Child Protection Policy
Child Protection Policy recognises that in the organisation’s work with children,
the safety and protection of those children is paramount and has priority over all other interests.
This Child Protection Policy is informed by the ‘Safe From Harm’ code of practice (Home Office 1993).
We seek to ensure that children are protected and kept safe from harm while they are with staff
and volunteers within the organisation.
Implementation
In order to implement the Policy Statement, the mentoring project must ensure that:
All staff (full-time, part-time and sessional) and volunteers having access to/working with children have criminal record checks;
All staff and volunteers having access to/working with children are required to supply references;
All staff and volunteers having access to/working with children receive training in child protection issues;
All volunteers are instructed to report the disclosure or discovery of abuse direct to paid staff;
All staff are informed of local statutory arrangements in respect of the disclosure or discovery of abuse;
All staff and volunteers are given both supervision and support in their work with children;
All project premises that children may visit provide a safe environment.
Projects should commit to review policy and good practice at regular intervals. Any questions or concerns should be
addressed to the member of staff with responsibility for implementing this policy within the project.
Child Protection - Guidelines for Volunteers & Project staffPurpose
The purpose of child protection is to ensure that appropriate action is taken when a young person up to the age of 18 years is suspected by mentors or workers of being abused, being at risk from parents, guardians, carers, adult visitors to the home and other responsible adults.
Similar action should also be taken in the case of a young person suspected of being abused by another young person, including within a young person’s own relationships, abuse between siblings etc.
Individual roles within the child protection process
Project Managers are responsible for implementing child protection policy locally. Managers have a responsibility to meet regularly with a volunteer/worker dealing with issues of child abuse to provide support and guidance until such time as the incident is resolved or has been passed to Social Services.
In some instances, projects may have a ‘Designated Person’ who is the day to day contact point for any staff or volunteers who have concerns relating to child protection. The Designated Person (DP) should report on a regular basis to the Project Manager.
The Project Manager and the Child Protection Co-ordinator from Social Services, where appropriate, have a responsibility to ensure that appropriate referrals are made and to liase with other agencies. They will seek to involve a volunteer/worker who is supporting a young person in all stages of the procedure, including interviews and case conferences, in accordance with the needs of the young person.
Talking with young people
The volunteer/worker may the first person the young person has discussed the abuse with. The volunteer/workers response to the young person at this stage is crucial.
It is important to tell the young person that you will do something about it. The young person should be assured that the volunteer/worker would support them in getting information and help to stop the abuse.
Young people rarely lie about abuse, particularly sexual abuse. They may try to conceal the truth in order to protect adults,
particularly where they have been told that something awful may happen to those adults if they tell. They may be confused on details like when and where, but the main point of the story is usually accurate. Young people have been known to try to tell adults of their abuse over a long period of time and been disbelieved or fobbed off.
Volunteers/workers should tell the young person that they believe what they have said. It is appropriate to express regret at the abuse – “I’m sorry that this had been/is happening to you.” It is important to emphasise to the young person that they have done nothing wrong; the abuser is at fault. It is also helpful to praise the young person’s courage in speaking out.
This discussion should take place at the young person’s own pace; they should not be ‘cross-examined’.
Young people may have to relate their experiences to other professionals and it is important that they do not have to do this more than necessary.
Confidentiality
Volunteers/workers should never indicate to a young person that they would keep secrets. A feature of sexual abuse in particular is the secrecy that exists between perpetrator and young person. Volunteers/workers can find themselves pulled into this relationship in a destructive way. Consequently, volunteers/workers should discuss such cases fully with the Project Manager or DP and not work in isolation.
Approaches from young people along the lines of – “if I tell you something you won’t tell anyone else will you?” - should be met with a firm but gentle explanation: “I can’t promise that some things you might tell me I won’t decide to share with someone else. What I can promise is not to do that without you knowing”. Young people may then choose not to tell but usually they are looking for someone to help them to break out of their secret, not join them in it. For young people who do not tell, the volunteer/worker should make sure the young person knows of organisations that may operate in confidence (e.g. Childline, Incest Survivors Groups).
Perpetrators are often abusing other young people at the same time and although the volunteer/worker may not be in contact with these young people their safety is also of concern and this needs to be taken into account in determining a course of action.
Recordings
The volunteer/worker should make notes of what a person who has been abused has said. Care should be taken to do this in a way that does not block the young person from talking; they could for instance be agreed with the young person at the end of the session.
The notes, which a volunteer/worker may keep, can be used as a basis for supporting the volunteer/worker during a difficult process.
These notes should be kept safely: for volunteers, this should be a safe place in their homes; workers should keep notes in a locked cabinet in their office. These notes are not admissible as evidence and should only be shared with other agencies or individuals with the full agreement of the young person. At the end of the work there should be a joint decision about the destruction or further safe keeping of such notes.
Where a case is referred to Social Services, the volunteer/worker and/or Project Manager may submit a written report of what has happened, drawing on the volunteers/workers notes.
Categories of Abuse
The procedures outlined cover physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect:
(i) Physical abuse
Identification
The first task should be to check out the incident or injuries which have aroused the volunteers/workers’ concern. This may be done by speaking with the young person.
Satisfactory Explanations
If the volunteer/worker is satisfied with explanations, a note should be made of the incident and the Project Manager or DP contacted. This is to ensure that volunteers/workers/DP/Project Managers are alerted to a pattern of repeated incidents or injuries, each with an apparently satisfactory explanation.
Unsatisfactory Explanations
If the volunteer/worker is still worried about the young person, s/he should contact the Project Manager/DP to discuss their concerns.
Appropriate action may include:-
considering the need for emergency medical treatment
the Project Manager checking the Child Protection Register
consulting District Adolescent Team (SS) contact
involving the Social Services in obtaining help for the young person
monitoring the young person against future risk.
Serious Incidents
It is obvious that serious injuries will need immediate medical treatment and volunteers/workers should ensure that this happens. A record should be made of the incident by the volunteer/worker and stored as above.
When a referral has been made to the Social Services Department:
every co-operation should be given to Social Workers in any arrangements they may wish to make for the young person e.g. a medical examination
a full report should be sent to the Project Manager.
(ii) Child sexual abuse
Identification
Child sexual abuse usually comes to light in a different way to physical abuse or neglect. Volunteers/workers may become concerned about the change in young person’s behaviour or personality. The most usual route is that the young person confides in a volunteer/worker. This is usually described by other agencies as “disclosure”.
Appropriate Action
The volunteers/workers role is not to discuss the detail of the case with the young person, or with their parent/carer, but to listen, reassure and support the young person in taking action.
The volunteer/worker must not ask leading questions or interrogate the young person, because it is important not to ‘contaminate evidence’. Also if a referral is made to other agencies (Police, Social Services) the young person will be interviewed and it is important not to subject them to unnecessary questioning.
Volunteers/workers who have any concerns about a young person who may be experiencing sexual abuse must share those
concerns with the Project Manager/DP.
Such appropriate action could include:-
monitoring the young persons behaviour (where no disclosure has been made)
taking advice from Social Services Department
contacting the SSD following disclosure
checking the Child Protection register.
It is important that the volunteer/worker states clearly what might happen when the young person talks to Social Services/the Police. The volunteer/worker should also make it clear that s/he cannot tell the Police what has happened, and that the young person will have to do that, but the volunteer/worker will be present to give support.
(iii) Emotional abuse
Emotional abuse is present in all abuse, but can also stand-alone.
It is defined as; ‘the actual or likely severe adverse effect on the emotional and behavioural development of a young person caused by persistent or severe emotional ill-treatment’.
The role of the volunteer/worker is to recognise and record indicators of abuse, consult with the Project Manager/DP about appropriate action and refer where appropriate.
(iv) Neglect
For neglect to be considered, to apply it needs to be persistent or severe resulting in a ‘significant impairment of the young persons ‘health or development’.
The role of the volunteer/worker is to recognise and record indicators of abuse, consult with their DP about appropriate action, and refer where appropriate
Child Protection - Procedures for Project Managers/Designated Persons
Project Managers should assess all allegations promptly and carefully and consider the need for immediate action.
All allegations should be pursued and recorded regardless of the availability of the alleged perpetrator to co-operate with the
investigation.
If Project Managers are unsure that concerns are valid they should take advice from Social Services.
Where the Project Manager decides there are grounds for concern about an individual, social services and the police should be informed immediately.
The individual under suspicion must be notified of the cause for concern. However the timing of the notification and any action will be decided at the strategy discussion convened by social services and/or the police.
The timing of notifications of suspicions to other relevant agencies will be decided by the strategy discussion.
Full documentation should be kept. It should be treated as confidential and held securely
Child protection officer is Mr P Foster. His deputy is Miss C M Lingard
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