SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD PROTECTION  POLICY

Dated Sept 2011

The next date for review of this policy is September 2012

CONTENTS

1 Purpose   Page 2

2 Introduction Page 2

3 Our ethos Page 2

4 Training Page 2

5 Safe staff Page 3

6 Records and monitoring Page 3

7 Procedures Page 4

8 Policy review Page 4

Supporting documents listed  Page 4



September 2010

1. PURPOSE

1.1 The purpose of the Respect4us safeguarding policy is to ensure every young person we work with is safe and protected from harm.  This means we will always work to;
•    Protect our young people from maltreatment
•    Prevent impairment of our young people’s health or development
•    Enable our young people to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully.

1.2 This policy will give clear direction to staff, volunteers, visitors and parents about the expected behaviour and our legal responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all our young people.

2. INTRODUCTION

2.1 Respect4us fully recognises the contribution it can make to protect young people from harm and supporting and promoting their welfare. The elements of our policy are prevention, protection and support.

2.2 Our policy applies to all young people, staff, parents, volunteers and visitors.

3 OUR ETHOS

3.1 Respect4us will establish and maintain an ethos where young people feel secure, are encouraged to talk, are listened to and are safe.  Our young people should be able to talk freely to any member of staff if they are worried or concerned about something.

3.2 All staff and regular visitors will know how to recognise a disclosure from a young person and will know how to manage this. We will not make promises to any young person and we will not keep secrets.  Every young person will know what their chosen adult will have to do with whatever they have been told.

3.3 Throughout our curriculum we will provide activities and opportunities that will equip our young people with the skills they need to stay safe.  This will also be extended to include material that will encourage our young people to develop essential life skills.

3.4 At all times we will work in partnership and endeavour to establish effective working relationships with parents, carers and colleagues from other agencies.

4 TRAINING

4.1 All staff will keep up to date with the most recent local and national safeguarding advice and guidance. This can be accessed on www.lscb.norfolk.gov.uk

4.2    Staff can find the most up to date national safeguarding information on www.teachernet.com

5    SAFE STAFF

5.1 All adults who come into contact with our young people have a duty of care to safeguard and promote their welfare. There is a legal duty placed upon us to ensure that all adults who work with or on behalf of our young people are competent, confident and safe to do so.

5.2 Our aim is to provide a safe and supportive environment which secures the well being and very best outcomes for our young people. We do recognise that sometimes the behaviour of adults may lead to an allegation of abuse being made.

5.3 Allegations sometimes arise from a differing understanding of the same event, but when they occur they are distressing and difficult for all concerned. We also recognise that that many allegations are genuine and there are some adults who deliberately seek to harm or abuse young people.

5.4 We will take all possible steps to safeguard our young people and to ensure that the adults who work with our young people are safe to do so. We will always ensure that the Norfolk Safeguarding Young people’s Board protocol Allegations Against Staff, Carers and Volunteers is adhered to.

5.5 All adults who come into contact with young people will be made aware of the steps that will be taken if an allegation is made.  We will seek appropriate advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). The LADO can be contacted on 01603 223473 OR 01603 223006.

5.6 All staff will have access to and be expected to know our policy for positive handling.  There will be occasion when some form of physical contact is inevitable, for example if a young person has an accident or is hurt or is in a situation of danger to themselves or others around them.  However, at all times the agreed policy for safe restraint must be adhered to.  

5.7 As far as possible no member of staff will ever be working alone with young people and will always be visible or within the hearing of other members of staff.  

5.8 There are sensible steps that every adult should take in their daily professional conduct with young people. This can be found in Safer Working Practices for Adults who work with Young people – this guidance is on the NSCB website.

6    RECORDS AND MONITORING

6.1 staff who are concerned about the welfare or safety of any young person will inform the Director(DC) and record their concern in writing; this will be passed to the senior delegated person of the young person’s home school; records will be kept by the safeguarding officer (DC).

6.2 Any safeguarding information that it is necessary to keep on our premises will be kept with all other confidential information in a secure cabinet in the office which will be kept locked when not occupied.  

7 PROCEDURES

7.1 Any concern for a young person’s safety or welfare will be recorded in writing and given to the Senior Designated Person at the relevant home school.  

7.2 Respect4us staff will attend child protection conferences when asked to do so by the home school.

7.3 The safeguarding policy will be reviewed annually and will meet the requirements of the Norfolk Safeguarding Young people’s Board Policies and Procedures.

7.4 Respect4us will undertake enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks on all staff and use any other means of ensuring we are recruiting and selecting the most suitable people to work with our young people. We will use the recruitment and selection process to deter and reject unsuitable candidates and will adhere to the requirements of Safeguarding Young people in Education and Safer Recruitment 2007.

7.5 It is the responsibility of every member of staff, volunteer and regular visitor to ensure that they carry out the requirements of this procedure and at all times work in a way that will safeguard and promote the welfare of all of our young people.

7.6 The directors of Respect4us CIC are accountable for ensuring the effectiveness of this policy and the company’s compliance with it.

7.7 Respect4us ensures its recruitment practices are safe and compliant with statutory requirements.

7.8 Respect4us undertakes to remedy without delay any weakness in regard to its safeguarding arrangements that are brought to its attention.

8  POLICY REVIEW  

11.1 This policy will be reviewed in September 2011

Documents used to support this policy

• Working Together to Safeguard Young people 2006
• Safeguarding in Education and Safer Recruitment 2007
• OFSTED document 090 205 Safeguarding Young people (briefing for section 5 Inspectors)
• Allegations Against Staff, Carers and Volunteers

• Safer Working Practices for Adults who work with young people.