Purpose and Aims

The purpose of Woodford Pre-School’s child protection and safeguarding policy is to provide a secure framework for the workforce in child protection and safeguarding, and promoting the welfare of those children/young people who attend our setting. The policy aims to ensure that;

• All our children are safe and protected from harm
• Other elements of provision and policies are in place to enable children to feel safe and adopt safe practices
• Staff, children committee members, visitors, volunteers and parents are aware of the expected behaviours and the settings legal responsibilities in relation to the safeguarding and promoting welfare of all of our children.

Ethos

Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right.

Statutory for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Child protection in Woodford Pre-school is considered everyone’s responsibility and as such our setting aims to create the safest environment within which every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Woodford Pre-School recognises the contribution it can make in ensuring that all children registered or who use the setting feel that they will be listened to and appropriate action taken.

We will do this by working in partnership with other agencies in accordance with Working Together To Safeguard Children March 2015 and seeking to establish working relationships with parents, carers, and other colleagues to develop and provide activities and opportunities that will help to equip our children with the skills they will need. This will include materials and learning experience that will encourage our children to develop essential life skills and protective behaviours.

Responsibilities and expectations

Woodford Pre-School has a Manager and Committee whose legal responsibility it is to make sure that the setting has an effective safeguarding policy and procedures in place and monitors that the setting complies with them.

The Manager and Committee should also ensure the following:

• that the safeguarding policy is made available to parents and carers if requested.
• that all staff and volunteers are properly checked to make sure they are safe to work with the children who attend our setting.
• that the setting has procedures for handling allegations of abuse made against members of staff (including the keyworker/Manager) or volunteers
• the safe and appropriate use of cameras, mobile phones, technology and on line equipment within the setting.

The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 which places a duty on early years and childcare providers “to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism” (The Prevent Duty) is implemented, taking into account the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board ‘Prevent’ 2 policies, protocols and procedures and ensuring the Fundamental British Values are implemented as stated in the EYFS. a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is appointed who has lead responsibility for dealing with all safeguarding issues in our setting. The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Julie Belcher. If they are not available then contact the Deputy Safeguarding Officer. (This person can also be contacted with any safeguarding concerns).

The Chairperson is the Named Member of the Committee for Safeguarding.

The responsibilities for the Safeguarding Designated Officer (SDO) are:-

• to ensure that all safeguarding issues raised in setting are effectively responded to, recorded and referred to the appropriate agency
• Be responsible for arranging the whole settings safeguarding training for all staff and volunteers who work with the children and young people. 

The SOO must ensure that the whole settings safeguarding training takes place at least every three years; which they can deliver in-house provided they are linked in to the support and quality assurance process offered by the Local Authority and the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board. to attend or ensure that a senior member of staff who has the relevant training and access to appropriate supervision, attends where appropriate, all child protection case conferences, reviews, core groups or meetings where it concerns a child in our care and to contribute to multi-agency discussions to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare.

• for ensuring the acceptable, safe use and storage of all camera technology, images, and mobile phones through the implementation, monitoring and reviewing of the appropriate polices and procedures. This includes the on-line Safety Policy which includes Camera & Image Policy, Mobile Phone Policy, Acceptable Use Policy.
• Ensuring and implementing the Fundamental British Values.

All Child Protection concerns need to be acted on immediately. 

Recognising concerns, signs and indicators of abuse 

Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from deliberate harm. For our setting it includes such things as child safety, bullying, racist abuse and harassment, visits, intimate care and internet safety etc. However it must be acknowledged that technology itself will not present the greatest risk, but the behaviours of individuals using such equipment will. The witnessing of abuse can have a damaging affect on those who are party to it, as well as the child subjected to the actual abuse, and in itself will have a significant impact on the health and emotional well-being of the child. Abuse can take place in any family, institution or community setting, by telephone or on the internet. Abuse can often be difficult to recognise as children may behave differently or seem unhappy for many reasons, as they move through the stages of childhood or their family circumstances change. However, it is important to know the indicators of abuse and to be alert to the need to consult further.

Physical Abuse

This can involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, punching, kicking, scalding, burning, drowning and suffocating. It can also result when a parent or carer deliberately causes the ill health of a child in order to seek attention through fabricated or induced illness. This was previously known as Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy.

Emotional Abuse is where a child’s need for love, security, recognition and praise is not met. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of someone else such as in Domestic Violence or Domestic Abuse. A parent, carer or authority figure is considered emotionally abusive when they are consistently hostile, rejecting, threatening or undermining toward a child or other family member. It can also occur when children are prevented from having social contact with others or if inappropriate expectations are placed upon them. Symptoms that indicate emotional abuse include:

• Excessively clingy or attention seeking
• Very low self-esteem or excessive self-criticism.
• Withdrawn behaviour or fearfulness.
• Lack of appropriate boundaries with strangers; too eager to please.
• Eating disorders or self-harm

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. This may include physical contact both penetrative and non-penetrative, or viewing pornographic material including through the use of the internet. Indicators of sexual abuse include: allegations or disclosures, genital soreness or injuries, sexually transmitted diseases, inappropriate sexualised behaviour including words, play or drawing.

Child Sexual Exploitation is a form of abuse of which involves children (male and female, of different ethnic origins and of different ages) receiving something (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money) in exchange for sexual activity. It can occur through the use of technology without the child’s immediate recognition.

Neglect

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs which can significantly harm their health and development. Neglect can include inadequate supervision (being left alone for long periods of time), lack of stimulation, social contact or education, lack of appropriate food, shelter, appropriate clothing for conditions and medical attention and treatment when necessary.

If a child makes a disclosure or allegation of abuse against an adult or other child or young person, it is important that you:

• Stay calm and listen carefully.
• Reassure them that they have done the right thing in telling you.
• Do not investigate or ask leading questions.
• Let them know that you will need to tell someone else.
• Do not promise to keep what they have told you a secret.
• Inform your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) as soon as possible
• Make a written record of the allegation, disclosure or incident which you must sign, date and record your position using the setting safeguarding record log forms.

If you are concerned that a member of staff or adult in a position of trust poses a danger to a child or young person or that they might be abusing a child or young person you should report your concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). Where those concerns relate to the Safeguarding Designated Officer however, this should be reported to the Chair of Committee using the settings ‘Whistle blowing’ policy.

Managing Allegations

We are aware of the possibility of allegations being made against members of staff or volunteers that are working or may come into contact with children and young people whilst in our setting.

Allegations will usually be that some kind of abuse has taken place. This could include

inappropriate behaviour displayed by members of staff or other persons working with the children such as inappropriate sexual comments, excessive one to one attention beyond the requirements

their role and responsibilities, inappropriate sharing or images. They can be made by children and

young people or other concerned adults. 

Allegations are made for a variety of reasons:

• Abuse has actually taken place. 
• Something has happened to the child that reminds them of a past event – the child is unable to recognise that the situation and people are different
• Children can misinterpret your language or your actions.
• Some children recognise that allegations can be powerful and if they are angry with you about something they can make an allegation as a way of hitting out.
• An allegation can be a way of seeking attention.

If an allegation is made against an adult in a position of trust whether they be members of staff or volunteers this should be brought to the immediate attention of the SDO who will advise the Chair of Committee. In the case of the allegation being made against the SDO this will be brought to the immediate attention of the Chair of Committees. The SDO Chair of Committees will need to discuss with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) the nature of the allegations made against the adult, in order for the appropriate action to be taken. This may constitute an initial evaluation meeting or strategy discussion depending on the allegation being made. The Chair of the committee will need to:

• Refer to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) immediately and follow up in writing within 24 hours. Consider safeguarding arrangements of the child or young person to ensure they are away from the alleged abuser.
• Contact the parents or carers of the child/young person if advised to do so by the
• Consider the rights of the staff member for a fair and equal process of investigation.
• Advise Ofsted of allegation within 14 days of the allegation
• Ensure that the appropriate disciplinary procedures are followed including whether suspending a member of staff from work until the outcome of any investigation if this is deemed necessary.
• Advise the Discosure and Baring Service whether a member of staff has been disciplined or dismissed as a result of the allegations being founded.

Training

All members of staff and volunteers will have access to whole setting safeguarding training at least every three years. We will also, as part of our induction, issue information in relation to our Safeguarding policy and any policy related to safeguarding and promoting our children/young people’s welfare to all newly appointed staff and volunteers.

Our Safeguarding Designated Officer will undertake further safeguarding training, Multi-agency Safeguarding course or Refresher Courses, in addition to the whole setting training. This will be undertaken at least every three years which updates their awareness and understanding of the impact of the wide agenda of safeguarding issues. This will support both the SDO to be able to better undertake their role and support the setting in ensuring our safeguarding arrangements are robust and achieving better outcomes for the children in our setting. This includes taking part in multi-agency training in addition to safeguarding training.

Our safeguarding arrangements are reported on an annual basis to our Committee and our Safeguarding policy is reviewed annually, in order to keep it updated in line with local and national guidance/legislation.

We will include our Safeguarding Policy in our settings prospectus/website and will post copies of our policy throughout the setting. We are also able to arrange for our policy to be made available to parents whose first language is not English, on request.

Mobile Phones and Cameras

Woodford Pre-School has policies and procedures in place with regard to the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting and on visits etc.

Related Setting Policies

Safeguarding covers more than the contribution made to child protection in relation to individual children. It also encompasses issues such as child health and safety, bullying and a range of other issues, for example, arrangements for meeting the medical needs of children, providing first aid, setting security, drugs and substance misuse, etc.

There may also be other safeguarding issues that are specific to the local area or population (see Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education DiES 2007).

This policy will cross-reference to related setting policies and other protocol:

Behaviour (Including guidance on positive-handling)

Anti-bullying

Confidentiality

Drugs and substances

Attendance

E-Safety Policy

Camera & Image Policy