Transcript Document

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An Introduction to Child
Protection - for Schools
Delivered on behalf of
Bath and North East Somerset
Local Safeguarding Children Board
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Aims & Objectives
At the end of this session participants will :
• Be clear about key roles and responsibilities in
and for schools
• Understand the safeguarding agenda for
schools and where child protection fits into it
• Be aware of different types of abuse and
possible signs and symptoms
• Be clear about what to do if they are concerned
about a child
• Be clear about how to respond to a child who
tells them about possible abuse
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What has child abuse got
to do with me?
Safeguarding in Education
Safe Recruitment
& Selection
ICT / E-safety
Child protection
Whistle-blowing
SEN and CiC
Duty to
Safeguard
&
Promote
Welfare
Behaviour
Management
Extended
Services
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Managing
Allegations
School Security
& Physical
Environment
PSHE
& Curriculum
Anti-Bullying
Attendance
admissions
exclusions
Staff Conduct
(inc. volunteers)
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Taking action
I could make things worse
What if I’m wrong
Fear
I don’t know what to do
Not my job
CHILD
Disbelief
What do I know about child abuse?
Protection of Child
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Potential Pitfalls
• Losing sight of the child e.g. Unwillingness to
challenge where we have concerns
• Mindsets e.g. It doesn’t happen here
• Failure to share information
• Unclear about roles / responsibilities
• Failure to seek appropriate advice / support
• Failure to record
• Assumptions e.g. someone else will act, about
the family, explanations etc
• Not acting promptly where we have concerns
e.g. same day
Legislation, Roles &
Responsibilities
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Main Legislation & Guidance
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Children Act 1989
Education Act 2002
Children Act 2004
Bichard 2005
ISA
• Working Together to Safeguard
Children March 2010
• DfES ‘Safeguarding Children and
Safer Recruitment in Education’
(January 2007)
• Guidance for Safer Working Practices
2007
• B&NES Safeguarding Children
Procedures
• School’s CP Policy / Procedures
• www.swcpp.org.uk
• Framework for Schools Inspections
Legal Responsibilities under Section 175
(S157 – Independent Schools)
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• ‘Safeguarding & Promoting Welfare’- covers more than the
contribution made to child protection in relation to individual
children e.g. bullying, medical needs, school security etc
• LAs, Governing Bodies and establishments must have in
place relevant policies and procedures
• Must have DTCP for child protection (and back-up person
recommended)
• DTCP to update their cp training every two years
• All staff to receive training every three years and on induction
• Safe recruitment procedures
• Not about increased individual liability. Legislation refers to
making and having in place ‘arrangements … … ‘
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DTCP Role and Responsibilities
• Responsible for maintaining child
welfare and child protection
records centrally, securely and,
where appropriate (i.e. CP records),
confidentially
• Responsible for sharing records
appropriately when children leave
or move schools
• Responsible for co-ordinating
action in child protection situations
e.g. monitoring and support plans
in school, referring to other
agencies, attending Child Protection
Conferences and other meetings
• Ensures that a CP policy is in place
and that staff are aware
• Reviews policy annually and
ensures sign-off by Governing
Body
• Attends refresher training every 2
yrs (inc. multi-agency training)
• Ensures all staff receive induction
and an update every 3 yrs
• Offers support and advice to staff ,
day to day, who may have
concerns about children in school.
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Child Abuse?
When a child is hurt or harmed by
another person in a way that causes
significant harm to that child and which
may have an effect upon the child’s
health, development or well-being, via
acts of omission or commission.
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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 also be caused when a
parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or
deliberately induces, illness in a child.
For
Non-Accidental
Injuries
For
Accidental
Injuries
Eyes
Ears
Cheeks
Mouth
Forehead
Neck
Shoulder
Body spinal
protuberances
Chest
Upper Arms
Inner Arms
Stomach
Elbow
Genitals
Front Thighs
Buttocks
Back Thighs
Knees
Crown
Liana crest
(hip)
Shins
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Physical Abuse
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Not all bruising or marks are causes for concern
No failsafe checklist exists
No need to investigate / diagnose
What and where e.g. linear, outline, several /
recurrent, parallel, soft tissue
Are explanations consistent e.g. child, parent?
Patterns? Circumstances? Life events / changes
/ behaviour?
Act promptly – same day discussion with DTCP
No photos! Clear records!
Emotional Abuse
• The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to
cause severe and persistent adverse effects on a child’s
emotional development.
• It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or
unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the
needs of another person.
• It may include not giving a child opportunities to express their
views, deliberately silencing them or making fun of what they
say or how they communicate.
• 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.
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• It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of
another.
• It may involve serious bullying (including
cyberbullying).
• causing children frequently to feel frightened or in
danger.
• the exploitation of corruption of children
• Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all the
types of maltreatment of a child thought it may occur
alone.
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For example, for a child this can mean:
• Persistent ridicule,rejection, humiliation
• Living in atmosphere of fear and
intimidation
• Being allowed no contact with other
children
• Inappropriate expectations being imposed
• Low warmth, high criticism
• Being bullied, scapegoated
Neglect
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• 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 occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal
substance abuse.
• Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer
failing to provide adequate food and clothing, shelter including
exclusion from a home or abandonment.
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Failure to
• Protect a child from physical and emotional
harm or danger
• Ensure adequate supervision (including the use
of inadequate care-givers) or
• Ensure access to appropriate medical care or
treatment
• It may also include neglect of, or
unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional
needs.
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For example, for a child this can mean:
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Lack of adequate nourishment/shelter
Not receiving medical attention when necessary
Lack of interest in the welfare of the child
Inappropriate clothing
No boundaries, limits in terms of actions and
behaviour
• Child’s needs not recognised / prioritised by
parents
Sexual Abuse
• Sexual Abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or
young person to take part in sexual activities, not
necessarily involving a high level of violence,
whether or not the child is aware of what is
happening
• The activities may involve physical contact,
including assault by penetration (for example rape
or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as
masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching
outside of clothing
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• They may also include non-contact activities
such as
• Involving children in looking at, or in the
production of, sexual images, watching sexual
activities, encouraging children to behave in
sexually inappropriate ways or
• Grooming a child for abuse (including via the
internet)
• Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult
males. Women can also commit acts of sexual
abuse, as can other children
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• Not necessarily about touch / penetrative acts
e.g. access to inappropriate materials,
language, what children see
• Barriers to disclosure i.e. ‘grooming’
• May be physical, emotional, social /
behavioural signs although may be subtle and
attributable, potentially, to a range of things
Private Fostering
• Arrangement made privately without the
involvement of the local authority
• Applies to children under 16 years or 18 if
disabled where they have been cared for
by someone other than a parent of close
relative for 28 days or more
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Talking and Listening to
children
Do
Don’t
• Keep an open mind
• Reassure the child that they
are right to tell
• Listen carefully
• Work at the child’s pace
• Ask only open questions – if
you must ask them, clarify the
facts, don’t interrogate
• Explain what you need to do
next
• Record accurately and quickly
using child’s words
• Pass on to DTCP same day
• Make false promises about
confidentiality
• Interrupt
• Interrogate / investigate
• Assume e.g. this child tells lies
• Make suggestions about what
is being said
• Speculate or accuse anyone
• Show anger, shock etc
• Tell the child to go and speak
to someone else
• Forget to record accurately
and/or pass on to DTCP
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Recordings need to …
• Be written as soon as possible (& certainly within
24 hrs)
• Be written in ink, signed and dated
• Differentiate clearly between fact, opinion (if one
is offered) & interpretation
• Use the child’s language wherever possible (if
you use quotation marks be very clear &
precise!)
• Be given to the appropriate person (DTCP) as a
matter of urgency
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When might you be vulnerable
& why?
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Alone with a child
Administering first aid
Restraining a child
When a child seeks
affection
• Providing intimate personal
care
• Social networking sites
• Lack of training or support
• When you are unclear
about guidance and/ or
procedures
• When you fail to report or
seek advice / poor lines of
communication
• When you fail to record
• Ethos and culture
Guidance on Safe Working Practice 2007
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Introduction
Status of document
Duty of care
Exercising professional
judgement
Power and Positions of Trust
Confidentiality
Propriety and Behaviour
Dress, Appearance and Social
Contact
Gifts
Physical contact
Discipline and punishment
Physical Intervention
Sexual contact with yp
One to one situations
Infatuations and crushes
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Pupils in distress
First aid and intimate care
Children with special needs
Overnight supervision and
examinations
PE and other activities requiring
physical contact (see BALPE)
Showers and changing
Out of school trips and clubs
Curriculum
Photography, video and creative
arts
Internet use
Whistle-blowing
Self-reporting
Reporting and recording incidents
Staff and pupil welfare
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Allegations Management process
New guidance was introduced in 2006 following the Inquiry
undertaken by Sir Michael Bichard into the murders of Holly Wells
and Jessica Chapman by Ian Huntley in Soham in 2002.
The guidance is designed to ;
• make it harder for unsuitable people to have access to children
through their employment or volunteering activities
• deal efficiently and effectively with any allegations made against
those people employed or working with children and young people
via the allegations management process
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Allegations Management process
Definition of an allegation
For the purpose of this process an allegation is where an adult
working with or on behalf of children has:
• Behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed a
child, or
• Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a
child, or
• Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates
unsuitability to work with children.
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Allegations Management process
• Where staff become concerned about the behaviour of an
adult/colleague that may meet any of the above criteria particularly
where there are concerns about behaviour that may indicate unsuitability
then they should discuss these with the Designated person for Child
protection.
• The Designated person for Child Protection will then need to consider
whether discussion with/ referral to the Local Authority Designated
Officer (LADO) who has overall responsibility for allegations
management within the LA area is appropriate.
• The Designate person should record any concern raised and decision
made to refer/discuss with the LADO or not.
• If concerns held are about the Designated person then they should refer
discuss these with the HT/Chair of Governors.
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Allegations Management process
Concern arises
Discuss with
Designated person
NFA/Record decision
Consult with LADO
Record decision
NFA/strategy
discussion/internal
investigation
What Next?
• Am I clear enough about my role in school and that
of other key people?
• Am I clear about the relevant policies and
procedures in school?
• Am I clear about what I should do if I am concerned
about a child’s welfare?
• Am I clear about the appropriate sources of advice
and support available to me?
• Is there anything I need to speak to the DTCP about?
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