Mount Street Academy and Lincoln Carlton Academy’s DESIGNATED PERSON is Mrs N Law (Family Support Worker) Deputy DESIGNATED PERSON is Mrs M Bretherton (Executive Headteacher)
In Mrs Law’s absence please see flowchart in Appendix 1
1. Introduction
CfBT Schools Trust, Mount Street Academy and Lincoln Carlton Academy fully recognise their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting pupils’ welfare and are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
2. Scope and publication
This policy applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working in each school and applies wherever staff or volunteers are working with pupils even where this is away from the school, for example at an activity centre or on an educational visit. This policy is published on the school’s website and can also be made available in large print or other accessible format if required.
3. Principles
3.1. Our schools have a statutory duty to promote and safeguard the welfare of children, and have due regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State[1]. These schools recognise their legal and moral duty to promote the well-being of children, protect them from harm, and respond to child abuse as well as its responsibility to follow the local inter-agency procedures of Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). This policy must be read in conjunction with the LCSB Policy and Procedures Manual. This document can be accessed via the LSCB website: www.lincolnshirelscb.org.uk
3.2. We believe that every child regardless of age has at all times and in all situations a right to feel safe and protected from any situation or practice that results in a child being physically or psychologically damaged.
3.3. We agree that we have a primary responsibility for the care, welfare and safety of the pupils in our charge, and we will carry out this duty through our teaching and learning, extra-curricular activities, pastoral care and extended school activities.
3.4. The schools seek to adopt an open and accepting attitude towards children as part of their responsibility for pastoral care. The schools hope that parents and children will feel free to talk about any concerns and will see school as a safe place if there are any difficulties at home.
3.5. Every complaint or suspicion of abuse from within or outside the schools will be taken seriously and in all proper circumstances will be referred to an external agency such as the social services department of the local authority, the Local Authority Designated Person (LADP) or the police, without investigation by either school.
3.6. We have also put in place measures to help prevent safeguarding issues arising as far as we are able to.
4. Types of abuse
Abuse can be:
· Physical abuse, for example beating or punching
· Emotional abuse, for example rejection, denial of affection or witnessing Domestic abuse
· Sexual abuse, for example sexual assault or encouraging a child to view pornographic material
· Neglect, for example failure to provide appropriate care including warmth or medical attention.
5. Signs of abuse
Possible signs of abuse include (but are not limited to):
· the pupil says s/he has been abused or asks a question which gives rise to that inference;
· there is no reasonable or consistent explanation for a pupil's injury; the injury is unusual in kind or location; there have been a number of injuries; there is a pattern to the injuries;
· the pupil's behaviour stands out from the group as either being extreme model behaviour or extremely challenging behaviour; or there is a sudden change in the pupil's behaviour;
· the pupil asks to drop subjects with a particular teacher and seems reluctant to discuss the reasons;
· the pupil's development is delayed;
· the pupil loses or gains weight;
· the pupil appears neglected, e.g. dirty, hungry, inadequately clothed; and the pupil is reluctant to go home, or has been openly rejected by his / her parents or carers.
6. Designated Member of Staff
The Schools have appointed a designated senior member of staff (Mrs N Law) to be responsible for matters relating to child protection and welfare in this school:
Mrs N LawFamily Support Worker
Tel: 01522 527339
In their absence, these matters will be dealt with by the Deputy Designated Person:
Mrs M BrethertonExecutive Headteacher
Tel: 01255 527339
6.1. The Designated Person is key to ensuring that proper procedures and policies are in place and are followed with regard to child safeguarding issues. They will also act as a dedicated resource available for other staff, volunteers and governors to draw upon. Parents are also welcome to approach the Designated Person if they have any concerns about the welfare of any child in either school, whether these concerns relate to their child or any other.
6.2. The main responsibilities of the Designated Person are to:
a. act as a first point of contact and source of advice within school over child protection concerns;
b. report all allegations of alleged or suspected abuse to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
c. co-ordinate action regarding any child protection concerns within school including referrals by liaising with the LADO and other relevant agencies over suspicions that a child may be suffering harm;
d. liaise with the LADO on apparently borderline cases, initially on a ‘no-names’ basis;
e. inform CfBT Schools Trust (CST) of any child protection concerns and keep CST up to date as to action taken and referrals made;
f. maintain an ongoing training programme for all school employees including induction training for all new employees and volunteers and to keep a record of that training;
g. keep a record of all safer recruitment procedures including the Single Central Register;
h. where appropriate, attend child protection conferences and cascade safeguarding advice and guidance issued by government and other sources throughout the school;
i. ensure each member of staff and volunteers at the school, and regular visitors (such as Education Welfare Officers, trainee teachers and supply teachers) are aware of and understand the procedures set out in this policy;
j. liaise with the Executive Headteacher to inform him/her of any issues and ongoing investigations and ensure there is always cover for the role;
k. ensure that this Policy is updated and reviewed annually and work with the designated governor for child protection regarding this;
l. to monitor the keeping of detailed accurate secure written records of referrals/concerns, and ensure that these are held in a secure place;
m. ensure parents are aware of the child protection policy in order to alert them to the fact that the school may need to make referrals. Raising parents’ awareness may avoid later conflict if the school does have to take appropriate action to safeguard a child;
n. keep parents informed of action to be taken under these procedures in relation to their child where appropriate in accordance with this policy;
o. monitor records of pupils in the school who are subject to child protection plans, with other professionals as necessary, to ensure that the plans are maintained and updated;
p. inform social services in writing when a child who is subject to a child protection plan moves to another school and to inform the new school of the child protection plan as advised by social services;
q. where children leave the school roll, ensure any child protection file is transferred to the new school as soon as possible, separately from the main file, and addressed to the designated person for child protection;
r. where a child leaves and the new school is not known, ensure that the local authority is alerted so that the child’s name can be included on the database for missing pupils; and
s. consider and develop procedures to deal with any safeguarding issues which may be specific to individual children in the school or in our local area.
6.3. The Designated Person is not responsible for dealing with allegations made against members of staff (see section 13 below).
6.4. The Designated Person and Deputy Designated person have undertaken child protection training and training in inter-agency working and will attend refresher training at two yearly intervals.
7. Designated Governor
The Designated Governor for Child Protection at our schools is:
Mr Steven PearsonChair of Governors (Mount Street Academy and Lincoln Carlton Academy Joint Governing Body)
Tel: 01522 527339
8. Duty of employees, governors and volunteers
8.1. Every employee and governor of the Schools as well as every volunteer who assists the school is under a general legal duty:
· to protect children from abuse;
· to be aware of the school's child protection procedures and to follow them;
· to know how to access and implement the procedures, independently if necessary;
· to keep a sufficient record of any significant complaint, conversation or event; and
· to report any matters of concern to the Designated Person (see sections 12 and 13 below).
8.2. Every employee is under a legal duty to undertake appropriate training including refresher training at three-yearly intervals.
9. Looked After Children
The Designated Teacher for Looked After Children is:
Mrs N LawFamily Support Worker
Tel: 01522 527339
9.1. The Designated Teacher for Looked After Children has received appropriate training and will make an annual report to the Governing Body in accordance with the latest statutory guidance. The Governing Body will consider the information in the report and take appropriate action as necessary.
10. Whistleblowing
All staff are required to report to the Executive Headteacher, or the Chair of Governors in his/her absence, any concern or allegations about School practices or the behaviour of colleagues which are likely to put pupils at risk of abuse or other serious harm. There will be no retribution or disciplinary action taken against a member of staff for making such a report provided that it is done in good faith.
11. Safer Recruitment
In order to ensure that children are protected whilst at this school, we will ensure that our staff and volunteers are carefully selected, screened, trained and supervised. We accept that it is our responsibility to follow government guidance regarding safer recruitment in particular:
11.1. Before appointing someone, we will follow up each reference with a telephone call or personal contact during which we will discuss the applicant’s suitability to work with vulnerable children.
11.2. We will check that all adults with substantial access to children at this school have an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check before starting work, and prior to confirmation of appointment.
Full details of our safer recruitment procedures are set out in our Safer Recruitment Policy.
12. Reporting concerns – not against staff
12.1. Members of staff and volunteers should not investigate suspicions regarding child protection issues; if somebody believes that a child may be suffering, or may be at risk of suffering significant harm, they must always refer such concerns to the Designated Person without delay.
12.2. If a child reports potential abuse to a volunteer or staff member they must:
a. listen carefully to the child and keep an open mind. Staff should not take a decision as to whether or not the abuse has taken place;
b. not ask leading questions, that is, a question which suggests its own answer;
c. reassure the child but not give a guarantee of absolute confidentiality. The member of staff should explain that they need to pass the information to the Designated Person who will ensure that the correct action is taken; and
d. must keep a sufficient written record of the conversation (using the ‘Pink form’ see appendix 2). The record should include the date, time and place of the conversation and the essence of what was said and done by whom and in whose presence. The record should be signed by the person making it and should use names, not initials. The record and any evidence must be kept securely and handed to the Designated Person as soon as possible.
12.3. Where any member of staff fails to report their concerns, this may be dealt with as a disciplinary matter.
12.4. Child needing immediate medical treatment: If a child comes to school in need of immediate medical treatment they should initially be taken to the school’s designated first-aider, where appropriate action will be taken. This may involve:
o A call or delivery to the local health centre.
o Delivery to hospital.
o Call to emergency services.
12.4.1. If in the judgement of the designated senior person, there are indications that the cause of the problem may be related to child abuse, the medical professionals must be informed. The designated senior person must refer the case to Social Care. Provision of medical treatment should not be delayed by attempts to contact the parent or guardian in advance and in some cases of suspected child abuse it would be inappropriate to alert parents.
12.5. Child about whom there is a suspicion of possible abuse but no need for immediate medical treatment: If it is believed that a child may be suffering, or may be at risk of suffering harm, even in the absence of any physical evidence, this should be brought to the attention of Children’s social care services immediately.
12.5.1. The designated senior person should make a referral to Social Care via the Children’s Services Customer Service Centre on 01522 782111.
12.6. It is good practice for professionals to discuss any concerns they have with the family and, where possible, to seek the family’s agreement to making a referral to Social Care. Full details of any such conversation should be recorded. However there are exceptional circumstances where such discussion and agreement-seeking would place the child at increased risk of significant harm. In these circumstances it can be appropriate to refer without agreement from the family, although Social Care will subsequently disclose the source of the referral to the family. In cases where a professional is acting in good faith on third party information it may not be appropriate for Social Care to reveal the source of the referral. In either event Social Care will advise the professional of their decision on this point.