involved in recruitment and at least one member of the governing body will also complete safer recruitment training to be renewed every 5 years

·  All members of staff and volunteers are provided with child protection and prevent awareness information at induction.

·  Ensure staff and governors are aware of how to identify and respond to risks to children from extreme or radical views

·  All members of staff are trained in and receive regular updates in e-safety and reporting concerns

·  All other staff and governors, have child protection awareness training, updated by the DSL as appropriate, to maintain their understanding of the signs and indicators of abuse.

·  All members of staff, volunteers, and governors know how to respond to a pupil who discloses abuse through delivery of induction procedures.

·  All parents/carers are made aware of the responsibilities of staff members with regard to child protection procedures through publication of the school’s Child Protection Policy, and reference to it in our Parents’ Handbook and on the school website

·  We will ensure that child protection type concerns or allegations against adults working in the school are referred to the LADO for advice, and that any member of staff found not suitable to work with children will be notified to the Disclosure and Barring Service for consideration for barring, following resignation, dismissal, or when we cease to use their service as a result of a substantiated allegation, in the case of a volunteer.

·  Our procedures will be regularly reviewed and up-dated.

·  The names of the designated members of staff for Child Protection will be clearly advertised in school.

·  All new members of staff will be given a copy of our safeguarding statement, and child protection policy, with the DL & DDL names clearly displayed, as part of their induction into the school.

·  A child going missing from education is a potential indicator of abuse or neglect. We will have clear guidelines and procedures in place for reporting missing children to the local authority and identify children who are repeatedly missing from education to help prevent risks of pupils going missing in the future.

The Designated Lead and DDL’s are responsible for:

·  Referring a child if there are concerns about possible abuse, and acting as a focal point for staff to discuss concerns. Referrals should be made in writing, following a telephone call using the Bradford Common Referral Form for Social Care

·  Keeping written records of concerns about a child even if there is no need to make an immediate referral

·  Ensuring that all such records are kept confidentially and securely and are separate from pupil records, until the child’s 25th birthday, and are copied on to the child’s next school or college.

·  Liaising with other agencies and professionals.

·  Ensuring that either they or the staff member attend case conferences, core groups, or other multi-agency planning meetings, contribute to assessments, and provide a report which has been shared with the parents.

·  Ensuring that any pupil currently with a child protection plan who is absent in the educational setting without explanation for two days is referred to their key worker’s Social Care Team.

·  Organising child protection induction, and update training every 3 years, for all school staff.

·  Providing an annual report for the governing body, detailing any changes to the policy and procedures; training undertaken by the DL & DDL, and by all staff and governors; number and type of incidents/cases, and number of children on the child protection register (anonymised)

Our role in supporting children

We will offer appropriate support to individual children who have experienced abuse or who have abused others.

Ø  An individual support plan will be devised, implemented and reviewed regularly for these children. This plan will detail areas of support, and who will be involved.

Ø  We will ensure the school works in partnership with parents / carers and other agencies as appropriate.

A Safe School Culture

Safe Recruitment and Selection

The school pays full regard to Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education. Safe recruitment practice includes scrutinising applicants, verifying identity and academic or vocational qualifications, obtaining professional and character references, checking previous employment history and ensuring that a candidate has the health and physical capacity for the job. It also includes undertaking interviews and, where appropriate, undertaking DBS and disqualification by association checks.

All recruitment materials will include reference to the school’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils. Duncan Jacques, Christabel Shepherd, Frances Whalley and Chris Lloyd have undertaken Education Bradford Safer Recruitment training. One of the above will be involved in all staff/volunteer appointments.

Staff support

We recognise the stressful and traumatic nature of child protection work. Support and advice is available for any member of staff from The Education Bradford Child Protection team. (Tel: 01274 754343).

Staff training

Ø  The Designated Staff will have attended the Named Person 2-day training course. They will attend refresher training at least every two years.

Ø  The school will aim to ensure all staff receive induction and updated INSET appropriate to their roles and responsibilities, especially staff new to the school. All staff will access refresher training at least every three years. Access to training can be via the Education Bradford Child Protection Team, BSCB or in house training by the Designated Lead.

Ø  The Executive Head/ Head of School will attend training at least every three years.

Ø  Governors, including the Nominated Governor, will aim to have attended specific training on their role, updated at least every three years.

Ø  Training completed will be recorded by the school; a print out of the school’s training history can be obtained from the Designated Lead.

Summary of in-school procedures to follow where there are concerns about a child

Allegation against a member of staff or person known in the school

·  All school staff should take care not to place themselves in a vulnerable position with a child. It is always advisable for interviews or work with individual children or parents to be conducted in view of other adults

·  Guidance about conduct and safe practice, including safe use of mobile phones by staff and volunteers will be given at induction

·  We understand that a pupil may make an allegation against a member of staff

·  If such an allegation is made, or information is received which suggests that a person may be unsuitable to work with children, the member of staff receiving the allegation or aware of the information, will immediately inform the Executive Head/Head of School

·  The Executive Head/ Head of School on all such occasions will discuss the content of the allegation with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

·  If the allegation made to a member of staff concerns the Executive Head /Head of School, the person receiving the allegation will immediately inform the Chair of Governors who will consult with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) without notifying the Executive Head/ Head of School first

·  The school will follow the Bradford Safeguarding procedures for managing allegations against staff.

·  In the event of an allegation against the Executive Head/ Head of School the decision to suspend will be made by the Chair of Governors with advice from LADO

Whistle Blowing

·  All staff should be aware of their duty to raise concerns, where they exist, about the management of child protection, which may include the attitude or actions of colleagues. If it becomes necessary to consult outside the school, they should speak in the first instance, to the Area Education Officer/LADO following the Whistleblowing Policy.

·  Whistle-blowing re the Executive Head/Head of School should be made to the Chair of the Governing Body whose contact details are readily available to staff

Physical Intervention

·  We acknowledge that staff must only ever use physical intervention as a last resort, when a child is endangering him/herself or others, and that at all times it must be the minimal force necessary to prevent injury to another person.