Stockport Safeguarding Children Board
Guidance for Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations in Stockport
Authors / SC/UHDate / 20.6.2013
Version / V1
Contents
Page
Section 1: Self assessing your safeguarding arrangements 2
Section 2: Appointing a Designated Safeguarding Officer Role/
A Named Person(s) for Child Protection 3
Section 3: Making a referral where there are concerns about a child’s safety 3
Section 4: Writing a Safeguarding Children Policy 4
Section 5: Employing the Right People / Safer Recruitment 5
Section 6: Allegations against staff /Allegation management 7
Section 7: Health and Safety and Accident Prevention 9
Section 8: E Safety and Digital Technologies 10
APPENDIX
Appendix 1: Safeguarding Checklist and Safeguarding Action Plan 11
Appendix 2: Sample Child Protection Policy Statement 20
Appendix 3: What to do if a child discloses abuse 24
Appendix 4: Safeguarding Note of Concerns Log 26
Appendix 5: Health and safety – Risk Assessment for Indoor and 27
Outdoor Activities
Section 1: Self- assessing your safeguarding arrangements
Any organisation offering activities to children and young people has a legal duty to safeguard the children and young people with whom it works. This means doing everything possible to reduce the risk of a child coming to harm, and knowing what to do if a child is known or suspected to be suffering from, or at risk of harm.
Does it apply to me?
Safeguarding applies to every group that has any contact with children or their families, however infrequent. Even if you only run one event a year to which children and their families are invited, you still have a responsibility to ensure your event is safe and that children are protected from harm.
Why should we use this safeguarding checklist?
The safeguarding checklist looks at those factors that are recognised as essential in ensuring good practice in safeguarding. The purpose is to help your group:
· Assess current safeguarding practice
· Identify concerns and areas for improvement
· Identify the support you may need to make these improvements
If you have any queries contact Anchorpoint Stockport:
E-mail:
Telephone: 0161 475 0855
Website: www.anchorpointstockport.org.uk
How to use the Safeguarding Checklist (Appendix 1)
The checklist is designed to help you consider and reflect on all the key aspects of safeguarding. The aim of this checklist is to help you learn more about the best practice expected around safeguarding and to help you make any improvements necessary.
Once you have worked through the questions, and identified any areas for development/improvement, you should then complete the Action Plan at the end of this document. Be specific about what you need to do and who will do it and when it needs to be done by.
You may feel able to do this on your own, or you may feel you require more support. You are welcome to contact Anchorpoint Stockport at any time for this support.
It is important to send a copy of your completed self-assessment to Anchorpoint, even if you feel you do not require our support. We will use it to help us in developing a picture about safeguarding in the borough and evidence how local organisations are working to help children. Please send completed self-assessments to Anchorpoint Stockport.
Section 2: Appointing a Designated Safeguarding Officer / a Named Person(s) for Child Protection
Every organisation that works with children or young people should have in place a named person who is responsible for dealing with child protection issues that may arise. Due to their key role in safeguarding children it is recommended that this is a paid member of staff if possible and that they have an Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and at least two references are followed up. A deputy must be made available in their absence. These individuals must be trained in child protection and their responsibilities clearly stated within your procedures.
The role and responsibilities of the named person(s) are:
- To ensure that all staff / volunteers / parents/ carers and children are aware of what they should do and who they should go to if they are concerned that a child/young person may be subject to abuse or neglect.
- Ensure that any concerns about a child/young person are acted on, clearly recorded, referred on where necessary and, followed up to ensure the issues are addressed.
- They are responsible for promoting a safe environment for children and young people.
- They should know the contact details of relevant statutory agencies e.g. Children’s Social Care, Police, and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for allegations against staff.
Section 3: Making a referral where there are concerns about a child’s safety
Within the area of child protection it is vital that all staff know what to do if they are concerned about a child. It is equally important that parents/carers and young people themselves are aware that the organisation takes the safety and welfare of children/young people into consideration in every activity that is undertaken.
A Step-By-Step action plan to respond to a child protection concern[1]
1. If the child needs urgent medical attention, obtain this first as a matter of urgency.
If you have a Child Protection concern which requires immediate or emergency attention, ring Police 999 or 101 to speak with local Police operatives.
2. Discuss your concerns with the parent/carers only if this is appropriate. If this discussion may be inappropriate (when you have good reason to suppose that sexual abuse, fabricated or induced illness has taken place) immediately seek advice from your organisation’s designated officer for child protection or the Duty Officer at the Safeguarding Children Unit (0161 474 5657), or the Duty Social Worker at Children’s Social Care Contact Centre (0161 217 6028).
3. If after talking to the child’s parents/carers (where appropriate) you remain concerned, make a child protection referral.
4. To do this:
Telephone the Contact Centre (0161 217 6028) or
Out Of Hours Team (for emergencies only) on 0161 718 2118
Be prepared to give the following details:
· Your name, address, contact number and your role
· As many details about the child as you can, including name, date of birth, address etc.
· What you have been told, or what has been observed
· The action you have taken so far
5. The Referral and information Officers at the Contact Centre will advise you on what to do next. Make sure you are clear about what you have to do before you end the phone call so that you can keep the child informed about what will happen next.
6. Keep accurate, dated records of what you have seen, heard and done.
Remember to use the child’s words in any recording that you make.
Make sure your name is legible on any documents.
Make sure all records are dated and pages numbered.
7. Follow up any referral phone calls to the contact centre with written documentation. Where possible use a CAF (Common Assessment Framework Form) and send it to the person you have spoken to detailing the main points of the conversation. Make sure that you are clear before ending your call to the Contact Centre about whether the parents/carers should be involved with the completion of the CAF. Remember that if you are making a Child Protection referral the CAF does not need to be signed by parents/carers. Send the completed document to the Contact Centre as instructed to do.
Section 4: Writing a Safeguarding Children Policy
The aim of an organisation having policies and procedures in place is to provide guidance for staff/volunteers/children/parents/carers about what to do in specific circumstances.
A sample Safeguarding Children Policy is provided in Appendix 2. It is not sufficient to simply copy the name of your organisation into the document and print it out. Each organisation is different and some parts of the policy may not be relevant. Equally you may work with particular groups or in situations which require further guidance such as overnight stays or taking part in adventurous activities. You will therefore need to adapt the policy to suit the specific needs of your group.
The following process should be followed to develop a child protection policy to ensure best practice:
- Complete the self- assessment checklist.
- Have a meeting to discuss the particular needs of your group. Does the model policy meet all your requirements? Does it need re-wording? Do you need to add additional information?
- Where possible involve children and their parents/carers. This makes the policy more relevant but also indicates to children and parents / carers that you take safeguarding seriously.
- After the policy has been agreed, make sure all members of staff and volunteers have a copy, have read and understood it. Make sure that copies are available for parents should they wish to see it. Add the policy to your website, if appropriate.
- Your safeguarding policy should be used. It is good practice to review annually the policy and keep it up-to-date with any local or national changes.
The Safer Working Practice Guidance which is accessible via the following link gives good practical information about all aspects of behavior in a work setting:
http://www.safeguardingchildreninstockport.org.uk/publications/saferworkingpracticeguidance
Section 5: Employing the Right People / Safer Recruitment
Your organization should have a formal recruitment policy to minimise the risk of someone who is a risk to children or young people being involved as an employee or volunteer.
As a minimum a safer recruitment procedure should include:
- A statement in your advert about your commitment to safeguarding children;
- A role description that clarifies responsibilities;
- Completion of an application form;
- Checks on identity/right to work and work history;
- Checking of two references( professional references if appropriate to role);
- A face to face interview;
- An appropriate DBS Check
It is essential to ensure that no individual takes up employment or voluntary work with children or young people until identity, references and relevant DBS checks have been completed.
Anchorpoint Stockport provides advice to all voluntary organisations across a range of topics including safer recruitment practice. Contact the Information and Volunteering Officer directly (Tuesday - Thursday) for more information; Telephone:0161 475 0855.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) - previously known as Criminal Record Bureau (CRB)
When recruiting people to work with children (whether they are paid or not), employers should follow safe recruitment practice to ensure that individuals are suitable for the posts they are applying for.
Depending on the nature of the work, an employer may ask for a Criminal Records check or an Enhanced Disclosure, which includes police intelligence on a person or an Enhanced Disclosure with a check against the list of person barred from working with children. Anyone working in "regulated activity" with children should undergo an Enhanced Disclosure with a check against the barred lists.
Once an offer of a job working with children has been made to a candidate, employers should request information held by the police on that individual through a criminal record disclosure check.
What is regulated activity?
If the carer/service required is to be carried out by the same person frequently (once a week or more often), or on 4 or more days in a 30-day period then this would be ‘Regulated Activity’. Regulated activity is also relevant personal care, e.g. washing or dressing, or health care provided by a supervised health professional even if done once.
What is no longer regulated activity?
· Activity supervised at a reasonable level
· Health care not by (or directed or supervised by ) a health care professional
· Legal advice
· Occasional or temporary services (e.g.: repairs)
Volunteers are eligible for Enhanced DBS checks if they will be working with children and young people in an unsupervised capacity for 4 days or more in a 30 day period. The nature of ‘supervision’ is at the discretion of the employer, and potentially this creates a loophole in the system to allow unscrupulous people have access to young people or adults. Therefore reference checks and employment history checks are all the more important. Seek advice from Anchorpoint.
It is a criminal offence to employ someone or allow them to volunteer for this kind of work if you know they’re on one of the barred lists. They are also committing an offence by applying for such a role. i.e. adults barred from working with children.
Regulated activity includes unsupervised activities which involve regularly caring for, training, teaching, instructing, supervising, providing advice/guidance on well-being, or driving a vehicle for children under 18; or working for a limited range of "specified places" with opportunity for unsupervised contact with children. The definitions for regulated activity are set out in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, as amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
(see NSPCC Safer recruitment legislation factsheet).
Enhanced disclosures should alsobe requested for any position where an individual has regular contact with children. However for positionsoutside the scope of regulated activityitis not possible to check against barred lists.
An Enhanced Disclosure will give details of convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held in England and Wales on the Police National Computer as well as any locally held police force information if it is "reasonably believe(d) to be relevant", by Chief Police Officer(s), to the job role. Most of the relevant convictions in Scotland and Northern Ireland may also be included. It indicates whether the applicant is on the DBS's list of adults barred from working with children (if this has been requested).
Disclosures may not be requested for people under 16 years (for example,school children on work experience placements).
DBS certificates will now go to the individual concerned and any agency is dependent on that individual sharing it with the prospective employer. The agency needs to decide how long it is reasonable to wait for sign of that certificate. The agency also needs some understanding about how to interpret any information which is disclosed e.g. a driving conviction may not necessarily impinge on someone’s ability to carry out a caring function; a drink-driving conviction may.