CHILD PROTECTION: LIVING LOVING LEARNING IN
JESUS
OVERVIEW
Safe & Happy School
Committee
In our school we recognise that “…because they are in regular and frequent contact with children, school staff are particularly well placed
to observe.., signs of abuse” (DFE Circular 10/95 and Working Together under the Children Act 1989). Our school recognises its
responsibilities to protect our children from harm, abuse and inappropriate and inadequate care and to support and promote their welfare.
The elements of our policy are prevention, protection and support and the policy gives clear direction to staff, volunteers, visitors,
Governors and parents about the expected behaviour and responsibility when managing safeguarding concerns.
AIM
Our school aims to protect all children from abuse and from inappropriate and inadequate care and to react in all cases where there is a
concern.
STRATEGIES
In order to achieve our aim our school:
Maintains an ethos within which our pupils:

Feel secure

Are encouraged to talk to any member of staff or regular visitor to our school if they are worried or concerned about something.

Are listened to.

Know what their chosen adult will have to do with whatever they have been told.
Parents are aware that the school will take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of its pupils.
Staff and regular visitors know that there are sensible steps that every adult should take in their daily professional conduct with children,
including:

Informing another member of staff of their whereabouts in school, who they are with and for how long.

Working, wherever possible, in an area visible to other members of staff.

Following the school’s guidelines on how to recognise a disclosure from a child and how to manage this.

Not making promises to any child and not agreeing to keep secrets.

Knowing our school’s policy for safe

Knowing the procedure that will be followed if an allegation is made.
Ensures that when new pupils join our school all parents and carers are informed that we have a Child Protection Policy: This will be
offered to parents should they request a copy. Parents and carers will also be informed of our legal duty to assist our colleagues in other
agencies with child protection enquiries and what happens should we have cause to make a referral to Children’s Service.
Provides an appropriate Curriculum: Provides Personal, Social and Health Education and Sex and Relationships Education through which
our children acquire, in an age appropriate manner, the knowledge, attitudes and the skills they need to stay safe.
Has a Designated Child Protection Co-ordinator, Miss. A Fitzpatrick, in accordance with Circular 10/9. The responsibilities of this post are
to:

Maintain the post holder’s own knowledge and awareness of the issues, policy and practice of child protection, through regular
attendance at appropriate training courses etc.

Ensure that, through appropriate training/information, all staff have an understanding of child abuse and its main indicators, and
are aware of the school’s and their own child protection responsibilities within ACPC (Area Child Protection Committee)
procedures.

Support and advise staff in their child protection work.

Provide specialist input into the planning of the content and delivery of the personal, social and health education curriculum
(including the informal curriculum) with respect to child protection issues.

Represent the school at child protection conferences and to ensure that effective communication and liaison with social services
and other agencies takes place as appropriate in the event of staff having child protection concerns about a pupil.

Review and update Child Protection policies and procedures.
Ensures every member of staff and members of the governing body are supported to undertake regular training:

Regularly distributes up to date child protection information, www.teachernet.com, to staff.

Ensures the following undertake additional training as appropriate: The Head teacher, The Child Protection Officer; The Chair of
Governors; The governor with responsibility for child protection.
Has a Designated teacher for Young People in Public Care:

Any child in Public Care who attends the school has a designated teacher, Mrs. Bostock (Interim), responsible for their well-being.
Has a Nominated Governor for Child Protection.

The nominated governor for Child Protection is Mrs. Susan Ejuonutse.
Has a Recruitment and Selection Policy and ensures that safe recruitment practices are followed:

Statement of Safeguarding ethos in both advert and documents sent in response to requests by applicants.

Requirement for the verification of staff identity through official documents.

Requirement for the verification of the authenticity of qualifications through original academic certificates.

Follow up with respect to the contents of application forms where there is a lack of clarity.

Take up of references prior to interview or appointment.

Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks. All staff, teaching and non-teaching, full time and part time are required to have
Enhanced CRB Disclosure. The school does not recognise the portability of Enhanced CRB Disclosures and makes its own
application with regard to new appointments.

Any other means of ensuring we are recruiting and selecting the most suitable people to work with our children.

Confirmation that supply teachers or teachers from abroad have been suitably checked
There is a new definition of a ‘regulated activity’ which requires someone to have an enhanced CRB (DBS) and to be checked against the
‘barred’ lists.
A new definition of regulated activity.
Any employee or volunteer in a regulated activity must have an enhanced CRB (DBS) and be checked against the barred list. This must be
undertaken before they commence employment.
The new definition for regulated activity for children comprises only:
i.
unsupervised activities: teach, train, instruct, care for or supervise children, or provide advice/ guidance on wellbeing or
drive a vehicle only for children.
ii.
work for a limited range of establishments (‘specified places’), with opportunity for contact: for example schools, children’s
homes, child care premises. Not work by supervised volunteers.
iii.
relevant personal care, for example washing or dressing or health care by or supervised by a professional.
iv.
registered child minding and foster carers.
An activity becomes a regulated activity requiring the additional barred list check when it is unsupervised or involves regular close contact
with young people. This would typically consist of more than three days in a month. However all adults involved in supervising children as
part of a school ‘over night’ activity are automatically in a regulated activity. Work experience placements generally provided for Key Stage
4 students are a specific exemption.
Effectively, all school employees (on the school’s own payroll) will continue to need to have an enhanced CRB (DBS) and a barred list
check. Schools with students aged 18 and over should also check barred lists for those working with both children and adults.
Young people below the age of 16 are not eligible for CRB (DBS) checks.
Contractors
Tradesmen or building contractors are no longer considered to be in a regulated activity as their contact with children would be occasional
or temporary in nature. However, the school’s own regular cleaning and maintenance/caretaking staff, whether employed directly or
through a third party (for example PFI contract) will continue to be in regulated activities and will continue to need to have an enhanced
CRB (DBS) and a barred list check.
Governors
The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 has removed the requirement for governors to have an enhanced CRB (DBS) simply because of their
office. Any governor in a regulated activity must have an enhanced CRB (DBS) and be checked against the barred list.
Volunteers
The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 has made it clear that volunteers who are supervised to a statutory level are not in regulated activities
and therefore an enhanced CRB and barred list check are not required. The supervision should be ‘reasonable in all circumstances’,
consistent over time and be undertaken by someone who is in a regulated activity.
School can choose to undertake enhanced CRBs (DBS) without the barred list check for all volunteers even if this not required. Schools
should undertake additional barred list checks when they feel they cannot supervise someone adequately.
Three yearly CRB (DBS) checks
Since 2009 it has been the Local Authority’s position to recommend three yearly repeat CRB checks for anyone in a regulated activity. This
went beyond statutory requirements but was considered good practice albeit not by Ofsted. This is no longer required. From spring 2013
the Disclosure and Barring Service will enable schools to check online if someone’s status has changed and they have become barred. There
will be a charge to join the service and for subsequent checks. This will increase the portability of CRBs (DBS) for individuals who are
registered with this service and remove the need for repeat CRB (DBS) checks. Having checked online if there are changes to the certificate
the school would need to apply for a new updated CRB (DBS) which the employee would be required to present. However we are led to
believe that existing CRBs will not be part of the online service, hence schools may choose to register all their employees, on a phased basis,
with the new service.
In summary, there is no requirement to renew CRBs (DBS) on a three yearly basis. The online Disclosure and Barring Service will provide
greater portability of CRBs (DBS) and enable schools to check if someone’s status has changed, providing they are registered with this
service.
Visitors
Visiting staff including supply teachers, educational psychologists, social workers, police, trainee teachers, nurses, Ofsted inspectors, sports
coaches, LA peripatetic teachers, SENISS teachers, Careers Advisors and Educational Welfare Officers will have had an enhanced CRB and
barred list checks undertaken by their own employer. It is therefore not necessary for schools to repeat the process and schools are only
required to see appropriate photo ID. Ofsted recommends written confirmation is provided to demonstrate appropriate checks have been
undertaken for visiting staff that have regular unsupervised contact with young people. If requested, visiting staff should present a letter
from their employer detailing their name, date of birth, work address and CRB number. Given this, CRB certificates need not normally be
requested by schools and neither the CRB certificate nor the letter from their manager should ever be photocopied. Some schools adopt
the practice of viewing CRBs of key visiting staff e.g. supply staff and sports coaches to ensure any information on it is acceptable to them.
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Visitors who do not have unsupervised access do not require enhanced CRBs and barred list checks. Visiting staff who are in posts that are
subjected to enhanced CRBs and barred list checks can have unsupervised contact with children.
Safer Recruitment Practices
It remains a statutory requirement for at least one member of every appointment panel to have undertaken safer recruitment training.
This is provided by Governor Services for School Leaders and Governors and lasts for up to 5 years.
Maintains and updates a single central record of the checks made on all staff.
Only uses supply staff from providers who have been awarded the Safeguarding Charter Mark
Ensures that when new staff join our school they are:

Given a copy of our school’s Child Protection Policy and informed that the Headteacher and the Child Protection Officer are the
first point of contact for safeguarding concerns and queries.

Informed of the safeguarding arrangements in place.

Given a copy of the school’s Child Protection Handbook which includes basic safeguarding information relating to signs and
symptoms of abuse, how to manage a disclosure from a child, and who to pass the information to.

Supported to access Child Protection training, which will be renewed every two years.
Ensures that supply staff are given a copy of the school’s Child Protection Policy and Child Protection Handbook.
Ensures that parent volunteers:

Complete a Registration form and complete and sign the LEA’s Safeguarding Screening document.

Are given a copy of the school’s Parent Helpers’ Handbook which includes basic safeguarding information relating to signs and
symptoms of abuse, how to manage a disclosure from a child, and who to pass the information to: the Headteacher or the Child
Protection Officer.
Ensures that parents working regularly in school have an Enhanced CRB check.
Ensures that visitors to school: On their first visit complete and sign both the LEA’s Safeguarding Screening document and the school’s
Visitor’s Log and update the Visitors’ Log on any subsequent visits.
Has a Child Protection Procedure
All staff have a copy of the school guidelines for identifying, responding to and reporting child protection concerns. In the event of a
member of staff having a child protection concern about a pupil; a child disclosing to an adult in the school that he/she is being abused; or
an allegation of abuse being made about an adult in the school, the school will follow the appropriate action detailed in the Education
Guidance section of the ACPC Child Protection Procedures, a copy of which is kept in the Headteacher’s room. Whilst working within the
ACPC Child Protection Procedures the school ensures that:

Children’s confidences are dealt with sensitively. An open area which still affords confidentiality is used if a child expresses a wish
to disclose some sensitive information.

If a child makes a specific allegation, the staff member informs the child that they are under an obligation to pass the information
onto someone specifically trained to help. If a child expresses a wish to disclose experiences of abuse, the same procedure will be
followed.

All staff are aware that if they are selected by a pupil to hear disclosures of abuse they must comply with guidance given;
Memorandum of Good Practice (Criminal Justice Act 1991), a copy of which is held in the Headteacher’s office. Staff are also
aware that if they receive children’s confidences about abuse, they may be called upon to give evidence in court.

Staff record any concern for a child’s safety or welfare in writing and pass them to the Child Protection/Deputy Child Protection
Officer.
Convenes a child protection conference if:

A child is already on the child protection register and a review conference is required.

A referral has been made and the ensuing investigation findings have considered the child to be at risk of harm.

Ensures staff required to attend child protection conferences have as much relevant and up to date information as is possible.

Ensures all reports/risk assessments for child protection conference are prepared and distributed in advance where possible, or
multiple copies taken to the Conference where time given is limited.

Works in an open and honest way with any parent whose child has been referred to Children’s Services or whose child is on the
child protection register.
Deals with allegations made against adults who come in to contact with children in line with the requirements of Safeguarding Children in
Education: Dealing with Allegations of Abuse Against Teachers and Other Staff.
Maintains appropriate records

Records concerns about the welfare or safety of any child in an agreed format which is signed and dated by the person with the
concern.

Stores concerns in a separate named file with a chronology and contents front cover, in a secure cabinet limited access.

Updates concern files with copies of referrals, reports etc.

Ensures that such information is only shared within school on a need to know basis.

Forwards the files of a child leaving our school to the Senior Designated Person at the following school.
Provides support for staff: The stress on staff involved in any aspect of child protection work is considerable, and the school ensures that
such staff are properly supported. The Headteacher and Child Protection Officer are responsible for ensuring that support from outside
school is sought where appropriate.
Provides the Governing Body with a safeguarding report that will record:

All safeguarding activity that has taken place, for example, meetings attended, reports written, training or induction given. It will
not identify any individual pupil.

Safeguarding training that has taken place including the number of staff attending and any outstanding training requirements.
Completes all Liverpool Children’s Services Audits
OUTCOMES

Safeguarding is at least good with some outstanding practice.

All of our children feel and are safe.
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
All of our staff, volunteers and visitors are confident with respect to their roles and responsibilities and the procedures they must
follow.
MONITORING EVALUATION REVIEW
The School Leadership Team and the Governing Body monitor the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of this policy annually.
Date adopted
Oct 2001
Review Cycle
Annually
Last
Sum 12
Version
Sept 12
Reviewed
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Schools / PRUs … Children’s Barred List check, enhanced CRB or both?
Yes
his is Regulated Activity. You must
eck the Barred list and undertake an
hanced CRB.
Will the person be employed by
the school (eg. on your payroll)?
is is not Regulated Activity. The
mployer cannot check the Barred list or
dertake an enhanced CRB check.
is is not Regulated Activity. You
nnot check the Barred list but may
cide to undertake an enhanced CRB.
Will the person be employed by someone else to
work in your school (eg. PFI, catering agency,
sports coach, attendance officer, chaplain)?
Supply staff?
Yes
his is Regulated Activity. The
dividual’s employer / agency must
eck the Barred list and undertake an
hanced CRB.
No
No
Will the person be employed by someone else to do
work in your school that does not involve them in
regular contact with pupils (eg. builder, boiler
maintenance, photographer, meetings with staff)?
Yes
Governor / member of PRU
management committee
No
Volunteers – will the person be involved in
overnight activity (eg school sleep-over,
residential trip)? Overnight usually means
between 2.00am and 6.00am.
Yes
is is Regulated Activity. You must
eck the Barred list and should
dertake an enhanced CRB.
No
is is Regulated Activity. You must
eck the Barred list and should
dertake an enhanced CRB.
his is not Regulated Activity. You
nnot check the Barred list. An
hanced CRB is not permitted for
der-16s. The person should be
pervised*
his is not Regulated Activity. You
nnot check the Barred list but could
ndertake an enhanced CRB check.
Volunteers – will the person have unsupervised
contact with children?
Yes
Is the person under the age of 16 (eg.
work experience, voluntary service)?
Yes
No
Volunteers – will the person be supervised and
in contact with children on a regular basis (ie
once per week or 4 times per month)?
No
his is Regulated Activity even if it
nly happens on one occasion. You
ust check the Barred list and should
ndertake an enhanced CRB.
Yes
No
Volunteers – will the person be involved in giving
intimate or personal care to children (toileting,
washing, helping them to eat, for reason of illness
or disability, etc) even if only once?
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