Wales High School An Introduction to Safeguarding & Child Protection

1. Wales High SchoolAn Introduction to Safeguarding & Child Protection Revised September 2016

2. This is a sensitive and emotive subject which raises many issues. It is important for us to acknowledge that some people will find the information disturbing, and for some colleagues it may bring back difficult memories of their own childhood.

3. Aims • To introduce the subjects of child protection and safeguarding and the different ways children can be harmed. • To provide information on how to recognise some indicators of child abuse and neglect. • To explain what to do if you have concerns about a child. • Appreciate your own role and responsibilities and those of others in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

4. Background & Legislation 1989 - The Children Act. 1999 - Protection of Children Act 2000 - Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their families 2002 - The Education Act (S 157 and 175) 2003 - Every Child Matters 2003 - Sexual Offences Act 2004 - The Children Act. 2005 - Local Safeguarding Children Boards established 2006 - Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2007 - Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education 2009 - The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009 2011 - Munro Review of Child Protection 2012 - Protection of Freedoms Act 2015 - Working Together to Safeguard Children - Keeping Children Safe in Education (2016 update) - What to do if you're worried a child is being abused • Information Sharing: Advice for practitioners

5. Child Protection • Child protection is part of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Safeguarding is what we do for all students as child protection is where a child is suffering significant harm, or is likely to do so, action should be taken to protect that child. • Action should also be taken to promote the welfare of a child in need of additional support, even if they are not suffering harm or are at immediate risk. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015 Keeping children safe in education September 2016

6. Keeping children safe in education 2016 Keeping children safe in education is statutory guidance for schools and colleges who must have regard to it when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All staff are expected read at least Part one of the guidance.

7. Recognising concerns • Children are unique and varied individuals. Their response to trauma will be as individual as they are. • Child abuse can happen to any child in any family in any organisation or setting • Children are more likely to be abused by people they know

8. What you might notice • Bruises, bites, cuts and scratches. • The child is in pain or discomfort. • Changes in eating habits – always hungry/refusing to eat/ stealing food. • Irrational fears of certain people or situations. • Sexualised behaviour inconsistent with age. • Play, artwork or writing which arouses concern. • Self-harm or risky behaviour. • Bullying or being bullied. • Unexplained changes in behaviour – becoming aggressive, devious, secretive, withdrawn, lethargic. • Anxious behaviour – stammering, rocking, twisting the hair, etc. • The behaviour of an adult that raises concern.

9. What is abuse? A form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015 Keeping children safe in education September 2016

10. There are 4 Categories of abuse • Physical • Emotional • Sexual • Neglect Keeping children safe in education September 2016

11. Physical A form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.

12. Emotional The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, although it may occur alone. Keeping children safe in education September 2016

13. Sexual This involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children. Keeping children safe in education September 2016

14. Neglect The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs. Keeping children safe in education September 2016

15. Teenage Relationship Abuse 40% of teenage girls aged 14-17 reported knowing someone their age who had been hit or beaten by their partner (NSPCC & Bristol University, 2009) This in not just boys abusing girls we have had cases in school where girls have abused boys.

16. Child Sexual Exploitation Sexual exploitation is a form of sexual abuse, in which a young person is manipulated or forced into taking part in a sexual act. This could be as part of a seemingly consensual relationship, or in return for attention, affection, money, drugs, alcohol or somewhere to stay. There is a separate training session for CSE.

17. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) • From 31 October 2015, mandatory reporting was introduced in relation to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This places a duty on all professionals to report to the police, where in the course of their professional duties, a professional discovers that FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl aged under 18 (at the time of the discovery). • The FGM mandatory reporting duty requires regulated health and social care professionals and teachers in England and Wales to make a report to the police where, in the course of their professional duties, they either: • Are informed by a girl under 18 that an act of FGM has been carried out on her; or • Observe physical signs which appear to show that an act of FGM has been carried out on a girl under 18 and they have no reason to believe that the act was necessary for the girl’s physical or mental health or for purposes connected with labour or birth. • For the purposes of the duty, the relevant age is the girl’s age at the time of the disclosure/identification of FGM (it does not apply where a woman aged 18 or over discloses she had FGM when she was under 18). • Mandatory reporting means that as a professional you MUST report your knowledge or suspicion of FGM to the police through their 101 Service. This must be followed up by a call to MASH Team and the completion of a MARF. If you DO NOT fulfil your legal duty, you are liable to prosecution.

18. Peer-on Peer Abuse • In some cases of child abuse the alleged perpetrator will also be a child. • In a situation where child abuse is alleged to have been carried out by another child, the child protection procedures should be adhered to for both the victim and the alleged abuser; that is, it should be considered a child care and protection issue for both children. • All abusers must be held accountable for their behaviour and work must be done to ensure that abusers take responsibility for their behaviour and acknowledge that the behaviour is unacceptable.

19. ‘Honour-based violence’ Honour based violence is intended to ‘protect or defend family honour’ by preventing and punishing a person’s violations of family or community ‘norms’. According to the Metropolitan Police Service an honour-based crime might be committed against someone who:  • becomes involved with a boyfriend or girlfriend from a different culture or religion; • wants to get out of an arranged marriage; • wants to get out of a forced marriage; • wears clothes or takes part in activities that might not be considered traditional within a particular culture.

20. Honour-based crimes may or may not involve violence. According to the Metropolitan Police Service, an honour-based crime is not necessarily violent, and can include: • personal attacks of any kind, including physical and sexual violence; • forced marriage; • forced repatriation (sending someone back to a country from which they originate without their consent); • written or verbal threats or insults; • threatening or abusive phone calls, emails and instant messages.

21. Understanding the additional safeguarding vulnerabilities of learners with SEN and disabilities Disabled children are at greater risk of abuse than non-disabled children. There is a need for policies and practices within schools and other establishments that safeguard, respect and empower disabled children.’ NSPCC We need to take the time to listen to them more carefully and make sure we are meeting their needs and hearing their concerns.

22. Who might abuse children? Ronnie Lees was sexually abused between the ages of 7 and 9… by a female family friend. James Bulger 3yrs old John Venables & Robert Thompson 10 yrs old

23. Often by someone they know and trusted! Abducted and murdered by Ian Huntley…school caretaker. Holly Wells & Jessica Chapman

24. Managing concerns and dealing with disclosure

25. I Think I Should Act Now… • What will stop me? • What if I’m wrong • I don’t know the child very well • I have reported before and had a bad experience • I’m not sure who I need to tell • Someone else will pass it on • I will do it tomorrow • I feel I know the parents well and don’t feel they would do that • Someone else must already know about this

26. Duty to Refer • All professionals have a duty to refer cases where abuse is known to have occurred or is suspected. • No professional has the right or responsibility to withhold information or to respect a child’s/young person’s wish for confidentiality.

27. What Does the Child Protection Officer Need to Know? If possible take the young person to the Child Protection Officer, or send for them to come to you. If this is not possible :- • Who is the child – full name • Where were you in school when they disclosed to you • Was anyone else with you • What did they say – their words and descriptions • What did you do or say • Did they show you an injury, if so what does it look like • Anything else you know about the child

28. Key Themes for Schools Poor Practice Includes: • Failing to act on and refer the early signs of abuse and neglect • Poor record keeping • Sharing information too slowly • Failing to re-assess concerns when situations do not improve • A lack of challenge to those who appear not to be taking action Learning Points: • It is essential that professionals do not presume that the incident was an isolated event • Good record keeping is essential and central to professional child care practice

29. DESIGNATED PERSON FOR SAFEGUARDING Lisa McCall DEPUTY – Jamie Taylor DESIGNATED PERSON FOR CHILD PROTECTION KS 3/4 Jo Palmer DEPUTY – Debbie Siddall KS 5 Hayley Ludlum

30. Designated Member of Staff for Safeguarding It is the role of the Designated Member of Staff for Safeguarding to ensure that all of the child protection procedures are followed within the school, and to make appropriate, timely referrals to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub in accordance with school procedures. If for any reason the Designated Member of Staff for Safeguarding is unavailable, a Deputy Designated Member of Staff for Safeguarding has been identified who will act in their absence. Additionally, it is the role of the Designated Member of Staff for Safeguarding to ensure all staff employed including temporary staff and volunteers within the school are aware of the school’s internal procedures, to advise staff and to offer support to those requiring this.

31. FOR ADVICE & REFERRALS CHILDREN’S SOCIAL CARE MULTI AGENCY SAFEGUARDING HUB (MASH) Tel: 01709 336080 Please let JP know asap if you have rang MASH (MARF form needs to follow within 24 hours)

32. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Don’t go home with an uncomfortable feeling about a child’s well being… pass it on! Before you go home you must talk to someone JP/DSI – Any HOY - Any Member of SLT If you have e-mail JP don’t go home unless you have had an acknowledgement back!!

33. Following on from a referral to MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) Social care will look at the indicators on the next slide and decide how to proceed. (A copy of these indicators are on all HOY office walls)

34. Continuum of need indicators

35. Social care will them decide if the child/family can be helped with Early Help services as there are no immediate safeguarding issues. • Early Help – Youth Workers, EWO, Family Support Workers etc. (22) If there are safeguaring concerns then the child may be made a Child in Need. • Child In Need (CIN) Meetings held every 4-6 weeks a with social care, parents, the child if appropriate and other professionals involved with the family. If the plan is adhered too and the child in not deemed at risk anymore this may be stepped down to Early Help. If the plan is not moving the family/child in the right direction then the child could be placed on a Child Protection Plan. (12) • Child Protection Plan. An initial Child Protection Conference takes place where the child is put on a Child Protection Plan. Much more formal, Core Group meetings every 4 weeks , a child can only be taken off a Child Protection Plan at a Child Protection Conference that takes place every 6 months. (2) If this is still deemed to be working and the child is at risk of significant harm them legal proceeding may take place to put the child into local authority care. • Looked after Child (LAC) (6) The number in brackets are the number of students currently at Wales in each category

36. Don’t go home with an uncomfortable feeling about a child’s well being… pass it on! Don’t think “What if I’m wrong?” think “What if I’m right?”

37. Thank you