Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Danay Bouzala
Policy Review Date: September 2023
Date of next Review: September 2024
​
​
Introduction
We recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. We endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued. We are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow our procedures to ensure that children receive effective support, protection and justice.
​
​
Principles
Our core safeguarding principles are:
• It is the setting’s responsibility to take all reasonable steps to safeguard and protect the rights, health and well-being of all children who are in our care.
• Policies will be reviewed annually, unless an incident or new legislation or guidance suggests the need for an earlier review date.
• The setting will ensure that the welfare of children is given paramount consideration when developing and delivering all activities.
• All children, regardless of age, gender, ability, culture, race, language, religion or sexual identity, have equal rights to protection.
• All staff have an equal responsibility to act on any suspicion or disclosure that may suggest a child is at risk of harm in accordance with this guidance.
• All children and staff involved in child protection issues will receive appropriate support from ARTeach Directors who will follow this policy guidance in doing so.
​
​
Staff Training
We confirm that ARTeach undergoes the following recruitment and child safeguarding checks:
- Photo ID has been checked
- Evidence pf relevant qualifications has been obtained
- DBS has been conducted and obtained as seen below
- Evidence of right to work in the UK has been checked
- Proof of address has been checked
- Criminal overseas checks have been conducted (where applicable)
- Barred list checks have been carried out for all permanent staff
- Disqualification by Association decelerations have been signed as seen below (where applicable)
Disclosure and Barring Service
Staff have Enhanced DBS clearances which cover the following areas:
• any police records of convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings
• information from the list held under Section 142 of the Education Act 2002
• Children’s Barred List Information – this would show if an applicant is Barred from working with children
• any other relevant information disclosed at the Chief Police Officer(s) discretion. Under this section would be noted “soft information”. This could be details of a household member (other than the applicant) who may have a record that would contain information that an employer would need to be aware of. An example of this may be a household member
who has drug activity.
Disqualification by Association
For staff working in settings where there are children under the age of 8 years old, as part of the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2009 and related obligations under the Childcare Act 2006, ARTeach has obtained signed Disqualification by Association declaration forms from all members of staff which affirms to the best of their knowledge that no one in their household is disqualified from working with children under the Regulations, this declaration is resigned every year.
​
​
Good practice guidelines
To meet and maintain our responsibilities towards children, the setting agrees to the following standards of good practice:
• to treat all children with respect • to set a good example of conducting ourselves appropriately
• to ensure the staff are positive role models to children and other members of the team and never engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games
• to involve children in decision-making which affects them (taking age and development of children into account)
• to encourage positive and safe behaviour among children
• to be a good listener
• to be alert to changes in a child’s behaviour
• to recognise that challenging behaviour may be an indicator of abuse • to read and understand all of the setting’s safeguarding and guidance documents on wider safeguarding issues, for example physical contact and information-sharing
• to ask the child’s permission before doing anything for him/her (taking age and development of the child into account) which is of a physical nature, such as assisting with dressing or administering first aid
• to maintain appropriate standards of conversation and interaction with and between children and avoid the use of sexualized and derogatory language
• to be aware that the personal and family circumstances and lifestyle of some children lead to an increased risk of neglect and/ or abuse
• to raise awareness of child protection issues and equip children with the skills to keep themselves safe
• to provide any form of manual or physical support required, as a last resort and to do so openly and appropriately, and to always consult the children and gain their agreement (taking age and development of children into account)
• to establish a safe environment in which children can learn and develop, particularly in their confidence and self-esteem and to provide opportunities for achievement.
​
​
Safer Caring
All members of staff are aware of the setting’s safeguarding procedures and are committed to working in accordance to the principles of safe caring.
• We ensure that our setting has an open environment where the children feel safe to share information about anything that is upsetting them.
• Staff do not have to deal with Child Protection issues by themselves. If procedures are followed then support is available to manage these difficult and potentially upsetting situations.
• It may be necessary or appropriate, particularly with younger children to hold hands or give cuddles but such contact should be kept to a minimum and should only be initiated by the child. Staff should only have physical contact with children when there are other people present.
• All members of staff are mindful of how they approach children both physically and verbally. All contact should be appropriate to the child’s age and emotional understanding.
• As a school, we recognise that there is sometimes the need to work in a one-to-one situation with a child. Staff should leave the door open and make sure another adult knows where they are and what they are doing.
​
​
Use of Digital Images and Video
The vast majority of people who take or view photographs or videos of children do so for entirely innocent, understandable and acceptable reasons. However, in order to ensure the protection of our students we will:
• Comply with the Data Protection Act 2018, written consent is obtained from the parents/carers to take and use images of children
• obtain parents’ and carers’ consent for photographs to be taken or published (for example, on our website or in newspapers or publications)
• use only the child’s first name with an image • ensure that children are appropriately dressed
• images taken on the setting’s cameras and/or iPads will not be emailed as they may not be secure
• ensure all school cameras and iPads used are open to scrutiny.
​
​
Recording Suspicions of Abuse and Disclosures, including Bullying
Staff should make an objective record of any observation or disclosure (using the appropriate
form), supported by the DSL. This record should include:
• Child’s name
• Child’s address
• Age of child and date of birth
• Date and time of the observation or the disclosure
• Exact words spoken by the child
• Using body map exact position and type of any injuries or marks seen (physical injury)
• Exact observation of any incident including any concern that was reported, with date and time
• Any discussion held with parent(s) where deemed appropriate.
These records should be signed by the person reporting this and the DSL, dated and kept in a 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 is not forced or words put into the child’s mouth. As soon as possible after the disclosure, details must be logged accurately.
​
​
Guidelines for Designated Safeguarding Leads
• If an incident is reported to the DSL, they should decide how to proceed.
• Wherever possible talk to parents, unless to do so may place a child at risk of significant harm, impede any police investigation and/or place a member of staff or others at risk.
• Whether to make a child protection referral to MASH because a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm and whether this needs to be undertaken immediately.
OR:
• Not to make a referral at this stage but to continue to monitor and log the situation.
• If it would be, appropriate to undertake inter-agency assessment including the use of the “The Early Help Assessment” and/or make a referral for other services, i.e. “Team Around the Child” (TAC).
All information and actions taken, including the reasons for any decisions made, should be fully documented. All referrals should be accompanied by a referral form.
Social care is always available to offer advice to designated safeguarding staff if action needed is unclear.
If at any point, there is a risk of immediate serious harm to a child a referral should be made immediately. All referrals are made to Barnet’s Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). Anybody can make a referral.
If the child’s situation does not appear to be improving, the person with concerns should press for re-consideration. Concerns should always lead to help for the child at some point.
​
​
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 local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow it. This will usually be the case where the parent of family member is the likely abuser or where the child may be endangered by this disclosure. In this case, the investigating officers will inform parents.
​
​
Record keeping
Well-kept records are essential to good Safeguarding Practice. Our setting is clear about the need to record any concerns held about a child or children within our setting, the status of such records and when those records should be passed over to other agencies. Any records regarding safeguarding and child protection are kept securely in the Designated Safeguarding Lead’s office.
​
​
Legal framework
This policy has been created with due regard to all relevant legislation including, but not limited to,
the following:
• Education Act 2002
• Children Act 1989 and 2004
• The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulation 2014 (for independent schools)
• “Guidance for safer working practices for those working with children and young people in educational settings, Safer Recruitment Consortium , 2015”
• The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2021
• Working together to safeguard children 2018
• Keeping children safe in education (July 2021)
We are up to date with the Keeping Children Safe in Education policy which can be found here.
​
Sincerely,
Arteach
​
Questions about this policy, or requests for further information, should be directed to the Company Manager at info@arteach.co.uk.