Safeguarding Children Policy

Posted On May 26, 2009 at 8:08 pm

Blossom Tree Childcare will work with children, parents, external agencies and the community to ensure the welfare and safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Children have the right to be treated with respect and to be safe from any abuse in whatever form.

To this end we will:

· create an environment to encourage children to develop a positive self-image

· encourage children to develop a sense of independence and autonomy in a way that is appropriate to their age and stage of development

· provide a safe and secure environment for all children

· always listen to children.

Blossom Tree Childcare has a clear commitment to safeguarding children and promoting welfare. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of the nursery manager at the earliest opportunity.

The legal framework for this policy is based on:

· Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)

· Children’s Act 2004

· Human Rights Act 1998

· Data Protection Act 1984

· The Children (NI) Order

· The Children (Scotland) Order

· The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act

· The Lord Lamming Report Baby P

Practitioners have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Due to the many hours of care we are providing, staff will often be the first people to sense that there is a problem. They may well be the first people in whom children confide about abuse. The nursery has a duty to be aware that abuse does occur in our society.

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 all 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 interests of the child.

The nursery aims to:

· ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the charge of nursery staff

· ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times

· ensure that all staff are alert to the signs of abuse, 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, discriminatory behaviour

· ensure that all staff are familiar and updated regularly with safeguarding issues and procedures

· ensure parents are fully aware of safeguarding policies and procedures when they register with the nursery and kept informed of all updates when they occur

· regularly review and update this policy with staff and parents where appropriate.

Children will be supported by offering reassurance, comfort and sensitive interactions. Activities will be devised according to individual circumstances to enable children to develop confidence within their peer group.

Contact telephone numbers

· Ofsted 0161 255 4898

· Local Safeguarding Children’s Board 01772 530283

· Local authority social services 01282 866706

· Police 01282 425001

Types of abuse:

Physical abuse

Action needs to be taken if staff have reason to believe that there has been a physical injury to a child, including deliberate poisoning; where there is definite knowledge, or reasonable suspicion that the injury was inflicted or knowingly not prevented.

These symptoms may include bruising or injuries in an area that is not usual for a child, e.g. fleshy parts of the arms and legs, back, wrists, ankles and face.

Many children will have cuts and grazes from normal childhood injuries – these should also be logged and discussed with the nursery manager or room leader.

Children and babies may be abused physically through shaking or throwing.

Other injuries may include burns or scalds. These are not usual childhood injuries and should always be logged and discussed with the nursery manager

Procedure:

· all signs of marks/injuries to a child, when they come into nursery, 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 the parent/carer will have access to such records

· if there appear to be any queries regarding the injury, the LSCB in the local authority will be notified.

Fabricated illness

This is also a type of physical abuse. This is where a child is presented with an illness that is fabricated by the adult carer. The carer may seek out unnecessary medical treatment or investigation. The signs may include a carer exaggerating a real illness or symptoms, complete fabrication of symptoms or inducing physical illness e.g. through poisoning, starvation, inappropriate diet. This may also be presented through false allegations of abuse or encouraging the child to appear disabled or ill to obtain unnecessary treatment or specialist support.

Sexual abuse

Action needs be taken under this heading if the staff member has witnessed occasions where a child indicated sexual activity through words, play, drawing, had an excessive pre-occupation with sexual matters, or had an inappropriate knowledge of adult sexual behaviour or language.

This may include acting out sexual activity on dolls / toys or in the role play area with their peers, drawing pictures that are inappropriate for a child, talking about sexual activities or using sexual language or words. The child may become worried when their clothes are removed, e.g. for nappy changes.

The symptoms may also include a distinct change in a child’s behaviour. They may be withdrawn or overly extroverted and outgoing. They may withdraw away from a particular adult and become distressed if they reach out for them, but they may also be particularly clingy to a potential abuser so all symptoms and signs should be looked at together and assessed as a whole.

If a child starts to talk openly to an adult about abuse they may be experiencing the procedure stated later in this document under ‘recording abuse suspicions’ will be followed.

Procedure:

· the adult should reassure the child and listen without interrupting if the child wishes to talk

· the observed instances will be detailed in a confidential report

· the observed instances will be reported to the nursery manager

· the matter will be referred to LSCB in the local authority.

Emotional abuse

Action should be taken under this heading if the staff member has reason to believe that there is a severe, adverse effect on the behaviour and emotional development of a child, caused by persistent or severe ill treatment or rejection.

This may include extremes of discipline where a child is shouted at or put down on a consistent basis, lack of emotional attachment by a parent, or it may include parents or carers placing inappropriate age or developmental expectations being placed upon them. Emotional abuse may also be imposed through the child witnessing domestic abuse and alcohol and drug misuse by adults caring for them.

The child is likely to show extremes of emotion with this type of abuse also: this may include shying away from an adult who is abusing them, becoming withdrawn, aggressive or clingy in order to receive their love and attention.

This type of abuse is harder to identify as the child is not likely to show any physical signs.

Procedure:

· the concern should be discussed with the Manager

· the concern will be discussed with the parent/carer

· such discussions will be recorded and the parent/carer will have access to such records

· a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) may need to be completed

· if there appear to be any queries regarding the circumstances, the matter will be referred to the LSCB in the local authority.

Neglect

Action should be taken under this heading if the staff member has reason to believe that there has been persistent or severe neglect of a child (for example, by exposure to any kind of danger, including cold and starvation and failure to seek medical treatment when required on behalf of the child) which results in serious impairment of the child’s health or development, including failure to thrive.

Signs may include a child persistently arriving at nursery unwashed or unkempt, wearing clothes that are too small (especially shoes that may restrict the child’s growth or hurt them), arriving at nursery in the same nappy they went home in or a child having an illness that is not being addressed by the parent. A child may also be persistently hungry if a parent is withholding food or not providing enough for a child’s needs.

Neglect may also be shown through emotional signs, e.g. a child may not be receiving the attention they need at home and may crave love and support at nursery. They may be clingy and emotional. In addition neglect may occur through pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse.

Procedure:

· the concern will be discussed with the parent/carer

· such discussions will be recorded and the parent/carer will have access to such records

· a CAF may need to be completed

· if there appear to be any queries regarding the circumstances the LSCB in the local authority will be notified.

Indicators of child abuse

· failure to thrive and meet developmental milestones

· fearful or withdrawn tendencies

· aggressive behaviour

· unexplained injuries to a child or conflicting reports from parents / carers

· repeated injuries

· unaddressed illnesses or injuries

Recording suspicions of abuse and disclosures

Staff should make an objective record (supported by the nursery manager or Designated Safeguarding Coordinator (DSCO)) of any observation or disclosure and include:

· child’s name

· child’s address

· age of the child and date of birth

· date and time of the observation or the disclosure

· exact words spoken by the child

· exact position and type of injuries or marks seen

· exact observation of an incident including any other witnesses

· name of the 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 parent/carer (where deemed appropriate).

These records should be signed by the person reporting this and the manager/DSCO or supervisor, dated and kept in a separate confidential file.

If a child starts to talk to an adult about potential abuse it is important not to promise the child complete confidentiality. This promise cannot be kept. It is vital that the child is allowed to talk openly and disclosure in not forced or words put into the child’s mouth. As soon as possible after the disclosure it is vital details are logged down accurately.

All staff will attend safeguarding training within their first six months of employment, and receive initial basic training during their induction period. This will include the procedures for recording and reporting. It may be thought necessary that through discussion with all concerned the matter needs to be raised with the LSCB and Ofsted.

Staff involved may be asked to supply details of any information they have concerns with regard to a child. The nursery expects all members of staff to co-operate with the LSCB and Ofsted in any way necessary to ensure the safety of the children.

Staff must not make comment either publicly or in private about a parent’s supposed or actual behaviour.

Staffing and volunteering

It is the policy of the nursery to provide a secure and safe environment for all children. The nursery will therefore not allow an adult to be left alone with a child who has not received their enhanced CRB disclosure clearance. This procedure will be updated with the introduction of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). From July 2010 all new staff recruited to work with children will be required to be registered with the ISA. As a nursery we will not be able to legally employ new staff unless they are ISA registered. Further information is available at www.isa-gov.org.uk

We have a named person within the nursery that co-ordinates safeguarding and welfare issues. The nursery DSCO undertakes specific training and accesses regular updates to developments within this field.

The DSCO at the nursery is the Manager, Paulene Hargraves:

· we provide adequate and appropriate staffing resources to meet the needs of children

· applicants for posts within the nursery are clearly informed that the positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Candidates are informed of the need to carry out checks before posts can be confirmed. Where applications are rejected because of information that has been disclosed, applicants have the right to know and to challenge incorrect information

· all enhanced CRB disclosures checks will be updated on a regular basis to ensure the suitability of the adults caring for the children

· 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 nursery or has access to the children

· we ensure we receive at least two references BEFORE a new member of staff commences employment with us

· all students will have enhanced CRB disclosures conducted on them before their placement starts

· volunteers, including students, do not work unsupervised

· we abide by the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006) requirements in respect of any person who is dismissed from our employment, or resigns in circumstances that would otherwise have lead to dismissal for reasons of safeguarding children concern

· we have procedures for recording the details of visitors to the nursery and take security steps to ensure that we have control over who comes into the nursery, so that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children

· all contractors / external workers will be CRB checked and the manager will request this before allowing them access to the nursery. All visitors / contractors will still be accompanied whilst on the premises, especially when in the areas the children use

· the deployment of staff within the nursery allows for constant supervision. Where children need to spend time away from the rest of the group, the door will be left ajar.

Informing parents

Parents are normally the first point of contact. If a suspicion of abuse is recorded, parents are informed at the same time as the report is made, except where the guidance of the LSCB does not allow this. This will usually be the case where the parent or family member is the likely abuser, or where a child may be endangered by this disclosure. In these cases the investigating officers will inform parents.

Confidentiality

All suspicions and investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Any information is shared under the guidance of the LSCB.

Support to families

· the nursery takes every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relations among families, staff and volunteers within the nursery

· the nursery continues to welcome the child and the family whilst investigations are being made in relation to abuse in the home situation. Parents and families will be treated with respect in a non-judgmental manner whilst investigations are carried out in the best interests of the child.

· confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child’s parents or those who have parental responsibility for the child, only if appropriate under the guidance of the LSCB with the proviso that the care and safety of the child is paramount, we will do all in our power to support and work with the child’s family.

Employees of the nursery

If an allegation is made against a member of staff the Local Authority Designated Person (LADO), Ofsted and the LSCB will be informed and this will be investigated. This may result in the nursery disciplinary procedure being followed.

The incident will be dealt with by the manager/registered person with support from the LADO:

· a full investigation will be carried out to determine how this will be handled

· if the allegation could possibly interfere with the normal working of the nursery, the member of staff will be allocated to another area, after due consultation with all parties including LADO

· the nursery reserves the right to suspend any member of staff on full pay during an investigation

· all investigations/interviews will be documented and kept in a locked file

· unfounded allegations will result in all rights being re-instated

· founded allegations will be passed on to the relevant organisation (police) and will result in the termination of employment. Ofsted will be notified immediately of this decision. The nursery will be required to notify the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) to ensure their records are updated.

· the nursery retains the right to dismiss any member of staff in connection with founded allegations following an inquiry

· counselling will be available for any member of the nursery who is affected by an allegation, their colleagues in the nursery and the parents