Child Protection Policy
Child Child Protection Policy
Independent Day School for Boys and Girls
Our Lady of Sion School
October 2011
1 Policy statement
1.1 This policy has been authorised by the Governors, is addressed to all members of staff and volunteers, is available to parents on request and is published on the School website. It applies wherever staff or volunteers are working with pupils, even where this is away from the School, for example at an activity centre or on an educational visit.
1.2 Every pupil should feel safe and protected from any form of abuse which, in this policy, means any kind of neglect, non-accidental physical injury, sexual exploitation or emotional ill-treatment.
1.3 Our Lady of Sion School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The School will take all reasonable measures to:
• ensure that we practise safer recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers (including staff employed by another organisation) to work with children and young people, under the care of Sion, in accordance with the guidance given in Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education, the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003, as amended. Sion’s obligation in this regard also applies to staff of other organisations working with Sion pupils at locations remote from Sion’s own premises.
• ensure that we carry out all necessary checks on the suitability of people who serve on the School's governing body, in accordance with the above regulations and guidance, given in Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education
• ensure that, where the School ceases to use the services of any person (whether employed, contracted, a volunteer or student) because that person was considered unsuitable to work with children, a prompt and detailed report is made within one month to the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) at PO Box 181, Darlington DL1 9FA (telephone 0300 123 1111).
• ensure that where staff from another organisation are working with our pupils on another site, we have received assurances that appropriate child protection checks and procedures apply to those staff
• follow the local inter-agency procedures of the West Sussex Safeguarding Children Board
• protect each pupil from any form of abuse, whether from an adult or another pupil
• be alert to signs of abuse, both in the School and from outside
• deal appropriately with every suspicion or complaint of abuse
• design and operate procedures which promote this policy
• design and operate procedures which, so far as possible, ensure that teachers and others who are innocent are not prejudiced by false allegations
• support children who have been abused, in accordance with his / her agreed Child Protection Plan
• be alert to the medical needs of children with medical conditions
• operate robust and sensible Health & Safety procedures
• take all practicable steps to ensure that Sion School premises are as secure as circumstances permit
• operate clear and supportive policies on drugs, alcohol and substance misuse
• consider and develop procedures to deal with any other safeguarding issues which may be specific to individual children in our school and local area
• have regard to guidance issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), in accordance with Section 157 of the Education Act 2002 and associated regulations
1.4 Every complaint or suspicion of abuse from within or outside the School will be investigated and, in all proper circumstances, will be referred to an external agency such as the Social Services Department (SSD) of the Local Authority, the Child Protection Unit (CPU) of the Police, or the NSPCC. In each case, the matter should be referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer, Rosemary Terry, West Sussex Safeguarding Manager (Children), Tel 01243 642315.
2 The Designated Person
2.1 The School has appointed two senior members of staff with the necessary status and authority as Designated Persons (DP) to be responsible for matters relating to Child Protection and Welfare. The main responsibilities of the DP are to:
• be the first point of contact for parents, pupils, teaching and non-teaching staff and external agencies in all matters of Child Protection
• to co-ordinate the Child Protection procedures in the School
• to maintain an ongoing training programme for all School employees
• to monitor the keeping, confidentiality and storage of records in relation to child protection
• to liaise with the Child Protection Officer appointed by the SSD (Local Authority Designated Officer)
2.2 The DPs for the two School sites are: James Summers, Deputy Head, Junior School, who may be contacted on 01903 204062; Paula Starkey, Deputy Head, Senior School, who may be contacted on 01903 204063. He /she will:
• advise and act upon all suspicion, belief and evidence of abuse reported to him / her
• keep the Head informed of all actions, unless the Head is the subject of a complaint. In this situation, the DP should consult with Mark Spofforth, Acting Chair of Governors, or, in his absence, Sister Brenda McCole nds, the designated Governor for Child Protection
• liaise with the SSD and other agencies on behalf of the School
• Sion Junior School delivers educational provision covering the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and all elements of the safeguarding policy which apply to Sion Senior School also apply to Sion’s EYFS provision. Additionally, the following mandatory arrangement for EYFS is in place:
(i) James Summers is the designated practitioner with lead responsibility for safeguarding children in the EYFS context and for liaising with local statutory children’s agencies, as appropriate and as specified at para 1.4 above.
2.3 If the DP is unavailable or is, him or herself, the subject of a complaint, the DP’s duties will be carried out by the Head or other member of staff , who has received appropriate training.
2.4 The DPs are to have undertaken basic Child Protection training and training in Inter-Agency Working and will attend refresher training at two- yearly intervals.
3 Signs of abuse
3.1 Possible signs of abuse include (but are not limited to):
• the pupil says s/he has been abused or asks a question which gives rise to that inference
• there is no reasonable or consistent explanation for a pupil's injury; the injury is unusual in kind or location; there have been a number of injuries; there is a pattern to the injuries
• the pupil's behaviour stands out from the group as either being extreme model behaviour or extremely challenging behaviour; or there is a sudden change in the pupil's behaviour
• the pupil asks to drop subjects with a particular teacher and seems reluctant to discuss the reasons
• the pupil's development is delayed
• the pupil loses or gains weight
• the pupil appears neglected, e.g. dirty, hungry, inadequately clothed
• the pupil is reluctant to go home, or has been openly rejected by his / her parents or carers
4 Duty of Employees, School Governors and Volunteers
4.1 Every employee and governor of the School, as well as every volunteer assisting the School, is under a general legal duty to:
• protect children from abuse
• be aware of the School's Child Protection procedures and to follow them
• know how to access and implement the procedures, independently if necessary
• keep a sufficient record of any significant complaint, conversation or event
• report any matters of concern to the Designated Person
• undertake appropriate training, including refresher training at three-yearly intervals
4.2 Whistleblowing: All staff are required to report, to the relevant DP, any concerns or allegations about school practices or the behaviour of colleagues which are likely to put pupils at risk of abuse or other serious harm. In exceptional cases, such reports should be made to OFSTED. There will be no retribution or disciplinary action against a member of staff for making such a report, provided that it is done in good faith.
5 Procedures
5.1 Initial complaint: A member of staff suspecting or hearing a complaint of abuse must:
• listen carefully to the child and keep an open mind. Staff should not take a decision as to whether or not the abuse has taken place
• not ask leading questions, that is questions which suggests their own answer
• reassure the child, but not give a guarantee of absolute confidentiality. The mem ber of staff should explain that they need to pass the information to the relevant DP, who will ensure that the correct action is taken
• make a sufficient written record of the conversation. This must include the date, time and place of the conversation and the essence of what was said and done, by whom and in whose presence. This record should be signed by the person making it and should use full names, not initials. The record must be kept securely and handed to the relevant DP.
5.2 Preserving evidence: All potential evidence, (for example, scribbled notes, mobile phones containing text messages, clothing, computers), must be obtained and kept safely.
5.3 Reporting: All suspicion, or complaints, of abuse must be reported to the relevant DP, or, if the complaint involves the relevant DP, to the Head or other designated and appropriately trained member of staff.
5.4 Action by the DP: The DP’s action will take into account:
• the local inter-agency procedures of the West Sussex Safeguarding Children Board
• the nature and seriousness of the suspicion or complaint. A complaint involving a potentially serious criminal offence will always be referred to the SSD and/or the Police, without further investigation within the School
• the wishes of the pupil who has complained, provided that the pupil is of sufficient understanding and maturity and properly informed. However, there may be times when the situation is so serious that decisions may need to be taken, after all appropriate consultation, that override a pupil's wishes
• the wishes of the complainant's parents, provided they have no interest in conflict with the pupil's best interests and that they are properly informed. Again, it may be necessary, after all appropriate consultation, to override parental wishes in some circumstances. If the relevant DP is concerned that disclosing information to parents would put a child at risk, he or she will take further advice from the relevant professionals before deciding to disclose
• duties of confidentiality, so far as applicable
• the lawful rights and interests of the School community as a whole, including all its employees and its insurers
• if there is room for doubt as to whether a referral should be made, the relevant DP may consult with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or other appropriate professionals on a no names basis . However, as soon as sufficient concern exists that a child may be at risk of significant harm, a referral must be made to the LADO within the first 24 hours. The LADO’s contact details are at para 1.4 above. If the initial referral is made by telephone, the relevant DP will confirm the referral in writing to the SSD within 24 hours. If no formal response or acknowledgment is received from the SSD within three working days, the DP will formally contact the SSD again.
5.5 Referral Guidelines: A referral to the SSD or Police will not normally be made where:
• the complaint does not involve a serious criminal offence
• a referral would be contrary to the wishes of a pupil complainant who is of sufficient maturity and understanding and properly informed, and contrary also to the wishes of the complainant's parents
• the case is one that can be satisfactorily investigated and dealt with under the School's internal procedures, the parents being kept fully informed, as appropriate
However, if, during the course of the internal procedures, the situation seems more serious than at first appeared, the relevant DP will again consider whether a referral should be made, in accordance with paragraph 5.4 above.
5.6 External Agencies: Whether or not the School decides to refer a particular complaint to the SSD or the Police, the parents and pupil will be informed in writing of their right to make their own complaint or referral to the Social Services Department or the Child Protection Unit of the Police, and will be provided with contact names, addresses and telephone numbers, as appropriate.
5.7 Allegations against Staff: Sion School has procedures for dealing with allegations against staff (and volunteers who work with children) that aim to strike a balance between the need to protect children from abuse and the need to protect staff and volunteers from false or unfounded allegations. These procedures follow the guidance in Chapter 5 of Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education.
Suspension will not be an automatic response to an allegation. Full consideration will be given to all the options, subject to the need to ensure:
• the safety and welfare of the pupils or pupil concerned
• the need for a full and fair investigation
Where an allegation or complaint is made against a DP, the matter should be reported immediately to the Head.
Where an allegation or complaint is made against the Head, the person receiving the allegation should immediately inform the Chair of Governors, or, in his absence, Sister Brenda Mc Cole nds, without first notifying the Head.
Guidance and training are given to all 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 pupils by car, engaging in unnecessary and inappropriate electronic communication with pupils, etc.
If the School ceases to use the services of a member of staff (or a governor or volunteer) because that person is deemed unsuitable to work with children, a compromise agreement will not be used. There will in all cases be a prompt and detailed report to the Independent Safeguarding Authority. Any such incidents will be followed by a review of the safeguarding procedures within the School, with a report being presented to the Governors without delay.
5.8 Early Years Foundation Stage: The School will inform Ofsted of any allegations of serious harm or abuse by any person living, working or looking after children on the premises of the Early Years Foundation Stage (whether that allegation relates to harm or abuse committed on the premises or elsewhere), or any other abuse which is alleged to have taken place on the premises and of the action taken in respect of those allegations. The School will inform Ofsted of these allegations as soon as reasonably practicable but in any event within 14 days of the allegations being made.
Physical Contact: The school’s policy on physical contact is included in the School Terms and Conditions. Under these, parents give their consent to such physical contact as may accord with good practice and be appropriate for:
• teaching and instruction
• providing comfort to a pupil in distress
• maintaining safety and good order
• ensuring a given pupil’s health and welfare
5.9 Allegations Against Pupils: A pupil or pupils against whom an allegation of abuse has been made may be suspended from the School during the investigation and the School's policy on behaviour, discipline and sanctions will apply. The School will take advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) on the investigation of such allegations and will take all appropriate action to ensure the safety and welfare of all pupils involved including the pupil or pupils accused of abuse. If it is necessary for a pupil to be interviewed by the police in relation to allegations of abuse, the School will ensure that, subject to the advice of the LADO, parents are informed as soon as possible and that the pupil is supported during the interview by an appropriate adult.
5.10 Suspected Harm from outside the School: A member of staff who suspects that a pupil is suffering harm from outside the School should seek information from the child with tact and sympathy using "open", not leading, questions. A sufficient record must be made of the conversation. If the member of staff continues to be concerned, he or she should refer the matter to the relevant DP.
5.11 Missing Child Procedures: All staff are informed of the separate procedure to be used for searching for, and, if necessary, reporting, any pupil missing from school. The procedure includes the requirement to record any such incident, the action taken and the reasons given by the pupil for being missing.
6 Monitoring
6.1 The DPs will monitor the operation of this policy and its procedures, and make an annual report to the Governors.
6.2 The Governors will undertake an annual review of this policy and how their duties under it have been discharged.
6.3 The Governors will ensure that any deficiencies or weaknesses identified in Child Protection arrangements are remedied without delay.
7 Contact numbers
7.1 The telephone numbers of the West Sussex County Council SSD, by area, are:
West Sussex 01243 642555
Worthing 01903 839100
Worthing Child Protection Office 01903 839182 or 839116
7.2 The following telephone numbers may be useful for pupils:
West Sussex: Worthing Contact Centre 01903 839182
CHILDLINE 0800 1111
NSPCC 0808 800 5000
Authorised by: Penny Eggebrecht Chair of Governors
Date: October 2009
Effective date of the policy: October 2009
Circulation: Governors / All Staff /Volunteers automatically / Parents on request
Status Complies with paragraph 3(2)(b) of the Schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 and DCFS guidance Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in education (DFES-04217-2006)
©Our Lady of Sion School 2011
The school reserves the right to amend this policy
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