Purpose

Padworth College recognises it has a duty to ensure arrangements are in place for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our students.
Our policy applies to all staff working in the College.

There are five main elements to our policy:

• Ensuring we practise safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with the students.
• Raising awareness of child protection issues and equipping students with the skills needed to keep them safe.
• Developing and then implementing procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases of abuse through regular training for all staff.
• Supporting students who have been abused in accordance with his/her agreed child protection plan.
• Establishing a safe environment in which students can learn and develop.

We recognise that because of the day-to-day contact with students, college staff are well placed to observe the outward signs of abuse. We recognise that high self-esteem, confidence and good lines of communication help prevention.

The College will therefore:

• Establish and maintain an environment where students feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to.
• Ensure students know that there are adults in the College whom they can approach if they are worried.
• Ensure an anti-bullying policy is in place – (see West Berks Anti- bullying Policy 2006)
• Include opportunities in the PSHE curriculum for students to develop the skills they need to recognise and stay safe from abuse.
• Physical intervention policy is understood by all staff
• Whistle-blowing procedures are understood by students and staff

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Roles and Responsibilities

We will follow the procedures set out by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and take account of guidance issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to:

• Ensure we have a designated person for child protection who has received appropriate training and support for this role.
• Ensure we have a nominated Trustee responsible for child protection.
• Ensure all members of staff, at all levels, and the nominated Trustee have access to training and briefing sessions, know who the designated person responsible for child protection is and their role.
• Ensure all staff and volunteers understand their responsibilities in being alert to the signs of abuse and responsibility for referring any concerns to the designated person responsible for child protection.
• Ensure that all staff are fully aware of the potential serious consequences of bullying
• Protect students from potential harm deriving from use of the internet, mobile phones and other electronic and digital technologies and systems (see AUP)
• Ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibility placed on the College and staff for child protection by setting out its obligations in the College prospectus.
• Notify Social Care if there is an unexplained absence of more than two days of a student who is on the child protection register.
• Develop effective links with relevant agencies and co-operate as required with their enquiries regarding child protection matters.
• Ensure that staff can be released to attend Child Protection case conferences.
• Keep written records of concerns about students, even where there is no need to refer the matter immediately and ensure all records are kept securely, separate from the main student file, and in a locked location.
• Ensure that record keeping procedures on staff are in place.
• Develop and then follow procedures where an allegation is made against a member of staff or volunteer.
• Ensure safe recruitment and selection practices are followed. Identity checks should be carried out, including Advanced CRB and List 99. References should be verified.

We recognise that students who are abused or witness violence may find it difficult to develop a sense of self worth. The College may be the only stable, secure and predictable element in the lives of children/young people at risk. The College will endeavour to support the student through:

• The content of the curriculum
• he College ethos which promotes a positive, supportive and secure environment and gives students a sense of being valued.
• The College behaviour management policy which is aimed at supporting vulnerable students in the College. The College will ensure that the student knows that some behaviour is unacceptable but they are valued and not to be blamed for any abuse which has occurred.

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• Liaison and working closely with other agencies that support the student such as social care, Child and Adult Mental Health Service, education welfare service and educational psychology service.
• Ensuring that, where a student on the child protection register leaves, their information is transferred to the new school immediately and that the student’s social worker is informed.

Supporting Staff

We recognise that staff working in the College who have become involved with a student who has suffered harm, or appears to be likely to suffer harm, may find the situation stressful and upsetting. We will support such staff by providing an opportunity to talk through their anxieties with the CPO and/or the Principal and to seek further support as appropriate.

Safer Recruitment and Selection of Staff

The College operates safe recruitment procedures in line with Independent School Standards Regulations. It has a written recruitment and selection policy and procedures linking explicitly to this policy. The statement is included in all job details, publicity material, recruitment and candidate information packs. The recruitment process is robust in seeking to establish the commitment of candidates to support the College’s measures to safeguard young people and to deter, reject or identify people who might abuse them or are otherwise unsuited to work with them.

Safer recruitment training has been undertaken by the Principal [NCSL], Jeremy Robertson, Trustee (NCSL) and the Director of ISC/Child Protection Officer, Belinda Sumner (via West Berkshire LA).

Allegations Against Staff

We understand that a student may make an allegation against a member of staff. If such an allegation is made, the member of staff receiving the allegation will immediately inform the Principal. The Principal on all such occasions will discuss the content of the allegation with the West Berkshire’s Adviser for Safeguarding Children in Education. Any referral will be made within 24 hours, in writing or with written confirmation of a telephone referral. If the allegation made to a member of staff concerns the Principal, the CPO will immediately inform the Chair of Trustees who will consult with the West Berkshire’s Senior Adviser for Safeguarding Children in Education. The school will follow the LA procedures for managing allegations against staff.

All staff should be aware of their duty to raise concerns, where they exist, about the attitude or actions of colleagues. We recognise that students cannot be expected to raise concerns in WhistleBlowing an environment where staff fail to do so. A copy of the Whistleblowing Policy is available in the Staff Handbook.

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Procedures for dealing with child protection issues can be found online at

http://proceduresonline.com/berks

Monitoring and Evaluation
This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis.

Legislation relating to this policy:

Children Act 1989/2004
Education Act 1996/2002 (S175)
School Standards & Framework Act 1998
Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education Guidance Nov 2006
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010)
Independent Schools Regulations (2010)
Department for Education: Safe to Learn (2010)
Padworth College Child Protection Officer: Belinda Sumner
Co Child Protection Officer: Linde Melhuish
Trustee with Responsibility for Child Protection: Mike Hames
January 2011