Child Protection Ensuring Best Practice What do I need to Know?

1. MLI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS Child Protection Ensuring Best Practice What do I need to Know?

2. Designated Liaison Person • DLP = Senior member of staff (normally Centre Manager) with specific responsibility for child protection • Role of DLP: • Act as resource / support to staff • Oversee Student Welfare • Keep records of any concerns/ disclosures • Seek advice / Report to Operations Director • Liaise with HSE / Garda

3. Reasonable Cause for Concern • Direct Disclosure Route of Referral Staff Member Centre Manager • HSE • Advice – child not identified • Refer on Group Leader Operations Director

4. A ‘child’ means a person under the age of 18 years, excluding a person who is or has been married. • the age of consent to sexual intercourse is 17 years for both boys and girls • Sexual intercourse under the age of 17 is illegal but may not be an indicator of abuse (see P16 of procedures) Definition & Recognition of Child Abuse

5. Child Abuse Signs and Symptoms Physical Neglect Sexual Emotional

6. NEGLECT can be defined in terms of an omission, where the child suffers significant harm or impairment of development by being deprived of food, clothing, warmth, hygiene, intellectual stimulation, supervision and safety, attachment to and affection from adults, and/or medical care. • becomes apparent in different ways over a period of time rather than at one specific point. • the threshold of significant harm is reached when the child's needs are neglected to the extent • that his or her well-being and/or development are severely affected. • the most frequent category of abuse • the most harmful - generally lasts throughout a childhood; has long-term consequences into • adult life. • children are more likely to die from chronic neglect than from one instance of physical abuse. • Severe neglect in infancy has a serious negative impact on brain development. • Neglect is associated with, but not necessarily caused by, poverty. It is strongly correlated with • parental substance misuse, domestic violence and parental mental illness and disability.

7. PHYSICAL ABUSE of a child is that which results in actual or potential physical harm from an interaction, or lack of interaction, which is reasonably within the control of a parent or person in a position of responsibility, power or trust. There may be single or repeated incidents. Physical abuse can involve: (i) severe physical punishment; (ii) beating, slapping, hitting or kicking; (iii) pushing, shaking or throwing; (iv) pinching, biting, choking or hair-pulling; (v) terrorising with threats; (vi) observing violence; (vii) use of excessive force in handling; (viii) deliberate poisoning; (ix) suffocation; (x) fabricated/induced illness (xi) allowing or creating a substantial risk of significant harm to a child.

8. EMOTIONAL ABUSE is normally to be found in the relationship between a parent/carer and a child rather than in a specific event or pattern of events. It occurs when a child’s developmental need for affection, approval, consistency and security are not met. Unless other forms of abuse are present, it is rarely manifested in terms of physical signs or symptoms. Emotional abuse can be manifested in terms of the child’s behavioural, cognitive, affective or physical functioning. Examples of these include insecure attachment, unhappiness, low self-esteem, educational and developmental underachievement, and oppositional behaviour. The threshold of significant harm is reached when abusive interactions dominate and become typical of the relationship between the child and the parent/carer. In the case of emotional abuse and neglect, it is more likely to impact negatively on a child where there is a cluster of indices, where these are persistent over time and where there is a lack of other protective factors.

9. SEXUAL ABUSE occurs when a child is used by another person for his or her gratification or sexual arousal, or for that of others.. Including i) Exposure or any sexual act intentionally performed in the presence of the child; (ii) intentional touching or molesting of the body of a child whether by a person or object for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification; (iii) masturbation in the presence of the child or the involvement of the child in an act of masturbation; (iv) sexual intercourse with the child, whether oral, vaginal or anal; (v) sexual exploitation of a child, (vi) consensual sexual activity involving an adult and an underage person. Child sexual abuse often covers a wide spectrum of abusive activities. It rarely involves just a single incident and usually occurs over a number of years. Child sexual abuse most commonly happens within the family. Cases of sexual abuse principally come to light through: (a) disclosure by the child or his or her siblings/friends; (b) the suspicions of an adult; (c) physical symptoms.

10. Definition of Bullying • Bullying is repeated aggression, verbal, psychological or physical conducted by an individual or group against others. • Isolated incidents of aggressive behaviour, which should not be condoned, can scarcely be described as bullying. However, when the behaviour is systematic and ongoing it is bullying. (DES Anti-Bullying Guidelines)

11. Bullying School management boards should have a policy in place to deal with bullying Teachers should be aware of this policy and of procedural guidelines to deal with it. where the incident is serious and the behaviour is regarded as potentially abusive, the school should consult the HSE Children and Family Services with a view to drawing up an appropriate response, such as a management plan. Serious instances of bullying behaviour should be referred to the HSE Children and Family Services. Bullying behaviour when perpetrated by adults, rather than children, could be regarded as physical or emotional abuse.

12. Peer Abuse In some cases …… the alleged perpetrator will be another child. Research ……..teenagers perpetrate a considerable proportion of child sexual abuse 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 – i.e. it should be considered a child care and protection issue for both children. Abusive behaviour that is perpetrated by children must be acted upon. It is essential to refer concerns about peer abuse immediately to the HSE Children and Family Services

13. Guidelines for Recognition • The ability to recognise child abuse can depend as much on a person’s willingness to accept the possibility of its existence as it does on their knowledge and information. • There are commonly three stages in the identification of child neglect or abuse: • considering the possibility; • (ii) looking out for signs of neglect or abuse; • (iii) recording of information.

14. Remember, child abuse….. … can occur in any type of family/ socio-economic group, gender or culture … occurs outside families but usually perpetrated by an adult well known to child … perpetrated by adults in trusted positions … neglect is the most frequently occurring and reported form of abuse and it is also considered most harmful(DES, App. 3, p41) Children with special needs are more vulnerable to abuse

15. Vulnerabilities of Children with Special Educational Needs • Poor communication skills • Greater Dependency • Limited sense of danger • Need for intimate care • Need for attention, friendship or affection • Poor self-confidence and limited assertiveness • Fear of not being believed • Limited understanding of sexuality or sexual behaviour

16. Why children don’t tell • Lack of knowledge about normal behaviour • Don’t know they have a right to refuse • Don’t know how to respond • No sense of being in control • Can be easily tricked, bribed or threatened • Language / Communication • Guilt / Fear • Try to tell

17. Meet a person they can trust • Accidental Telling • Begin to learn what is normal • Become aware of their suffering • Pain too great • To prevent it happening to siblings and/or others Why children do tell

18. DON’T • Panic • Stop a child recalling significant events • Promise to keep secrets • Ask leading questions • Make the child repeat the story unnecessarily • Delay • Start to investigate DO • Stay calm • Listen • Believe • Reassure • Record in writing • Discuss • Report Dealing with Disclosures

19. Sean A child in the class has come to school a number of times recently with bruises and cuts on his body. Anytime you ask him about the marks he just tells you that he fell over something or had an accident of some kind. He is very reluctant to engage with you about it. What would you do? What, if anything, would you expect others to do?

20. Joanne After school today Mary came to you and told you that her friend Joanne told her that the Activity Leader is her boyfriend and that he often takes her for drives after he finishes work. What would you do? What, if anything, would you expect others to do? National Induction Progrmmefor Teachers/Professional Development Service for Teachers

21. Barry You have noticed that a child in your class seems very upset, and is often alone at break time. When you ask if everything is ok he starts to cry and tells you that he hates it at this school. Everybody teases/slags him. What would you do? What, if anything, would you expect others to do?

22. Allegations against School Employee - Allegation made to CM - Written statement sought - ODnotified - Seek advice from HSE Role of CM Role of OD - Protocol for Authorising Immediate action - Inform employee - Seek advice - gardai, HSE and legal - Invoke Administrative leave if appropriate - Follow the agreed employment procedures

23. What Should be Reported? Specific information from the child that he/she was abused An account by a person who saw the child being abused Evidence, such as injury or behaviour, which is consistent with abuse and unlikely to be caused another way An injury or behaviour which is consistent both with abuse and with an innocent explanation but where there are corroborative indicators supporting the concern that it is a case of abuse Consistent evidence, over a period of time that a child is suffering from emotional or physical abuse

24. Record Keeping • Objective and Factual • Confidentiality – Need to Know • Security – Student Details • Seek advice from CM

25. What to record ? Concerns with regard to: Appearance, Hygiene, Care Physical Injury / implausible explanations – draw a sketch or mark on chart What the child has told you Attendance and Punctuality – role of bus escorts and drivers Behaviour – changes / mood / sexualised Language Drawings/ Writing/Play Concerns with regard to the behaviour of a staff member

26. Child Protection Records Child protection concerns should be supported by evidence that indicates the possibility of abuse or neglect (DES 2011, 3.4.2, 19) • Must have a written record of all the information available • Note what was observed and when it was observed • Signs of physical injury shall be described in detail and, if appropriate, sketched • Any comment by the child or any other person, about how an injury occurred shall be recorded • The record shall be signed, dated and given to the DLP who shall retain it. • All records are highly confidential and must be placed in a secure location by the DLP

27. Best Practice in Child Protection • Recruitment and selection of staff • General Conduct • Focus on Student Welfare at all times • Changing for Games / PE and Swimming • Supervision of Pupils • Boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in adults • Concerns with regard to the behaviour of a staff member • Dress Code National Induction Programme for Teachers/PrfessionalDevelopmntService for Teachers

28. Enabling Children to Be Safe and to Stay Safe National Induction Programme for Teachers/Professional DevelomentService for Teachers