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Child Protection Policy


Preamble

Rishworth School recognises that a number of other policies, procedures and other documents developed and operated by school form a wider agenda of safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare and this Policy should be read, as appropriate, in conjunction with other such materials, including those related to the following:

  • Anti-bullying
  • Discipline, Promoting Good Behaviour, Rewards, Sanctions and Exclusions
  • Concerns and Complaints
  • Health and Safety
  • Assessing Risk, e.g. on school trips
  • Recruitment, Appointment and Vetting
  • Guidance to non-employee Adults living in School, Accommodation
  • Induction and codes of practice for staff as set out in key documents, such as the Staff Handbook
  • Induction of Temporary Staff
  • Staff Handbook
  • Parents’ and Pupils’ Handbook
  • Recognition and identification of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, EFL and those with particular learning needs
  • Pupil Contact
  • Physical Restraint
  • Drug and Illegal Substance Abuse
  • Missing Pupil Procedure (including boarders)
  • Heathfield Early Year Foundation Stage Child Protection and Safeguarding Statement

Please note: some of the above documents are retained in school for staff purposes only.

In addition, there are three appendices to this policy, the third of which is for Staff only:

Self Harm Policy
Eating Disorder Policy
Policy for Dealing with Allegations of Abuse against Teachers and Other Staff

This Policy applies to all pupils and staff at Rishworth and Heathfield, including its Early Years Foundation Stage.

MrsN L’Anson is the designated member of staff to take lead responsibility in dealing with child protection issues for the Early Years Foundation Stage pupils, in conjunction with the Head of Heathfield (Mr A Wilkins), and in dealing with other agencies when necessary.
All staff who work in Early Years Foundation Stage receive copies of the Rishworth School Child Protection Policy and Safeguarding Policy and Early Years Foundation stage Policy as part of their induction. The awareness that children of this age will lack the vocabulary needed to express concerns or worries suitably means that it is of particular importance that attention is paid to non-verbal cues: these include but are not limited to the following:

  • medical problems such as chronic itching, pain in the genitals, venereal diseases
  • personality changes such as becoming insecure or clinging
  • reverting to soiling after toilet training
  • regressing to younger behaviour patterns such as thumb sucking or bringing out discarded cuddly toys
  • sudden loss of appetite or compulsive eating

 

Aims

Child Protection is the responsibility of all school staff. The School will therefore:

  • create and maintain a safe learning environment for children and young people; and
  • identify where there are child welfare concerns and take action to address them, in partnership with other organisations where appropriate.

 

Means

The means by which the School seeks to meet these aims comply in full with the statutory requirements of ISI Regulatory Requirements(September 2010) and ‘Boarding Schools National Minimum Standards’ (September 2011), which includes having due regard to guidance contained in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (March 2010), paragraph 2.22 of ‘Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education’ (January 2007). This policy applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working with the School’s pupils

The main elements of the policy are:

  • ensuring that pupils and parents know that there are staff within the School whom they can approach about any child protection issues;
  • raising awareness of child protection issues and equipping pupils with the appropriate skills needed to keep them safe;
  • an opportunity through the curriculum for pupils to address child protection issues, in particular domestic violence, bullying (including cyber bullying), abuse and risks of alcohol and drug use;
  • a child protection policy containing procedures that have due regard to the ‘West Yorkshire Consortium Safeguarding Children Board’s Procedure Manual’, of which the Calderdale Safeguarding Children Board is a member, and to the Boarding Schools National Minimum Standards;
  • rigorous recruitment procedures to ensure that all appropriate checks are carried out on new staff and volunteers who work with children, including Criminal Record Bureau and the ‘Children’s List’ and the ‘Vulnerable Adults List’ administered by the ISA;
  • reporting to the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and the DfE within one month of their leaving the school, any person (whether employed, contracted, a volunteer or student) whose services are no longer used because he or she is considered unsuitable to work with children;  its address for referrals is The Independent Safeguarding Authority, PO Box 181, Darlington, DL19FA (tel. 0300 123 1111);
  • procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse against teachers and other staff in accordance with Appendix 5 of ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (March 2010);
  • a designated senior member of staff (Mrs I Shelton) to take lead responsibility at Rishworth in dealing with child protection issues and liaising with other agencies where necessary (and in her absence the Headmaster will take lead responsibility); the Head of Heathfield  (Mr Wilkins) being the designated member of staff with identical responsibilities for Heathfield (and in his absence Mrs I Shelton or the Headmaster); Mrs Nina I’Anson is the designated member of staff at Heathfield responsible for EYFS;  the outside agencies most likely to be involved being the Calderdale Safeguarding Children Board(01422 393337), its Local Authority Designated Officer, (01422 393296) and the NSPCC (0808 8005000);
  • training to equip staff who work with children with the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out their responsibilities for child protection, including alertness to the signs of abuse and awareness of pupils’ vulnerability and the risk of harm; training to include refresher training in Child Protection and inter-agency working at least every two years for the designated member of staff and at least every three years for all members of staff and the nominated governor responsible for Child Protection, Mrs D. Whitaker (although in practice we try to ensure that all staff receive more than the minimum training required); and all temporary staff and volunteers who work with children being made aware of the School’s arrangements for child protection and their responsibilities;
  • staff awareness of  the School’s Child Protection Policy; and the awareness of the availability of local authority and central government guidance. Currently, the former is in the form of the ‘West Yorkshire Consortium Safeguarding Children Board Procedure Manual’ (www.wakefield.gov.uk), and the latter in the form of DCFS guidance ‘What To Do If You’re Worried A Child Is Being Abused’ (2006);
  • assurance being obtained that appropriate child protection checks and procedures apply to any staff employed by another organisation and working with Rishworth School pupils on another site;
  • all newly appointed staff, teaching and non-teaching, being made aware of the School’s policy and procedures for the protection and safeguarding of its pupils and undertaking Calderdale Safeguarding on-line -training;
  • parents being made aware via this policy and the Boarders’ Handbook that any private fostering arrangements by a non-relative exceeding 28 days must be reported to the local authority in which a child (aged under 16, or under 18 if disabled) is to reside in accordance with Part IX of the Children Act 1989 and the regulations made thereunder;
  • all Child Protection records being kept centrally and secure by the designated member of staff;
  • any deficiencies, however identified, in this policy and its procedures being remedied without delay;
  • governors, through the nominated governor for child protection, ensuring that the School has an effective policy, that locally agreed procedures are in place, and that the policy and structures supporting safeguarding children are reviewed annually;
  • full consideration being given at all times, to the sensitivity of child protection matters, and particulars of individual cases being made known only to those persons who absolutely have to know.

 

In addition to the matters already mentioned, the School makes every effort to ensure that:

  • pupils feel valued, respected and part of an environment which promotes the development of self-esteem;
  • there is an openness (within the strictures of the Law and when it is not counter to the interests of the child) on the part of the School with families, the wider community, and agencies responsible for safeguarding and promoting a child’s welfare;
  • School Prefects and Boarding Prefects are briefed by the Deputy Headmaster and Director of Boarding to be alert to any signs of abuse or unhappiness in pupils and immediately to report any such concerns to a member of staff;
  • all pupils have access to an Independent Listener/Person and are made aware of the help on offer from independent services such as Childline;
  • accessible complaints procedures are in place which are clear, effective and child friendly;
  • there is respect for sexual orientation, race, age, gender, colour, culture, religion, other beliefs, particular learning needs (‘Special Educational Needs’), disability and physical appearance;
  • arrangements are made as part of the School’s own self-evaluation for independent scrutiny and challenge, to ensure strict compliance with procedures at all times. 
  • No disciplinary action will be taken against any teacher or member of staff who acts in good faith in reporting concerns about a colleague (so called ‘whistle-blowing’).

 

Guidance to Staff

 

General

Teachers and members of staff are vulnerable to accusations of abuse; they should always use common sense and good judgment to avoid or, where avoidance is not possible, mitigate the risks of, situations that may be misunderstood or misinterpreted: for example, inappropriate forms of the following: one-to-one tuition, sports coaching, conveying a pupil by car and engaging in electronic communication with a pupil. ISI Recommendation 60 (vii) states that guidance should be given to staff, ‘to ensure that their behaviour and actions do not place pupils or themselves at risk of harm or of allegations of harm to a pupil (for example, in one-to-one tuition, sports coaching, conveying a pupil by car, engaging in inappropriate electronic communication with a pupil, and so on).

The Children Act 1989 introduced the concept of significant harm as the threshold which justifies compulsory intervention in family life in the best interests of children.

A local authority is under duty to make enquiries, or cause enquiries to be made , where it has reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.

The abuse or neglect of a child can be caused by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family, in a community or institutional setting, by those known to them or, much more rarely, by a stranger.

The definitions listed below are taken from Chapter 1 of ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (March 2010). They are reproduced in full to assist staff in assessing whether any pupil may be suffering actual or potential harm.

 

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child.

Physical harm may be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child

 

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is a form of significant harm which involves persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the chid’s emotional development.

It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children.

These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or the child participating in normal social behaviour. It may involve the seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying 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, though it may occur alone.

 

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is a form of significant harm which involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative (e.g. rape, buggery or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as children looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Neglect

Neglect is 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 and development.

Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance misuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or a carer failing to:

  • provide adequate food and clothing, 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);
  • ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.

 

Indicators of Significant Harm

The following guidance is intended to help staff. It is not a comprehensive guide, nor does the presence of one or more factors prove that a child is being abused, but it may however indicate that further enquiries should be made.

The following factors should be taken into account when assessing risks to a child. It is not an exhaustive list.

  • an unexpected delay in seeking treatment that is obviously needed;
  • an unawareness or denial of any injury, pain or loss of function;
  • incompatible explanations offered or several different explanations given for the child’s illness or injury;
  • a child reacting in a way that is inappropriate to his/her age or development;
  • reluctance to give information or failure to mention previous known injuries;
  • frequent attendance at Accident and Emergency Departments or use of different doctors and Accident and Emergency Department;
  • frequent presentation of minor injuries(which if ignored could lead to more serious injury);
  • unrealistic expectations/consistent complaints about the child;
  • alcohol misuse or other substance misuse;
  • a parent’s request to remove a child from home or indication of difficulties in coping with the child;
  • domestic violence;
  • parental mental ill health;
  • the age of the child and the pressures of caring for a number of children in one household.

Possible signs of abuse are listed below. Those signs and others do no more than raise questions: they are not in themselves proof that abuse has occurred.


Physical Abuse

  • the nature, site and severity of injuries (although minor injuries will not be overlooked);
  • repeated or multiple bruising on the head or sites  unlikely to be injured accidentally, e.g. the back, mouth, cheek, ear, stomach, chest, under the arm and neck; and
  • evidence of bite marks or burns or scalds.
    •  

Emotional abuse

  • lack of praise and encouragement;
  • lack of comfort and love;
  • lack of attachment;
  • lack of appropriate stimulation;
  • lack of continuity of care;
  • singling out a particular child for such treatment, e.g. scapegoating or carrying the burden of many tasks at home inappropriate to their age and status; and
  • over-protective and possessive behaviour of a parent so not allowing the child to have normal contact and activity with friends. 

 

Sexual Abuse

  • inappropriate sexualised conduct;
  • sexual knowledge inappropriate for the pupil’s age;
  • poor concentration and loss of self-esteem;
  • continual inappropriate or excessive masturbation;
  • pain, itching or injuries to genital or anal area, and presence of a sexually transmitted disease

 

Neglect

  • general neglected appearance and child being poorly clothed;
  • general developmental delay;
  • persistent failure to attend school with apparent collusion of parents/carers;
  • attention disorder; and
  • lack of responsiveness.

What to do if abuse is suspected

When a member of staff sees a sign which may be a cause for concern (s)he should seek any information from the pupil with tact and sympathy.

If a pupil makes an allegation of abuse to a member of staff, that member of staff should act in the following way:

  • not promise confidentiality; reassure the pupil that any information will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and that it will only be disclosed to those people who need to know about it
  • listen to the pupil
  • limit any questioning of the pupil to the minimum necessary to seek clarification only, strictly avoiding ‘leading’  the pupil by making suggestions or asking questions that suggest an answer. (Do not ask questions like ‘Did s/he do …… to you?’, using instead a minimum number of questions of the ‘Tell me what happened’, type).
  • reassure the pupil
  • make a written record as soon as possible after the conversation, noting the time, date, place, people present, what was said and pass the record, which should be signed and dated, to the Designated Member of Staff or Headmaster as soon as possible
  • not inform the parent at this stage
  • not make any detailed physical examination nor initiate an examination by any other agency other than in an emergency.

Once the Designated Member of Staff has been informed, the Headmaster will be notified immediately and a decision made as to what, if any, further action should be taken with regard being given to West Yorkshire Consortium Safeguarding Board Procedures Manual. Any allegation or suspicion of abuse will be referred to Children’s Social Care, Initial Response Team, within 24 hours for initial discussion, and thereafter, for the services to be free to carry out, if deemed appropriate, a child protection investigation rather than the School conducting an internal investigation.

It should be remembered that an allegation of abuse might be made by one or more pupils against another pupil or other person with whom the pupil might be likely to come into contact. The procedure, should such a situation arise, is identical to that set out above, save that immediate steps might be required to protect the pupil(s) making the allegation(s) from any risk of further harm. This should be checked with the Designated Member of Staff and/or the Headmaster.

Likewise any third party or anonymous allegation of abuse against any pupil should be reported to the Headmaster immediately, then to the Designated Member of Staff.

If a teacher or member of staff becomes concerned or learns of allegations of possible abuse against a colleague, s/he must report those concerns or allegations to the Headmaster immediately, unless they are  about the Headmaster,  in which case they should be reported to Mrs I Shelton as the Designated Member of Staff, who will immediately report them to the Chair of the Governors without notifying the Headmaster first. In all cases of serious harm the police will be informed at the outset.  In all cases of serious harm the police will be informed at the outset.

In addition, any serious incidents relating to childcare will be reported by the Designated Member of Staff to the National Business Unit of Ofsted, initially by telephone (08456 40 40 40) and thereafter by completing and sending by post a notification form, a copy of which can be downloaded from the NBU website at Ofsted: www.ofsted.gov.uk. These additional steps take account of the guidance issued by Ofsted in its booklet ‘The regulation and inspection of children’s social care from 1 April 2007’ and are also available to parents and guardians.

In the event of an allegation being made against a resident member of boarding staff, arrangements for their alternative accommodation away from children will be made during any period of suspension during an investigation of a child protection nature.

The decision whether to make a referral following an allegation or suspicion of abuse in what appears to be borderline cases will always be referred by the Headmaster or the designated person to LADO for advice.

Child protection records are kept centrally by the designated child protection member of staff. Child protection records must not be kept in the child’s tutor’s file.

 

Sources

  • ‘ISI Regulatory Requirements’ (Sept.2010)
  • ‘What to do if Your Worried A Child is being Abused’ (2006)
  • ‘Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education’ (2007)
  • ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (March 2010)
  • ‘West Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Boards Procedure Manual’
  • ‘Boarding Schools National Minimum Standards’ (September  2011)

 

I.S. Revised: Michaelmas  2011
Next Review by: Michaelmas 2012

 
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