Safeguarding and
Child Protection Policy

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

(Last updated: December 2019)

Legislation and guidance:

• The Children Act 1989 and 2004
• Education Act 2002, section 175
• Local Authority Safeguarding Children Board Child Protection Procedures
• DfES guidance ‘Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education 2006
• HM Government ‘Working Together to safeguard Children 2010

Contact details

Policy, Programmes & Community Insight Service

Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, London E14 2BG

Tel: 020 7364 2063 /4955

lscb@towerhamlets.gov.uk

School 24 hour Emergency   074 0512 4421
School Office            020 7734 7774
Emergency Services       999 or 112
NSPCC                    0808 800 5000
ChildLine                0800 1111

Eynsford College will ensure that all measures are taken to prevent any cases of child abuse and that it takes serious action in the cases of it’s occurrence.

The procedures will cover circumstances in which a member of staff or teacher is accused of, or suspected of abuse.

Aims of the policy

• To raise awareness of both teaching and non-teaching staff of the need to safeguard children and of their responsibilities in identifying and reporting possible cases of abuse
• To provide a systematic means of monitoring children known kids tool bench or thought to be at risk of harm
• To develop a structured procedure within the college to be followed by all members of the college community in the case of suspected abuse
• To ensure that all adults within the college who have access to children have been checked as to their suitability

Procedures

Eynsford College procedures for safeguarding children are in line with the LSCB procedures. The college will ensure that:

• The Designated Senior Person is Mohamed Asker Abdul Razak, Managing Director, who takes regular training
• The members of staff who will act in the Designated Senior Person’s absence is Mr Amir Bader Bakhat, Welfare Officer.
• The designated proprietor is Mr Amir Bader Bakhat
• The staff are trained to develop their understanding of the signs and indicators of abuse
• The staff know how to respond to a pupil who discloses abuse
• The Managing Director is responsible for ensuring the annual review of this policy
• All new members of staff are given a copy of the child protection procedures as part of their induction into the college and are made aware of the role of the Designated Senior Person.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities of Senior Managers:

It is the role of senior managers to take responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This is a shared responsibility and requires:

• Having effective recruitment and human resources procedures, including checking all new staff to make sure they are safe to work with young people
• Having procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse against members of staff
• Making sure that the staff get appropriate training
• Working with the child’s parents/guardians/agents to support their child’s needs
• Helping parents/guardians/agents understand that the college has a responsibility for the welfare of all pupils and has a duty to refer cases to Social Care in the interests of the child
• Any weaknesses in regard to child protection arrangements to be rectified without delay
• Ensuring that children receive appropriate and timely intervention to prevent any form of abuse when required
• Notifying the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) of the name of any member of staff considered to be ‘unsuitable to work’ with children in accordance with statutory regulations

The Designated Senior Person has the following responsibilities to:

• Ensure that the college operates within the legislative framework and recommended guidance from the LSCB
• Ensure the college effectively monitors children about whom there are concerns
• Keep written records of concerns about a child even when there is no need to make

an immediate referral

• Ensure that all such records are stored confidentially and securely and are separate from pupil records
• Monitor register attendance and absences for all pupils
• Submit reports to and attend child protection conferences
• Ensure all staff are aware of the Child Protection Procedures
• Ensure that the appropriate training and support is provided to all staff
• Develop effective working relationships with other agencies and services
• Liaise with Social Care teams over suspected cases of child abuse
• Provide guidance to parents/guardians/agents, children and staff about obtaining suitable support
• Make a commitment to develop productive, supportive relationships with parents/guardians/agents

Reporting

To ensure compliance with current legislation and to identify areas for improvement, College will liaise with the local authority in order that appropriate support can be given. These are the requirements of ‘Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education’ (DfES 2006).

It is important to protect the anonymity of the children concerned and discretion should be used to avoid the identification of individuals.

Training

• Designated Senior Person must undertake training every two years
• Teaching and other staff should have training updated every three years

Abuse and neglect and concerns

Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.

Physical abuse

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scolding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.

Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’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 preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve 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 involves forcing or inciting 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 include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual online images, 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 or development.

Neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:

• Provide adequate food, clothing and 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.
• It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

All staff should be concerned about a child if he or she:

• Has any injury which is not typical of the bumps and scrapes normally associated with accidental injuries
• Regularly has unexplained injuries
• Frequently has some injuries (even when apparently reasonable explanations are given)
• Gives confused or conflicting explanations about how injuries were sustained
• Exhibits significant changes in behaviour, performance or attitude
• Indulges in sexual behaviour which is unusually explicit and / or inappropriate to his or her age/ stage of development
• Discloses an experience in which he or she may have been significantly harmed
• If any member of the staff has cause for believing that a child may be suffering harm it should be

reported.

Dealing with disclosure

If a child discloses that he or she has been abused in some way, the member of staff should:

• Listen to what is being said without displaying shock or disbelief
• Accept what is being said
• Allow the child to talk freely
• Reassure the child, but not make promises which it might not be possible to keep
• Not promise confidentiality – it might be necessary to refer to Social Care or other agencies
• Reassure him or her that what has happened is not his or her fault
• Stress that it was the right thing to tell
• Listen, rather than ask questions
• Not criticise the alleged perpetrator
• Explain what has to be done next and who has told who
• Make a written record
• Pass information to the Designated Senior Person without delay
• NOT allow the child to be interviewed a second time. Accept what the child says and report to the Designated Senior Person

 General points on how to respond to a child wanting to talk about abuse:

• Show acceptance of what the child says (however unlikely the story may sound)
• Keep calm
• Look at the child directly
• Be honest
• Tell the child you will need to let someone else know – Don’t promise confidentiality
• Even when a child has broken a rule, they are not to blame for the abuse
• Be aware that the child may have been threatened or bribed not to tell
• Never push for information. If the child decides not to tell you after all, then accept that and let them know that you are always ready to listen

Helpful things to say:

• I understand what you are saying
• Thank you for telling me
• It’s not your fault
• I will help you

Things not to say:

• Why didn’t you tell anyone before?
• I can’t believe it!
• Are you sure this is true?
• Why? How? When? Who? Where?
• Never make false promises
• Never make statements such as “I am shocked, don’t tell anyone else”

At the end of the conversation:

• Reassure the child that they were right to tell you and show acceptance
• Let the child know what you are going to do next and that you will let them know what happens
• Contact the appropriate senior member of staff or agency
• Consider your own feelings and seek pastoral support if needed

Record keeping

When a child has made a disclosure, the member of staff should:

• Make brief notes
• Don’t destroy the original notes in case they are needed by a court
• Record the date, time, place and any noticeable non-verbal behaviour and the words used by the child
• Record statements and observations rather than interpretations or assumptions
• Give all records to the Designated Senior Person promptly. No copies should be retained by the member of staff

Support following a disclosure

Supporting Staff

Dealing with a disclosure from a child, and a child protection case is likely to be a stressful experience. The member of staff should consider seeking support for him/herself and discuss this with the Designated Senior Person who can seek support from the LSCB if required.

Supporting Children

The college will endeavour to support all children by:

• Encouraging self-esteem and self-confidence whilst not condoning aggression or bullying
• Promoting a caring, safe and positive environment within the college
• Liaising and working together with all other support services and those agencies involved
• in the safeguarding of children

Confidentiality

All matters relating to Safeguarding are confidential.

• Designated Senior Person will disclose any information about a pupil to other members of staff on a need to know basis only
• All staff must be aware that they have a professional responsibility to share information with other agencies in order to safeguard children
• All staff must be aware that they cannot promise a child to keep secrets
• The college will ensure that all staff are made aware of their duty to raise concerns about the attitude or actions of colleagues. If necessary they should speak to the DOS or Designated Senior Person.

Appointment of staff

College procedures for appointing staff are in line with the Child Safeguarding and Protection legislation and guidance.

Safeguarding issues will be at the forefront in the recruitment processes for both teaching and non-teaching staff.

All applicants who are offered employment in posts involving access to children will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). Valid CRB check will be accepted from candidates.

Any member of staff found not suitable to work with children will be notified to the appropriate bodies, including the ISA.

Allegations involving college staff

• All college staff should take care not to place themselves in a vulnerable position with a child
• All staff should be aware of the college’s behaviour/discipline policy
• If a pupil or parent makes a complaint of abuse against a member of staff, the person receiving the complaint must take it seriously and immediately inform the Designated Senior Person. He should also make a record of the concerns including details of anyone else who witnessed the incident or allegation.
• The Designated Senior Person will not investigate the allegation itself, or take written or detailed statements but assess whether it is necessary to refer the matter to Social Care in accordance with the safeguarding procedures. In doing so, He will consult with relevant agencies.
• If the DSP decides that the allegation warrants further action through Safeguarding procedures He must make a referral direct to the local Social Care team. If the allegation constitutes a serious criminal offence, it will be necessary to contact Social Care before informing the member of staff.
• Careful consideration needs to be given to the suspension of the member of staff against whom an allegation has been made. Any suspension is seen as a neutral action and does not predict the outcome of any disciplinary process
• If it is decided that this is not necessary to refer the matter to Social Care the DSP will consider whether there needs to be an internal investigation
• If the complaint made to a member of staff concerns the DSP, the person receiving the complaint will immediately inform the LSCB.

Racist comments

Racist comments will not be tolerated and repeated racist incidents or a single serious incident may lead to consideration under safeguarding procedures.

Inappropriate relationships

Under no circumstances should inappropriate relationships be encouraged between adults and children. Staff should be aware that the Sexual Offences Act 2003 created a new criminal offence of abuse of trust and a new offence of meeting a child following sexual grooming.

Where a member of staff is concerned that a pupil has developed a crush or attachment to them, they should report this to the Designated Senior Person and should discourage social exchanges with them that are in any way different from those of the rest of their peers see more info at babame.com.

Staff should at all times be aware of their professional responsibilities in relation to safeguarding children.

Prevention

• The welfare system facilitate a supportive college community
• There is a strong ethos where children feel secure and are encouraged to talk and are always listened to
• All children know there is an adult in the college whom they can approach if they are worried or in difficulty

Educational Visits

The college places great significance on the protection of children within the college environment and when students are undertaking educational trips and visits. (Refer to Educational Trips and Visits Policy).