Policies

Safeguarding Children & Young People Policy

​

​

Contents

​

• Introduction

• Role of Designated Member of Staff for Child Protection

• DMS – Contact Details

• Procedure and guidance

• Off-site Activities and Residential Events

• Safe Recruitment

• Managing a disclosure

• Recording and Reporting

• Boundaries and good professional practice

• Definitions and signs of abuse

• Specific Safeguarding Issues

• Useful contacts and websites

​

 

Introduction

​

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance for all persons working with children and/or young/vulnerable adults, whether in a paid or voluntary capacity whilst participating in work on behalf of Access All Areas Training CIC. It is important that all persons recognise, a duty of care and, where possible to protect vulnerable groups from harm. The purpose of this document is to specify Access All Areas Training CIC’s Safeguarding policy and procedures for the protection of children, young people and adults at risk. All adults who come into contact with children and young people in their work have a duty of care to safeguard and promote their welfare. Child protection refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering,

or are likely to suffer, significant harm.

 

It is neither the role nor responsibility of those working with children to assess, diagnose or investigate whether a child is at risk of or is suffering harm or abuse.

This is the role of the relevant local authorities Children’s Social Care team.

However, it is the responsibility of all staff to be aware of the need to report any concerns to a Designated Member of Staff (DMS) as a priority. All Directors of Access All Areas Training CIC hold post of DMS.

 

Staff from partner agencies, when working in the community on behalf of Access All Areas Training CIC will follow referral procedures in line with the relevant local authorities Children’s

Social Care team and inform the DMS that a child protection referral has been made.

 

Where activities and services are provided in partnership, the Director/DMS will seek assurances that those concerned have appropriate safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures in place and there are agreed arrangements to liaise with on matters where appropriate. Access All Areas Training CIC will only work with providers that can demonstrate that they have effective safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures in place, provide appropriate training and that vetting arrangements for their staff are compatible with government guidance.

 

​

Role of Designated Member of Staff for Child Protection

​

It is the role of the DMS/Director to act as a source of support and guidance on all matters of child protection and safeguarding in all areas undertaken by Access All Areas Training CIC.

In the absence of the DMS/Director, staff should report any concerns and act in accordance with this policy and the local authority child protection procedures where the work is being undertaken.

 

The Designated Member of Staff is responsible for:

• Liaising with the Local Authority’s Children’s Social Care department as appropriate.

• Ensure all staff (employed or contractual) have undertaken appropriate child protection training and that they are up-to-date with current legislation, policy and practice and are able to respond sensitively and appropriately to any child protection concerns.

• Ensure that they are fully up to date with their own safeguarding and child protection training.

• Ensure that child protection referrals are made using the format agreed with the relevant local authority.

• Ensure the child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures are maintained, up-to-date and are disseminated and adhered to by all staff (employed and contractual).

• Ensure there is a robust system in place for monitoring and recording concerns about children at early stages and is adhered to by all staff.

• Provide a systematic means of monitoring children who are thought to be at risk of harm or those who are subject to child protection plans.

• Maintain accurate child protection records and held securely and confidential following relevant Data Protection practices.

• Ensure all persons working on behalf of Access All Areas Training CIC are aware of the need to record concerns about children and the need to ensure that this practice is

followed by everyone.

• Ensure that all persons are aware of safe professional practices when working with children and are adhering to codes of professional conduct.

 

 

Designated Member of Staff (DMS)

​

Helen Gardner – Youth Lead & Mentor

Telephone: 01664 784 785

​

​

Procedure and Guidance

​

All relevant procedures and Access All Areas Training CIC Safeguarding Children & Young People policy must be given to all persons when they receive their initial child protection

induction. (This induction may be a meeting with the DMS/Director to go through the policy and procedures in detail, a formal briefing session, or at appropriate training).

​

 

Safe recruitment

​

A safe recruitment and selection practice is vital for safeguarding and protection children.

Access All Areas Training CIC takes seriously its responsibility to adopt practices which

minimise risks of harm to children and ensuring measures are in place to deter, reject or identify people who might cause or want to abuse children or who are unsuitable to work with them.

 

• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosures should be recorded by the company and stored securely and confidentially in line with Data Protection.

• All persons working on behalf of Access All Areas Training CIC must ensure to provide an enhanced DBS (Dated within 1 year if obtained via another organisation) and where possible to subscribe to the DBS Update Service, or undertake annual checks, in respect to those who work directly with children and/or likely to have unsupervised access to them.

• Only persons who have undergone an enhanced DBS may have unsupervised access to children whilst undertaking work for Access All Areas Training CIC.

• Records to be kept to demonstrate necessary checks have been undertaken including number and date of issue of enhanced DBS.

• Safety and well-being of children is in mind at all times throughout recruitment and selection process of persons/organisations working on behalf of Access All Areas Training CIC.

 

 

Off-site Activities and Residential Events

​

Access All Areas Training CIC is not responsible for young people while they are travelling to and from Access All Areas Training CIC organised activities. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian (or individual if aged 16+) to make appropriate travel arrangements, however Access All Areas Training CIC will do its best to empower young people to plan, undertake and take responsibility for their own travel, whether this be individually or part of a group that they

organise.

 

Managing a Disclosure

​

A disclosure is when a child or young person informs a person who is working on behalf of Access All Areas Training CIC that they are being harmed or at risk of becoming harmed in

some way. Disclosures are not ordinary conversations when a person asks how they are feeling. Children and young people will disclose to those who they are able to trust and it is important that a person knows how to respond if a child or young person informs them that they are or at risk of being harmed in any way. Children and young people should not be questioned and this could be considered an interview. Children and Young people can only be interviewed once and this must be conducted by a trained police officer and social worker under ‘Achieving Best Evidence’ guidance from the Home Office. Police may not be able to pursue the matter if a child or young person has already been interviewed.

 

Persons working on behalf of Access All Areas Training CIC should:

• Listen to the child or young person and remain calm.

• Try not to express emotions of panic or shock.

• Offer comfort, taking into account age, gender, beliefs and needs of the child.

• Inform them that they were right to make a disclosure and that they are not at fault.

• Inform them of what will happen to the disclosure and to whom else it will be disclosed to. Take into account that children and young people often fear what they say will be passed on to everyone.

• Do not give false reassurances but offer your best to help protect them.

• If what is disclosed is unclear, you may ask for clarification or mirror back what the child or young person has said to ensure understanding.

• Use language appropriate to the child/young person’s understanding.

• Be aware that a child/young person might not understand what is happening could be considered as ‘abuse’ (Advice should be sought from the DMS/Director immediately).

 

Recording and Reporting

​

The recording of disclosures and any concerns in relation to safeguarding and child protection is a tool of professional accountability. It is not always possible to know whether a small or vague concern may increase or form into the substance of a child protection referral. For this reason it is a vital element that all concerns and disclosures are recorded accurately so they can be monitored. All concerns should be recorded which will detail concerns raised and discussions with any other person/s alongside any agreed actions and outcomes. Concerns will be held confidentially from other records and should be signed, dated and kept in chronological order.

 

Boundaries and Good Professional Practice

​

Everyone should have a clear understanding good professional practice and boundaries. All persons working on behalf of Access All Areas Training CIC shall abide by the Code of Conduct. There are on occasions where false allegations are made, Persons should try to avoid the following:

 

• Spending excessive time with a particular young person away from others.

• Close doors to rooms when working 1-2-1 unless it requires confidentiality.

• Take children or young people in own car without another adult present.

• Take children or young people to own home.

• Engage in inappropriate behaviour such as horseplay, physical games which aren’t structured sports

• Allow children or young people to use inappropriate or suggestive language.

• Persons working on behalf of Access All Areas Training CIC who live in the community should be mindful of the need to maintain clear professional boundaries with parents

and users of the company to ensure information about children and young people who attend are not shared.

• No person/s to engage in a private capacity with the parents or guardians of service users which could cause a conflict of interest.

• Staffing ratio during activities must be followed. In practice the ratio of responsible adults is 1:10 for young people aged 11-15.

• Parental consent (11-15s) and medical information about young people and must be obtained in advance when Access All Areas Training CIC is working directly with, and

has responsibility for, them.

• Staff should ensure that programmes follow agreed timings.

• Residential and Events for Young People should be alcohol free, unless there is an agreement by a senior member of staff that alcohol can be consumed and that a risk assessment supporting the residential or event has mitigated any risks.

• Staff and volunteers are responsible for familiarising themselves with building/facility safety issues, such as, fire procedures, location of emergency exits, location of emergency telephones and first aid equipment.

 

Definition of Child Abuse:

​

For the purposes of this policy an abused child is a person under the age of 18 who has suffered physical injury; emotional abuse; sexual abuse; neglect in which the person/s who have custody, in charge or care of the child has either caused or knowingly failed to prevent from occurring.

​

​

Disclosure:

​

Should a child or young person disclose or is suspected of being abused, this information should be passed onto the DMS: Helen Gardner or Director of Access All Areas Training CIC: Roma Frisby on 01664 784 785. If neither is immediately available, the person will contact the appropriate local authority.

 

 

Possible signs of Physical Abuse

​

• Unexplained injuries, marks or burns, particularly if they are recurring.

• Any injury to a pre-mobile baby

• Refusal to discuss or evasion of talking about an injury

• Improbably explanations from parents/guardians or the child.

• Different explanations given for the injury.

• Untreated injuries.

• Admission of punishment which seems excessive or inappropriate.

• Shrinking or flinching from physical contact

• Fear of going home/contact with home

• Running Away

• Covering up

• Signs of physical discomfort and no explanation

• Female Genital Mutilation.

• Male Genital Mutilation

 

 

Possible signs of Emotional Abuse

 

• Continuous self-depreciation, low self-esteem

• Fear of new situations, beyond what would be considered appropriate.

• Self-Harm

• Compulsive stealing/scrounging

• Obsessive behaviours (rocking, thumb sucking)

• Detachment ‘Don’t care’ attitude

• Isolation – not joining in, does not have friends.

• Attention-seeking behaviour

• Eating problems

• Depression

• Concentration

• Obsessive masturbation in public

• Acting out aggressively

• Attachment to strangers inappropriately.

 

Possible signs of sexual abuse

​

Sexual Abuse – Exploitation of a child/young person by another person by involving them in a sexual activity in to which they do not comprehend and unable to give informed consent and/or have not given consent, and/or has been coerced into sexual activity through the use of bribes, threats and physical force.

 

• Bruises, bites or marks on the body

• Infections in anal/genital regions

• Age-inappropriate sexual awareness, evidenced by play, drawings, vocabulary and including behaviour towards others.

• Frequent or obsessive masturbation

• Attempting to teach others about sexual activity.

• Attempt to coerce others into sexualised games or behaviour

• Refusal to stay with certain people or to travel to places.

 

Possible signs of neglect

​

Neglect – Persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, often results in an impairment of the development/health of the child. This could include the following:

 

• Constant or frequent hunger

• Poor personal hygiene

• Inappropriate clothing (too large, small, clothes for wrong gender)

• Medical needs not being met.

• Poor social and peer relationships

• Under-achievement

 

 

 

Specific Safeguarding Issues

​

1. Female Genital Mutilation

​

This practice is common to many communities – predominantly but not exclusively – of African origin. The practice involves the cutting or suturing of female genitals for no medical purpose. This practice is illegal and where staff become aware of the practice – either because a girl/young woman discloses that she is a victim of the practice or because a child or young person is likely to be subjected to the procedure either within the UK or in another country, it is an immediate child protection concern and must be reported immediately to the designated person. Where a child or young person is likely to be taken out of the country for a procedure and

immediate action is required to prevent this, an immediate child protection referral must be made.

 

Staff should be clear that both the carrying out of FGM/Cutting as well as the procurement of such activities constitute an offence.

 

Staff must be aware that this procedure is commonly carried out on children around the age of 5, however is also likely to be performed on older young people specifically those who might identify as lesbian as part of a ‘conversion therapy’.

 

Staff working with children and young people from affected communities must familiarise themselves with the countries where the practice is common and liaise with relevant organisations for Advice and information on prevention, reversals, counselling, training. Staff should also be aware that this is a cultural practice with no religious foundation.

 

 

2. Male Genital Mutilation

​

This practice is common in many communities around the world with its basis as a religious, cultural, and cleanliness practice. The practice involves the full or partial removal of the foreskin covering the glans of a penis on non-consenting children from a few days old. Whilst this practice is not currently illegal. It is the policy of Access All Areas Training CIC to not condone and to challenge this practice appropriately, taking into account, cultural and ethnic practices, and liasing with relevant organisations for advice and information on prevention, reversals, counselling and training. Staff should be aware that this is a cultural practice that has a basis in religion and should be mindful when addressing this issue.

 

 

 

3. Spirit Possession

​

In the UK, there is an increasing number of faith groups establishing themselves, where a belief in spirit possession is a cornerstone of the faith. Whereas it is clearly entirely the prerogative of adults to choose in which way they worship, worship with children should be appropriate to their age and development and not induce fear or low self esteem in children and young people.

The firm belief in spirit possession is a concern when :

 

• Children are subjected to exorcism rituals as a result of sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, behaviour, low achievement and similar issues

• Children are scapegoated/blamed for negative events impacting on a family

• Spirit possession is blamed for low achievement or behavioural issues and appropriate support is not sought

• Parents do not seek appropriate support or medical interventions for children with health issues or disabilities on the basis of their belief in spirit

• possession.

 

This policy should be in conjunction with Access All Areas Training CIC’s policies on:

​

GDPR

Equality and Diversity

 

Useful contacts and websites

​

Independent Safeguarding Authority

0300 123 1111 www.isa.homeoffice.gov.uk

 

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)

0800 800 500

www.nspcc.org.uk

 

www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk

 

ChildLine

0800 1111

 

Useful Publications

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010 (DfE publications)