Rathfern Primary School

Rathfern Primary School

Safeguarding Children

(Child Protection) Policy

Every Child has the right to stay safe

• Safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation

• Safe from accidental injury and death

• Safe from bullying and discrimination

• Safe from crime and anti-social behaviour in and out of school

• Have security, stability and are cared for

Every Child Matters: Changes for Children HMSO 2004

NAMED PERSONS: Headteacher

Deputy Head

Inclusion Lead

NAMED WRAPAROUND: Wraparound manager

Wraparound deputy manager

NAMED GOVERNOR: Safeguarding link governor

Agreed by the Governing Body on: July 2016

Signed (Chair):

Scheduled Review Date: July 2017

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Rathfern Primary School

Safeguarding (Child Protection) Policy

Introduction:

The governors and staff of Rathfern Primary School fully recognise their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and this includes the protection of children from abuse or neglect. We recognise that everyone working with the school has a full and active part to play in protecting our pupils from harm. Our policy applies to all staff, governors, volunteers, and other agencies (such as commissioned services or extended school services), who provide services or activities within or for the school.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined in “Keeping children safe in education” (DfE July 2016) 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; and

·  Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

All staff and governors are committed to the school providing a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment which promotes the social, physical, emotional and moral development of the individual child.

This policy should be read in conjunction with other school policies relating to the safeguarding of children, as follows:

·  Anti-Bullying Policy

·  Attendance Policy

·  Exclusions Policy

·  First Aid and Accident Policy

·  Health and Safety Policy

·  Intimate Care Policy

·  Physical Intervention Policy

·  Data Protection Policy

·  Allegations against staff

·  Medication Policy

·  Lunchtime Policy

·  Preventing extremism and radicalisation Policy

·  E-safety Policy

·  Whistle blowing Policy

Safeguarding is everybody’s business. Since the children’s act 2004 schools have played a vital part in safeguarding children. Safeguarding can be thought of as a continuum/ umbrella word capturing two separate but related ideas: promoting the welfare of all children, right the way through to the protection of some.

Each of these have their own processes which are described below.

CAF (Common Assessment Framework) is a national tool that the government has given schools and other agencies to assess the needs of children and their families. We will do this with the consent of the family to put together a plan to improve the situation for all. We might draw on the resources in the family information service directory* to come up with a plan which will be worked in a style that has become known as team around the children/ team around the family.

*Accessible on the council’s website

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/socialcare/children/Pages/FIS-A-to-Z.aspx

More complex concerns will be discussed with Children’s Social Care who in conjunction with the police may instigate a child protection investigation. This may culminate in a Child Protection case conference and a Child Protection plan*.

* Further details can be found on the safeguarding website

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-children-and-young-people/safeguarding-children-and-young-people

The aims of this policy are:

·  To establish a safe environment which supports the child’s development in ways that will foster security, confidence and independence, where children are encouraged to talk and are listened to;

·  To ensure that the children are equipped with the skills needed to help keep themselves safe and to feel confident and know how to approach an adult to talk to if they are worried;

·  To ensure that everyone working with the school is aware of the need to safeguard children and of their responsibilities in identifying and reporting cases of suspected abuse or neglect;

·  To ensure the school practises safe recruitment in accordance with the recruitment and selection policy and that all adults within our school who have access to children have been checked as to their suitability;

·  To develop and implement a structured process, which will be followed by all members of the school community, for identifying and reporting cases of suspected abuse or neglect;

·  To ensure that staff are provided with appropriate training in child protection and temporary staff, volunteers and appropriate others working with the school are familiar with the child protection policy and procedures (or where services are provided by a body not under the direct supervision/management of school staff that they have appropriate child protection policy and procedures in place);

·  To provide a systematic means of monitoring and supporting children known or thought to be at risk of harm, including contributing to and following any agreed multi-agency ‘child in need plan’ or ‘child protection plan’;

·  To develop and promote effective working relationships both within the school community and with other agencies, especially the Police and Children’s Specialist Services;

·  To work in partnership with parents/carers;

To further these aims we will:

Our child protection procedures will be in line with those set out by the Lewisham Safeguarding Children Board and Local Authority guidelines and will take account of the guidance issued by the Department for Education. They will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary. All new members of staff (including temporary and supply staff) will be given a copy of the procedures as part of their induction. Volunteers and supply teachers are provided with a briefing sheet which includes safeguarding procedures.

In relation to the child protection procedures we will:

·  Ensure we have a designated senior member of staff for child protection who undertakes regular training for this role. This person is currently the Headteacher.

·  Ensure we have a member of staff who will act in this role in the designated member of staff’s absence. This will be the Inclusion Lead or in his/her absence the Deputy.

·  Ensure we have a nominated governor responsible for child protection.

·  Ensure that every member of staff (including temporary and supply staff and volunteers) and the governing body knows who the designated senior person responsible for child protection and the members of staff acting in that role in her absence, and their roles and responsibilities.

·  Ensure that all staff, volunteers, governors and other agencies working with the school have the knowledge to recognise the signs of abuse and neglect and understand their responsibilities in both being alert to these signs within the school, home and community as well as referring any concerns to the designated senior member of staff responsible for child protection. (Appendix 3)

·  Ensure that all staff, volunteers, governors and other agencies working with the school know how best to respond to a pupil who discloses or indicates abuse or neglect

·  Ensure that parents/carers have an understanding of the responsibility placed on the school and staff for child protection, by setting out its obligations/publishing this policy on the school’s website and in written information supplied.

Responsibilities of the designated safeguarding lead:

·  Adhere to the school and Lewisham Safeguarding Children Board’s child protection procedures and Local Authority guidelines

·  Ensure safe recruitment practice in accordance with the recruitment and selection policy

·  Ensure that all staff, volunteers and other agencies working with the school as appropriate are familiar with the child protection policy and procedures

·  Have up to date knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect, be trained in interagency procedures, and undertake refresher training at a minimum of two yearly intervals supplemented by annual updates to brief all staff

·  When unsure about concerns about a child, including whether or not to refer, to seek advice from Lewisham Children’s Specialist Services

·  Refer in a timely manner concerns about child abuse or neglect to Children’s Social Care and provide relevant information about any child and their family where other relevant agencies are making enquiries regarding child protection matters. When referring suspected or alleged abuse, the Headteacher, Deputy Head or Inclusion Lead will ask to be informed of the timing of the strategy discussion between the statutory agencies which will decide whether and how to investigate. If they have not already been informed she will clarify with the investigating agencies when, how and by whom the parents and the child will be told that a referral has been made.

·  Ensure that immediate telephone referrals are followed up with a written referral in accordance with the child protection procedures within 24 hours and ensuring a MASH referral is completed.

·  Ensure all such records are kept confidentially and securely and are separate from the main pupil records, and that such information is shared only with those who need to know in order to protect or ensure the welfare of the child.

·  Be available for discussion with school staff in relation to concerns about a child.

·  Ensure the well-being of staff and protection of children by providing regular access to supervision.

·  Provide support to staff who have become involved with a child who is or appears to be suffering harm, by offering opportunities to talk and making available other sources of support where appropriate.

·  Promote effective working relationships and liaise with other agencies that support pupils and their families, such as Children’s Specialist Services, the Police, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Education Welfare, Educational Psychology, Baseline and Family Resilience Services.

·  Prepare reports for and attend, or ensure appropriate staff attend, relevant multi-agency meetings within ‘child protection’ or ‘child in need processes’, such as strategy meetings, Child Protection Case Conferences and Core Group Meetings, and Child in Need Reviews.

·  Arrange, and at times, chair Team Around a Child (TAC) meetings and where appropriate propose school act as lead professional.

·  Manage the school’s responsibilities in any Child Protection Plan or Child in Need Plan and ensure that when a child subject to a plan leaves their information is transferred to the new school immediately and their social worker is informed.

All members of staff including lunchtime staff and wrap around staff will:

·  Have read Part 1 of Keeping children safe in education DfE Sept 2016

·  Be familiar with and alert to the indicators of possible child abuse or neglect (See Appendix 1 for further guidance). All teachers will undertake refresher training at a minimum of three yearly intervals, and all other staff will receive training when first appointed and refresher training as required to keep their knowledge updated.

·  Act quickly and always share concerns about a child with a safeguarding lead. This may include concerns about indicators of possible abuse or neglect even where no direct allegations or disclosures have been made. Staff may understandably be concerned about the impact a potential child protection investigation might have on the child and their relationship with the child and the child’s parents. However, the lessons from Serious Case Reviews clearly indicate that good communication and the timely sharing of concerns about a child contributes to ensuring the child’s safety and that their needs are being met. Any decision to refer concerns to Children’s Social Care will be considered carefully by the designated safeguarding lead.

·  If a child makes a disclosure in relation to abuse or neglect, listen to, reassure and support the child and endeavour to create an atmosphere where the child can talk freely. It is important to enable the child to say as much about the circumstances as possible, to reassure them they are not to blame, and at the same time not to: jump to conclusions, ask leading questions, or put words into the child’s mouth. It is equally important that no promises are made to the child that the matter will not be shared and to help them to understand with whom and how it will be shared.

·  All members of staff will complete a concerns form when more significant concerns arise and share it directly with the designated members of staff. (Appendix 3)

·  Discuss urgently with the Headteacher any disclosures of abuse or neglect, unexplained or concerning injuries to a child, or reports or allegations of abuse or neglect from third parties

·  Record carefully and without delay the conversation with the child or person making the disclosure/allegation or the circumstances leading to the child protection concern, distinguishing clearly between fact, observation, allegation and opinion, and signing and dating the record.

·  Staff have a responsibility to ensure that any information recorded of a safeguarding nature is handed on to a relevant member of staff before leaving the premises.

·  Teachers will complete a transfer of information form sharing more minor concerns about class members (Appendix 3).

The governors will:

·  Nominate a governor for child protection.

·  Ensure that the child protection procedures are followed if the Chair of Governors receives an allegation or concern of a child protection nature in relation to the Headteacher. The Chair of Governors will consult in a timely manner with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

·  Ensure that governors have sufficient training in child protection to have the knowledge and information needed to perform their functions and understand their responsibilities.

·  Ensure policy and procedures are reviewed annually.

·  Ensure related issues are discussed in confidential section of governors meetings.

·  Ensure that there is a governor who has undertaken training in relation to safe recruitment practice.

After School Activities

We have a range of After School Activities run by a range of tutors. All our tutors are DBS checked and have the After School Club coordinator as a point of contact if any issues should arise.

Our After School Club coordinator monitors clubs from 3.15pm to 4.45 pm. The Club coordinator monitors all after school provision ensuring that all children are safe and well. She is first aid trained and would promptly refer any safeguarding issues directly to the designated senior staff: Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher and Inclusion Lead.