Safeguarding Children Policy
Staff and volunteers working in our homework club have a duty of care towards the children attending and this duty brings with it the responsibility to ensure that all efforts are made to safeguard children from suspected and actual harm.
Children attending the homework club have a right to feel safe and staff, in partnership
with parents/carers, have a responsibility to act on any concerns they may have regarding a child’s welfare and well‐being.
The Legal framework for this policy
• Children act (2004/1989)
• Working together to Safeguard children (2006)
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
This statement lays out the procedures that will be followed if we have any reason to believe that a child in our care is subject to welfare issues including physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect.
Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well-being of children in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents/carers and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention. All staff will work as part of a multi‐agency team where needed in the best interest of the child.
All staff will be familiar with their own responsibilities to act swiftly upon any suspicions or concerns they may have about any child or member of staff at the homework club.
- We will follow the statutory framework and Salford Bridge Partnership Safeguarding children’s board Guidance, and as such will seek advice on all steps taken subsequently.
- We have a duty to report any suspicions around abuse to the Bridge partnership who, under the children Act 1989 have an obligation to investigate such matters.
- Staff must not make comment either publicly or in private about a parent’s supposed or actual behaviour, strict confidentiality will be observed at all times.
- Staff must raise any concerns initially with the’ Designated senior member of staff for Safeguarding’, who will discuss these concerns with the manager/registered person on a need to know basis and appropriate action will be considered.
- Staff responsibilities do not include investigating the suspected abuse and all related information must be kept in a locked filling cabinet. Parents and families will be treated with respect in a non-judgemental manner whilst investigations by the appropriate authorities are being carried out in the best interests of the child.
It is the policy of Warm Hut UK to provide a secure and safe environment for all children from abuse.
We will therefore not allow an adult to be left alone who has not received their enhanced
CRB check clearance and all our staff will receive safeguarding training. We know how important staff ratios are and ensure that we follow the legal requirements for the minimum numbers of staff present with the children at any time.
Warm Hut UK aims to:
• Ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the charge of the homework club staff.
• Ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times.
• Ensure that all staff are alert to the signs and understand what is meant by safeguarding and are aware of the different ways in which children can be harmed, including by other children i.e. bullying.
• Ensure that all staff are familiar with safeguarding issues and procedures when they register with the homework club and kept informed of all updates when they occur.
• Regularly review and update this policy.
What is child abuse?
A person may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm.
Staff in the homework club recognise that child abuse can and does happen in all types of families.
The different social and cultural backgrounds of the children do not constitute barriers to child abuse and in most cases children are abused by individuals known to them, rather than strangers.
Child abuse can take many formats, but all instances can be broadly categorised under one of four headings; neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse.
The following identifies some possible manifestations of child abuse; however, these lists are not exhaustive.
Neglect – is the persistent failure to meet basic physical and psychological needs, which may result in the serious impairment of the child’s health and development. For example; poor hygiene, untreated medical problems, emaciation or under nourishment.
Staff may notice behavioural signs such as a child who always seems to be hungry, is constantly tired or talks of being left alone.
Procedure:
• The concern should be discussed with the parent/carer.
• Such discussions will be recorded and the parent/carer will have access to such records.
• If there appears to be any queries regarding the circumstances the children’s services access centre will be notified.
Physical abuse – physical signs may involve unexplained bruising in unlikely areas, facial bruising, hand/finger marks, bite marks, burns, lacerations or abrasions.
Staff may notice certain behavioural signs that also indicate physical abuse such as a child that shy’s away from physical contact, is withdrawn or aggressive towards others or their behaviour changes suddenly.
Procedure:
• All signs of marks/injuries to a child when they come into Homework club will be recorded as soon as noticed by a staff member
• The incident will be discussed with the parent/carer at the earliest opportunity.
• Such discussions will be recorded and a signature obtained from the parent/carer who will have access to such records.
• If there appears to be any queries regarding the injury, the children’s services access centre should be informed immediately.
Sexual Abuse – Physical signs may include bruising consistent with being held firmly, discomfort in walking/sitting, pain or itching in the genital area, discharge or blood on under clothes, or loss of appetite. Behavioural signs may include drawings or play showing indicators of sexual activity, sexual explicit language, knowledge of adult sexual behaviour, seductive behaviour towards others, poor self-esteem and a child who is withdrawn.
Procedure:
• The observed instances will be detailed in a confidential report.
• The observed instances will be reported to the DSMS/Homework club manager.
• The matter will be referred to the children’s services access centre immediately.
Emotional Abuse – Physical signs of emotional abuse may include a general failure to thrive, not meeting expected developmental milestones and behaviourally a child may be attention seeking tells lies, have an inability to have fun, low self-esteem, speech disorders, and be inappropriately affectionate towards others.
Procedure:
The concerns should be discussed with the parent/carer by the DSMS/Manager.
• Such discussions will be recorded and the parent/carer will have access to such records.
• If there appears to be any queries regarding the circumstances, the children’s services access centre will be notified.
However, when identifying any potential instances of abuse, staff must at all times be aware that children may demonstrate individual or combinations of the indicators detailed, but may not be the subject of abuse.
Individual or isolated incidents do not necessarily indicate abuse. However, staff
should always remain vigilant and must not ignore warnings signs and contact Children’s services access centre at any stage for support.
Recording suspicions of abuse and disclosers
Staff will make an objective record of any observation or disclosure and include:
- Child’s name.
- Child’s address
- Child’s age and date of birth
- Date and time of the observation or the disclosure
- EXACT words spoken by the child/injuries or marks seen
- Name of person to whom the concern was reported, with date and time and the names of any other person present at the time.
- Any discussion held with the parent/carer.
These records are signed and dated and kept in a separate confidential file.
All members of staff must know the procedures for recording information. It may be thought necessary that through discussion with all concerned the matter needs to be raised with the Safeguarding services and OFSTED.
Staff involved may be asked to supply details of any information they have of concerns with regard to a child.
The Homework club expects all members of staff to co‐operate with the Safeguarding Services and OFSTED in any way necessary to ensure the safety of the children.
All staff will attend Safeguarding Training or complete the E Learning training and receive basic training as part of their induction.
Staff and Volunteering
A senior member of staff is identified within the Homework club as the ‘Designated senior member of staff for safeguarding’ (DSMS), in their absence the Deputy manager assumes this responsibility.
The designated person will undertake specific training and accesses regular updates to developments within this field.
The named DSMS at Warm Hut UK is Pipeeh Miyalu.
• We provide adequate and appropriate staffing resources to meet the needs of the children
• Applicants for the post within the Homework club are clearly informed that their positions are exempt from Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Candidates are informed of the need to carry out checks before posts can be confirmed. Where applicants are rejected because of information that has been disclosed, applicants have the right to know and challenge incorrect information.
• All applicants must have an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure check and
must be registered with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
• We abide by OFSTED requirements in respect of references and police checks for staff and volunteers, to ensure that no disqualified person or unfit person works at the Homework club or has access to the children.
• Volunteers, including students do not work unsupervised
• We abide by the Independent Safeguarding authority of Children Act requirements in the
respect of any person who is dismissed from our employment or resigns in circumstances
that would otherwise lead to dismissal for reasons of safeguarding children.
• The deployment of staff within the Homework club allows for constant supervision.
Informing Parents
Parents are normally the first point of contact. If suspicion of abuse is recorded, parents are informed at the same time as the report is made, except where the guidance of the Salford Safeguarding Children’s Board does not allow this. This will usually be the case where the parent is the likely abuser.
In these cases the investigating Officer will inform the parents.
Confidentiality
All suspicions and investigations are kept confidential and only shared with those who need to know.
Any information is shared under the guidance of the Salford Safeguarding Children’s Board.
Support to Families
• Warm Hut UK Homework club takes every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relations among families, staff and volunteers within the Homework club.
• The Homework club continues to welcome a child and their family whilst investigation are being made in relation to abuse within the home.
• Confidential records kept on a child are shared with parents or those who have parental
responsibility for the child, only if appropriate under the guidance of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Employees of the Homework club/ Allegations of abuse by member of staff.
If an allegation is made against a member of staff the DSMS will immediately inform the Safeguarding board, Police and OFSTED. It is important to take a name of the person spoken to and they will advise on the next steps to be taken.
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) will also be on hand to convene a strategy meeting and offer advice and support. OFSTED and the Independent
Safeguarding Authority will also need to be informed and this will be investigated.
• Staff will cooperate with the investigating authority.
• The Homework club reserves the right to suspend any member of staff on full pay during an investigation
• All investigation/interviews will be documented and kept in a locked file. Records on the
alleged perpetrator will be kept until they reach normal retirement age or for 10 years if that period of time is longer.
This includes records of people no longer associated with the provision.
• Unfounded allegations will result in all rights being re‐instated.
• All allegations will be passed on to the relevant organisation (Safeguarding Children’s service and OFSTED) and will result in the termination of employment. OFSTED will be notified immediately of the allegation.
• Counselling will be available for any member of the Homework club who is affected by the
allegation, their colleagues in the Homework club and the parents.
• If an allegation of abuse is made about the Homework club manager /registered person, the person making the complaint is likely to contact OFSTED, Safeguarding Children’s services (The bridge partnership) or the police directly.
Prevention duty
From 1 July 2015 all schools, Warm Hut UK as a registered later years childcare providers is also subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of our functions, we have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”.
- We will build children and young people resilience by promoting fundamental
British Values and enabling them to challenge extremist views and we will make a referral to the Channel Programme through the bridge partnership team (the Children and Families Help Desk) and the police on 101.
Channel general awareness online training completed by Mrs Pipeeh Miyalu.
Useful Numbers
• Ofsted complaints, investigation and enforcement team – 03001231231
• The Bridge partnership – 0161 603 4500
Signed on behalf of: Warm Hut UK
Date: 17/06/2016
Date of review: 15/06/2017