Child Protection | Dìon Chloinne
This is an abbreviated policy for our school’s context. Detailed arrangements, systems and procedures for ensuring full implementation of our policy can be found on Highland's Children - Child Protection Publications (forhighlandschildren.org).
Aims
- Every child and young person has the right to feel safe and protected from any situation or practice which results in the said child or young person becoming physically or emotionally damaged.
- At Ardnamurchan, we are committed to creating an environment in which children and young people are safe from abuse and in which any suspicion of abuse is responded to promptly and appropriately. The wellbeing of children and young people in our care takes priority at all times.
It is the clear responsibility of all those involved in our school to adopt good practice throughout their work.
In order to achieve this we will:
- Seek to work in partnership with parents, carers, other agencies and Highland Council to promote good practice around child protection and follow all national GIRFEC policy and guidelines.
- Update any changes in child protection policy and practice under the guidance from the designated person in the school.
- Ensure that all staff have access to appropriate child protection training every two years and effective supervision and support in order to implement this policy effectively.
Roles and responsibilities
Child abuse is a criminal offence. All staff working in our school have an ethical duty to report any reasonable concern that a child may be being abused.The role of members of staff is to inform the designated person of any instance, which suggests that abuse is taking place. It is not the role of the member of staff to wait for proof, investigate or gather evidence of abuse.
When a child or young person tells an adult about possible abuse, his or her statements should not be dismissed or ignored. The adult should attend carefully to what the child wants to communicate, taking account of the child’s age and stage of development, and allow the child to say what he or she wants to say without being drawn into detailed questioning.
Our school will always seek to work with families in a clear, positive and open way, bearing in mind always that the welfare of the children is paramount.
Any concerns about the well-being of a child need to be shared.
No matter how good we are at evaluating and assessing matters to do with children in our classes, when it comes to the child’s welfare we cannot evaluate and assess potential danger, risk, damage, as we only know a tiny part of the whole picture. We must share our concerns with the designated person.
Child protection procedure checklist
- A child or young person has been injured (for example, bruising, scratching etc)
- A child or young person has been seen in the company of people who may be putting the child or young person at risk
- A specific allegation of maltreatment or neglect has been made either by the child or young person or a third party
- Signs of maltreatment or neglect have been witnessed over a period of time
- A child or young person is behaving in a way that is dangerous to themselves or others
The member of staff must: RECORD and REPORT
R Respond without showing any signs of disquiet, anxiety or shock
E Enquire casually about how an injury was sustained or why a child appears upset
C Confidentiality must not be promised to children or adults in this situation
0 Observe carefully the demeanour or behaviour of the child
R Record in detail what has been seen and heard
D Do not interrogate or enter into detailed investigations: rather encourage the child to say what he/she wants until enough information is gained to decide whether or not a referral is appropriate
Then REPORT to the designated person without delay.
Members of staff must not
- Investigate suspected/alleged abuse themselves
- Evaluate the grounds for concern
- Seek or wait for proof
- Discuss the matter with anyone other than head teacher/senior staff
Further information can be found in ‘Working Together to Protect Children in the Highlands’ Highland Child Protection Committee’s inter-agency guidelines as follows:
|
Definitions of abuse Recording and record keeping Education procedures Useful contacts Education Referral |
page 4—6, 51 — 53 page 10 page 55 page 24 - 26 page 56 |
Designated staff
The designated person in our secondary school is Mr S Patterson, Depute Head Teacher.
In his absence, you should contact Mr G Scott, Head Teacher.
The designated person in our primary school is Mr G Scott, Head Teacher.
In his absence, you should contact Mrs H MacGillivary, Principal Teacher (primary)
Further information
Policies & Guidance - Highland Child Protection Committee (hcpc.scot)Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
