Safeguarding Children Policy

 

Statement

The protection of children is the first priority of Watcombe Children’s Centre Nursery.

 

Watcombe Children’s Centre Nursery has written procedures to follow if a child is thought to be at risk of abuse or neglect.

 

There is a designated member of staff for Child Protection at Watcombe Children’s Centre Nursery who has attended Child Protection training and has a remit for ensuring Watcombe Children’s Centre Nursery Child Protection procedures are up to date, followed and staff are aware of their roles and current local and national policies.

 

The designated member of staff for Child Protection is Donna Frost

Training and Qualifications: NVQ level 3 Childcare and Education

                                                     Advance child protection 18.12.06

 

This staff member is also responsible for the provision of child protection training as part of the induction for new members of staff.

 

Staff are all aware of the possible signs and symptoms of children at risk and are aware of their responsibility to:

 

¨      Report concerns to Social Services and the police

¨      Keeps concerns confidential

¨      Inform the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) if it is alleged to have taken place on the premises or by a member of staff.

 

Watcombe Children’s Centre Nursery insist all visitors’ sign in the visitor’s book stating their time of arrival and departure.  They will be accompanied at all times by a staff member and never left alone with a child other than their own.

 

Staff members will undertake a Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure Check at an enhanced level and further vetting checks by OFSTED/CIC.  Until these checks have come back satisfactorily staff members will not be left alone with children and will always be supervised.

 

No students or volunteers are left alone with children and will always be supervised.

 

Watcombe Children’s Centre Nursery Behavior Policy and physical intervention policy states that physical punishments or the threat of them are not to be used.  Physical intervention will only be used to prevent personal injury to the child, other children, and an adult or serious damage to property.  In this instance a written account of what happened and the outcome will be shown to the parent(s) that day.

 

 

 

 

Procedures

The protection of children is Watcombe Children’s Centre Nursery first priority.

 

The following steps must be followed if a member of staff has concerns about a child’s welfare.  Our procedures have been set up in line with the ‘What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused’ guidelines from the Department of Health, a summary booklet and flowchart are also available for your information.

 

Contact details:

 

Designated member of staff for Child Protection: Donna Frost

Designated member of staff for Behavior: Donna Frost

Torbay Social Services: 01803 208500

Emergency Contact for Out of Hours: 0845 056 8032

Police: 0845 2777444

NSPCC: 0808 800 5000

OFSTED complaints, investigation and enforcement team:

0845 601 4772

OFSTED Helpline: 08456 404040

Child Protection team can be contacted through Torbay Social Services

 

Remember:

 

¨      Listen to and believe in the child,

¨      Take the child seriously,

¨      Protect the child’s interest,

¨      No one can handle it alone effectively, involve the designated child protection member of staff or senior staff member,

¨      Don’t blame the child,

¨      Do not make false promises,

¨      Do not conduct an interview, allow the child to tell their story in his or her own words, but make a thorough factual account of what the child said or what you have seen.

¨      Confidentiality is important only tell those who need to know, but make sure all the relevant professionals are aware i.e. Social Services,

¨      Tell the child what you will do next.

 

The Child Protection team are available to provide advice if you have concerns.

 

As a staff member you have a responsibility to report suspected child abuse or neglect.  The procedures below are to be followed if the alleged abuse was alleged to have been by a parent, family member/ friend, or a member of staff with whom you work with.

 

Allegations of child abuse or neglect are serious and can cause upset which are why the procedures must be followed, factual evidence recorded and all information kept confidential.

 

1.      If you suspect child abuse or neglect or you have a child has told you something to raise suspicions you must write a factual account of what has happened and take this to your designated Child Protection staff member or a senior member of staff. The four categories of child abuse are Emotional harm, Physical harm, Sexual harm and neglect.

 

2.       This member of staff will then discuss with you what you have reported and make a decision.  If the concerns are decided to be ungrounded the information will be placed in a locked cabinet marked ‘Confidential the name of the child and the today’s date’.  This report will be kept for 2 years.

 

3.      If it is decided that the report raises concerns of the family needing help but not concerns of child abuse or neglect the senior staff member will make enquiries into what services are available to the family and pass the information onto the family.  This could be services from Sure Start Local programmes,

 

4.      If the concerns are substantiated the senior member of staff will inform social services by telephone.  If the allegation is against a member of staff and the staff member concerned is aware this might happen, the senior staff member will discuss the options of special leave until after they have spoken to Social Services or a strategy meeting has taken place.  If the staff member is not aware they must not be informed that an allegation has been made.

 

5.      The senior staff member will also provide information to social services on the child including: Name(s), address, date of birth, gender, names of person(s) with parental responsibility and primary carers if applicable.  It will be agreed with Social Services what the child and his/her parents are to be told by whom and when.

 

6.      The senior staff member will follow-up the telephone call to social services in writing within 48 hours.

 

7.      You will need to inform OFSTED if the allegation is about a staff member or to have taken place on the premises.

 

8.      You may also need to inform the Police (if a crime has been committed) and the NSPCC, ask Social Services about this when the referral is made.

 

9.      Social Services will then decide the next course of action and inform the senior member of staff within 1 working day.

 

10.  A strategy meeting may be called and you will be informed of the outcome and the next steps to follow.  The senior member of staff may be asked to attend the meeting.

 

11.  If the alleged abuse was to have been committed by a member of staff the strategy meeting will put forward a recommendation that the staff member is suspended (on full pay) or continues at the nursery.  Outcomes of the strategy meeting and what this means for the member of staff will be discussed with the staff member in line with Watcombe Children’s Centre Nursery disciplinary procedures.

 

© 2010