1. Safeguarding Policy
Introduction
Everyone must keep children safe. The responsibilities of Precious Playdays, under the Children Act 2004, to keep children, young people, and adults at risk safe are outlined in this policy. The goal of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is to enable children to have the best possible life chances and transition into adulthood effectively. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children refers to:
o preventing mistreatment of children
o preventing children's health or development from being harmed
o ensuring that children grow up in environments that are supportive of the provision of safe and effective care
What's the difference between child protection and safeguarding?
Child protection is included under the umbrella concept of safeguarding. The procedure and activities used to fulfil legislative commitments to protect specific children who have been identified as suffering or in danger of serious harm are known as child protection. To reduce the need for action to protect children from danger, all agencies and individuals should take proactive measures to secure and promote their welfare.
Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP): Lianne Maltman
Our principles
o When planning and carrying out school activities, the well-being of children and their wishes and feelings are taken into account.
o Regardless of race, age, ability, gender, language, religion, sexual orientation, or culture, all children will have equal rights to support and protection.
o All staff and volunteers will have a professional role to identify and respond to the needs of children, and practitioners will report any concerns immediately.
Our aims
o To give all employees (employed, contracted, and visiting) the essential information and training to enable them to fulfil their legal obligations to promote and protect children's well-being.
o To inform parents and children about the school's security arrangements to keep children safe.
o To guarantee that safe and consistent best practices are followed throughout the school.
o To exhibit the school's dedication to the protection of children.
Digital Images & E-Safety
The preschool will ensure that appropriate filtering methods are in place to ensure that children are safe from all types of inappropriate and unacceptable materials, including terrorist and extremist material.
The use of digital images in schools is a complex area. The preschool has a clear and sufficiently detailed policy which covers the taking and use of digital images and video of children and takes steps to ensure that it is understood and enforced.
The school recognises the importance and usefulness of including the children’s use of technology within the classroom, such as an iPad. With this brings lots of opportunities for children across all age ranges to explore and learn in an explorative and creative way. The use of a technology item, such as an iPad is likely to have a camera and children will be using the camera as part of their learning experience. However, the use of iPads and other tablet equipment can also present risks if children are left to use the equipment in an unsupervised environment. It is therefore understood that the school will ensure that all usage of iPads within the school will be always supervised by and adult. They will also be locked on the appropriate screen using the controls within the iPad settings.
Our key commitments
· Our DSP, Lianne Maltman, will also be available to co-ordinate child protection issues
· We ensure all staff are trained to understand our safeguarding policies and procedures and that parents are made aware of them too
· All staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues, are alert to the signs and symptoms of abuse, and understand their professional duty to ensure safeguarding concerns are reported to Children’s Services: telephone number 0300 123 4043 (including out of hours)
· All staff are confident to have professional curiosity in relation to any safeguarding concerns.
Safeguarding themes
1.1 Anti-Bullying
Precious Playdays recognises the right of our children and young people to develop with confidence in an environment that is safe and free from the emotional and physical distress that can be seen as a result of bullying. It is the responsibility of Precious Playdays to ensure that procedures are in place that will monitor and address anti-bullying issues. There is a more detailed Anti-Bullying Policy available on the preschool website and a hard copy is available from the manager.
1.2 Attendance
In accordance with the preschool’s Attendance Policy, absences are rigorously pursued and recorded. The preschool takes action to pursue and address all unauthorised absences in order to safeguard the welfare of children and young people in its care.
1.3 Mobile Phone and Social Media
Mobile phones are strictly prohibited from the preschool room unless it is the preschool mobiles. One is it Lianne Maltman’s possession and one is with Peace Okyere.
We also feel that restrictions need to be placed on staff when they access social networking sites. The preschool has a high reputation to upkeep and comments made on sites such as 'Facebook' could have an impact on how parents using the nursery view the staff.
1.4 Child Protection
All Child Protection concerns will be managed in accordance with the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board Inter-Agency Child Protection Procedures. A copy of these procedures can be found at www.hertssafeguarding.org.uk.
Children’s Services telephone number 0300 123 4043 (including out of hours)
1.5 Complaints
The school has a Complaints Procedure available to parents, pupils and staff who wish to report concerns. This can be found on the school website.
All reported concerns will be taken seriously and considered within the relevant and appropriate process. Anything that constitutes an allegation against a member of staff or volunteer will be dealt with under the specific procedures for Managing Allegations Against Staff.
1.6 Confidentiality
The School’s Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy is available to parents on request from the manager.
All staff will understand that safeguarding issues warrant a high level of confidentiality, not only out of respect for the child and staff involved, but also to ensure that information being released into the public domain does not compromise evidence.
Safeguarding information will be stored and handled in line with the Data Protection Act 1998. The DSP will normally obtain consent from the child/parent to share sensitive information with outside agencies. Where there is good reason to do so (e.g., to help to protect a child), the DSP may share information without consent and will record the reason for this. Safeguarding records are normally exempt from the disclosure provisions of the Data Protection Act, which means that children and parents do not have an automatic right to see them. The preschool will retain this information on the pupil file and transfer to the next school/archive the information in line with The Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005 and The Information and Records Management Society. The preschool will only share information about children with adults who have parental responsibility for a pupil. Please see Hertfordshire’s Pupil Safeguarding Records Guidance at hwww.thegrid.org.uk/info/welfare/child_protection/policy/local.shtml#pupilsafe for further information.
1.7 Curriculum
The preschool is committed to ensuring that children are aware of behaviour towards them that is not acceptable and how they can keep themselves safe. This is discussed using books like “hands are not for hitting” and other age-appropriate resources.
1.8 Health and Safety
We have a Health & Safety Policy which demonstrates the consideration we give to minimising any risk to the children when on the school premises and when undertaking activities out of school under the supervision of our staff. At all times there has to be appropriate staffing levels and when off-site, appropriate and agreed pupil / adult ratios are maintained. The lead adult always assesses visits/trips as to the level of risk and all trips are finally authorised by the manager.
1.9 Inclusion and Diversity
Some children may be at increased risk of neglect and or abuse. Many factors can contribute to an increase in risk, including prejudice and discrimination, isolation, social exclusion, communication issues and reluctance on the part of some adults to accept that abuse can occur.
Our preschool ethos promotes and accepts the differences between all children and adults. In practice this is about ensuring inclusion of individuals and treating them fairly and equally, no matter the diversity of their race, gender, age, disability, religion, or sexual orientation.
Promoting equality and diversity in education is essential for both practitioners and children. The aim is to create a classroom environment where all children can thrive together and understand that individual characteristics make people unique and not ‘different’ in a negative way.
In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE 2016), to ensure that all our pupils receive equal protection, we will also give special consideration to additionally vulnerable groups (as outlined in our Child Protection Policy), for example children with disabilities or special educational needs. Special consideration is also given in the provision of safeguarding information and resources in accessible formats for children and adults with communication needs.
1.10 Managing allegations against staff & volunteers
Our aim is to provide a safe and supportive environment which secures the well-being and very best outcomes for the children at our school. We do recognise that sometimes the behaviour and actions of adults may lead to an allegation of abuse being made.
Allegations sometimes arise from a differing understanding of the same event, but when they occur, they are distressing and difficult for all concerned. We also recognise that many allegations are genuine and there are some adults who deliberately seek to harm or abuse children.
We will take all possible steps to safeguard our children and to ensure that the adults in our school are safe to work with children. We will always ensure that the procedures outlined in Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board Inter-Agency Procedures and Part 4 of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, DfE (2016) are adhered to and will seek appropriate advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). The appropriate step-by-step guide and forms are in the safeguarding folder.
1.11 Partnership with other services
Our preschool recognises that it is essential to establish positive and effective working relationships with other agencies that are partners of the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board. There is a joint responsibility on all these agencies to share information to ensure the safeguarding of all children.
1.12 Partnership with parents
Precious Playdays is committed to working in partnership with parents/carers to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to support them to understand our statutory responsibilities in this area.
The school shares a purpose with parents to educate, keep children safe from harm and have their welfare promoted. We are committed to working with parents positively, openly, and honestly. Precious Playdays will share with parents any concerns we may have about their child unless to do so may place a child at risk of harm. We encourage parents to discuss any concerns they may have with their child’s keyworker or the management team.
1.13 Safer Recruitment and Selection
Our recruitment process selects, screens, trains and supervises staff and volunteers so that the appointment of unsuitable people can be deterred and rejected from working with children. Furthermore, volunteers do not work unsupervised.
The preschool has a legal duty to refer to the Disclosure and Barring Service anyone who has harmed, or poses a risk of harm, to a child, or if there is reason to believe the member of staff has committed one of a number of listed offences, and who has been removed from working (paid or unpaid) in regulated activity or would have been removed had they not left. If these circumstances arise in relation to a member of staff at our school, a referral will be made as soon as possible after the resignation or removal of the individual in accordance with advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
Our preschool also adheres to the guidance issued by The Department for Education in 2015 regarding persons who are disqualified under the Childcare Act 2006.
1.14 Criminal Record by association
The preschool will give Ofsted, the following information about themselves or about any person who lives in the same household as the registered provider or who is employed in the household:
o details of any order, determination, conviction, or other ground for disqualification from registration under regulations made under section 75 of the Childcare Act 2006
o the date of the order, determination or conviction, or the date when the other ground for disqualification arose
o the body or court which made the order, determination or conviction, and the sentence (if any) imposed
o a certified copy of the relevant order (in relation to an order or conviction)
The information will be provided to Ofsted as soon as reasonably practicable, but at the latest within 14 days of the date the provider became aware of the information or ought reasonably to have become aware of it if they had made reasonable enquiries
1.15 Safer Working Practice
All adults who encounter our children have a duty of care to safeguard and promote their welfare. There is a legal duty placed upon us to ensure that all adults who work with or on behalf of our children are competent, confident and safe to do so.
All staff will be provided with a copy of our school’s code of conduct/staff behaviour policy/handbook at induction. These are sensible steps that every adult should take in their daily professional conduct with children. All staff and volunteers are expected to carry out their work in accordance with this guidance and will be made aware that failure to do so could lead to disciplinary action.
The link below will direct you to the current government guidance on safer working practice which we share with staff:
http://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Guidance-for-Safer-Working-Practices-2015-final.pdf
1.15 Security
The security measures put into place at Precious Playdays have taken into account the need to balance the need to remain a welcoming environment whilst ensuring the safety of all our children and staff. A security risk assessment will be completed and reviewed annually (or earlier if deemed necessary). The findings will be used in the review of this security policy and shared with staff.
Access to buildings:
The school will take all reasonable efforts to control access to the buildings and grounds of the school to prevent unauthorised access to children and ensure the personal safety of staff. Gates directly to the outdoor areas are locked with coded padlocks. Visitors are required to sign in and wear a Visitors badge.
Visitors, contractors, and maintenance personnel:
The control of visitors, contractors and maintenance personnel is a fundamental part of our site security policy for the safeguarding of both people and property. Appropriate checks will be undertaken in respect of visitors and volunteers coming into school. Visitors will be expected to sign in and out via the entrance lobby visitors log and to display a visitors’ badge whilst on preschool site. Any individual who is not known or identifiable should be challenged for clarification and reassurance.
The preschool will not accept the behaviour of any individual (parent or other) that threatens school security or leads others (child or adult) to feel unsafe. Such behaviour will be treated as a serious concern and may result in a decision to refuse access for that individual to the school site.
1.16 Whistleblowing
Whistleblowing is a term used when someone who works in or for an organisation wishes to raise concerns about malpractice in the organisation. Whistleblowing encourages and
enables staff to raise serious concerns within the nursery, rather than overlooking a problem or “blowing the whistle” outside.
The preschool is committed to the highest possible standards of openness, probity, and accountability.
Making a disclosure in the public interest (whistleblowing) is essential for keeping children safe in the setting and to ensure good quality practice across the setting.
This policy is underpinned by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, which encourages people to raise concerns about misconduct or malpractice in the workplace, to promote good governance and accountability in the public interest. The act covers behaviour that amounts to:
A criminal offence
Failure to comply with any legal obligation
A miscarriage of justice
Danger to health and safety of an individual and/or environment
Bullying, humiliation, discrimination, poor practice, unsafe practice, abuse, or neglect
Deliberate concealment of information about any of the above
Concerns will be investigated and resolved as quickly as possible. If an employee or volunteer feels that the matter cannot be discussed with the managers, then Ofsted can be contacted by email- whistleblowing@ofsted.gov.uk or by phone on 0300 123 1231
Reviewed: 05/10/2021