Giving Children and Young People the Best Start in Life Tuesday 17 th September, 2013 Early Years and Schools’ safeguarding briefing for new designated child protection co ordinators

The aims of this briefing are to:- Understand your role and responsibilities raise awareness of key legislation and guidance Increase your understanding of the referral process and what makes a good referral Help you to recognise and overcome barriers to disclosure Update you on the allegations and complaints procedures Equip you to support staff effectively

What do you think? Safeguarding? Child protection?

Safeguarding Child Protection Staff Conduct Curriculum Managing Allegations Against Staff Safe Recruitment and Selection Health and Safety Behaviour Management Attendance Anti Bullying Policies Whistle blowing Safe Built Environment Restraint Intimate Care

Where does child protection sit? Child Protection Assessment Framework. SAFEGUARDING.

‘Significant harm’ Ill treatment or impairment of health or development Development can be physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural Health can be physical or mental Can be a single traumatic event or a series of events over time

Definition of Safeguarding Safeguarding is: protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best life chances. Working Together 2013

But ultimately ….. To support you to help keep children safer

Areas of responsibility Referrals Training Raising awareness

Dealing with a concern… All staff should be given two key messages:- 1.) record 2.) share

Response to a disclosure Do Listen carefully and take it seriously Stay calm, however shocked you may be Reassure the child Explain what you will do next Report it urgently to the DCPC Record the disclosure fully

Response to a disclosure Don’t Ask leading questions appear shocked or angry Make judgements Promise anything you can’t deliver Confront an alleged abuser Promise that you won’t tell anyone

Next steps…….over to you Reassure the individual who has alerted you Clarify information (this may involve speaking again to the child / children) Consider the new information, alongside any previous chronology Seek advice (if needed) Speak to parents * Make an informed decision about whether to refer to social care Ensuring actions and outcomes are recorded and feedback given to staff involved

*Speaking to parents/carers If a child discloses physical or sexual abuse, where the alleged abuser is either a family member or someone resident within the household, the school must consult the Duty Social Worker before informing parents, unless the child is subject to a Child Protection Plan in which case schools must contact the allocated Social Worker. The relevant Social Worker will advise the school when, and by whom, parents will be informed.

When do I contact social care? If you are worried about a child/ children you can phone and speak to someone for advice or for reassurance that you are taking the appropriate action. If you suspect a child is being abused or you have a disclosure of abuse you must contact social care to make a referral. Bringing on board, rather than passing on

What happens when you call ? Family Contact Point 5 advice and information officers Initial information gathering Child protection cases CHIN and lower level concerns

Referral Forms What has changed today that means we have decided to make a referral? What information will help the Referral Team? Is the information clear and descriptive, with clear dates and times. Is the information subjective? Is there any supplementary information which could be attached?

Some recent data about referrals 2012/2013 6,421 contacts to referral team 1,632 referrals (1 st time increase in three years) 75% of referrals went to initial assessment (67%) 556 core assessments completed 185 referrals went to section 47 enquiries

94 of these 185 went to conference. Currently have 171 children on a CP plan

EY and Schools safeguarding Advisers Ceri McAteer – Sarah Turner –

Escalation Policy Occasionally situations arise when workers within one agency feel that the decision made by a worker from another agency on a child protection or child in need case is not a safe decision. Disagreements could arise in a number of areas, but are most likely to arise around: Levels of Need Roles and responsibilities The need for action Communication 5 stages

Training Ensure DCPC and deputies refresh training every 2 years All staff every 3 years - register Induction safeguarding training for new staff Safer recruitment – Statutory Head and at least one Governor, manager of setting Allegations – Good practice for Head and Chair or manager, owner, or chair of committee of a setting CPCs – attendance and provision of report

Training Swindon LSCB provide multi-agency child protection training Online calendar Online booking form Annual conference Requirements

Raising Awareness Policy – how do we ensure all staff are kept up to date Easily accessible Copies of transfer files

School/Settings Safeguarding audit School governing bodies/EY settings are required to carry out an annual review of their school’s/setting’s safeguarding practice and to provide information to the LA about how the duties set out in the statutory framework for early Years and DfE guidance (‘Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education’) have been discharged.

Safeguarding Staff Code of Conduct Whistleblowing policy Positive Handling Allegations against members of staff

Code of conduct All staff should have read the school’s /setting’s code and have signed to say they have read it, understood it and agree to the statements it contains. Whistleblowing policy – reporting concerns How are concerns about staff recorded?

Positive Handling and the Use of Reasonable force School/setting should have their own policy Restraint should be used only rarely All staff and volunteers working in the school/setting should be made aware of protocols All incidents of the use of force by staff should be formally recorded Complaints of inappropriate handling should be treated under child protection procedures Uplands School provides Team Teach training on behalf of the LA

DfE statutory guidance Updated April 2013 Quick resolution should be a clear priority Suspension should not be the default option Allegations found to be malicious should be removed from personnel records Unsubstantiated or unfounded should not be referred to in employer references

Swindon guidelines Head teacher/manager would take the lead on this, unless they are subject of allegation, then Chair of Governors/owner/Chair of Committee would take on the responsibility. Settings-LADO to be first point of contact, then EYSA Schools’ Safeguarding Adviser to be first point of contact Initial information will be recorded (see handout) Adviser to confirm actions with LADO and feedback to school –No further action by LADO (School to consider how the matter should be dealt with under employers’ procedures eg complaints / disciplinary) * –Allegations management/ strategy meeting/discussion

Safer recruitment Deter Reject Prevent Detect Little Stars

DBS checks - Regulated activity Unsupervised activities: teach, train, instruct, care for or supervise children or provide advice / guidance on well-being or drive a vehicle only for children Work for a limited range of establishments with opportunity for contact. (Not work by supervised volunteers) Done regularly

Regulated activity cont’d Relevant personal care or health care by or supervised by a professional Registered child minders and foster carers

If your organisation works with children / young people and a member of staff is dismissed because they harmed a child, or you would have done so had they not left, you must refer this information to the DBS (formerly ISA). An organisation which knowingly employs a barred individual to work with children in regulated activity will be breaking the law. A person will be breaking the law if they work or volunteer or try to work or volunteer and are barred from working with children and young people in regulated activity.

DBS Update On 17 th June the DBS launched the ‘Update service’ Individuals can choose to subscribe for an annual fee of £13 Service will keep DBS certificate up to date and portable Employer will be able to go online and check Registered bodies will not be sent a copy of the DBS certificate.

Schools’/ EY Safeguarding Adviser Termly briefings (2 dates to choose from) Termly safeguarding newsletter (x6) Advice and support via telephone / e mail Allegations Feeling safe survey(schools only) Monitoring

Monitoring of child protection School/setting safeguarding audit outcomes School/setting safeguarding audit visit (3 yearly cycle) Attendance at CPCs and provision of reports Leads meetings Referral forms

Further Information South West Child Protection Procedures accessed at procedures.co.uk/swcpp/ procedures.co.uk/swcpp/ LSCB web site at

Websites