Stanford Junior School
Child Protection Policy
1.
Introduction
At Stanford Junior School pupils, staff, helpers, families and other visitors will be made
welcome and comfortable, and all involved with the school will endeavour to treat each
other with respect. Learning and personal development will take place in a climate of
trust and confidence and where everyone's unique contribution to the school is valued.
All children and young people are entitled to be protected from abuse and neglect and
their welfare is of paramount importance. All staff and volunteers working in the school
have a duty to ensure that children are safe and protected, and so will ensure that if
there are any concerns relating to the welfare or safety of a child the Pan Sussex Child
Protection and Safeguarding procedures will be followed.
A copy of the Pan Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures is kept in the
school office and available to all members of staff.
Stanford Junior School will work with Brighton & Hove City Council’s safeguarding team
as appropriate.
The school will aim to work in partnership with parents, but where there is any conflict
with the needs of the child, the child’s welfare will come first.
Stanford Junior School will follow safe recruitment and selection procedures to ensure
that all staff and volunteers have been appropriately screened prior to appointment.
The school is also committed to providing appropriate child protection training through
the staff induction programme and within continuing professional development.
This policy will apply in all situations, including where children are away from school on
a school trip.
2.
Context
The Children Act 1989 and the Education Act 2002 require all local authorities and
schools to:
 safeguard and promote the welfare of any child who is ‘in need’
 take action to safeguard and promote the welfare of any child who is suffering or
likely to suffer ‘significant harm’
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Definitions of these terms are in Appendix One of this policy.
Safeguarding children includes a duty to protect children from maltreatment and duty
to prevent impairment.
Promoting children’s welfare means creating opportunities to enable children to have
optimum life chances.
Through day-to-day contact with children and direct work with parents, staff have a
crucial role to play in noticing indicators of possible abuse or neglect and referring
those concerns to the appropriate investigative agencies (social services and police).
3.
Categories of abuse
Abuse can be categorised as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse or neglect.
The most common form of child abuse is neglect.

Physical abuse includes non-accidental injuries such as bruising, wounding,
burns and fractures.

Sexual abuse is the involvement of children or young people in sexual activity,
including the abuse of a position of trust by an adult with professional
responsibility for a child.

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment such as the extreme
denial of love, affection or approval.

Neglect is the chronic inattention to basic needs.
Indicators of abuse in these categories are in Appendix One of this policy.
Staff at Stanford Junior School will be trained to recognise and respond to the
categories and indicators of potential abuse.
4.
Designated person
At Stanford Junior School the designated person with responsibility for child protection
is the school’s inclusion coordinator, currently Sinead Kiernan.
The designated person of staff for child protection will have regular child protection
training and will make sure that all staff and volunteers know how to recognise and
report any concerns or indications that a child is or has been abused or neglected.
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The designated person will provide information to the school’s governing body
regarding the number, nature and outcomes of referrals made.
The designated person will make any necessary contact with the appropriate
safeguarding team or the police and will make sure that the school follows the Pan
Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures, and contributes fully to the child
protection process.
The designated person will also be responsible for ensuring the central record of child
protection training is kept up to date.
In the absence of the designated person the head teacher, currently Gina Hutchins
(interim), will act as designated person (hereinafter referred to as deputy designated
person).
5.
Action to be taken regarding child protection concerns
All child protection concerns should be logged in a file which will be kept in a locked
cabinet, located in the Headteacher’s office. All referrals must be made to the
designated person, who will provide support and guidance and if appropriate will make
a referral to the safeguarding team and if necessary the police.
Sometimes concerns that a child is suffering or is likely to be suffering some form of
abuse will build up slowly over time, and some will be as a response to a child
presenting an injury or mark or talking about a worrying issue. It is therefore important
to record any concern regarding a child, even if no further action is taken in the first
instance.
6.
Disclosures
If a child discloses abuse in school, the person hearing the disclosure should:
 listen and allow the child to recall freely;
 reassure the child that they are believed;
 make notes as soon as possible recording as accurately as possible the words
used by the child;
 be clear with the child that the information will have to be passed on and that
there are people who will be able to help
 re-assure the child that they are doing the right thing by disclosing this
information.
 refer to the designated person who will contact the safeguarding team and the
police if necessary.
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The adult should not ask the child questions as this is the role of social workers and
police officers. Others posing questions to the child could contaminate potential
evidence of a crime.
7.
Information sharing
Stanford Junior School will share information with parents and partner agencies in order
to:
 support early intervention to help children and parents who need additional
services to achieve positive outcomes, and
 ensure the duty to safeguard children and promote their welfare is fulfilled.
The Data Protection Act (1998) is not a barrier to sharing information, but is in place to
ensure that personal information is shared appropriately.
In order to share information professionally and lawfully, information will be shared in
accordance with the following guiding principles1
7.1
Parents will be told openly and honestly at the outset what information will or
could be shared, and why, and will seek their agreement, except where doing so
puts the child or others at risk of significant harm.
7.2
The child's safety and welfare must be the overriding consideration when making
decisions on information sharing.
7.3
Information which is shared will be accurate, up-to-date, necessary for the
purpose for which it is being shared, and shared securely and only with those
who need it.
7.4
The wishes of children and parents will be respected where they do not consent
to share confidential information, unless there is sufficient need to override that
lack of consent.
7.5
Advice will be sought when in doubt.
7.6
Decisions to share or not to share information will be recorded. This must
include the decision itself, including any direction given by the designated
Making It Happen: working together for children, young people and families (DfES,2006),
which sets out six key points and guiding principles on information sharing
1
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person, the information which is shared and the identity of practitioners with
whom it is shared, where appropriate.
The decision to share information when there are child protection concerns will be
made by the designated person.
8.
Record keeping
The Data Protection Act (1998) states that personal information held by agencies must
be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully and stored securely. It must be accurate,
proportionate to the purpose, not held longer than necessary and may only be
disclosed in appropriate circumstances.
Where concerns arise about the safety or wellbeing of a pupil, or there are indications
that the child may be suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm, staff will record:
 the reason for the concern;
 what was said or witnessed and details of any other persons present;
 dates and times of incidents and when the notes were made;
 date, time and outcome of any discussion with the parent; and
 date, time and outcome of any discussion with the head teacher, social work
services staff or other relevant professionals consulted.
Staff will use the school’s welfare concern forms and will distinguish between fact,
opinion and hearsay. Notes will be passed to the designated person who will keep all
welfare concerns and child protection records in a locked cabinet as outlined in Section
5 above.
These records form evidence and may be used in the child protection referral and any
subsequent investigation or legal proceedings. They are exempt from the open file
regulations and do not have to be made available to parents requesting access to their
child’s file.
However, unless to do so would put a child at significant risk, parents may see these
records, since good practice and partnership working dictates that if anything is
significant enough to be recorded it should be discussed with parents, unless this
increases risks for the child or damages the potential for evidence collection.
Any welfare and child protection records will be passed on to the child’s next school if
the designated person believes they still constitute a concern. If the designated
person’s judgment is that the records do not constitute a concern they should be
shredded when the child leaves Stanford Junior School.
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Any formal records of child protection groups or meetings will be held by the Council’s
safeguarding team which will assume responsibility for the appropriate storage of these
records.
9.
Training
All members of staff, including the head teacher, will receive child protection training as
part of their induction. This will be updated every three years by the designated person
for child protection. Staff will attend other safeguarding training as appropriate.
All volunteers and short-term or supply staff will be informed of their responsibility to
safeguard children as well as the name of the designated person.
The school’s governing body has a lead member for child protection, currently Juliet
McCafferty. The lead member will undertake training, and monitor child protection
training and training records with the designated person and head teacher.
The designated person will attend roles and responsibilities training and Local
Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) inter-agency training at a minimum every two
years. The deputy designated person will also undertake the training.
The head teacher will attend roles and responsibilities training every three years and
other safeguarding training as appropriate.
10.
Confidentiality
Confidential information about children, families or others within the school should be
kept secure and privacy respected.
Where there are concerns that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm,
information must be shared with the designated person in the first instance and may
subsequently be shared with the Council’s safeguarding team and the police. This
information will be shared in accordance with Paragraph 7 of this policy.
Where staff or other adults in the school have concerns, either because of what they
have seen or heard or in relation to a direct disclosure by a child, they cannot keep this
information confidential and the child must not be told that this is possible. This
information must be shared with the designated person in the interests of safeguarding
the child. The child must be informed that this will happen.
Other staff may need to be alerted to concerns about a child, possibly in order to
monitor the concern or to gather further evidence prior to a referral being made, or to
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assist in providing appropriate support to a child after a referral has been made.
Information will be shared in accordance with Paragraph 7 of this policy.
11.
Allegations against staff
All members of staff and volunteers at Stanford Junior School are entitled to receive
care and protection from harm. Inappropriate behaviour towards pupils or staff is not
acceptable and any concerns or allegations of impropriety will be dealt with quickly,
fairly and sensitively.
In the event of an allegation of abuse against a member of staff or other adult in school,
the head teacher will seek advice from the local authority designated officer (LADO) and
will agree the procedure to be followed. If an allegation is made against the head
teacher the chair of governors will seek advice from the LADO and agree the procedure
to be followed.
Any staff disclosing information regarding inappropriate behaviour by a colleague will
be listened to and supported.
Parents of a child allegedly abused by a member of staff or other adult in the school will
be kept informed of the progress and outcome of any investigation.
Any member of staff facing investigation into an allegation of abuse will be subject to
the procedures laid down by the joint Department for Education and Skills/National
Employers Organisation for School Teachers guidance and will be offered appropriate
access to professional and personal support networks. They will also be kept informed
of the progress and outcome of any investigation.
12.
Working with outside agencies
Stanford Junior School recognises the authority of the LSCB and is committed to
working in partnership with the Council and the police.
The school will comply with the Pan Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding
procedures and will be proactive in working together to safeguard children. Information
will be shared through the designated person with investigating teams, and staff will
contribute to child protection conferences, core groups and care plans.
Any incident requiring advice from or referral to, safeguarding teams and arising out of
normal hours will be referred directly to the emergency/out of hours team or failing that
directly to the police child protection team.
13.
Recruitment
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The senior management team will ensure that recruitment and selection policy and
practice is thorough in following up references, Criminal Records Bureau checks and
investigating career gaps, and fulfills the requirements of the Independent Safeguarding
Authority (ISA). At least one member of each recruitment panel will have undertaken
appropriate training to ensure that interviews to appoint staff reflect the importance of
safeguarding children. All staff, including supply staff, on-site contractors, support
services and volunteers working in the school will be given induction information
regarding this policy and will fulfill ISA requirements.
14.
Particularly vulnerable children
Stanford Junior School recognises that disabled children and those with special needs
may be more vulnerable to abuse, and may be less able to tell people about abuse
happening to them. Therefore rigorous child protection procedures are in place,
especially with regard to recruitment, checks on volunteers and paid workers, whistleblowing policies, as well as guidelines setting out acceptable behaviour by those
working with disabled children. Support for children for whom English is an additional
language and children in care may also require extra consideration.
15.
Capital works on the school site
Stanford Junior School will ensure that during the progress of any building or other on
site works, contractors will be issued with relevant child protection information. This will
include expectation of their conduct whilst on site.
16.
Images of children
At Stanford Junior School images of children are an important part of recording school
life and achievements. A policy and procedure for the use of images of children is in
place and is reviewed regularly in accordance with guidance on safeguarding children.
17.
Links with other policies
Stanford Junior School will develop and evaluate all school policies with a view to
safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its pupils, and will ensure that the child
protection process is applied in all areas of practice. In doing so account will be taken
of the principles outlined in this policy, ensuring that all other policies and procedures
support the protection of children from harm or neglect, in particular through:
 recruitment and selection policy, to ensure that suitable staff are appointed;
 anti-bullying policy, to ensure physical and emotional security for all children and
staff;
 special educational needs policy, to ensure that particularly vulnerable children
are offered additional protection;
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


whistle-blowing policy, to ensure that individuals are confident about raising
concerns;
attendance and welfare policies, to ensure that absence is followed up quickly
and vulnerable children are supported appropriately, as well as being empowered
to learn and thrive, and
behaviour policy, to ensure that appropriate rules and boundaries are in place
and to be clear about the sanctions which apply.
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Appendix One
1.
Definitions
In need
In need means the child is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or to have the opportunity of
achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision
of services by a local authority, or the child’s health or development is likely to be significantly
impaired, or further impaired,
without the provision of such services, or the child is disabled.
Significant harm
Significant harm means ill treatment or the impairment of health or development;
Development means physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural
development;
Health means physical or mental health; and ill treatment includes sexual abuse and
forms of ill treatment which are not physical.
If a child is suffering significant harm compulsory intervention by social work services
may take place.
2.
Indicators of abuse
Physical abuse
• obvious signs of injury;
• injuries which are unusual or unexplained; and
• injuries, which while explained are frequent.
Sexual abuse
• physical difficulties such as wetting or soiling;
• extreme variations in behaviour;
• sexualised language, behaviour of play; and
• indirect disclosure through play, drawing or written work.
Emotional abuse
• low self esteem, unhappiness, fear, distress or anxiety;
• attention seeking behaviours; and
• emotional developmental delay.
Neglect
• dirty, unkempt appearance;
• developmental delay;
• low self esteem; and
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• hunger.
More details regarding indicators of abuse and risk factors are outlined in the Pan
Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures.
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