Safeguarding and child Protection Policy

The Purpose of this policy / procedure is to: Ensure all that all of the centre’s community is aware of their duty to ensure effective safeguarding to all students. To make sure effective safeguarding to all students. To make all staff aware of their legal responsibility to report and ensure all students are effectively safeguarded from significant risk of harm

 

The scope of this policy / procedure is: All staff, students. Contractors, visitors, volunteers.

 Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

  1.BACKGROUND

1.1

In September 2016 the Department of Education and Skills published an updated guidance document “Keeping Children Safe in Education” on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children under the provisions of the Children’s Act 1989 and following publication of Section 175 of The Education Act 2002.

 1.2

Section 175 places a duty of care on Local Education Authorities, and on governing bodies of schools and further education institutes to make arrangements for carrying out their functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. 

Keeping Children Safe in Education recognises that ‘where a child is suffering harm, or is likely to do so, action should be taken to protect that child”.

 1.3

London Gas Centre Training recognises its duty in this area and seeks to meet the welfare and safeguarding needs of children and vulnerable adults. This includes ensuring appropriate recruitment and selection practices in respect to potential employees and the provision of a safe and secure environment in which to study.

 1.4

National and regional awareness of the importance of safeguarding young people against radical extremism has grown, and the centre (LGTC) is actively engaging in the government’s “Prevent agenda.

 1.5

 There is continued regional and national concern about child sexual exploitation gangs highlighted by recent widely reported prosecutions, for example the prosecution, in 2016, of nine men in Rochdale for for serious sexual offences against teenage girls over an extended period of time.

 2.  DEFINITIONS:

  •  Children and young people – those aged under 18 years
  • Vulnerable adults – those aged over 18 who may be considered vulnerable to abuse, for example those with learning difficulties or disability.

   3 SCOPE: 

 The “Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy” applies to all LGTC staff, job applicants, students, prospective students, volunteers in all areas.

 3.2

The policy recognises that somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children and vulnerable adults may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, other channels such as the internet. They may be abused by an adut or adults, or another child or children.

 3.3

The policy acknowledges that research has found that disabled children are more likely to be abused and neglected that non-disabled children.

 3.4

The policy applies to students on work experience placements and work -based and workplace learning programmes, and those engaged on any centres organised off site activity.

3.5

 The policy applies to working arrangements with other agencies to support the LGTC “Safeguarding and Child protection policy”, including local education authorities support agencies, sub- contractors and employers.

    4. INTENT:

 The intent of the “Safeguarding and Child protection policy” is to ensure that: 

4.1

A safe environment is provided at LGTC for children and vulnerable adults at all times. Including support in ensuring children and vulnerable adults are kept safe on- line. 

4.2

The Centre is able to take appropriate action to protect young people who are suffering or at risk of suffering harm, including emotional, physical and sexual abuse, bullying in all its forms; neglect radicalisation ; female genital mutilation; forced marriage; sexual and financial exploitation (This list is not exhaustive). Actin will be taken whether or not the risk of harm occurs in the physical world or online.

 4.3

Safe recruitment practices exist in checking the suitability of staff, directors and volunteers to work with, or in proximity, to children and vulnerable adults.

4.4

All staff and directors are trained to recognise the types of harm recognised above and take appropriate action in line with LGTC procedures and with Keeping Children Safe in Education

4.5

LGTC ensures and takes steps that it regular consults with students about how safe they feel and their general welfare, with action taken where learners tell us they do not feel safe. 

4.6

LGTC takes steps to support and protect the most vulnerable students. Including those under, or formerly under, the care of the Local Authority. LGTC will work with other organisations in supporting and protecting all students, for example, the police in case of a LGTC student becoming a missing child.

 

 

5.1.1 Designated Director

 

·       The designated director has a duty to be familiar with LA guidance and policy relating to Safeguarding and Child Protection and associated issues.

 

·       To ensure that the Governing Body puts in place suitable Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and associated procedures.

 

·       To Champion safeguarding and child protection issues within the centre.

·       To contribute to ensuring any deficiencies in the centres safeguarding practices and are addressed which may be brought the the director’s attention  

         by a member of staff, a parent, an officer of the Authority or from any other source.

 

·       To meet regularly with the director of the centres leadership team who is the designated teacher for Safeguarding and child Protection policy and  

         procedures.

 

  • To liaise with the Directors in relation to any safeguarding concerns reported  in regards, to the centre’s manager.

  5.2  Designated senior staff member for safeguarding:

5.2.1

The designated member of staff with responsibility for safeguarding and child protection issues is:

5.2.2.   

The staff member has as the responsibility for raising employee’s awareness of issues relating to the welfare of young people, alongside the promotion of safe environment for young people learning within the training centre or engaged in the centre led activity.

5.2.3.   

The staff member will receive training in child protection issues and their, Inter-agency working, as required by the LSCB, and will receive refresher training at least every 2 years.

5.2.4.     

Staff receive initial safeguarding training and are aware of the centre’s safeguarding and child protection procedures, and the principles of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

5.2.5.     

The Centre responds appropriately to the Counter Terrorism duty (PREVENT) and gives due regard to the need to safeguard young people against potential radicalisation.

   5.3  Designated manager for Safeguarding

 5.3.1.     

The designated manager will oversee the referral of alleged harm or abuse to the relevant investigating agencies in line with procedures.

5.3.2.     

The designated manager is also responsible for ensuring that;

  •    Advice and support to staff issues relating to safeguarding and child protection is  provided.
  •  A proper record of any protection referral, complaint or concern is maintained (even  where that concern does not lead to a referral).
  • Ensuring that parents, and carers of children and vulnerable adults within the centre
  •  Are aware of the centres Child Protection: Safeguarding Children and vulnerable adults’ policy.
  • The Centre liaises with local authorities, local children’s board and other appropriate agencies.
  •  The centre liaises with employers and training organisations that receive children or vulnerable adults from the centre on work experience and

         placements to ensure that appropriate safeguards are put in place. .   

  •  A safeguarding Action Plan is prepared and reviewed annually and is subject to management team scrutiny. 

5.3.3.   

The manager will provide an annual report to the directors of the centre setting out how the centre has discharged its duties. 

5.4  Designated Staff Members for Safeguarding (Safeguarding Officers)

5.4.1.     

The centre will appoint an appropriate designated safeguarding and welfare advisors.

 Note that if a situation arises in which none of the Safeguarding Officers are available, Keeping Children Safe in Educationadvises that ‘any staff member can refer their concerns to children’s social care directly’ (Section 17)

5.4.2.     

Appropriate training and support will be provided to enable the designated staff to fulfil their role. Safeguarding manager will:   

  •   Report to the senior member of staff or manager with lead responsibility
  •  Be trained to make appropriate referrals to Children’s Social Care
  •  Be available to advise and support other staff on issues relating to child protection
  •  Have particular responsibility to be available to listen to children and young people studying at the Centre
  •  Deal with individual cases, including attending case conferences and review meetings as appropriate
  • Work together to share best practice in safeguarding

Have received training in safeguarding issues and inter-agency working, as required by the LSCB and will receive refresher training at least every 2 years. 

 5.5  Allegations of harm or abuse against children or vulnerable adults 

5.5.1   

Staff should not investigate concerns or allegations themselves but should report them immediately to a welfare advisor.

5.5.2   

Records of concerns about children and vulnerable adults will be kept, even where there is no need to refer the matter immediately.

5.5.3   All records will be kept securely on the Centre safeguarding database which is password protected. Paper records will be locked in a central location accessible only by staff.

5.6  Work experience placements, work-based and working place learning

5.6.1   

Staff who arrange, vet and monitor work experience placements and work-based or workplace learning must undertake appropriate safeguarding training.

 5.6.2   

Organisations who offer work experience placements or work-based / workplace learning for Centre students will be vetted for their suitability to do so. This will include both a formal health and safety assessment and safeguarding risk assessment completed by Centre staff. 

5.6.3   

When the assessment suggests that an employer does not have safeguarding and child protection policies, or awareness of safeguarding and child protection issues, or where  there is any evidence of risks to a student’s safety, the Centre will ensure that no students are placed with that employer until a Centre Safeguarding Officer has made an appropriate assessment. If an employer is deemed unsuitable for work experience placements or work-based / workplace learning, the Centre will make the LSCB aware of this.

5.6.4       

Children and vulnerable adults who are placed with employers will be given clear advice about whom to contact if they are worried or uncomfortable about the surroundings, or if they suffer abuse.

 5.7 Support for students, parents and staff

 5.7.1   

Students will be made aware of possible risks to their safety, including e-safety, through both tutorials and in the course of studying in the Centre, with the intent that they are better able to protect themselves from situations of potential harm. 

5.7.2   

The Centre will seek to ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibility placed on the Centre and staff for safeguarding and child protection by setting out its obligations in corporate publications. 

5.7.3   

Safeguarding and staff who may receive disclosures from young people may find themselves distressed by what they have witnessed or learnt. The Centre recognises this possibility and will support staff in this situation via access to a telephone counselling service or other appropriate support.

 5.8  Recruitment of staff and volunteers

5.8.1   

Recruitment procedures will seek to reflect the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education and will aim to ‘deter, reject or identify people who might abuse children’ (Section 46). 

5.8.2   

The Centre will ensure that procedures are in place to ensure that all appropriate checks are carried out on staff, governors and volunteers who have substantial access to children and vulnerable adults, including enhanced DBS checks, and that records are kept of such checks.                             

 5.9  Staff training and development 

 5.9.1   

The Centre will provide safeguarding and child protection training for all staff. The training 

will:

  • Be available online to reach the greatest number of staff, and face to face where this is more appropriate
  • Help staff to recognise the signs of possible harm to children and young people
  •   Ensure staff know what to do when possible harm is suspected (or when a young person makes a safeguarding disclosure), and whom to contact
  • Inform staff of Centre procedures and policies in the area, relevant legislation, and the role of the designated members of staff for child protection.

5.9.2   

 Safeguarding and child protection training is included within the induction programme for all new staff. The Centre reserves the right to terminate the employment of staff who have not attended such training by the end of their 2nd month of their employment.

5.9.3   

Refresher training for all staff will be undertaken every 2 years.

5.9.4   

All staff will be asked to make themselves familiar with Keeping Children Safe in education: information for all school and centre staff (September 2016).

 

 5.10 

Reporting and dealing with allegations of abuse made against members of staff.

 5.10.1 

Where there is an allegation of harm or abuse against staff, both inside and outside the work setting, the Centre will work to ensure allegations are dealt with quickly, fairly and consistently. Procedures under this policy apply to all staff, as well as volunteers.

6.0    Monitoring and Review

 6.1       

This policy will be reviewed annually and will be referred to in the Centre’s corporate publications. 

6.2       

The Centre’s Safeguarding, Equality and Diversity will monitor and review this policy annually.

 6.3       

The manager for Safeguarding will prepare an annual report for the directors, which reviews how the duties have been discharged.

6.4       

Any significant deficiencies or weaknesses in regard to safeguarding and child protection arrangements will be remedied without delay and will be brought to the attention of the Centre’s management.