Safeguarding Policy
Busy Bees is concerned about the welfare and safety of all its children. We therefore strive to create an environment in which children feel secure and valued and are listened to and taken seriously. Safeguarding children at Busy Bees is considered everyone’s responsibility. We aim to ensure that all our children are safe and protected from harm.
‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ 2015 and the ‘The Children Act’ 2004 (2007)require Busy Bees to follow procedures for protecting children from abuse. These procedures are established by The Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (HSCB). Each member of staff has a copy of ‘What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused’ (2015) and is required to attend child protection training. We must ensure that we have appropriate procedures in place to respond to any situation in which we feel or believe a child has been, or is at risk of abuse.
- Staff should be alert to signs of abuse and know to whom they should report any concerns.
- Staff should be aware of and follow the procedures for safeguarding children.
The designated member of staff for safeguarding children (DSO) is Caroline Upton. If unavailable, Jane Sykes(Deputy DSO) should be consulted.
When to be concerned
- If a child has any injury which is not typical of those associated with the child’s activities.
- If a child regularly has unexplained injuries.
- If a child shows significant changes in behaviour, performance or attitude.
- If a child indulges in sexual behaviour which is unusually explicit or inappropriate for his or her age.
- If a child discloses an experience in which he or she may have been significantly harmed.
Busy Bees Procedure
- Our role is to: Recognise-Respond-Refer.
- Any concerns about a member of staff should be reported to Caroline Upton or to Hertfordshire’s Children, Schools and FamiliesLADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) on 01992 556979. The LADO should be informed of a serious allegation within one working day. Serious concerns should also be reported to Ofsted as soon as is reasonably possible, but at least within fourteen days.
- If any member of staff is concerned about a child they must inform Caroline Upton or contact Hertfordshire’s Targeted Advice Service on 01438 737511 or Children’s Services on 0300 123 4043.
- Information regarding any concerns must be recorded by the member of staff on the same day. There is a Confidential Incident Record book in which concerns are reported and a procedure for recording entries. Staff are aware that they need to: make notes as soon as possible, record the time, date and place, describe any noticeable non-verbal behaviour, report the words used by the child, and describe (or draw a diagram to show) the position, size and colour of any bruising or injury. The recording must be a clear, precise factual account of the observations.
- For urgent child protection concerns, Children’s Services should be contacted on 0300 123 4043. A Hertfordshire Child Protection Referral Form would be submitted within 48 hours of this call. In an emergency, for incidents requiring immediate police response, the emergency line 999 should be used.
- During the child protection process, relevant information would be provided to the child’s social care or the police, and if requested, a contribution would be made to initial or core assessments.
- Special attention will be paid to the attendance and development of any child identified as being at risk, or who has been placed on the Child Protection Register.
- If a child who is known to be on the Child Protection Register changes learning establishment, Caroline Upton will inform the social worker responsible for the case and transfer the appropriate records to relevant outside agencies.
It is the responsibility of Caroline Upton (DSO) to ensure that all staff and volunteers are properly checked to make sure they are safe to work with the children who attend Busy Bees. Staff are required to have an enhanced disclosure and all staff have had a new Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). In addition, staff have signed up for DBS update service, allowing ongoing checks to be made. Un-vetted adults are never left alone with the children. Caroline Upton must ensure that all safeguarding issues are raised in the setting are effectively responded to, recorded and referred to the appropriate agency. She is also responsible for arranging the whole setting’s safeguarding training for all staff and volunteers and ensures that the whole setting’s safeguarding training takes place at least every three years. As part of induction, a full set of policies, including those concerning safeguarding are issued to newly appointed staff and volunteers. Both the DSO and Deputy DSO access further safeguarding training which updates their awareness and understanding of the impact of the wide agenda of safeguarding issues.
All staff and volunteers are aware of procedures for handling allegations of abuse made against members of staff, including the DSO or volunteers and students and ensure the safe and appropriate use of cameras, mobile phones and technology. Our policies include a ‘Whistle Blowing Policy.’
Our safeguarding policy is reviewed annually in order to keep it updated in line with local and national guidance/legislation.
E Safety Policy
Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from deliberate harm. It also includes issues such as internet safety. While technology itself does not present the greatest risk, the behaviours of individuals using such equipment can pose a risk. The DSO is responsible for ensuring the acceptable, safe use and storage of all camera technology, images and mobile phones through the implementation, monitoring and reviewing of appropriate policies and procedures. Caroline Upton will ensure that staff are aware of how not to compromise their position of trust and confidentiality in or outside of the setting and are aware of the dangers associated with social networking sites.
It is essential that when work with children involves the taking or recording of images this should safeguard the privacy, dignity and well being of the child. Informed written consent is obtained from parents or carers and agreement is also sought from the child/children. Separate permission is sought before images are uploaded onto our website.
- Be clear about the purpose of the activity and justify the images of children you take
- Ensure the child understands why the images are being taken and that they are appropriately dressed.
- Only use Busy Bees equipment to take images
- Do not take images in ‘secret’ or images in situations which could be construed as being secretive
- Report any concerns about inappropriate or intrusive images found
- Ensure you have parental permission to take and display images
Mobile phones are not to be used to record or take images of children at Busy Bees. Staff, volunteers, students and visitors to the setting do not have their personal phones on them while working at,or visiting, Busy Bees. They are left in bags in the kitchen. Contact with parents and carers is made through the Busy Bees mobile phone on 07977708464, which is the emergency contact number for staff.
Communication between staff and parents/carers should take place within clear and explicit professional boundaries. Social network sites are not to be used for communication about children who attend the setting. Caroline Upton is the contact for emails and is responsible for monitoring and uploading copy and images on to the website.
Staff are aware of the seven ‘golden rules’ to sharing information and understand that the most important consideration “is whether sharing information is likely to safeguard and protect a child.” (Information Sharing, 2015). Busy Bees is registered as a ‘data controller’ with the Information Commissioner’s Office in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Data Protection means that it is the responsibility of staff to ensure that personal data and images are kept securely.
“Effective safeguarding systems are child centred. Failing in safeguarding systems are too often the result of losing sight of the needs and views of the children within them or placing the interest of the adult ahead of the needs of the children.” (Working Together to Safeguard Children, March 2015).
April 2015 Unique Child Be Safe