An Introduction to Child Protection - for Schools Delivered on behalf of

C An Introduction to Child Protection - for Schools Delivered on behalf of Bath and North East Somerset Local Safeguarding Children Board

C 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

C What has child abuse got to do with me?

C Safeguarding in Education ICT / E-safety Safe Recruitment & Selection Child protection Duty to Safeguard & Promote Welfare Whistle-blowing SEN and CiC Behaviour Management Managing Allegations Extended Services School Security & Physical Environment PSHE & Curriculum Attendance admissions exclusions Anti-Bullying Staff Conduct (inc. volunteers)

Barriers to taking appropriate action

C Taking action What if I’m wrong I could make things worse Fear Not my job I don’t know what to do CHILD Disbelief What do I know about child abuse? Protection of Child

C 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

C Main Legislation & Guidance • 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

C Legal Responsibilities under Section 175 (S157 – Independent Schools) • ‘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 … … ‘

C 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.

Categories, Signs and Symptoms of Abuse

C 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.

C 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 Accidental Injuries For Non-Accidental Injuries Eyes Forehead Ears Crown Cheeks Mouth Body spinal protuberances Neck Shoulder Chest Elbow Upper Arms Lianacrest (hip) Inner Arms Stomach Genitals Knees Front Thighs Buttocks Shins Back Thighs

C Physical Abuse • 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!

C 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.

C • 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.

C 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

C Neglect • 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.

C 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.

C For example, for a child this can mean: • 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

C 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

C • 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

C • 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

C 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

Talking & Listening to Children

C Talking and Listening to children Do • 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 Don’t • 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

C 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

C Safer Schools & Safer Staff

C When might you be vulnerable & why? • 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

C Guidance on Safe Working Practice 2007 • 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 • 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

C 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 peoplevia the allegations management process

C 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.

C 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.

C Allegations Management process Concern arises NFA/Record decision Consult with LADO Record decision Discuss with Designated person NFA/strategy discussion/internal investigation

C 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?

An Introduction to Child Protection - for Schools Delivered on behalf of