SAFE GUARDING IN PRACTICE – SECTION 1

WORKING SAFELY WITH CHILDREN & YOUNGE PEOPLE POLICY STATEMENT

At Frederic Chopin Integtative Saturday School in Bath (FCISS), we are committed to ensure that all children and young adults are kept safe from harm.

Each member of staff/volunteer that works at FCISS has a personal responsibility for safeguarding the welfare & wellbeing for all children & young people by protecting them from:

• Physical, Emotional & Sexual Abuse.
• Harm or Neglect
• Financial or Material Abuse
• Psychological or Discriminatory Abuse & will support them if this happens.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

As a member of staff/ volunteer of FCISS, your responsibilities are to:

1. Understand the policy for working with children & young people.
2. Undertake training to the appropriate level to support you in your role. Training programmes are available to meet the different needs at different stages in your development.
3. Act appropriately & be able to challenge inappropriate behaviour in others.
4. Be able to recognise harm.
5. Know how to report any concerns.

HARM IS…

• Injury
• Hurt
• Damage
• Detriment
• Loss

Harm is cause by abuse which may be:

• Neglect
• Emotional
• Psychological
• Physical
• Sexual
• Financial or material
• Discriminatory

Or a combination of any of the above.

There are specific types or forms of behaviour that are abusive & result in harm. These include:

• Bullying
• Domestic violence
• Drug, alcohol & substance misuse
• Self-harm
• Misuse of information technology

FCISS PRINCIPLES OF BEST PRACTICE

Whilst working/ volunteering, Frederic Chopin Integrative Saturday School in Bath will:

1. Promote the general welfare, health, wellbeing & development of children & young people & take every reasonable precaution to minimise risk whilst providing high quality care.
2. Ensure that all adults are aware of & act in accordance with their personal responsibilities.
3. Provide all adults with clear roles & responsibilities & ensure that adults, whatever their capacity, are fit for role.
4. Provide support, training & protection for all.
5. Protect, maintain & uphold the human rights of children & young people.
6. Eliminate discrimination including sectarian, racist, sexist or disability prejudice.
7. Take steps to avoid bullying or exploitation whenever or wherever it may be found.
8. Ensure all adults are familiar with & have access to an up-to-date copy of the policy for working safely with children & young people.
9. Make sure children, young people, parents & carers know how to voice their concerns & obtain help if they are unhappy or worried about anything.
10. Ensure that adults are encouraged to report any alleged malpractice, illegal acts or omissions (often known as whistle bowing).
11. Ensure effective procedures are in place for responding to complaints, concerns & allegations of suspected or actual abuse.
12. Ensure that all adults know what their responsibilities are & how to record & report their concerns.
13. Ensure that there is appropriate documentation for completion when recording any untoward occurrence.
14. Set out the requirements for appropriate risk assessments for all activities.
15. Set out the requirements for appropriate adult to child ratios & recommended levels of supervision.
16. Have in place clearly defined procedures for recruiting staff/volunteers.
17. Ensure that recruitment procedures are followed; Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks & references are taken up for every applicant before they are allowed to work with or supervise children or young people in FCISS.
18. Ensure all new staff members/volunteers working directly with children & young people complete a probationary period of six months. Adults must be supported, supervised & appraised during their probationary period.
19. Arrange for all adults working directly with children or young people to receive an annual appraisal throughout their period in post.
20. Continue to monitor the policy for working safely with children & young people & take any measures required to strengthen & improve existing practice.

APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES OF BEST PRACTICE

All members of staff/volunteers working with children & young people must:

• Promote their welfare, health, wellbeing & development & take every reasonable precaution to minimise risk of harm.
• Observe & apply standards of best practice to reinforce respect & encourage recruitment & retention of staff.
• Raise awareness of their rights & safeguard them.
• Follow procedures for reporting concerns, untoward occurrences, alleged or suspected incidents of abuse.
• Establish links with those with parental & caring responsibility.
• Follow & consistently apply FCISS’s policy for recruiting & selecting members.

IF A CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON CONFIDES IN YOU

You must:

• Remain calm, approachable & receptive
• Listen carefully without interrupting
• Make it clear that you are taking what is being said
• Acknowledge you understand how difficult this may be
• Reassure them that they have done the right thing in telling
• Let them know that you will do everything you can to help them

What to avoid:

• Do not show any shock or distaste
• Do not probe
• Do not ask any question that suggests the answer
• Do not speculate or make assumptions
• Do not make any comments about the alleged abuser
• Do not make promises you cannot keep

Do not promise to keep the information secret but explain that there may need to share it with an appropriate person.

WHAT TO DO NEXT:

You must record carefully using the words of the child or young person & sign, date & time your notes.

Record only what has been said, heard & seen.

Continue to follow FCISS’s policy for working safely with children & young people.

Continue to be caring & supportive for the child or young person.

DO NOT delay in contacting the safeguarding officer, whatever the time & always make sure you keep them aware of any further developments.

DO NOT probe or investigate yourself. Only listen, record & report.

DO NOT discuss the situation with anyone who does not need to know.

IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT A CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON, THE ONE THING YOU MUST NOT DO IS NOTHING

IF AN ALLEGATION IS MADE

In most cases a child or young person will disclose to someone they know & trust. This could be you.

1. If an allegation is made or suspicions occur regarding a volunteer/ member of staff you MUST immediately report to either the safeguarding officer or Management Committee member as appropriate.
2. If there is an imminent risk of significant harm, contact your local social services or the police. Say you are making a referral & need to speak to the appropriate person.
3. If you are making such a contact:

Say who you are

Give the child’s/ young person’s details

State what they have told you

Provide any relevant background information

Ask what will happen next.

Then contact the safeguarding officer after speaking to the authorities.

Once you have made contact with the safeguarding officer the following steps will be taken:

A detailed factual record (‘cause for concern’ form) will be kept by the safeguarding officer of the allegation.

The person against whom the allegation is being made must be removed from the situation immediately. This may be done by agreement or if not appropriate by suspension from all FCISS activities by the Management Committee.

If suspension is necessary the procedure as set out in the Disciplinary policy must be followed.

REPORTING A CONCERN

Frederic Chopin Integrative Saturday School in Bath encourages its staff/ volunteers to use internal mechanisms for reporting any concerns. Making that first contact in reporting concerns can be a difficult experience for anyone.

The confidential form ‘Reporting a concern’ has been developed to help this process & can be used by anyone who has a concern that needs to be raised & addressed.

Staff/ volunteers are expected to identify themselves when reporting any concerns. Concerns expressed anonymously will always be considered but will be limited to the information provided.

A group allegation is when more than one person reports the concern. The members of the group will be treated in the same way as a single individual.

If you believe there is malpractice or wrongdoing (improper, negligent or illegal behaviour) taking place in FCISS or in any activity related to FCISS, then you can ‘blow the whistle’ on the behaviour.

Whistle blowing – the accepted name for reporting a concern is ‘making a disclosure in the public interest’. Such action is taken for the good of society & it is therefore described in this way. However, it is much more commonly called ‘blowing the whistle’ or ‘whistle blowing’. It means that if you believe there is wrong doing, you are supported in reporting it.

If you decide to blow the whistle on a colleague or volunteer you are protected. Your line manager will not victimise you (e.g. by not offering you a promotion or other opportunities you would otherwise have been offered).

THE PROCESS

• The concern is reported to the safeguarding officer or centre manager.

Fact finding may need to be carried out under strict confidentiality by the safeguarding officer or centre manager.

Whilst the subject of the complaint will be seen as soon as possible, that may have to be delayed if early involvement could prejudice the inquiry or put any person at risk.

In certain cases such as allegations of ill treatment, suspension from FCISS will be considered immediately by the managers.

If the concern relates to possible abuse the procedures set out in this policy must be followed.

THE OUTCOME

• If, after the investigation, the concern is proved to have been well founded then the necessary steps will be taken to seek to prevent any further occurrence.
• Where there is no case to answer but the individual who made the report acted in good faith, the safeguarding officer/ manger must ensure that the individual suffers no reprisals.
• Where allegations are proved false & to have been made maliciously, it may be necessary to take disciplinary action against the person making the allegation.
• The safeguarding officer/ manager responsible for dealing with the concern will arrange a meeting with the staff member/ volunteer to give appropriate feedback on the outcome.

TO REPORT OR NOT TO REPORT

A member of staff/ volunteer concerned about any child or young person may naturally feel anxious about contacting the police, social services, safeguarding officer or anyone else…

What if I’m wrong?

Yes you could be wrong, but you cannot afford to take the risk of not reporting your concerns. Not to report could represent a lost opportunity to help the person & could then result in criticism of you and FCISS.

X always seems such a nice, gentle, helpful person. I am sure they would never hurt anyone..

Abusers will do anything they can to appear normal & caring to ensure the continued access to those they have identified as vulnerable. Generally they will not strike until trust has been firmly established.

If something was really wrong surely somebody else or another responsible organisation would have noticed & done something?

Others may have noticed a change in behaviour & reported the fact but that in itself did not warrant action to be taken – the additional information you provide could be vital.

It’s none of my business. I only see this person once a week. I wouldn’t like it if someone interfered in my family life..

As staff/ volunteer of FCISS it is your business; the protection of children or young people or anyone at risk takes precedence over anything else, & what you have seen may be extremely important.

How could I live with myself if X found out that I had reported them – especially if I was wrong?

You are not making an allegation about an individual but raising concerns on behalf of someone else. How would you feel if that person was to be seriously harmed & you had done nothing about your concerns?

What if they took that child/ young person away?

A child/ young person will only be taken away from their home as a last resort if there is serious risk of further significant harm.

Maybe I’ll wait for a while & see if things get better. If there is something wrong, someone else is bound to notice & report it.

It is vital that you act immediately. There is no guarantee that what you have seen will be noticed elsewhere & once rebuffed the person may be reluctant to tell anyone else. delay could be very serious to the individual concerned. You are not in a position to make a definitive judgement & it is not your role to investigate but to report. However, your information may be an important piece of a jigsaw puzzle which, when put together, provide a fuller picture.

DEALING WITH BULLYING – GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Bullying is defined as deliberately hurtful behaviour that may be repeated over a period of time. It doesn’t have to be a long-running series of incidents – it can be any occasion when someone deliberately intimidates or harasses another. The bully is aware of the nature of the activity which almost always carries with it an element of self-gratification.

Bullying may not always be face to face & can be done by letters, notes, electronically, by mobile phone or by text messaging. Very often the behaviour is designed to undermine self-confidence & constitutes as a form of harassment.

• Bullying can be inflicted by anybody whether an individual or a group.
• It often occurs in circumstances where it is difficult for the bullied to defend themselves.
• Bullies will usually pick on those they consider to be vulnerable & less likely to defend themselves such as those who are younger or less able than the bully.
• Some individuals may be picked on because of race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, disability or appearance. Others are bullied for no obvious reason.
• It can leave those bullied feeling lonely, isolated & very unhappy.
• Bullying has an effect on everyone, not just those directly involved. Some feel they can only stand on the sidelines & do nothing because if they intervene they run the risk of being turned on themselves.
• Bullying causes much fear & misery & should never be taken lightly.
• Whatever form bullying takes, many will not tell anyone.

You must be prepared to deal with bullying whenever & wherever it occurs. The following guidance is designed to help you identify & deal with those who are bullied & those who bully.

Your role will be to:

• Identify the process to be followed when changes in behaviour are noticed which might indicate bullying.
• Set an example by being respectful & caring towards others & the way you interact with children, young people, colleagues & volunteers.
• Encourage good behaviour & respect for others.
• Be vigilant & know how to report concerns & to whom.
• Help children & young people develop confidence & self-esteem.

How you achieve this:

Aggressive responses to bullying will only make things worse & should be discouraged.

• Investigations into bullying should involve the bully & the bullied.
• Bullies should be helped to recognise their unacceptable behaviour & offered support to change their behaviour.
• Those who are bullied must also be supported.

SAFEGUARDING IN PRACTICE – SECTION 2

WORKING SAFELY WITH CHILDREN

In this policy, as in the Children Acts 1989 & 200, a child is anyone who has not yet reached their 18^th birthday. The fact that a child has reached 16 years of age, is living independently or is in further education, is a member of the armed forces, is in hospital, in prison or in a Young Offenders Institution does not change his or her status or entitlement to services or protection under the Children’s Act 1989.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of The Child underpins the Children’s Act 1989. The convention is a set of minimum standards in protecting children’s rights. It states that all children should have the right to:

• Respect
• Information about themselves
• A say in their lives
• Be & feel secure

The Children’s Act states the welfare of the child is paramount. Welfare consists of four basic rights, set out in the UN convention.

• Life
• Health
• Education
• Protection

Frederic Chopin Integrative Saturday School in Bath is committed to upholding the rights of children & ensuring that they are made aware of them.

APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES OF BEST PRACTICE

Children trust & depend on adults to protect & safeguard them from harm. This section is aimed at helping staff & volunteers to establish a safe environment for themselves & the children & young people in their care.

We hope that it will answer most questions & concerns that you may have on this subject, & help you to fulfil your responsibilities whatever your role. It is the responsibility of all staff & volunteers of FCISS working with children & young people to be familiar with the principles of best practice & to play their part in their implementation.

The principles & outline the basic requirements for working safely with children.

CHILDREN SHOULD BE EMPOWERED & MADE AWARE WITHOUT CREATING FEAR OR ALARM…

• Of potential dangers & how to avoid them
• To try always to stay in groups when out & about with friends
• To ensure a responsible adult always knows where they are, when they expect to return & to keep them informed of their movements or any changes in plan
• That they should not reveal personal details to strangers or accept presents or lifts from them
• That if in trouble, they should find an appropriate responsible authority figure, e.g. police officer or community support officer, teacher or youth leader
• That sometimes it is acceptable to scream & shout to attract attention if they think they are in danger
• That they should not have to accept from anyone touching, kissing or language(in any form) that makes them feel uncomfortable
• That some secrets are wrong & they will be listened to if they share them
• Of the right to say ‘no’ even if someone whom they know tries to touch them in a way that frightens, confuses or makes them feel uncomfortable
• That their bodies are their own, particularly the part covered for reasons of modesty, dignity & privacy

BEST WORKING PRACTICE

• Be a good role model – friendly, courteous & kind
• Treat all children with dignity & respect regardless of their age, sex, ethnicity, disability or sexuality
• Respect personal privacy
• Follow this policy in regard to contact with children
• Be available to listen & ready to listen
• Be sensitive to the needs of others & their like/dislikes
• Never make any belittling or discouraging remarks
• Avoid questionable activity, e.g. rough/sexually provocative games
• Do not use inappropriate language & subject matter. Be careful not to do or say anything that could be misunderstood or could be interpreted as “innuendo”
• Challenge unacceptable behaviour & report any allegations or suspected abuse
• Be firm & fair with children. Avoid favouritism & singling out those who cause trouble. Learn discipline & parenting skills – remember it is the bad behaviour that is blameworthy & not the child.
• Never ignore or trivialise bullying. Follow the policy for dealing with bullying; & ensure that all staff/volunteers & children are familiar with this policy
• Involve children in establishing their own list of rules outlining what is & is not acceptable in the After School. This should be prominently displayed & followed by all adults & children.

The Frederic Chopin Integrative Saturday School in Bath environment should allow children to feel comfortable in developing & learning at their own speed. The atmosphere within the setting should contribute to the growth of every child’s self-esteem, through recognition of both effort & achievement. Children should feel that they can share their feelings, fears & problems.

It is always important to work in partnership with parents/carers and to ensure that they:

• Made aware that FCISS will welcome questions about its activities & the safety of its environment
• Encouraged to listen to their children & ask questions about activities they take part in
• Provide with appropriate information, contact telephone numbers, means of complaint, etc.

REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKING WITH CHILDREN

1. Ensure you have an up-to-date copy of the policy for working safely with children & young people &know whom to contact for further advice, information & support.
2. Ensure all those working directly with children have been CRB/DBS checked
3. Plan the arrival & departure of children. Ensure that responsible adults are on the premises before children are expected to arrive. Do not leave the premises until all children have left or have been collected by parents/carers
4. Avoid one-to-one situations with a child. Where such a situation is unavoidable, always ensure someone else is close by
5. Always maintain required ratios of registered adults to children i.e. 1 adult to every 2 babies (under 1yr), 1 adult to every 4 children (2-3 years), 1 adult to every 8 children (3 years+) & 1 adult to every 2 children on trips/outings.
6. Avoid unnecessary physical contact & ensure all staff/volunteers are aware of the dos & don’ts of physical contact
7. Never take a child to any other premises where you will be alone with a child.
8. If an exceptional situation occurs where policy cannot be followed or a situation arises that could be misconstrued, detail the circumstances & reasons for what has occurred in a report, which must be forwarded to the safeguarding officer within 24 hours of what has taken place
9. Never ignore a concern or leave it unrecorded
10. Ensure all staff/ volunteers & parents know who the safeguarding officer is & how to contact them

YOUR TRAINING OBLIGATIONS

You are responsible for ensuring that you undertake appropriate training to support you in your role. This includes:

• Successfully completing an up-to–date safeguarding training course
• To attend regular in-house training in regarding latest legislation around safeguarding

PHYSICAL CONTACT

• Where physical contact is necessary (e.g. first aid being administered) be sensitive to the situation
• When a child is upset, try to seek ways to provide comfort & support without unnecessary or excessive physical contact
• Where physical contact is unavoidable ensure that another adult is present, e.g. during first aid treatment
• Horseplay & violent games must be avoided
• As a general rule there should be no need for an adult to adjust clothing of children. It is sometimes necessary to assist with personal care for children, particularly changing nappies, helping with changing of clothes after an accident (toileting, water play) in this case two adults need to be present, be sensitive to & respectful of the child’s dignity, privacy & feelings.

HOW ARE CHILDREN HARMED?

The term ‘child abuse’ is used to describe a range of ways in which children may be harmed. This harm can be in the form of neglect (failure to take steps to meet a child’s needs), emotional, physical or sexual abuse.

Some important points….

• Children can suffer from one, or a combination of these forms of abuse
• It can happen to children regardless of their age, sex, ethnicity, sexuality or whether or not they have a disability
• Abuse can take place in a family, in an institutional or community setting or any other environment where children spend their time
• The person abusing the child is almost always someone the child knows & trusts e.g. a parent, carer, teacher, youth leader, relative or friend

CATEGORIES OF HARM

NEGLECT

Neglect is the failure to meet a child’s basic physical &/or psychological needs that damages or impairs their health or development.

Neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:

• Provide adequate food, clothing & shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment)
• Protect a child from physical & emotional harm or danger
• Ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care givers)
• Ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment

Children suffering from neglect may show the following signs:

• Being constantly hungry
• Loss of weight or being constantly underweight
• Being tired all the time
• Dressed inappropriately for the weather, or unkempt, dirty or smelly
• Untreated medical conditions

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Is the emotional mistreatment of a child that adversely affects the child’s normal development.

Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of mistreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

It may involve:

• Conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only as so far as they meet the needs of another person
• Constantly shouting at, threatening or humiliating a child
• Age or development inappropriate expectations being imposed on children
• Being over-protective to the extent that a child is not allowed to mix with others
• Seeing or hearing the ill-treatment or violence towards of another
• Bullying, causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger

Signs of emotional abuse may include:

• Delayed physical or emotional development or sudden speech disorders
• Compulsive nervous behaviour, e.g. highly anxious or obsessive behaviour
• Excessive deference, lack of confidence or need for approval, attention or affection
• Reluctance to have parents contacted
• Unpleasant, abusive or threatening text or email

PHYSICAL ABUSE

This involves deliberate injury to the child however slight, or failing to prevent physical harm.

Examples include:

• Hitting, shaking, throwing, burning, or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child
• Giving the child poison or inappropriate drugs
• Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of illness or deliberately makes a child ill.

Signs that a child may be suffering from physical abuse are:

• Injuries the child cannot explain or they do not match the account given
• Injuries that have not been treated or have been treated inadequately
• Injuries on parts of the parts of the body where accidental injury is unlikely (such as the chest, cheeks or thighs) or bruising that leaves hand, finger & pattern bruising marks
• Any injury on a non-mobile baby (under the age of 1 year)
• Cigarette burns, bite marks or scalds

SEXUAL ABUSE

• Involves forcing, encouraging or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening
• The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts
• The activities may include involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual online images, watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways

Indicators of sexual abuse may be:

• Stomach pains or discomfort when walking or sitting down
• Bruising or other injuries on areas of the body normally covered. For this reason, they may only be noticed during activities such as swimming
• Overtly sexual behaviour (often inappropriate to their age)

GROOMING

The process known as grooming occurs where someone who seeks to abuse a child builds a friendship with them, creating trust & dependence.

Abusers will try in stages to overcome a child’s natural resistance by:

• Offering gifts or rewards as bribes
• Using secrecy & possible threats so that the child becomes isolated
• Introducing them to sexual activities in a way appears natural, e.g. ‘innocent’ touching which then becomes sexual in nature
• Grooming can be done via the internet, telephone or face to face
• Adults too may be groomed &, as a result a situation which should cause concern becomes acceptable

Grooming is addressed in legislation. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 makes it an offence to meet a child following sexual grooming.

SOME MYTHS ABOUT CHILD ABUSE

MYTH: Children are usually abused by strangers

FACT: Most children are abused by people they know & trust

MYTH:Females do not sexually abuse children

FACT: Although the overwhelming majority of sex abusers are male, in around 10% of cases, the abuse is by a female

MYTH: Child abuse is acceptable because it is part of the culture

FACT: Child abuse is always unacceptable whenever & wherever it occurs

MYTH: Children with disabilities are less likely to be abused

FACT: Children with disabilities are more likely to be abused because they are more vulnerable, more dependent on others & may be less able to communicate what has happened to them

MYTH: Children often lie about abuse

FACT: Children rarely lie about abuse, & their great fear is that they will not be believed. Abusers often tell their victims that no one will believe them if they report what has happened

MYTH: Child abusers have deprived backgrounds & are below average intelligence

FACT: Abusers come from a wide range of social & intellectual backgrounds & can be married, well liked & respected members of society

MYTH: Children are always safe in groups

FACT: This is not always true: young children have, e.g. been sexually abused in nursery school while other adults & children were there

MYTH: Children abused by their parents are always taken into care

FACT: Child protection professionals recognise that there are many benefits in keeping a child within the family home, so they try to protect a child there where possible

MYTH: Only girls are sexually abused

FACT: Significant numbers of boys are subject to sexual abuse

RECOGNISING ABUSE

What is described below is a guide to help you but is by no means exhaustive. It is important to remember that most children you know may have shown one or more of these indicators at some time. Do not jump to conclusions, but if concerned in any way speak to your safeguarding officer.

• Be alert to any injury which cannot be explained & document on your incident form
• Be concerned about bruising or other injures on areas of the body that are usually covered or on non-mobile babies (under 1 year old)
• A person who abuses may threaten a child or tell them they must keep what has happened a secret. For this reason, a child may hide injuries & avoid activities that may involve revealing them
• Parents & carers attitude towards a child may indicate emotional abuse – persistent insults, putting a child down, absence of affection, etc. similarly excessive or inappropriate discipline or rejection may be noticed. A parent or carer may seem excessively defensive, uninterested or hostile, or even over protective
• In the case of sexual abuse, inappropriate language or a preoccupation with sexual matter commonly known as ‘acting out’ may give cause for concern. A child may appear to know more about the subject than is normal for their age
• Neglect may be apparent through a child being insufficiently clothed for the time of year, repeatedly not being collected from the setting, constantly seeming hungry or unwell, or having untreated medical conditions
• Other indicators of abuse include anti-social behaviour, low self-esteem, on over-eagerness to please, self-deprecation, over-activity, clumsiness, unusual bleeding, self-harm, depression & passive or lethargic behaviour

If you have concerns that a child may be being abused contact your local social care team immediately. All referrals should be confirmed in writing to the local social care team within 24 hours.

REPORTING CONCERNS OR ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE

IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT A CHILD, THE ONE THING YOU MUST NOT DO IS NOTHING

If a child confides in you, a complaint is made regarding a member of staff/volunteer of Frederic Chopin Integrative Saturday School in Bath or you suspect abuse, it is your legal duty to report that concern.

There is full information & guidance in section on of this policy. The following specifically applies in relation to children:

• If an allegation is made, the safeguarding officer / manager will contact the parents/ carers, where appropriate, at the earliest opportunity, unless contact with a parent will pose a significant threat.
• When the parents/carers have been informed they will need clear information & support.

SAFEGUARDING – THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOS

It is appropriate on occasion to record photographic & video images of children & young people or to allow children & young people to record images of each other, e.g. to assist learning or for publicity.

Because of the potential for images of children to be misused for pornographic or grooming purposes, staff/volunteers are required to follow this code:

• Only record images when it is agreed & understood that this will be done.
• Be clear to children & young people why images are being recorded & what will happen to them (as necessary)
• Ensure all images are available for scrutiny, in order to screen for acceptability
• DO NOT take images in one-to-one situations
• DO NOT take images ‘in secret’ or in situations that may be construed as being underhand
• Images of children/young people should not be displayed on websites, in publications or in a public place without the consent of both the child/young person & their parents/carers
• DO NOT use mobiles phones to take images/videos of children/young people
• Report any concerns about any inappropriate or intrusive photographs being taken or subsequently found
• Parents/carers of children/young people are to be routinely asked to give general consent for their child to be photographed or images recorded, this should be updated as required

If an image is used, DO NOT name the child/young person, unless you have specific parental consent & there is a need to do so.

Where Frederic Chopin Integrative Saturday School in Bath has decided that images should be retained for further use, they should be securely stored & accessed only by those authorised to do so.

NO photographs or videos of FCISS events or activities should be taken by parents/carers or visitors without the agreement of all concerned & following the principles set out above.

DEALING WITH BULLYING

The general principles are set out in section one, in practice a strategy is required which will comprise three elements.

RECOGNITION

Bullying can take on many forms – the main types are:

Physical: hitting, kicking, pushing, pulling & pinching, taking of possessions, e.g. bag, mobile phone, money, or using threats to force someone to do something against their will.

Verbal: name-calling & teasing when not acceptable to the child/young person on the receiving end. Name-calling is the most common form of bullying that is reported. It can involve malicious comments about someone the child/young person is close to. It can include calling someone name because of their appearance, accent, because they’re not good at something, because their parents/carers are rich, for any reason or even for no reason at all.

Non-verbal: being ignored or left out of the group. It can involve making offensive gestures or facial expressions. Indirect bullying may involve spreading rumours & malicious graffiti.

Cyber-bullying: developments in information & communication technology have made possible more indirect forms of bullying via mobile phones & the internet. This is known as cyber-bullying & includes:

• Anonymous, silent call or abusive messages
• Text messaging containing threats or spreading rumours
• Still images & video clips circulated by mobile phone or email to cause embarrassment
• Threating emails
• Instant messaging conveying threats or insults in real-time conversations
• Hurtful or embarrassing messages or images on websites, blogs & personal or social networking websites
• Menacing or upsetting responses in chat rooms

Cyber-bullying can take place at any time & follows the bullied wherever they go, so nowhere can they feel private or safe. Cyber-bullies can communicate to a wide & unknown audience, often doing things they would not be prepared to do more directly.

IDENTIFICATION

Signs of bullying may include:

• Injuries such as cuts, bites, bruises or hair loss. The injuries may be as a result of self-harm
• Unwillingness to attend sessions (after school club, youth club, play scheme etc.)
• Complaints about missing possessions
• Unwilling to share what is happening
• Being easily distressed

ACTION

If you have to deal with a child/young person who is a bully:

• Make it clear to the child/young person that bullying is unacceptable
• Explain to them how harmful bullying is
• Tell them to imagine how it feels to be bullied

Involve the parents/carers so that they can:

• Try to understand the seriousness & consequences of bullying
• Listen to children/young people – try to understand what they are saying& doing & why
• Be aware of the situation if their child is being bullied & of any actions you are proposing to take

IN SUMMARY – WHAT YOU CAN DO?

You can:

• Try to understand the seriousness & consequences of bullying
• Recognising the signs of bullying
• Be someone to turn for a child
• Support families
• Be there to listen
• Be prepared to act

If you have serious concerns about a child then you must immediately report to the safeguarding officer, they will then follow the appropriate procedures.

• OFSTED will be informed immediately of any allegations of abuse against staff/volunteers of FCISS or any abuse that is alleged to have taken place on the premises during a session, visit or outing. The member of staff will be suspended on full pay whilst the investigation is taken place.
• OFSTED will be informed of any allegation of harm or abuse by any person with access to the premises, working on the premises or looking after children/young people on the premises (whether relating to harm of abuse committed on the premises or elsewhere), or any other abuse which is alleged to have taken place on the premises & the action taken in respect of these allegations. This will be done within at least 14 days of the allegations being made.

OFSTED: Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WD

Telephone: 0300 123 1231

 

Safeguarding officer: Iwona Erturan – 07939955513

Reporting Concerns

Call Children’s Social Work Services on 01225 39 61 11 or 01225 47 79 29 (weekdays, 8.30am to 5pm, except Fridays when we’re closed from 4.30pm)

Out of office hours call  Emergency Duty Team on 01454 61 51 65

Report a concern about a child or young person online 

Social Services – Disabled Children’s Team – call on 01225 39 69 67, or email at ChildCare_Duty@bathnes.gov.uk