Netherwood
School
Child Protection
SECTION 1 SETTING THE SCENE
Abuse of children can
initially be spotted by parents, nursery nurses, youth workers, teachers,
lecturers, peripatetic teachers, governors, volunteer helpers, lunchtime
supervisors, Educational Psychologists, Educational Welfare Officers, non
teaching staff, etc. The purpose of this
policy is to inform those who work closely with children and their families as
to the most common signs of child abuse and to prescribe the procedures that
must be followed to protect the child.
Child abuse manifests itself
in a wide variety of ways, e.g. physical, emotional, sexual, severe neglect and
as a result of domestic violence. Abuse of all kinds occurs right across the
social spectrum. Child sexual abuse in
particular has been shown to occur in families at all levels of socio-economic
status, and in families with high overt degrees of conformity to codes of
sexual respectability.
Although the signs of child
abuse are well documented many of the symptoms taken in isolation can occur in
situations where no child abuse is occurring, will occur or has ever
occurred. Many of these signs may also
be indications of other medical, social or psychological problems or simply normal
child development. Staff therefore need
to be careful and thoughtful in ascertaining whether abuse is suspected. The large number of signs and symptoms
described in this policy need to be considered in the light of normal child
development, e.g.
· temper tantrums are to be
expected from a two year old but may be a sign of serious distress in a child
of 10;
· an interest in sexual
topics and members of the opposite sex is to be expected in a youngster of 15,
but in a 7 year old, such behaviour may well be a cause for concern.
Considering that child
protection procedures apply to all children below the age of 18, the
Principal/Designated SM and staff must decide if they have reasonable grounds
for suspecting that child abuse is taking place. If they have reasonable grounds then they
must act immediately. It is safer to act
or to discuss with other agencies than to delay.
Many agencies and support
services are able to help identify and assess pupils' needs and to provide
support for those pupils. Co-operation
between the School, the LEA, the health services, police, social services and
other agencies is vital for the most effective assessment, intervention and
deployment of resources for children to be secured. Indeed, there are clear statutory duties on
these agencies to co-operate.
Such agencies and support
services include a wide variety of specialist teachers and other
professionals. Immediate contact and
close liaison between agencies such as the Social Services Department, Local
Constabulary, Local Health Authority and NSPCC is essential in cases of child
abuse. All agencies must understand that
in child protection cases they are not only required to carry out their own
agency functions, but are also making a vital contribution to advising and assisting
the local authority to discharge its statutory child protection/child care
duties.
Each establishment must have
a 'Designated Senior Member Of Staff' who is responsible for Child Protection
issues – this will normally be the Principal in school. For clarity the term Principal/Designated SM
(Senior Manager) will be used throughout the rest of this policy when
deemed appropriate. The
Principal/Designated SM should ensure that all staff (teaching and support
staff) are familiar with the contents of this Child Protection Policy, and that
all staff sign a record to confirm that they have received and read the
document. The signed record must be
updated termly so as to include all new staff.
This Child Protection Policy and the integral process of notification
forms an important part of the induction programme for all staff.
Recent legislation regarding
the identification of convicted 'child sex offenders' states that their
residence address and identity will be released to Principal on a 'need to
know' basis. If the Principal is informed
that a 'child sex offender' is in the locality of the School, it is not for the
Principal to decide upon whether or not parents can be informed – this is the
decision of the police. In the situation
where a Principal is aware that a 'child sex offender' is in the vicinity of
the School, but no authorisation has been given to inform parents, then that
Principal may be well advised to make 'awareness of strangers' and 'personal
safety' a high profile topic in:
· the current assembly
programme;
· the current CPSHE scheme
of work.
SECTION 2 AIMS AND
OBJECTIVES
Aims:
1. The School aims to provide
pupils with relevant information, skills and attitudes to help them to resist
abuse and prepare for the responsibilities of adult life including home and
family. Together with these skills we
hope that pupils will feel confident they can confide in staff on issues of
neglect, abuse and deprivation.
2. To allow staff to be
familiar and confident with the appropriate child protection procedures and
issues. This policy is intended to give
clear guidance to all staff, teaching & non-teaching on:
i. the signs that may indicate the
possibility of abuse;
ii. the procedures to follow
if a child discloses abuse or a member of staff suspects abuse.
3. To work with parents to build
an understanding of the School's responsibility to ensure the welfare of all
children and a recognition that this may occasionally require cases to be
referred to other investigative agencies as a constructive and helpful measure.
4. To monitor children who
have been identified as 'at risk'.
5. To contribute to an
inter-agency approach to child protection by developing effective and
supportive liaison with other agencies and schools - thereby contributing
towards a more effective detection of the incidence of child abuse.
6. To review the School
procedures and improve the way child protection issues are managed.
Objectives:
These objectives relate directly to the six aims of this Child
Protection Policy at Netherwood School and are intended to show how the aims
are actually put into practice.
1. i. The skills will be delivered through the Curriculum and
especially via CPSHE.
ii. We try to create an
environment and ethos in which children feel secure, their viewpoints are
valued, they are encouraged to talk and they are listened to.
iii. We provide suitable
support and guidance so that pupils have a range of appropriate adults whom
they feel confident to approach if they are in difficulties.
iv. We use the Curriculum to
raise pupils' awareness and build confidence so that pupils have a range of
contacts and strategies to ensure their own protection and understand the
importance of protecting others.
v. Staff treat the children
with respect and all pupils are expected to treat each other and staff with respect.
vi. We look carefully at the
role models the School offers pupils through staffing, materials used,
selection of curricular content and other experiences.
vii. We try to impress upon
pupils the importance of rejecting violence as a means of resolving conflict.
viii. We regularly review and
evaluate our school policies and practices of social control and behaviour
modification.
ix. We give pupils
opportunities to understand, and strategies for coping with stress.
x. We give all pupils the
opportunities to learn about child development and good parenting.
xi. We include, in the
Curriculum/CPSHE programmes information on personal safety.
2. i We provide appropriate child protection training every three
years to school
staff
and in particular to designated teachers (who must train every two years) to
ensure that their skills and expertise are up to date. Training focuses on the
recognition of the symptoms of child abuse, the procedures and case
studies. All staff undergo some initial
training in child protection during the induction programme for new teachers
and support staff.
ii. Each member of staff is
given a complete copy of this policy in their staff handbook, and a copy of the
Department of Health booklet ‘What to do if You’re Worried A Child is Being
Abused’.
iii. Each teacher must sign a
specific register to indicate that they have read the policy in its entirety
and that they accept their duty:
· to be familiar with this
policy;
· to implement this policy
and to co-operate with the School management in promoting 'Child Protection'.
3. i. We involve parents and other professionals in the community
in the personal
safety programme.
ii. We inform parents/carers
(by publishing a statement in the School prospectus and in the first termly
newsletter) that the staff are required by law to follow the procedures laid
down by the Area Child Protection Committee.
The statement reads as follows:
"The
School is committed to promoting the health and welfare of all pupils and if
staff see signs which suggest that one of the pupils may have been the victim
of abuse, staff will (as is required by law) follow the procedures laid down by
the Area Child Protection Committee.
N.B. Such action in no way infers
that any parent/carer or other individual is being accused of wrongdoing. A full version of the School's Child
Protection policy is available upon request."
4. We keep records
in a secure location, clear records of pupils' progress, maintaining sound
policies on confidentiality, providing information to other professionals,
submitting reports to case conferences and attending case conferences.
5. i. We employ the child protection procedures and systems of the
ACPC.
ii. We employ systems that
enable the transition process to include child protection procedures.
6. A case review is
conducted annually.
SECTION 3 TYPES OF CHILD
ABUSE AND THEIR SYMPTOMS
Child abuse can be categorised into
four main and distinct categories, i.e.
1. Physical Abuse.
2. Sexual Abuse.
3. Emotional Abuse.
4. Physical Neglect.
These
four categories are those used by the CPS and Police in pursuing any cases of
child abuse. A child can be at risk from
any combination of the four categories. However, for those working in the field
two other categories of abuse will be of significance, i.e.
5. Domestic Violence.
6. Grave Concern/at risk.
These different types of
abuse require different approaches. A
child suffering from physical abuse may be in immediate and serious
danger. Action should, therefore, be
taken immediately. With other forms of abuse
there is a need to ensure that adequate information is gathered. There is also a need to make sure that
grounds for suspicion have been adequately investigated and recorded. The need to collate information must be
balanced against the need for urgent action.
If there are reasonable grounds for suspicion then a decision to monitor
the situation should only be taken after consultation. A situation that should cause particular
concern is that of a child who fails to thrive without any obvious reason. In such a situation a medical investigation
will be required to consider the causes.
Each of the five categories will now be explored in more detail.
1. Physical
Abuse:
This involves physical
injury to a child, including deliberate poisoning, where there is definite
knowledge or a reasonable suspicion, that the injury was inflicted or knowingly
not prevented. Typical signs of Physical
Abuse are:
· bruises and abrasions - especially about the face, head, genitals
or other parts of the body where they would not be expected to occur given the
age of the child. Some types of bruising
are particularly characteristic of non-accidental injury especially when the
child's explanation does not match the nature of injury or when it appears
frequently.
· slap marks – these may be visible on cheeks or buttocks.
· twin bruises on either side of the mouth or cheeks - can be caused
by pinching or grabbing, sometimes to make a child eat or to stop a child from
speaking.
· bruising on both sides of the ear – this is often caused by
grabbing a child that is attempting to run away. It is very painful to be held by the ear, as
well as humiliating and this is a common injury.
· grip marks on arms or trunk - found in babies who are handled
roughly or held down in a violent way.
Gripping bruises on arm or trunk can be associated with shaking a
child. Shaking can cause one of the most
serious injuries to a child, i.e. a brain haemorrhage as the brain hits the
inside of the skull. X-rays and other
tests are required to fully diagnose the effects of shaking. Grip marks can also be indicative of sexual
abuse.
· black eyes - are most commonly caused by an object such as a fist
coming into contact with the eye socket.
N.B. A heavy bang on the nose
however, can cause bruising to spread around the eye but a doctor will be able
to tell if this has occurred.
· damage to the mouth - e.g. bruised/cut lips or torn skin where the
upper lip joins the mouth.
· bite marks.
· fractures - in children less than 2 years.
· poisoning and other misuse of drugs - e.g. overuse of sedatives.
· burns and/or scalds - a round red burn on tender, non-protruding
parts like the mouth, inside arms and on the genitals will almost certainly
have been deliberately inflicted. Any
burns that appear to be cigarette burns should be cause for concern. Some types of scalds known as 'dipping
scalds' are always cause for concern. An
experienced person will notice skin splashes caused when a child accidentally
knocks over a hot cup of tea. In
contrast a child who has been deliberately 'dipped' in a hot bath will not have
splash marks.
2. Sexual
Abuse:
The involvement of
dependent, developmentally immature children and adolescents in sexual
activities they do not truly comprehend, to which they are unable to give informed
consent or that violate the social taboos of family roles. Typical signs of Sexual Abuse are:
· a detailed sexual knowledge inappropriate to the age of the child.
· behaviour that is excessively affectionate or sexual towards other
children or adults.
· attempts to inform by making
a disclosure about the sexual abuse often begin by the initial sharing of
limited information with an adult. It is
also very characteristic of such children that they have an excessive
pre-occupation with secrecy and try to bind the adults to secrecy or
confidentiality.
· a fear of medical examinations.
· a fear of being alone – this applies to
friends/family/neighbours/baby-sitters, etc.
· a sudden loss of appetite, compulsive eating, anorexia nervosa or
bulimia nervosa.
· excessive masturbation is especially worrying when it takes place
in public.
· promiscuity.
· unusually explicit or detailed sex play in young children.
· sexual approaches or assaults - on other children or adults.
· pregnancy, urinary tract infections (UTI), sexually transmitted disease
(STD) are all cause for immediate concern in young children, or in
adolescents if his/her partner cannot be identified.
· bruising to the breasts, buttocks, lower abdomen, thighs and
genital/rectal areas. Bruises may be
confined to grip marks where a child has been held so that sexual abuse can
take place.
· discomfort or pain particularly in the genital or anal areas.
· the drawing of pornographic or sexually explicit images.
3. Emotional
Abuse:
The severe adverse effect on
the behaviour and emotional development of a child caused by persistent or
severe emotional ill treatment or rejection.
All abuse involves some emotional ill treatment - this category should
be used where it is the main or sole form of abuse.
4. Physical
Neglect:
The persistent or severe
neglect of a child (for example, by exposure to any kind of danger, including
cold and starvation) which results in serious impairment of the child's health
or development, including non-organic failure to thrive. Persistent stomach-aches, feeling unwell, and
apparent anorexia can be associated with Physical neglect. However, typical signs of Physical Neglect
are:
· Underweight – a child may be frequently hungry or pre-occupied with
food or in the habit of stealing food or with the intention of procuring
food. There is particular cause for
concern where a persistently underweight child gains weight when away from
home, for example, when in hospital or on a school trip. Some children also lose weight or fail to gain
weight during school holidays when school lunches are not available and this is
a cause for concern.
· Inadequately clad - a distinction needs to be made between
situations where children are inadequately clad, dirty or smelly because they
come from homes where neatness and cleanliness are unimportant and those where
the lack of care is preventing the child from thriving.
Physical Neglect is a
difficult category because it involves the making of a judgement about the
seriousness of the degree of neglect.
Much parenting falls short of the ideal but it may be appropriate to
invoke child protection procedures in the case of neglect where the child's
development is being adversely affected.
5. Domestic
Violence
This is not a separate
category of child abuse as such, and should be treated as physical or emotional
abuse as appropriate. Children in violent homes are up to nine times more
likely to be injured and abused, either directly or through trying to protect
their parent.
A child may be witness to violence
that results in behavioural problems, absenteeism (staying at home to protect a
parent), ill health, bullying, anti-social behaviour, drug or alcohol abuse or
self-harm.
Teachers need to be made
aware of the need to support vulnerable children who have moved schools as a
result of a parent fleeing from domestic violence, and those who may be
attending from a refuge environment.
6. Grave
Concern/at risk:
This is not a separate
category of child abuse as such but covers a number of situations where a child
may be at risk. Children whose
situations do not currently fit the above categories but where social and
medical assessments indicate that they are at significant risk of abuse. Grave concern may be felt where a child shows
symptoms of stress and distress (see below) and any of the following
circumstances apply:
· there is a known child
abuser in the family;
· another child in the
family is known to have been abused;
· the parents are involved
with pornographic material to an unusual degree;
· there is an adult in the
family with a history of violent behaviour.
The Symptoms of Stress and Distress:
When a child is suffering
from any one or more of the previous four 'categories of abuse', or if that
child is 'at risk', he/she will nearly always suffer from/display signs of
stress and distress. An abused child is
likely to show signs of stress and distress as listed below:
· a lack of concentration
and a fall-off in school performance;
· aggressive or hostile
behaviour;
· moodiness, depression,
irritability, listlessness, fearfulness, tiredness, temper tantrums, short
concentration span, acting withdrawn or crying at minor occurrences;
· difficulties in
relationships with peers;
· regression to more
immature forms of behaviour, e.g. thumb sucking;
· self harming or suicidal
behaviour;
· low self esteem;
· wariness, insecurity,
running away or truancy - children who persistently run away from home may be
escaping from sexual/physical abuse;
· disturbed sleep;
· general personality
changes such as unacceptable behaviour or severe attention seeking behaviour;
· a sudden change in school
performance.
Parental Signs of Child Abuse:
Particular forms of parental
behaviour that could raise or reinforce concerns are:
· implausible explanations
of injuries;
· unwillingness to seek
appropriate medical treatment for injuries;
· injured child kept away
from school until injuries have healed without adequate reason;
· a high level of expressed
hostility to the child;
· grossly unrealistic
assumptions about child development;
· general dislike of
child-like behaviour;
· inappropriate labelling
of child's behaviour as bad or naughty;
· leaving children
unsupervised when they are to young to be left unattended.
SECTION 4 THE ROLES OF
DIFFERENT STAFF AND AGENCIES
N.B.
for a full description of the role of various agencies involved in Child
Protection procedures see the Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC) procedure
for child protection.
1. The LEA
LEAs have responsibilities to
manage child protection issues across their region. Though we are not under the
control of an LEA, we believe that their strategy is worth noting. They
particular they must provide:
·
Strategic planning and
co-ordinate the delivery of service, through the allocation of resources and by
working with other agencies including Social Services, health care
professionals, youth offending teams, police and Area Child Protection
Committee.
·
Support and ensure that all
maintained schools are aware of their responsibilities through providing
training, guidance and support.
·
Protection for all children
who are not in a normal school setting, i.e. Pupil Referral Units, excluded
pupils and those being educated at home through a tutoring system.
·
An identified senior officer
for child protection to manage all provision and services, including the
support for Headteachers/teachers in cases of alleged abuse.
·
Resources to support Child
Protection and the work of the ACPC and to ensure that schools can discharge
their responsibilities to keep children safe.
·
A senior officer to represent
the LEA on the ACPC, and makes an effective contribution to co-ordinate
services for children.
·
Support to ensure the
inter-agency partnership is working and evaluate practice and take action to
remedy any problems.
·
Provide training for all new
LEA staff, designated teachers and Governors, who work with children to ensure
their knowledge and skills are kept up-to-date.
·
Provide model policies and
procedures for schools and ensure that school policies comply with local ACPC
guidelines.
2. The Proprietors
The Proprietors are
accountable for ensuring that the School has effective policies and procedures
in place and for monitoring compliance with local ACPC guidelines - Section 175
of the Education Act 2002 introduced this new duty. However, the Proprietors do
not have the right to know details of cases except in exercising their
disciplinary functions in respect of allegations against a member of staff.
They should:
·
Nominate a respected member
of the local society to have responsibility for aspects of child protection in
the school, to liaise with the Headteacher and provide information and reports
(in conjunction with the Designated Teacher) to the Principal.
·
Undertake training about
child protection to ensure they have the knowledge and information to discharge
their duties and understand their responsibilities.
·
Ensure the School has a
child protection policy in place in accordance with local inter-agency child
protection procedures.
·
Ensure the policy is
available to parents.
·
Operate safe recruitment procedures
and ensure appropriate checks (including Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) and List
99) are carried out on all new members of staff.
·
Have procedures in place for
dealing with allegations of abuse against members of staff, and these comply
with inter-agency guidelines.
·
Ensure a member of the SLT
is designated to take the lead in child protection issues, who can provide
advice, support and training for staff, liaise with LEA and all inter-agency
personnel.
·
Undertake an annual review
of policies and procedures and remedy any deficiencies that come to light.
(of Independent Schools have
statutory responsibilities for pupils who are under 18 years old only. As a
Boarding School, we are aware of inspection by the Commission for Social Care
Inspection (the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales) under the Boarding
Schools National Minimum Standards Inspection Regulations. These are published
by the Secretary of State under Section 87 C (1) of the Children Act 1989, and
amended by the Care Standards Act 2000. Standard 3 specifies what must be in
place for child protection and allegations of abuse).
Extended School and Before
and After School Activities are covered by the Principal of the School except where premises are hired
out and a trust deed allows another person to control the use of the premises,
thus allowing school premises to be used by the wider community.
3. The Principal/Designated
SM:
The Principal/Designated SM is the
person responsible for contacting the social services to register concern about
a child's welfare and implementing procedures relating to child
protection. He/she must therefore:
·
implement the policies and
procedures adopted by the Principal;
·
ensure sufficient time and
resources are allocated to the Designated Person to discharge their duties,
including taking part in inter-agency strategy meetings and contributing to the
assessment of pupils;
·
be fully conversant with
ACPC Procedures;
·
organise training on Child
Protection within the School;
·
ensure that all staff know
about and have access to ACPC;
·
keep the Principal informed
if appropriate
·
be aware of the role of
other agencies;
·
ensure
representation/reports to Child Protection Conferences and keep appropriate
records;
·
support staff;
·
ensure children on Child
Protection Register are known and that protection plans are followed and
feedback given;
·
advise the Principal about
curriculum issues;
·
monitor and evaluate the
effectiveness and implementation of the School's Child Protection Policy.
·
ensure arrangements are in
place for pupils in work placements and/or who are being educated off-site on a
regular basis.
If the Principal/Designated
SLT Member is absent for any reason it must be made clear to all staff which
Deputy is in charge and therefore acting as the Designated Member of Staff.
a) The Head/designated senior
member of staff in collaboration with individual staff must complete the report
form within 24 hours of a referral, detailing signs observed, action taken and
outcomes of contact with other agencies, and send it as soon as possible to:
i) Access and Welfare Section, County Hall;
(Child Care Duty Desk – 01437776322)
ii)
Social Services Department
(appropriate Division).
b) The Head/designated member
of staff should be available in the holidays to produce an educational report
to contribute to case conferences.
c) The Head/designated senior
member of staff and or individual members of staff must be prepared to attend a
case conference (usually called by Social Services Department) at very short
notice, even if it proves to be inconvenient.
d) The Head/designated senior
member of staff should inform the initiating member of staff about what action
has been taken.
The Principal/Designated SM
must prepare reports for, and be prepared to attend a case conference that is
scheduled to be held during a school holiday.
If he/she cannot attend for some reason then the Deputy acting as the
Designated SM should attend.
If a child is moving to a
new school then the Principal/Designated SM must pass any on-going concerns to
the Principal/Designated SM of the new school, and inform/involve the Keyworker
and Register Custodian as appropriate.
If a child is currently on the register and is moving to a new school,
then the Principal/Designated SM must forward all records to the
Principal/Designated SM of the new school and inform/involve the Keyworker and
Register Custodian as appropriate.
If the child moves to a new
address then the Keyworker and Register Custodian must be informed/involved as
appropriate. If the child's new address
is unknown, the Principal must forward any information which he/she has which
might prove helpful in tracing a child.
The Principal/Designated SM
must ensure that in his/her absence any Deputy who is to act as the Designated
Member Of Staff knows the procedure to be followed in the case of suspected
child abuse (see later) and the names of any Keyworkers.
The Principal/Designated SM
has a professional duty to enquire about the progress of individual cases in
which they are/have been involved.
4. The Access And Welfare
Department/ Child Protection Team:
The Access and Welfare
Department at County Hall deals with issues of attendance,
admissions/allocations, child employment, child protection, child abuse,
exclusions, etc.
5. School Staff (Teaching):
Abuse of children in attendance
at school is most likely to be first noticed by teaching staff and/or
educational welfare officers. Teachers
bring a number of particular advantages to the recognition of child abuse, i.e.
·
they have regular and
frequent opportunities to observe children, including opportunities to observe
changes in their behaviour.
·
they have an ongoing
relationship with children, who may confide in them about difficulties that
they are experiencing.
·
they have knowledge of the
wide range of behaviour likely to be seen in children of a particular age.
·
they have opportunities to
observe the response of a group of children to particular situations. They will, therefore, be sensitive to
surprising or unusual responses.
These opportunities to see
children in context give a particular value to the observations of
teachers. Their insights need to be
complemented by the skills of other relevant disciplines, especially those of
social workers and medical practitioners.
A teacher may become concerned when a child tells the teacher about
events that have happened to them or to a friend, brother, sister or when
another adult claims to be aware of abuse.
Teachers value their relationships with parents/guardians and in many
situations will share their initial concerns about a child with the
parents/guardians. However, in many
cases the parents/guardians may be the abusers and so teachers should be
prepared to share their concerns with other professionals at an early stage
without necessarily informing parents of the action they propose to take. Teachers have a professional duty to:
·
observe and be alert to
signs of abuse;
·
take immediate action in the
child's best interest by reporting any suspicion or evidence of abuse or
non-accidental injury;
·
know the role of the
Designated Person and the School and ACPC Procedures;
·
enquire about the progress
of individual cases in which they are/have been involved.
All teaching staff must
understand the importance of reporting suspicious circumstances and be able to
report signs of abuse to the Principal/Designated SM. Beyond the initial reporting of suspected
child abuse, staff have a clearly restricted role as further judgements and
action decisions are the responsibility of other agencies with statutory powers
to help the child.
6. School Staff
(Non-Teaching):
As with teaching staff,
non-teaching staff have a responsibility to observe and report any suspicion or
evidence of abuse or non-accidental injury.
All non-teaching staff must understand the importance of reporting suspicious
circumstances and be able to report signs of abuse to the Principal/Designated
SM. Beyond the initial reporting of
suspected child abuse, non-teaching staff have a clearly restricted role as
further judgements and action decisions are the responsibility of other
agencies with statutory powers to help the child.
7. The Keyworker:
Every child placed on the
Child Protection Register has a named Keyworker, who is either a member of the
Social Services Department or the NSPCC.
It is the Keyworker's responsibility to co-ordinate inter-agency
activity. Staff in educational
establishments can make a vital contribution in advising and assisting the
Keyworker, and have a duty to co-operate fully with the Keyworker in providing
information, preparing assessments, implementing plans and in supporting the
child as appropriate. This may involve
liaising with other agencies during school holidays.
SECTION 5 CASE CONFERENCES
A case conference is called
when there has been a Child Protection Investigation. It is not a forum for a formal decision that
a person has abused a child, but it should identify those adults who present,
or are thought to present, risks to the child – it is the courts who decide the
guilt of a person on child abuse charges.
Although case conferences are normally covered by the Social Services
Department, other agencies, including education department staff, may request a
case conference. Participation may be
limited to those who have a need to know or a contribution to make, and this
will always include staff in schools, centres and colleges. Where staff at the School are involved with a
child, they may contribute to the initial assessment under Section 17 or
Section 47 of the enquiry. A report should be prepared and sent to the
conference 48 hours prior to the event and copies taken to share with other
professionals. Even if alleged abuse had not been identified in the School, the
Head should automatically be invited to attend the initial case conference as
he/she will undoubtedly have invaluable information to contribute. In order to protect the child a Child
Protection Plan is drawn up and the child is placed on the Child Protection
Register – this is maintained by Social Services on behalf of the ACPC.
Staff in educational
establishments may need to be aware of any recommendations made at the case
conference and in Child Protection Plan in order to ensure continuing care for
the child. It may be necessary to attend
case conferences held in school holidays, and the Headteacher/Designated SM
will need to make arrangements as appropriate.
Designated Staff in
different agencies will be notified if there is an intention to remove a child
from the Register and there is a right to object to such de-registration.
At the end of the initial
conference, if the child is placed on the child protection register, a ‘core
group’ will be formed, made up of a group of individuals responsible for
developing the child protection plan and using it as a detailed working tool.
Membership of the core group will comprise the Key Worker, the child, if
appropriate, family members and professionals who have direct contact with the
family. The Designated Principal/SM will be a member for a child present in the
School. All members are jointly responsible for changing the child protection
plan as need arises and for implementing it. The first meeting of the core
group must take place within 10 working days of the Initial Child Protection
Conference and meet regularly (at least every six weeks) after that, to monitor
changes and alter the child protection plan accordingly.
SECTION 6 RECORDS
All records about child
protection, including case conference records are confidential and
schools/colleges must ensure the safekeeping of such records and of other
documents for individual cases and the eventual secure destruction of such
records. Information given at case
conferences must not be disclosed without the prior permission of the person
who originally supplied the information.
Statute exempts any information relating to actual, alleged or suspected
child abuse from the requirements of disclosure to those with Parental
Responsibility. When a pupil transfers
school all relevant concerns and/or records must be forwarded on – for further
details see Section 3.1 (the role of the Principal/Designated SM).
All staff are required to record accurately information that may be required in respect of child protection. If a child discloses, record the precise information as soon as possible, with date, event, action taken, and sign and date the record. It is very important for staff to di