Safeguarding Policy and Codes of Conduct

CHILD AND VULNERABLE ADULT PROTECTION POLICY

 1 Introduction

Writing East Midlands (WEM) is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with its staff and fully recognises its responsibilities for their protection.

In this Policy:

(a) children means children and young people under 18, and child should be understood accordingly;

(b) staff means WEM employees, authors, consultants, contractors and volunteers.

(c) vulnerable adults means persons aged 18 or over who are or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental health, disability, age or illness and is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.

This Policy applies to all staff and sets out all staff members’ responsibilities when working or coming into contact with children and vulnerable adults in the course of their work for WEM (including, for example, during workshops, events, work experience or placements).

All staff are responsible for supporting their setting in protecting children when they take part in WEM activities.

In addition, WEM expects its staff to comply with the safeguarding policy of the venue in which they are working and looks to the venue to facilitate compliance with that policy.  Failure to comply with this Policy, or the venue’s policy, will be taken extremely seriously and may result in action being taken.

Staff should refer to the Good Practice Guidelines set out in the Appendix to this Policy for guidance on what types of behaviour are acceptable and what types of behaviour are inappropriate.

2 Policy statement

WEM believes that:

• all children and vulnerable adults, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial or ethnic origin, religious belief and sexual identity have a right to protection from harm or abuse; and
• the welfare of children and vulnerable adults is the paramount consideration.

WEM undertakes:

·        to treat children and vulnerable adults with care, respect and dignity;

·        to ensure that all staff recognise that they may be perceived by children and vulnerable adults as trusted representatives of WEM;

·        to ensure that communication with children and vulnerable adults is open and clear, and that, where appropriate, records of official communication are kept;

·        to identify and assess appropriately any relevant risks of its activities arranged for children and vulnerable adults;

·        to investigate fully any concerns raised by staff in connection with the welfare of children and vulnerable adults who take part in WEM activities; and

·        to provide suitable levels of support and training to staff consistent with their involvement with children and vulnerable adults in the workplace.

Through this Policy, WEM will ensure that:

·        we practise safe recruitment by checking the suitability of staff who work with children vulnerable adults;

·        all staff are able to make informed responses to specific child and vulnerable adults protection issues;

·        all staff are able to report any concerns through the appropriate channels;

·        any allegations of harm or abuse or concerns over children’s or vulnerable adults’ welfare are taken seriously and responded to promptly and appropriately by reporting them to the liaison teacher and/or another suitable representatives; and

·        staff work closely with the setting in which they are operating to comply with their policies.

In following this Policy, staff will always be expected to maintain a sense of proportion and to protect the child’s or vulnerable adult’s welfare as a priority.

It is not intended that this Policy should restrict staff from normal ways of working, but staff should always consider how an action or activity might be perceived, as opposed to how it is intended.

3 Recruitment and disclosure checks

As stated above, WEM will ensure that they consider the suitability of all staff who work with children and vulnerable adults as part of their role at WEM.

In order to do this, WEM will carry out the following checks:

·        As a matter of policy, WEM will conduct standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks on all staff and only makes an offer of employment or engagement if the disclosures from such checks are deemed to be satisfactory.  A further DBS check is required at least every two years (or more often if we deem it reasonably necessary).  In each such case, WEM will conduct such further DBS check if it falls during the term of a member of staff’s contract.  A DBS check provides access to a range of different types of information, including, but not limited to, information held on the Police National Computer, such as convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings in England and Wales and those recorded from Scotland.

·        The WEM Child Protection Officer (as defined below) will be subject to enhanced DBS checks.  Enhanced DBS checks contain the same information as standard DBS checks, but with the addition of local police force information considered relevant by Chief Police Officer(s).

·        In those exceptional circumstances where a situation arises in the course of employment which will entail unsupervised work with children or vulnerable adults, an enhanced DBS check will be required before the role may be undertaken.

·        Where an existing staff member’s role has changed to include working with children or vulnerable adults, they may be required to complete further DBS checks before undertaking those new responsibilities.

·        Any member of staff who has been convicted of an offence relating to children or vulnerable adults (and/or is subject to any disciplinary action or sanction relating to children or vulnerable adults) will not be permitted to work on any activity which involves them.

4 Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer

WEM has appointed its Education Manager to have overall responsibility for compliance with this Policy (the Child and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer).

The Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer will ensure that all staff understand their responsibilities under this Policy.

For all activities and events organised or approved by WEM, the Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer will lead on child and vulnerable adult protection, raising awareness of this Policy and its guidelines among other staff.

The Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer will:

·        agree with the board of WEM which positions require enhanced disclosure checks;

·        be the focal point for all child and vulnerable adult protection questions;

·        have responsibility to provide advice and guidance to staff who during the course of their work, believe that a child or vulnerable adult may be at risk of harm and/or have concerns and

·        ensure that the organisations with which WEM is working make available and explain their child and vulnerable adults protection policy to relevant WEM staff.

The Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer shall receive appropriate training and support to undertake the role.

5 How do I raise a concern? 

Staff should remember that they are not formally trained to deal with situations of abuse or concerns over a child or vulnerable adult’s welfare or to decide whether abuse has occurred and should therefore immediately report any concerns following the procedures below.

All concerns, allegations or actual incidents under the supervision of WEM shall be promptly reported to the Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer.

The Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer will investigate the concerns and/or allegations and will keep appropriate written records.  Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer will ensure that all such records are kept securely locked.

The investigation may result in external organisations such as social services being contacted.   In other instances it may result in the invoking of procedures, such as disciplinary and/or grievance procedures.

All information in relation to such incidents should be recorded and must include as a minimum:

·        the date and time of the disclosure, concern, allegation or actual abuse incident;

·        details given about the incident;

·        an indication of the parties involved;

·        details of any action that WEM has taken; and

·        details of further reporting actions (e.g. to relevant agencies and organisations).

If, for any reason, it is decided that it is not appropriate to consult with a relevant statutory agency, a full explanation must be documented.

An indication of how WEM proposes to deal with the matter will be given within 21 days, but more quickly where reasonably possible.  An indication of the likely timescales involved in providing a final response will also be provided.

If it is not possible for initial enquiries to be completed within 21 days, the external specialist organisation will provide telephone feedback to explain the situation.  If a decision is made not to investigate further, an explanation of the reasons for the decision will be provided.

7 PR events and photographs

WEM’s policy is to seek written consent from a child’s parent or guardian to take and use images of any children under the supervision of WEM.  Parents should be made aware of when, where and how the images may be used in order to give their informed consent.

E-SAFETY POLICY

This policy and the procedures that it underpins apply to all WEM staff, including senior managers and the board of trustees, paid staff, volunteers and sessional workers, agency staff, students and anyone working on behalf of WEM.  The overall aims of this policy are:

·        to protect children and vulnerable adults who receive WEM’s services and who make use of information technology (such as mobile phones, games consoles and the internet) as part of their involvement with us;

·        to provide staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to e-safety; and

·        to ensure that, as an organisation, we operate in line with our values and within the law in terms of how we use information technology.

We recognise that:

·        the welfare of the children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with our services is paramount and should govern our approach to the use and management of electronic communications technologies;

·        all children and vulnerable adults, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse;

·        working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare and in helping young people to be responsible in their approach to e-safety; and

·        the use of information technology is an essential part of all our lives:

·        it is involved in how we as an organisation gather and store information, as well as how we communicate with each other; and

·        it is also an intrinsic part of the experience of our children and vulnerable adults, and is greatly beneficial to all, but it can present challenges in terms of how we use it responsibly and, if misused either by an adult or a young person, can be actually or potentially harmful to such user.

We seek to promote e-safety by: 

·        appointing an e-safety co-ordinator;

·        developing a range of procedures that provide clear and specific directions to staff and volunteers on the appropriate use of ICT;

·        supporting and encouraging children and vulnerable adults using our service to use the opportunities offered by mobile phone technology and the internet in a way that keeps themselves safe and shows respect for others;

·        supporting and encouraging parents and carers to do what they can to keep their children and vulnerable adults safe online and when using their mobile phones and game consoles;

·        incorporating statements about safe and appropriate ICT use into the codes of conduct both for staff and volunteers and for children and vulnerable adults;

·        developing an e-safety agreement for use with young people and vulnerable adults;

·        using our procedures to deal firmly, fairly and decisively with any examples of inappropriate ICT use, complaints or allegations, whether by an adult or a child/young person (these may include breaches of filtering, illegal use, cyber bullying, or use of ICT to groom a child or to perpetrate abuse);

·        informing parents, teachers and carers of incidents of concern as appropriate;

·        reviewing and updating the security of our information systems regularly;

·        providing adequate physical security for ICT equipment;

·        ensuring that user names, log-ins and passwords are kept confidential;

·        using only official email accounts provided via the organisation, and monitoring these as necessary;

·        ensuring that images of children, young people and vulnerable adults are used only after their written permission has been obtained, and only for the purpose for which consent has been given;

·        any social media tools used in the course of our work with children and vulnerable adults and their families must be risk assessed in advance by the member of staff wishing to use them;

·        providing effective management for staff and volunteers on ICT issues, through supervision, support and training; and

·        examining and risk-assessing any emerging new technologies before they are used within the organisation.

CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS PROTECTION POLICY – GOOD PRACTICE GUIDELINES

The following are common-sense examples of how to create a positive culture and climate when engaging with children and vulnerable adults, whether in the workplace or via the internet.

In the workplace

Good practice means:

·        Always working in an open environment (e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging open communication with no secrets).  Never allow yourself to be left alone with a child or vulnerable adult.  Always have a member of venue staff present.  There may be exceptionally rare occasions when a confidential interview or a one-to-one meeting is necessary and, in such circumstances, this should be approved with the setting and the interview should be conducted in a room with an open door or visual access.  Where this is not possible, the member of staff should ensure that there is another adult nearby.

·        Never making gratuitous physical contact with a child or vulnerable adult.  There may be occasions where a distressed participant needs comfort which may include physical comforting, and staff should use their discretion to ensure that it is appropriate and not unnecessary or unjustified contact.

·        Treating all children or vulnerable adults equally, and with respect and dignity. WEM will take positive action to eliminate discrimination against any person or group of people.  Staff should ensure that children and vulnerable adults are protected from discrimination on any grounds, including ability and challenge discriminating comments and behaviour.  Activities should be designed to include all children or vulnerable adults and to promote positive attitudes towards differences.

·        Being clear about what the objectives of the activity are before it begins and always putting the welfare of each child or vulnerable adult first, before winning or achieving goals.

·        Maintaining a safe and appropriate distance (e.g. it is not appropriate for staff to have an intimate relationship with a child or vulnerable adult).

·        Building balanced relationships based on mutual trust which empowers children or vulnerable adults to share in the decision-making process.

·        Conducting yourself in a manner that sets a good example to the participants.  Be an excellent role model – this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol or swearing in the company of, or while responsible for, children or vulnerable adults.

·        If you know that a child or vulnerable adult is participating in or attending a WEM social event or function, give careful thought to any issues that may arise and consult with the Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer and the school in advance to best address these issues.

·        Giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.

·        Never using physical force against a participant, unless it constitutes reasonable restraint to protect him/her or another person or to protect property.  If it is necessary to restrain a participant because they are an immediate danger to themselves or others or to property, then the minimum amount of force should be used for the shortest amount of time.  Remain calm and get the attention and support of other staff.  The incident should be recorded in writing, with a witness statement (where possible), immediately afterwards.

·        Always refer any problems to the Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer and to the setting.

·        Practices never to be sanctioned:

·        Engaging in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay.

·        Sharing a room with a child or vulnerable adult.

·        Engaging in any form of inappropriate touching.

·        Children’s or vulnerable adults’ inappropriate use of language and/or behaviour. This should always be challenged.

·        Sexually suggestive comments to a child vulnerable adult, even in fun.

·        Reducing a child to tears as a form of control.

·        Allowing allegations made by a child or vulnerable adult to go unchallenged unrecorded or not acted upon.

·        Doing things of a personal nature for children or vulnerable adults that they can do for themselves.

·        Inviting or allowing children or vulnerable adults to stay with you at your home or arranging meetings outside of WEM-approved venues.

Via the internet

Note the vulnerability of children and vulnerable adults:

·        Children and vulnerable adults are all vulnerable in an online environment.

·        Experience has shown that some users, including children and young people, behave in more inappropriate and, at times, extreme ways online than they would offline.  Some children and young people will engage in behaviour that may place them at risk, such as giving out personal information about themselves and their family; some will act out fantasies by pretending to be someone else; some will test out their sexual identities by engaging in cyber-flirting and communicating in a sexual way, and generally acting out behaviours in ways that they would not do in real life.

·        In some instances, children and young people may themselves bully, harass and abuse others.

Good practice includes the following requirements:

·        Never give a student your personal email address or mobile phone number.

·        Never use a student’s personal email address or mobile phone number.

·        Do not enter into private correspondence with any student (e.g. via email or text messaging).

We see our young people are, and will be, using Facebook, Twitter and other social media.  WEM recognises the power of social media to transform education, but also recognises the potential hazards.

Adults agree:

·        To never to send a private message to individual student(s), even if the functionality of the site allows it.  The internet should be treated in much the same way as an offline environment.

·        To protect your password, and keep your sign-in information confidential.

·        Not to make ‘friends’ with students on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Flickr, Twitter or any other social networking sites.

·        Report any apparent abuses of the system.

·        Not to post images (e.g. videos or photos) of yourself or the students.  You may submit them to the WEM team, which may decide, where appropriate, to post moderated content to the appropriate page of the Facebook site.

·        Not to enter into communication about a young person’s or vulnerable adult’s emotional/personal life or problems.

·        To think carefully about the content and tone of your messages and the fact that these can easily be forwarded (unlike a spoken remark).  Ensure that your messages are compatible with your work for WEM, and that your messages cannot be misunderstood or misinterpreted.

·        Always to refer any problems to the Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer and to the setting.