ST DAVID’S SCHOOL
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
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1. Recognising Child Abuse
1.1 Child abuse occurs when a child under the age of 18 suffers from, or is at significant risk of, neglect, physical injury, or emotional or sexual abuse. These terms are defined as follows:
Neglect means neglect which is persistent or severe. It covers, for example, the failure to protect a child from exposure to danger (including cold and starvation), or the failure to carry out important aspects of care resulting in the significant impairment of the child’s health and development.
Physical injury means actual injury, likely injury or failure to prevent physical injury or suffering.
Sexual abuse means the actual or likely sexual exploitation of a child.
Emotional abuse means the persistent or severe emotional ill-treatment or rejection of a child which has an actual or likely severe adverse effect on their emotional and behavioural development.
St. David’s School fully recognises its responsibilities for child protection.
Our policy applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working in the school. There are five main elements to our policy:
- Ensuring we practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children.
- Raising awareness of child protection issues and equipping children with the skills needed to keep them safe.
- Developing and then implementing procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse.
- Supporting pupils who have been abused in accordance with his/her agreed child protection plan.
- Establishing a safe environment in which children can learn and develop.
We recognise that because of the day to day contact with children, school staff are well placed to observe the outward signs of abuse. The school will therefore:
- Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to (see Appendix A).
- Ensure children know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried (see Appendix B).
- Include opportunities in the PSHE curriculum for children to develop the skills they need to recognise and stay safe from abuse.
We will follow the procedures set out by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board and take account of guidance issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to:
- Ensure we have a designated teacher for child protection who has received appropriate training and support for this role (see Appendix C).
- Ensure we have a nominated governor responsible for child protection.
- Ensure every member of staff, volunteer and governor know the name of the designated teacher responsible for child protection and their role.
- Ensure all staff and volunteers understand their responsibilities in being alert to the signs of abuse and responsibility for referring any concerns to the designated teacher responsible for child protection (see Appendix D).
- Ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibility placed on the school and staff for child protection by setting out its obligations in the school prospectus.
- Notify social services if there is an unexplained absence of more than two days of a pupil who is on the child protection register.
- Develop effective links with relevant agencies and co-operate as required with their enquiries regarding child protection matters including attendance at case conferences.
- Keep written records of concerns about children, even where there is no need to refer the matter immediately.
- Ensure all records are kept securely, and in locked locations.
- Develop and then follow procedures where an allegation is made against a member of staff or volunteer.
- Ensure safe recruitment practices are always followed.
We recognise that children who are abused or witness violence may find it difficult to develop a sense of self worth. They may feel helplessness, humiliation and some sense of blame. The school may be the only stable, secure and predictable element in the lives of children at risk. When at school their behaviour may be challenging and defiant or they may be withdrawn. The school will endeavour to support the pupil through:
- The content of the curriculum.
- The school ethos which promotes a positive, supportive and secure environment and gives pupils a sense of being valued.
- The school behaviour policy which is aimed at supporting vulnerable pupils in the school. The school will ensure that the pupil knows that some behaviour is unacceptable but they are valued and not to be blamed for any abuse which has occurred.
- Liaison with other agencies that support the pupil such as social services, Child and Adult Mental Health Service, education welfare service and educational psychology service.
- Ensuring that, where a pupil on the child protection register leaves, their information is transferred to the new school immediately and that the child’s social worker is informed.
2. Allegations of Abuse made against Members of Staff
2.1 Teachers should be aware of the school’s procedures for dealing with accusations of abuse made by pupils against members of staff.
- As in other case of allegations of abuse, those made against a teacher must be listened to and a written record made of the conversation.
- Teachers must report such allegations immediately to the headteacher (or to the governors if the headteacher is the person against whom they are made).
- The headteacher (or governors) will decide whether (i) there is sufficient substance in the allegation to merit its referral to the child protection agencies for investigation (ii) the allegation was prompted by inappropriate behaviour which should be considered under local disciplinary procedures rather than referral (iii) the allegation is apparently without foundation and requires neither disciplinary action nor referral.
- Unless there is an objection from the child protection agencies, the teacher concerned must be informed of the allegation and the likely course of action.
- The teacher concerned should seek advice from his/her professional association and has the right to be accompanied at any interview by a representative of this association or by a friend.
2.2 St. David’s recognises the need for child protection and the need to keep the damaging effects of false accusations to a minimum. Unless there is suspicion that the child might be in acute physical danger, precipitate action should be avoided. Suspension of a member of staff can have a substantial detrimental effect on his/her career and is not the only option available: teachers facing allegations of abuse need to have confidence that any investigation will take place in a careful, measured way.
3. Appropriate Physical Contact with Pupils
3.1 There are some situations where appropriate physical contact is either a necessary or reasonable action to take (e.g. to prevent a child from falling). Secondly, there are
other situations where a teacher may have to use physical restraint – which will
clearly involve physical contact – in order to control violent or aggressive behaviour,
or to prevent a child from doing harm.
It is unnecessary and unrealistic to suggest that teachers should touch pupils only in an emergency … it is inevitable … particularly with younger pupils.
This acceptance that teachers may make physical contact with children is accompanied by the rider that it must be appropriate. This means appropriate not only to the situation but also in its manner. Therefore, teachers should always bear in mind that perfectly innocent actions can be misunderstood and so may lead to accusations of professional misconduct or even child abuse. This applies particularly in situations involving a teacher and pupil of the opposite sex – especially in one-to-one contacts, extra-curricular activities and/or when pupils reach adolescence.
Teachers should also be aware that there are some children, including some from minority groups, who are particularly sensitive to physical contact. If a child’s reaction shows that s/he is uncomfortable with being touched, teachers should adjust their behaviour accordingly.
DESIGNATED TEACHER: DEBORAH CHAMBERLAYNE
DESIGNATED PERSON: VINCENT FOX
DESIGNATED GOVERNOR: SARAH CHARTRES
St. David's School: Woodcote Valley Road • Purley • Surrey CR8 3AL