Child Protection Policy
Child Protection Policy
• Officers in charge
• Child Protection Statement
• Staff at Smiley Stars will:
• What is child protection?
• What is child abuse?
• The categories of abuse are:
• Grounds for concern
• Staff Suspecting abuse
• Disclosure from a child:
• Reporting Procedures
• A member of staff is alleged
• Officers in charge
• Designated Child Protection Officer (DCPO): Tamara Marashi
• Designated Child Protection Officer (DCPO): Sima Marashi
• Child Protection Officer (CPO)
• Smiley Stars Nursery – Ibrox: Carrie Mackay
• Smiley Stars Nursery – Mansewood: Lindsay Nolan
Child Protection Statement
Smiley Stars acknowledges that all children and young people have the right to be cared for and protected from harm and to grow up in a safe environment in which their rights and needs are respected. The welfare of children is paramount. (Protecting Children and Young People: Framework for Standards, Scottish Executive, 2004)
Smiley Stars aims always to meet the Health & Social Care Standards which reflect the rights of children and young people as set down in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989. One of the main principles of the Health & Social Care Standards is Wellbeing: I feel safe & I am protected from neglect, abuse and avoidable harm.
Smiley Stars aims at all times to abide by the SSSC Codes of Practice for Employers and Employees, employees being responsible for making sure that no action or omission on their part harms the wellbeing of the children in their care. Employees must uphold public trust and confidence in the service provided and this includes their undertaking not to abuse, neglect or harm the children in their care.
Staff at Smiley Stars will:
Must read and understand child protection policy initially as part of their induction and thereafter as part of their continuing professional development in order that they:
• have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in protecting children and young people from harm, abuse, bullying and neglect;
• are knowledgeable about, and have a clear understanding of, relevant legislation relating to children and young people.
What is child protection?
Action taken to protect a child from harm now and in the longer term. (Protecting Children and Young People: Framework for Standards, Scottish Executive, 2004)
What is child abuse?
The Scottish Office (1996) definition of child abuse is:
‘Children may be in need of protection where their basic needs are not being met, in a manner appropriate to their age and stage of development, and they will be at risk through avoidable acts or omissions on the part of their parent(s), sibling(s), or other relative(s) or a carer i.e. the person(s) while not a parent who had actual custody of a child.’
This means that for a set of events or circumstances to be defined as ‘child abuse’, 3 elements must be taken into account:
1. Is there demonstrable damage or harm to the child or genuine reason to be concerned that the child will be harmed in some way?
2. Is this due to the action or inaction of the parent or other carer?
3. Could this have been (or can this be in the future) avoided?
The categories of abuse are:
Physical
Sexual
Non-Organic Failure to Thrive
Emotional
Neglect
Please see Appendix 1 for definitions of each category
Additional categories for abuse are:
Child Trafficking
Online abuse
Gambling
Self harm
Female Gentile Mutilation
Bullying
Mental health
Social Media
Radicalisation
Forced marriage
Grounds for concern
Working in the nursery setting in daily contact with children puts staff in an almost unique position. You are able to listen carefully to children and assess their wellbeing. You will often be able to detect even minor changes in a child’s physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing, to notice injuries, patterns of injury, to notice mood swings, listlessness, to recognise any departure from the behaviour that is ‘normal’ for that child and to recognise ‘clues’ that a child gives deliberately or otherwise that all is not well.
Grounds for concern can arise from a wide range of circumstances. Generally these are:
• A child states that abuse has taken place or that the child feels unsafe.
• A third party or anonymous allegation
• A child’s appearance, behaviour, play, drawing or statement causes a suspicion of abuse.
• See Appendix 2 for possible signs of abuse.
As part of our Child Protection policy, when a child is brought to nursery with an injury, we ask and expect to get an explanation from the parent as to how the injury happened.
The parent of a child, who has received an injury at nursery, including an unexplained injury, has the same right to ask and expect to get an explanation of how their child became injured. It is therefore every member of staff’s responsibility to record any incident that results in a child getting an injury, however caused, on an incident form.
If you notice a child with an injury, no form has been written and no one has any information or witnessed any incident as to how the child became injured then an incident form must still be filled in to this effect and parent still informed.
Staff Suspecting abuse
If a member of staff suspects abuse the following action must be taken immediately:
• Report your grounds for concern to the Officers in Charge (DCPO/CPO)
• Do not wait to gather evidence
• Do not agree to keep the information secret
• Do not discuss the matter with others
Disclosure from a child:
During your work in the nursery there may be a time when a child approaches you to discuss their life outside the nursery. It is vital that you know how to react to this in a sensitive and appropriate manner.
You (Staff) should at all times:
• Allow the child time to speak and not interrupt. Do not make suggestions to the child that might jeopardise the investigation.
• Reassure the child that they were right to tell you and that you are glad they did.
• Don’t interrogate or question the child other than to clarify what they have just said. If you do have to ask a question, ensure that you use an open-ended question. Open questions encourage the child to provide information in the order they wish to give it; with the detail they feel comfortable with, and in their own words. Do not use direct or closed questions. This may put suggestions to the child and could jeopardise subsequent social work investigations. They will have to go over it again during the investigation anyway and you should spare them having to re-tell it too many times.
• Be honest with the child and tell them you cannot keep it a secret. You have to tell someone who will help them.
• Remain calm and no matter how hard it is for you to listen, think how hard it must be for the child to talk about. Do not show any anger, disgust, disbelief or negative feelings.
• Listen to the child – REALLY LISTEN. It is not your responsibility to investigate the allegations.
• As soon as practical – write down everything the child said word for word. Do not add anything or put down an interpretation of what you think they meant. Report all grounds for concern to the Nursery Manager immediately.
• Remember above all that this is all-confidential and MUST not be discussed with anyone other than the Nursery Manager.
Reporting Procedures
If a member of staff suspects abuse the following action must be taken immediately:
• Report your grounds for concern to the Nursery Manager
• Do not wait to gather evidence
• Do not agree to keep the information secret
• Do not discuss the matter with others
The DCPO/CPO will then follow the procedural action points in the order they feel is most appropriate for the particular circumstances. There should be the absolute minimum of delay in moving through the action points.
All grounds for concern will be treated as a priority for action:
• Consider immediate needs of the child/ren involved
• Take emergency action if required. Phone the police if the child is in an immediate danger, then phone Care Inspectorate
• Gather information
• Ask staff to record information, signed and dated.
• Store all information in a confidential file
• Contact will be made with the duty social worker at the social work office. During this, discuss with the social worker what action to take next including when and by whom parents will be informed
• If required, report a medical emergency to the medical services and administer first aid before reporting to the social worker.
• Urgent circumstances may require help from the police to avoid further abuse, immediate pursuit of the alleged abuser, avoidance or destruction of evidence or an immediate place of safety for the child.
A member of staff is alleged
• If a member of staff is alleged to be involved then the DCPO/CPO will take all necessary steps to ensure the protection of the child. Contact will be made with the Nursery Director, the police, Care Inspectorate and the social work department. The DCPO/CPO may consider the need for precautionary suspension. All employees will be treated with consideration pending the outcome of any investigation and we will ensure that any employees alleged to have abused a child will have adequate information and access to representation in any disciplinary or review process.
Everyone within the nursery setting has a responsibility to be aware of child protection issues; however, it is important to have one designated person who has agreed to monitor child protection issues.
The DCPO at Smiley Stars is the Tamara Marashi/Sima Marashi who is responsible for ensuring that:
• Policies are up-to-date and meet local and national guidelines
• They attend child protection training and meetings
• They cooperate on behalf of Smiley Stars Childcare with inter-agency Child Protection Support Plans
• They liaise with other establishments and external organisations
• They help to ensure that all staff, students and volunteers are aware of the policy and that they have read it and understood it
• They know who the social work contact is
• They have up-to-date telephone numbers for both local social work and police.
In the event of a suspicion that abuse has taken place, all reports should be given directly to the Nursery Manager not the child protection coordinator.
Contacts
Govan Local Social Work Office – 0141 287 0555.Out of hours: 0800 811 505
Govan Police Station – 923 Helen Street, Govan, G52, Phone: 101