Safeguarding Children/ Child Protection Policy

Rainbows Nursery believes that children have the right to be completely secure from both the fear and reality of abuse, and we are committed to protecting all the children in our care from harm.

Rainbows Nursery has anappointed designated safeguarding lead (DSL) within the setting. This member of staffhas suitableDSL training which is updated every two years and attend all other relevant training/workshops.They will have experience in safeguarding children/child protection and are responsible for liaising with Social Services, the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board and Ofsted in any child protection matter. The nursery’s current designated safeguarding lead is Vicky Lambton and the deputy DSL is Teri Morris.

It is the responsibility of the designated safeguarding lead to ensuring regular reviewing of the accident/incident records and any concerns to monitor and identify possible safeguarding issues. The Safeguarding lead will regularly check with SSCB for any changes and updates to Safeguarding children, any changes will be shared to staff. This policy will be checked and updated annually, however this will be updated immediately if any changes are made by SSCB.

The nursery safeguarding children/ child protection procedures comply with all relevant legislation and other guidance or advice from the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board. If a concern is raised the correct channels will be followed as laid out by the Surrey Safeguarding Children board and the nursery will share concerns with parents and guardians, However, if sharing these concerns puts the child at risk of significant or further harm we will seek advice from the Children’s services via multi agency safeguarding hub (MASH). All relevant phone numbers will be displayed on the staff notice board.

This policy and procedure along with others are available for viewing by parents on our Babydays system along with on our website and within the nursery itself on the notice board and policies folder.

Rainbows Day Nursery follows the government statutory guidance working together to safeguard children 2015. Working together to safeguard children (2015:5) defines safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children as:

  • Protecting children from maltreatment
  • Preventing impairment of children’s health and development
  • Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
  • Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcome

This policy and its procedures are shared with parents/guardians during their child's settling in period.

Rainbows day nursery promotes multi agency working to share information.

Recognising Child Abuse

Child abuse manifests itself in a variety of different ways, some overt and others much less so. All staff are vigilant to signs and evidence of physical, sexual and emotional abuse or neglect.

Physical Abuse: This involves hitting, shaking, throwing, burning, suffocating or any other physical harm. Deliberately causing a child's ill health also constitutes physical abuse.

Sexual Abuse: This involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. Showing children pornographic materials, sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways also constitutes sexual abuse.

Emotional abuse: Varying degrees of emotional abuse is present in virtually all child protection incidents, but can also constitute abuse in its own right.

Emotional abuse involves persistent or severe emotional ill-treatment or torture causing, or likely to cause, severe adverse effects on the emotional stability of a child. Such behaviour may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless, unloved, or inadequate, or making them feel unnecessarily frightened or vulnerable.

Neglect: Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical, emotional or psychological needs, such as is likely to have a severe impact on their health, development or emotional stability. Neglect may involve failing to provide adequate food, shelter or clothing for a child, or failing to adequately protect them from physical harm or ill health. Neglect can also manifest itself in a failure to meet the basic emotional needs of child.

Statutory information will be required about each child before their admission to nursery, if there is a change in any of this information it is the parent’s responsibility to advise us of these changes.

Staff Support and Training

The nursery is committed to ensuring that it meets its responsibilities in respect of safeguarding through the provision of support and training to staff. Therefore, the nursery will ensure that:

All staff need to be aware of

  • Signs of possible abuse and neglect
  • How to share information and concerns
  • How to respond appropriately
  • Recognise unsuitable behaviour displayed by other staff members, students or volunteers
  • Clear safeguarding procedures
  • How to respond to pre- existing injuries and use a SSCB Body map
  • Bruising in children who are not independently mobile
  • Latest safeguarding priorities – Female mutilation (FGM), Honour based violence (HBV), Forced marriage (FM), Prevent.
  • The management staff and owner at Rainbows have completed training on safer recruitment
  • All staff, students and volunteers are carefully recruited, have verified references and have full and up to date Disclosure barring service checks. At regular supervisions with the manager staff will be asked to update the setting of any changes to personal circumstances that may affect them being able to work with children. Our supervisions also foster a culture of mutual support, teamwork and continuous improvement which includes the confidential discussion of sensitive issues.
  • All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the safeguarding children/child protection policy and have its implications explained to them.All staff will sign to agree that this information has been given to them at induction. All staff in the setting have read, signed and understood this policy, they are also made aware at induction stage where SSCB procedures Manual can be accessed, we do not print this out as it is regularly updated.
  • All staff and volunteers receive regular training firstlyin ‘working together to safeguard children’ and then every three years in ‘Safeguarding Children’. All staff receivesupervision in safeguarding children/child protection issues. They are provided with any relevant information and guidance along with any updates.
  • All staff are provided with supervision and management support with their responsibilities in relation to child protection and their requirement to maintain caring and safe relationships with children.The designated safeguarding lead along with Manager should be available to discuss safeguarding issues at any time – particularly concerning children’s development or well- being. To provide supervision for staff to identify solutions to address issues as they arise and receive training and support to improve staff member’s personal effectiveness.
  • All staff are aware of the main indicators of child abuse.
  • All staff are aware that they should report any concern regarding safeguarding to management immediately, these are also displayed on the staff notice board.
  • No member of staff will be left alonefor periods of time with a child/children and will work in an open and transparent way.
  • All staff are aware of their statutory requirements in respect of the disclosure or discovery of child abuse and the procedure for doing so. All staff, students and volunteers are instructed to report the disclosure or discovery of abuse to the manager or Safeguarding lead.
  • The nursery will take appropriate action in relation to the findings of any investigation into allegations of abuse, consistent with its duties to protect the safety of children and uphold fair processes for staff, students and volunteers.
  • Any member of staff, a student or volunteer under investigation for the alleged abuse of a child, will be subject to the provisions of the Staff Disciplinary Policy.

Whistleblowing

Rainbows Nursery staff understand that whistleblowing is an important aspect of safeguarding where staff, volunteers and students are encouraged to share genuine concerns about a colleague’s behaviour. The behaviour may not be child abuse but they may not be following the code of conduct or could be pushing the boundaries beyond normal limits. The term generally applies when a member of staff, volunteer, student is acting as a witness to misconduct that they have seen and that threatens children or other people.

The procedure is to speak to the manager or Designated safeguarding lead about the incident and details recorded on the nursery Incident form including all witnesses. The manager or safeguarding lead will then speak to the owner to inform them of any allegations. A meeting will be called with the member of staff and the Staff Disciplinary Procedures will then come into force. The LADO team will be contacted if the allegation is a valid one or advice is sought to the nature of the allegation.

Safe Caring

All staff must understandthe nursery’s safeguarding children/child protection procedures and have had appropriate training and guidance in the principles of safe caring. To this end:

  • If a child makes inappropriate physical contact with a member of staff, students or volunteer, this will be recorded fully in the Incident Record Book.
  • We encourage and talk to children within the setting to think about activities that may be a risk of causing an accident, what they can do to avoid such situations and to self-assess certain situations themselves.
  • Staff will never carry out a personal task for children that they can do for themselves. Where this is essential, staff will help a child only when they have informed another member of staff. Unless a child has a particular need, or are potty training staff should not accompany children into the toilet. When changing a child's nappy, you must inform another member of staff and keep the door open. Staff are aware that this and other similar activities could be misconstrued. Staff should record any assistance given to children on the Intimate care chart located in the children’s toilets.
  • Staff will be mindful of how and where they touch children, given their age and emotional understanding. Unnecessary or potentially inappropriate physical contact will be avoided at all times.
  • All allegations made by a child against a member of staff will be fully recorded, including any actions taken, on an Incident Record sheet. In the event of there being a witness to an incident, they should sign the records to confirm this. The allegation will be passed onto the LADO. Please refer to disciplinary procedure.

Dealing with Allegations

The nursery is committed to ensuring that it meets its responsibilities in respect of child protection by treating any allegation seriously and sensitively. On discovering an allegation of abuse, the designated safeguarding lead will immediately refer the case to the local statutory child protection agencies. Further to this, the following principles will govern any suspected or reported case of abuse:

  • Where actual or suspected abuse comes to the attention of staff, they will report this to the manager or Designated safeguarding lead, who will be responsible for dealing with the situation.
  • Staff are encouraged and supported to trust their professional judgment and if they suspect abuse has, or is taking place, to report this.
  • Full written records of all reported incidents will be produced and maintained. Information recorded will include full details of the alleged incident; details of all the parties involved; any evidence or explanations offered by interested parties; relevant dates, times and locations and any supporting information or evidence from members of staff. The nursery will demonstrate great care in distinguishing between fact and opinion when recording suspected incidents of child abuse.
  • The manager/safeguarding lead will be responsible for ensuring that written records are dated, signed, stored securely and kept confidential.
  • If an allegation of abuse is made against the manager/designated safeguarding lead, the owner will be contacted straight away. They will then assume responsibility for the situation.
  • Staff will ensure that all concerns and allegations are treated with sensitivity and confidentiality.
  • Any children involved in alleged incidents will be comforted and reassured. In circumstances where a child makes an allegation or a disclosure, the member of staff concerned will:
  • Listen fully to all the child has to say
  • Be aware and recognise the needs of children from minority ethnic groups, disabled children and children with learning difficulties with barriers in communication.
  • Make no observable judgement.
  • Ask open questions that encourage the child to speak in their own words.
  • Ensure the child is safe, comfortable and not left alone.
  • Make no promises that cannot be kept; such as promising not to tell anybody what they are being told.

It is important that no attempt by staff to ask a child a leading question or any attempt to investigate the allegation themselves may jeopardise a police investigation

If the manager/ designated safeguarding lead has reasonable grounds for believing that a child has been - or is in grave danger of being - subject to abuse, the following procedure will be activated:

  • If a child is in Immediate risk -police will be called 999
  • Contact will be made, at the earliest possible opportunity but within 24 hours, with children’s services via multi agency safeguarding hub.
  • The manager/designated safeguarding lead will be responsible for communicating as much information about the allegation and related incidents as is consistent with advice given by children’s services via multi agency safeguarding hub (MASH) and the Police.
  • At all times, the safety, protection and interests of children concerned will take precedence. The manager and staff will work with and support parents/carers as far as they are legally able.
  • Rainbows Nursery will assist the Social Services and the Police, as far as it is able, during any investigation of abuse or neglect. This will include disclosing written and verbal information and evidence.
  • OFSTED will be informed of any allegations of abuse against a member of staff, student or volunteer, or any abuse that is alleged to have taken place on the premises or during a visit or outing. This will be done within 24 hours and followed up in writing with 14 days.
  • If a child is attending another setting, starting a new setting or school. Advice needs to be sought from the MASH and parental permission sought if applicable before any sharing of information is given out.
  • Disclosure barring service (DBS) will be contacted if a member of staff poses a threat to a child. They will be advised of this when a staff member has been dismissed or if a staff member resigns during an investigation or before they are dismissed.

Confidentiality is very important to us at Rainbows Nursey and all times we strictly follow our confidentiality policy, however if we feel a child is at risk we will share this information with outside agencies without parental consent.

Factors of concern:

  • Parents and/or child misusing alcohol or drugs
  • Domestic abuse within the household
  • Parents with learning difficulties and or mental health problems
  • Babies
  • Children with disabilities
  • Teenage pregnancy- and parenthood
  • Highly mobile families
  • Self-harming behaviours and suicidal ideation
  • Breast ironing
  • Spirit possession or witchcraft

Prevent

The 2011 Prevent strategy has threespecific strategic objectives:

• respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it;

• prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support;

• work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation that we need to address.

Please see British values policy for more information as to how we implement this in our setting.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is illegal in England and Wales under the FGM Act 2003. It is a form of child abuse and violence against girls and women. FGM comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.

From October 31st 2016 onwards a duty which requires regulated health and social care professionals and teachersin England and Wales to report known cases of FGM in under 18s which they identify in the course of the professional work to the police.

What we would do if we suspected FGM:

An immediate report to your local police would be made if we are informed by a girl under the age of 18 that act of FGM has been carried out on her or, that we observe physical signs which appear to show than an act of FGM has been undertaken on a girl under the age of 18 which was not for medical purposes.We would also inform children’s services via MASH on0300 470 9100if we had anysuspected cases of FGM.

Failure to comply in passing this information on will be dealt with in accordance with the existing performance procedures in place for each individual profession. FGM is classified as child abuse, and relevant professionals are expected to pay due regard to the seriousness of breaches of the duty.

All staff will complete E-learning training to enable them to fully understand FGM.

Child sexual exploitation/ Honor based violence / Child Trafficking / Online grooming / Forced marriage

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a type of sexual abuse in which children are sexually exploited for money, power or status.Children or young people may be tricked into believing they're in a loving, consensual relationship. They might be invited to parties and given drugs and alcohol. They may also be groomed online.Some children and young people are trafficked into or within the UK for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Sexual exploitation can also happen to young people in gangs