Policies & Procedures
Child Protection Policy/Safe Guarding Children Policy and Procedure
We intend to create a Pre School environment in which children are
safe from abuse, and in which any suspicion of abuse is promptly
and appropriately responded to.
The Children Act 1989 and the Children’s Act 2004 continue
to inform our understanding of Child abuse and procedures to follow.
Child abuse has been divided into four categories and are summarised
below:
Emotional Abuse
1. The persistent emotional ill-treatment of a child such as to
cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s
emotional development.
Neglect and Non Organic Failure to Thrive
2. 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.
Physical Abuse
3. Actual or likely physical injury to a child, or failure to prevent
physical injury to a child.
Sexual Abuse
4. Actual or likely abuse/exploitation of a child or adolescent.
Children Act 1989
The Children’s Act 1989 uses the concept of ‘significant
harm’ to justify compulsory intervention into family life.
Harm is defined in the Children Act of 1989 as ‘ill treatment
or impairment of health or development’.
Children Act 1989
Section 47 – Local Authority’s Duty to Investigate
Where a Local Authority:-
Has reasonable cause to suspect that a child in their area is
suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
The Authority shall make whatever enquiries necessary to enable
them to decide whether they should take action to safeguard or
promote the child’s welfare.
The Children Act 2004, which followed the Green Paper ‘Every
Child Matters’, is now enacted. The main themes include:
- Duties on key agencies to cooperate with each other in respect
of safeguarding children.
- The merging of Education, Child Health and Social Services Departments
into a Children’s Service.
- ACPCs to be replaced by Local Safeguarding Boards.
- The creation of a Children’s Commissioner.
In order to safeguard children we will:
1. Exclude known abusers
It will be made clear to applicants for posts at the Pre School
that the position is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitations
of Offenders act 1974.
All applicants for work within our setting, whether voluntary
or paid, will be interviewed before the appointment is made. It
is also a requirement that the applicant provides us with the
name of two referees that have known the applicant in a professional
capacity for five years or more. All such references will be followed
up.
All appointments both paid and voluntary will be subject to a
three-month probationary period and will not be confirmed unless
the Management Committee is confident that the applicants can
be safely trusted with children. All applicants will be required
to complete an enhanced CRB check in order to establish their
suitability.
Work experience students will only be allowed to enter the setting
with prior written notification from the respective school.
Trainees under the age of 18 and all work experience students
will not be left unsupervised with the children at any time.
2. Training of Staff
The Management Committee will work with the Manager to seek out
training opportunities for all staff in the group to ensure that
they recognise the symptoms of possible physical abuse, neglect,
and emotional and sexual abuse. All staff will have access to
the booklet “What to do if you are worried a child is being
abused”.
3. Respond appropriately to suspicions of abuse
Changes in children’s behaviour and appearance will be
recorded. All staff should be aware of the safe guarding policy
and procedure for recording and reporting concerns.
4. Designated Person
The Designated Person is responsible for safeguarding children’s
issues by:
- Ensuring that proper up-to-date internal child protection
processes and procedures are in place covering:
- Basic child protection awareness
- Recording of incidents and concerns
- Reports of concerns
- Allegation or suspicions concerning staff
- Ensuring that these are closely followed.
- Ensuring that all staff have updated training.
- Taking responsibility for seeking advice from and making referrals
to the Children’s and Young People’s Services (CYPS)
as necessary.
- Dealing with allegations or concerns involving staff members.
- Acting as a source of support, advice and expertise within
the setting.
The Designated Person Child Protection is: Natalie Smith
– Pre School Manager
Staff are aware that in the absence of the Designated Person
all concerns must be forwarded to the Chair Person of the Management
Committee.
Parents will usually be the first point of reference, though
suspicions will also be referred as appropriate to the registering
authority (Ofsted) and the local CYPS:
Talbot House
20-22 East Street
Horsham
RH12 1HL
01403 213100
Out of hours emergency service
01903 694422
Ofsted
08456 404040
5. Confidentiality
All suspicions and investigations will be kept confidential,
shared only with those who need to know. This will be the involved
member of staff, the Designated Person (Manager) and the Chairperson
of the Management Committee.
In the event of an allegation made against a member of staff
procedures will be adopted as per the Allegation Made Against
a Member of Staff Policy.
6. Keeping Record
When worrying changes are observed in a child’s behaviour,
physical condition or appearance, a specific record will be kept,
separate from the usual records of the child’s progress
and development. The record will include timed and dated observations,
describing objectively the child’s behaviour and appearance;
where possible, the exact word spoken by a child; the date, name
and signature of the recorder. The body map may also be used.
Such records will be kept in a separate locked file and will
not be accessible in the Pre School other than to the Pre School
Manager, Chair and the Management Committee.
7. Liase with other bodies
The Pre School operates in accordance with local authority guidelines.
Confidential records kept, which are of concern to the Pre School
Management, will be shared with the local CYPS.
If a report is made to the CYPS the Pre School Manager will inform
the parents the same time the report is made.
8. Support Families
The Pre School will take every step in its power to build up
trusting and supportive relationships between families, staff
and volunteers.
Where abuse at home is suspected, the Pre School will continue
to welcome the child and the family while investigations proceed.
Confidential records kept will be shared with the child’s
parents.
With the provision that the care and safety of the child is paramount,
the Pre School will do all in its power to support and work with
the child’s family.
9. Supporting Staff
The Management Committee recognises that those staff involved
with any such child protection issues may find it distressing
and will offer support accordingly.
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