COLLEGE POLICIES

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
!n accordance with DfES guidance Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education (2007)

General Guidelines

At Fine Arts College we believe that all students have a fundamental right to be protected from harm and that they cannot learn effectively unless they feel safe. This is a college where students feel secure, their viewpoints are valued and they are encouraged to engage in dialogue with adults.

Categories of Abuse

We are uniquely placed as responsible adults outside students’ family homes, to be able to detect signs of child abuse. For example we are in a position to note changes of behaviour, injuries or failure to develop. The following categories of child abuse are recognised for the purposes of the child protection register:

• Physical abuse
• Neglect
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse

These categories come under the concept of ‘significant harm’ in terms of current or likely abuse. We believe that if there are concerns about abuse, action must be taken to stop it and to prevent further abuse. It is better to err on the side of caution, and talk over any concerns with the college Principals.

There are six key elements in the policy

• Identifying the abuse
• Monitoring the student
• Referral
• Confidentiality
• Recording and reporting information
• Attendance at case conferences and reviews

Identifying Abuse

Where teachers and other staff see signs that cause them concern, they should make their suspicions known to the college Principals immediately. If this process involves direct verbal contact with the student concerned, make it clear that in order to help them, you will have to share this information with another responsible adult. Great care must be taken in asking and interpreting children’s responses to questions about indications of abuse. Seek information from the child with tact and sympathy, refraining from using leading questions that may encourage the child to change his or her version of events.

• Let the child tell the story
• Use open questions – how, when, where, who?
• Only record what the child is saying, not your judgements of what happened.

Monitoring

If a member of staff raises a concern the college Principals will decided whether to formally refer the case to social services, or to monitor the pupil for a fixed amount of time – (usually 4 – 6 weeks). The Personal Tutor will alert the relevant members of staff involved with the student and record specific observations during that time, keeping the college Principals informed on a regular basis. Should the behaviour continue to cause concern, a formal referral may be made.

Referrals

The role of education staff in child protection matters is to identify concerns and to refer them directly to the Social Services who are the investigative agency, together with the Police Child Protection Team. It is not the responsibility of teachers and other staff in the college to investigate the suspected abuse. They should not take action beyond that agreed in the procedures within this policy. The college Principals have responsibility for liaising with the social services department and other agencies over cases of abuse. If they are unsure about whether a case should be formally referred, they will seek advice and support from the appropriate agencies. If a formal referral is made a strategy meeting may be called which in turn could lead to a case conference being convened, and the child being placed on the child protection register. Staff need to monitor pupils whose names are on the child protection register in line with what has been agreed in the child protection plan.

Record Keeping and Reporting

It is essential that we keep accurate records when monitoring child protection issues, the date, time, name of staff reporting the concern/ incident and action taken in all cases of suspected child abuse. Reports should focus upon:

• The child’s academic progress and achievements (or lack of this)
• Attendance and punctuality
• Behaviour
• Participation in college life
• Relations with other children
• The child’s appearance (where appropriate)

The student’s personal tutor will compile a report for the meeting, after consultation with subject tutors, and will discuss this with the College Principals prior to the meeting.

Confidentiality

1. Child protection records are to be kept securely
2. Recording of information needs to be factual and objective
3. Child protection records must be kept separately from academic and other personal records
4. Records are not to be for general consumption, and access should be restricted to those staff with responsibility for child protection
5. Staff must not promise confidentiality to students (see ‘Identifying abuse’)

Inter-Agency Involvement

Attendance at strategy meetings and case conferences is very important. A member of staff from the school, normally a Personal Tutor, will be nominated to be part of the Core Group to draw up a Child Protection Plan. The plan will need to be assessed prior to the ensuing Social Service review meeting. Information contributed to this meeting will be provided by the school child protection monitoring system.

 

Child Protection Co-ordinators:
Oonagh Ryan (Head of Social Sciences and Humanities) and Anita George (Director of GCSE)

(Responsible for meeting with Personal Tutors at the start of the year for staff training in Child Protection)

Member of Management responsible for Child Protection:
Candida Cave (Principal)

Further Educational Welfare contacts are as follows:

Duty Assessment Team North Camden Borough
156 West End Lane, London, NW6 1SD
www.camden.gov.uk/crowndalecentre
Ask to speak to the Duty Manager on 0207 974 6600

OR

Duty Assessment Team South Camden Borough:
Crowndale Centre, 218 Eversholt Street, London, NW1 1BD
www.camden.gov.uk/westendlanereception
Ask to speak to the Duty Manager on 0207 974 404

When calling either teams above, please give the name of the child, address of child and of yourself. The case is allocated to a social worker and then taken from there.

For further information please look at Camden Safeguarding Children Board's website for information:
www.cscb.org.uk

 

This policy is reviewed annually and is available for inspection by staff or parents at any time on application to the Principal.