Safeguarding

Our Preschool aims to work with children, parents/carers and the community to ensure the safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure. 

The key commitments for safeguarding children are: -

- Building a ‘culture of safety’ in which children are protected from abuse and harm in all areas of its service delivery

- Responding promptly and appropriately to all incidents or concerns of abuse that may occur and to work with statutory agencies in accordance with the procedures that are set down in ‘What to do if you are worried a child is being abused’ (Revised 2015)

- Promoting awareness of child abuse issues throughout its training and learning programmes for adults. It is committed to empowering young children, through its early childhood curriculum, promoting their right to be strong, resilient and listened to

Staff

- Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Hayley Durbin, Manager & Jane Smith, Deputy Manager

- The persons responsible for safeguarding in our Leadership team is our Committee Chair

The Designated Safeguarding Lead:

- ensures staff are aware of their responsibility, and who to contact

- supports staff, children and their families

- ensures policies and procedures are updated, disseminated to all staff and adhered to

- ensures staff are adhering to training requirements in line with our setting

- liaises with ‘Other Agencies’

- makes referrals

- ensures accurate records are kept

- attends/support case conferences and core groups

- escalates concerns

- supervises (where appropriate)

- promotes safe recruitment

- knows where children are when they are supposed to be in, call if unsure 

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that each member of staff is suitable to work with children and is not disqualified from working in childcare.

- We ensure all staff are trained to understand our safeguarding policies and procedures and parents/carers are made aware of them too

- All staff have an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues

- We provide adequate and appropriate staffing resources to meet the needs of children

- Applicants for posts within the Preschool are clearly informed that the positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

- Candidates are informed of the need to carry out ‘enhanced disclosure’ checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service before posts can be confirmed

- Where applications are rejected because of information that has been disclosed, applicants have the right to know and to challenge incorrect information

- We abide by Ofsted requirements in respect of references and Disclosure and Barring Service checks for staff and volunteers, to ensure no disqualified person or unsuitable person works at the Preschool or has access to the children. Checks are regularly carried out on an annual basis

- Our safeguarding audit is completed annually and submitted to Oxfordshire County Council

- All staff and Committee members complete a ‘Staff Suitability Declaration’ at commencement of employment and again an annual basis

- We record information about staff qualifications, and the identity checks and vetting processes that have been completed including:

- the Disclosure and Barring Service reference number

- the date the disclosure was obtained

- details of who obtained it

- We inform all staff that they are expected to disclose any convictions, cautions, court orders or reprimands and warnings which may affect their suitability to work with children (whether received before or during their employment with us)

- Volunteers/Visitors do not work unsupervised. They are NEVER left alone with a child/child(ren)

- We abide by the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (SVGA) requirements in respect of any person who is dismissed from our employment or resigns in circumstances that would otherwise have led to dismissal for reasons of child protection concern

- We have procedures for recording the details of visitors to the setting, as well as a procedure for visitors to follow, including locking their mobile phones in the office

- We take security steps to ensure that we have control over who comes into the provision so that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children

We take steps to ensure children are not photographed or filmed on video for any other purpose than to record their development or their participation in events organised by us. Parents/carers sign a consent form to this effect and all digital images are destroyed after.

Signs of Abuse

This list is no means exhaustive:

Physical; Emotional; Neglect; Sexual; CSE; FGM; Fabricated or induced illness; Forced marriage; Human trafficking /modern slavery; Radicalisation; Domestic; Sexting and Online Bullying.

Staff Responsibilities

- Know and observe your key children and changes in behaviour

- Promote British values

- If you have any concerns, follow our Safeguarding Procedure

- Maintain accurate records

- There is no single way of identifying an individual who is likely to be susceptible to a terrorist ideology, but staff should be alert to changes in children’s behaviour, including very young children, which could indicate they may be in need of help or protection. These behaviours can be evident during circle time, role play activities and quiet times. Quiet times are a good time for children to make disclosures, as this is the period that children are closest to their key person

- People from any walk of life can be drawn into radicalisation and not necessarily form a particular religion or ethnicity. Terrorism is not promoted by any religion

- The Prevent Duty does not require childcare providers to carry out unnecessary intrusion into family life, but we are required to take action when observing behaviour of concern

- There is certain terminology used by Muslim families such as inshallah (God willing), alhumdillah (praise God), marshallah, allah ho akbar. These phrases are not an indication of any form of radicalisation

- People’s dress codes like hijabs, nikabs, abayas and jibabs are not indicative factors that they are at risk of being radicalised

- Provide appropriate training for staff as soon as possible - part of this training will enable staff to identify children who may be at risk of radicalisation

- We will build the children’s resilience to radicalisation by promoting fundamental British values and enabling them to challenge extremist views (for early years’ providers the statutory framework for the EYFS sets standards for learning, development and care for children from 0-5, thereby assisting their personal, social and emotional development and understanding of the world)

- We will assess the risk, by means of a formal risk assessment, of children being drawn into terrorism, including support for extremist ideas that are part of terrorist ideology. We will ensure that our staff understand the risks so that they can respond in an appropriate and proportionate way. We will be aware of the online risk of radicalisation through the use of social media and the internet

- As with managing other safeguarding risks, our staff will be alert to changes in children’s behaviour, which could indicate that they may be in need of help or protection (children at risk of radicalisation may display different signs or seek to hide their views). The Key Person approach means we already know our key children well and so we will notice any changes in behaviour, demeanour or personality quickly

- We will not carry out unnecessary intrusion into family life, but we will take action when we observe behaviour of concern. The key person approach means that we already have a rapport with our families so we will notice any changes in behaviour, demeanour or personality quickly

- We will work in partnership with our OSCB for guidance and support

- We will build up an effective engagement with parents/carers and families. (This is important as they are in a key position to spot signs of radicalisation)

- We will assist and advise families who raise concerns with us. It is important to assist and advise families who raise concerns and be able to point them to the right support mechanism

- We will ensure that our DSL’s will undertake Prevent awareness training (as a minimum) so that they can offer advice and support to other members of staff 

Cultivating British Values

- The best way to help children resist extremist views or challenge vies such as creationism is to teach them to think critically and become independent learners, which is fundamental to the Characteristics of Effective Learning and Teaching embedded in EYFS

- We endeavour to support our children through EYFS by providing playful learning opportunities to help them develop positive diverse and communal identities as well as their well-being, their empathy and emotional literacy while continuing to take action to eradicate inequalities, bullying, discrimination, exclusion, aggression and violence; all of which fosters and secure children’s pro-social behaviours and responsible citizenship and real sense of belonging

Responding to/Recording suspicions of abuse

- If a child comes into the setting with any injury, however small e.g., a bump, bruise, mark etc, we will question and record any patterns and ask them how it happened and sign to say we have done so

- We acknowledge that abuse of children can take different forms – physical, emotional, sexual and, or may be experiencing neglect, this may be demonstrated through:

- deterioration in their general well-being

- their comments which may give cause for concern, or the things they say (direct or indirect disclosure)

- changes in their appearance, their behaviour, or their play

- unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse or neglect

- any reason to suspect neglect or abuse outside the setting

We take into account factors affecting parental capacity, such as social exclusion, domestic violence, parent’s drug or alcohol abuse, mental or physical illness or parent’s learning disability. 

- Where such evidence is apparent the child’s key person:

- does not influence the outcome either through the way we speak to children or by asking questions of the child, we listen to the child, offer reassurance and give assurance that she or he will take action

- makes a written record that forms an objective record of the observation or disclosure that includes:

- the date and time of the observation or the disclosure

- the exact words spoken by the child as far as possible

- an objective record of the observation or disclosure

- the name of the person to whom the concern was reported, with date and time

- the child’s name, age and address

- the names of any other person present at the time

- These records are signed and dated and kept in the Confidential Safeguarding Incidents Folder/ABC, which is kept securely and
confidentially

- The Designated Safeguarding Leads are informed of the issue at the earliest opportunity

- Where the Safeguarding Partners stipulate the process for recording and sharing concerns, we include those procedures alongside this procedure and follow the steps set down by the Safeguarding Partners

- Our process for escalating concerns for children not in significant harm:

- Manager and key person to refer to ‘Oxfordshire’s Threshold of Needs’ Matrix

- It is best practice to inform the parents/carers that a safeguarding referral is being made as long as it does not put the child at any increased risk of harm or where evidence can be destroyed

- No Names Consultation (no child’s name) to gain advice to:

-       Name:      LCSS North (Locality & Community Support Service)

-       Tel:           0345 050 7666

-       Email:       lcss.north@oxfordshire.gov.uk

-       Address:  Samuelson House, Tramway Road, Banbury, OX16 5AU

- Complete an EHA (early help assessment form) – this was called a CAF and post to above; and

- LCSS will complete a TAC (Team Around Child) document and a case conference may be set up whereby a lead will be chosen with the most expertise

- Our process for escalating concerns for children in significant harm:

(Significant harm – serious risk to child e.g., physical injury, bruises, breaks evident, an allocation of sexual/physical abuse and will be going back to that environment, child frightened to go home, severe neglect or severe health risks, child abandoned…)

- Report to manager

- It is best practice to inform the parents/carers that a safeguarding referral is being made as long as it does not put the child at any increased risk of harm

- Call MASH, Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub and say risk level 3 or 4 or section 47 which applies to significant harm on telephone 0345 050 7666. Customer Services will ask a series of questions and what your safeguarding concerns are, typical questions will be: clear factual examples that reflect concern, risk factors, state if a CAF or EHA or TAC has been completed, be clear what you want to happen following the referral, clarify your information and its sources, think critically about the case, challenge assumptions, think about what may happen if you do not refer and what may happen if you do, accurately record concerns and outcomes        

-       Be Professionally Curious

-       It can happen here - Trust your instincts!

-       It’s not us to decide if it is abuse, only to report if suspicious!

-       Co-operate fully in any subsequent enquiries or investigations

-       In some cases, this may mean the police, or another agency identified by the Safeguarding Partners

- Staff are vigilant and aware of ‘peer on peer’ abuse. There is no clear boundary between incidents that should be regarded as abusive and incidents that are more properly dealt with as bullying, sexual experimentation etc. 

This is a matter of professional judgement. If one child or young person causes harm to another, this should not necessarily be dealt with as abuse: bullying, fighting and harassment between children are not generally seen as child protection issues. However, it may be appropriate to regard a young person’s behaviour as abusive if:

- There is a large difference in power (for example age, size, ability, development) between the young people concerned

- The perpetrator has repeatedly tried to harm one or more other children

- There are concerns about the intention of the alleged perpetrator

If the evidence suggests that there was an intention to cause severe harm to the victim, this should be regarded as abusive whether or not severe harm was actually caused. Please refer to our Behaviour Management policy for more information. 

- We are aware of other factors that affect children’s vulnerability such as abuse of disabled children, fabricated or induced illness, child abuse linked to beliefs in spirit possession, sexual exploitation of children such as through internet abuse and Female Genital Mutilation that may affect or may have affected children and young people using our provision

- We also make ourselves aware that some children and young people are affected by gang activity, by complex, multiple or organised abuse, through forced marriage or honour-based violence or may be victims of child trafficking. While this may be less likely to affect young children in our care, we may become aware of any of these factors affecting older children and young people who we may come into contact with

- Additional barriers to recognising and reporting abuse to include all children and children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

-Lack of recognition of abuse by others, anxiety and worry over the confidentiality of their information, having no one to turn to: absence of someone trusted, perpetrator tactics: fears and anxieties manipulated by the perpetrator, developmental barriers, emotional barriers, religious beliefs, language barrier, the victim recognising the abuse is wrong and against the law, fear of isolation from family for disclosing the abuse, medicines that are practiced such as hot stone massage or the use of ‘Cups’ on the child’s back, not against the law but may leave bruising and marks

The above are all examples of barriers that could be present, there could be multiple barriers for the victim, this in itself making more of a barrier.

Informing parents

- Parents/carers are normally the first point of contact. We discuss concerns with parents/carers to gain their view of events unless we feel this may put the child at greater risk

- We inform parents/carers when we make a record of concerns in their child’s file and that we also make a note of any discussion we have with them regarding a concern

- If a suspicion of abuse warrants referral to social care, parents/carers are informed at the same time that the referral will be made, except where the guidance of the Safeguarding Partners does not allow this, for example, where it is believed that the child may be placed in greater danger

- This will usually be the case where the parent is the likely abuser. In these cases, the social workers will inform parents

Liaison with other agencies

- We adhere to the Child Protection Procedures and Guidance provided by the OSCB (Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board) and MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub)

- We have the current version of 'What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused, 2015' for parents/carers and staff and all staff are familiar with what to do if they have concerns. This is displayed in the Preschool Classroom

- We have procedures for contacting the MASH, 0345 050 7666 on child protection issues, including maintaining a list of names, addresses and telephone numbers of social workers, to ensure that it is easy, in any emergency, for the setting and social services to work well together

- We notify the registration authority (Ofsted) of any serious incident or serious accident and any changes in our arrangements, which may affect the well-being of children or where an allegation of abuse is made against a member of staff (whether the allegations relate to harm or abuse committed on our premises or elsewhere). Notifications to Ofsted are made as soon as is reasonably practicable, but at the latest within 14 days of the allegations being made

- If a referral is to be made to the local authority social care department, we act within the area’s Safeguarding Children and Child Protection guidance in deciding whether we must inform the child’s parents/carers at the same time

- Under our settings guidelines, if advice were required then we would contact the local National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC, 0808 800 5000)

Allegations against staff

- We ensure that all parents/carers know how to complain about the behaviour or actions of staff or volunteers including committee members within the provision, or anyone working on the premises occupied by the setting, which may include an allegation of abuse

- We respond to any inappropriate behaviour displayed by members of staff, or any other person working with the children, which includes:

- inappropriate sexual comments

- excessive one-to-one attention beyond the requirements of their usual role and responsibilities, or

- inappropriate sharing of images

- We follow the guidance of the Safeguarding Partners when responding to any complaint that a member of staff, or volunteer within the provision, or anyone working on the premises has abused a child

- We respond to any disclosure by children or staff that abuse by a member of staff or volunteer within the setting, or anyone working on the premises, may have taken, or is taking place, by first recording the details of any such alleged incident

- We refer any such complaint immediately to one of the Managers who are the named DSL’s. If the concern or complaint involves the DSL, the complaint must be referred to our named Safeguarding lead from the leadership team – committee chair 

- We report any such alleged incident to Ofsted

- We co-operate entirely with any investigation carried out by children’s social care in conjunction with the police. During this period the setting and OFSTED will make any necessary arrangements to protect staff, children and their families. These could involve the person doing administrative work away from the children, working at home or working alongside another adult at all times. It does not include suspension with or without pay until and if it becomes a disciplinary matter. This is not as indication of admission that the alleged incident has taken place but is to protect the staff as well as children and families through the process. If the investigation clears the member of staff, the setting will support the staff member. If the allegation is found to be true, the disciplinary policy and procedures may be implemented. OFSTED will be kept informed at all times

Training

- We seek out training opportunities for all staff involved in the setting to ensure that they are able to recognise the signs and signals of possible physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect and that they are aware of the local authority guidelines for making referrals. All staff will have received training in Child Protection

- We ensure that designated persons receive Designated Lead safeguarding training and that it is reviewed every 2 years

- We ensure that all staff know the procedures for reporting and recording their concerns in the setting

- Staff knowledge of child protection matters is regularly updated through appropriate training

Curriculum

- We introduce key elements of keeping children safe into our programme to promote the personal, social and emotional development of all children, so that they may grow to be strong, resilient and listened to and that they develop an understanding of why and how to keep safe

- We create within the setting a culture of value and respect for the individual, having positive regard for children's heritage arising from their colour, ethnicity, languages spoken at home, cultural and social background

- We ensure that this is carried out in a way that is developmentally appropriate for the children 

Confidentiality

- All suspicions and investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know, this may include the police. Any information is shared under the guidance of the Safeguarding Partners

Support to families

- We believe in building trusting and supportive relationships with families, staff and volunteers in the group

- We make clear to parents/carers our role and responsibilities in relation to child protection, such as for the reporting of concerns, providing information, monitoring of the child, and liaising at all times with the local children’s social care team

- We will continue to welcome the child and the family whilst investigations are being made in relation to any alleged abuse

- We follow the Child Protection Plan as set by the child’s social care worker in relation to the setting's designated role and tasks in supporting that child and their family, subsequent to any investigation

- Confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child's parents/carers or those who have parental responsibility for the child in accordance with the Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy and only if appropriate under the guidance of the Safeguarding Partners

- Parents/carers can report a safeguarding concern about a child and members of the public can contact the MASH or NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/report-abuse/

A new government capaign has been launched to raise awareness of abuse Tackle Child Abuse – An England wide campaign to help you recognise the signs of child abuse and neglect. Supporting you to report your concerns.

Attendance

Why Regular Attendance is so important:

- Learning - Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s attendance and regular absence will seriously affect their learning and their ability to settle within the setting. Any child’s absence disrupts the settings routines and may have a lasting impact on the child

- Safeguarding - Safeguarding the interests of each child is everyone’s responsibility and within the context of this Preschool, promoting the welfare and life opportunities for your child encompasses: - Attendance, Behaviour Management, Health and Safety, Access to the Early Years Foundation stage, and Anti-bullying

At Cygnets Preschool, we ask parents/carers to inform us of the reason for the child’s absence and this is then written on our daily registers, with the reason given. The registers are then monitored by all staff and any safeguarding concerns and patterns of absence are raised with the designated safeguarding leads.