Safeguarding Policy

The group has a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who attends regular child protection and safeguarding meetings and receives the latest information on child protection and safeguarding procedures. This is Sarah Gresty. The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is Ella Carroll.

We intend to create at Redwood Early Years, an environment in which children are safe from abuse and which any suspicion of abuse is promptly and appropriately responded to. 

In order to achieve this, we will:

Exclude Known Abusers

It will be made clear to applicants for posts within the setting that the position is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

All applicants for work within the setting, whether voluntary or paid, will be interviewed before an appointment is made and will be asked to provide at least one reference, preferably two.  All such references will be followed up.  In the case of applicants with unexplained gaps in their employment history, or who have moved rapidly from one job to another, explanations will be sought.

All appointments, both paid and voluntary, will be subject to a probationary period and will not be confirmed unless the setting is confident that the applicant can be safely entrusted with children. Disclosure Barring Service checks are carried out on all applicants.

Seek and supply training for all staff

We will seek out training opportunities for all adults involved in the group to ensure that they recognise the symptoms of possible physical abuse, neglect, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. Staff received weekly safeguarding updates and links to additional training opportunities as they arise. 

All staff have half-termly supervision meetings where organisational, professional, safeguarding concerns and personal objectives are discussed. Additionally, staff have an annual appraisal to review performance and set longer term objectives.

Routines and activities at the setting to support safeguarding

Children will be encouraged to develop a sense of autonomy and independence through adult support in making choices and in finding names for their own feelings and acceptable ways to express them.  This will enable children to have the self-confidence and the vocabulary to resist inappropriate approaches.

The layout of the playroom will permit constant supervision of all children. Volunteers in the group (including parents/carers) will never be left alone with a child.

Respond Appropriately to Suspicions of Abuse

All staff are expected to report all concerns immediately to the DSL or DDSL.

Changes in children’s behaviour/appearance will be investigated.

Parents will normally be the first point of reference, though suspicions will also be referred, as appropriate, to the Children’s Social Services Department.

All such suspicions and investigations will be kept confidential, shared only with those who need to know.  The people most commonly involved will be the member of staff/key person and the setting leader.

In the event of a member of staff being accused of abusing a child, a full investigation will be initiated.  The local registering authority Wokingham Borough Council, (LADO), will be immediately informed, as will Ofsted.  

On advice from these bodies, a written statement will be taken from the accuser, accused and any witnesses.  Following this, action will be taken by these authorities and the owner to ensure a satisfactory outcome to the incident.

Prevent Duty

Radicalisation – Process of which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies

linked with terrorist groups. Signs could be unusual language, quoting phrases etc.

Terrorism -Use or threat of action, inside and outside of the UK, to intimidate the public or influence international government organisations. It must also be for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial, or ideological cause.

Extremism – vocal or active opposition to fundamental British Values, including Democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different beliefs and faiths.

Hateful Extremism – Behaviours that amplify hate, encourage, or engage in persistent hatred, violence, and harm, including that of a physical nature.

If you suspect Radicalisation (Safeguarding issue)

  • Follow the safeguarding policy – Speak to management. Management will contact WBC for advice.
  • You can also dial 101 and ask for your local Prevent Lead.
  • Anti-terrorist hotline – 0800 789 321
  • Urgent Risk – Make a referral to the police immediately.

Female Genital Mutilation

Signs: (not limited to) – Long periods of holidays, ‘special’ visits, unwilling to undress, complaining of

pain, disclosing to staff or staff witnessing FGM scarring etc)

If you suspect FGM you should:

  • Follow the safeguarding policy as above.
  • For advice, you could contact NSPCC – 0800 028 3550 or Childline – 0800 11 11.
  • Be aware there is a support group called ‘The Rose Centre’ for specialist advice and support (07903 675 676)

County Lines – (Drug Deployment into Counties)

* Signs (not limited to)– Using unusual/not age-appropriate terminology, parental concerns, changes in behaviour and emotional well-being, missing school, school grades changing, self harm, unexplained cash, unexplained injuries or use of weapons.

* Usually around aged 15/16 years old – could have younger siblings being affected. These teenagers are groomed, exploited, and become business models for the large drug distributors.

* Usually bribed with expensive gifts such as trainers, phones, clothes etc.

* The whole family can become affected by this.

* Cuckooing can occur – this is where drug ‘runners’ take advantage of a vulnerable person or family and the end result is the runner staying at the vulnerable persons house and distributing drugs from the property for a period of time,

If you suspect a County Lines, you should:

* Contact management and follow the safeguarding policy.

* If concerned for immediate danger, call 999.

* Call 101 or Crimestoppers – 0800 555 111 for advice and support.

Keep Records

Whenever worrying changes are observed in a child’s behaviour, physical condition or appearance, a specific and confidential record will be set up, quite separate from the usual on-going records of children’s progress and development.  The record will include, in addition to the name, address and age of the child: timed and dated observations, describing objectively the child’s behaviour/appearance, without comment or interpretation; where possible, the exact words spoken by the child; the dated name and signature of the recorder.

Such records will be kept in a separate file and will not be accessible to people in the setting other than the setting leader, LSP, key person or other member of staff as appropriate.

Liaison with Other Bodies

The setting operates in accordance with local authority and Ofsted guidelines.  Confidential records kept on children about whom the setting is anxious will be shared with the Social Services Department if the setting feels that adequate explanations for changes in the child’s condition have not been provided.

The group will maintain ongoing contact with the registering authority, including names, addresses and telephone numbers of individual social workers, to ensure that it would be easy, in an emergency, for the setting and the Social Services Department to work well together. Records will also be kept of the local NSPCC contact, or other contact(s) as appropriate.

Support Families

The setting will take every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relationships between families and staff and volunteers in the group.

Where abuse at home is suspected, the setting will continue to welcome the child and family while investigations proceed.

Confidential records kept on a child will be shared with the child’s parents.

With the proviso that the care and safety of the child must always be paramount, the setting will do all in its power to support and work with the child’s family.

Looked After Children

Early years settings are committed to providing quality provision based on equality of opportunity for all children and their families.  All staff are committed to doing all they can to enable ‘looked after’ children in their care to achieve and reach their full potential.

Definition of ‘Looked after Children’ (LAC): Children and young people become ‘looked after’ if they have either been taken into care by the local authority or have been accommodated by the local authority (a voluntary care arrangement).  Most LAC will be living in foster homes, but a smaller number may be in a children’s home, living with a relative or even placed back home with their natural parent(s).

We recognise that children who are being looked after have often experienced traumatic situations; physical, emotional, or sexual abuse or neglect.  However, we also recognise that not all looked after children have experienced abuse and that there are a range of reasons for children to be taken in to the care of the local authority.  Whatever the reason, a child’s separation from their home and family signifies a disruption in their lives that has impact on their emotional well-being.

In our setting, we place emphasis on promoting children’s right to be strong, resilient, and listened to. Our policy and practice guidelines for looked after children are based on these two important concepts, attachment, and resilience.  The basis of this is to promote secure attachments in children’s lives as the basis for resilience. These aspects of well-being underpin the child’s responsiveness to learning and are the basis in developing positive dispositions for learning.  For young children to get the most out of educational opportunities they need to be settled enough with their carer to be able to cope with further separation, a new environment and new expectations made upon them.

Principles

  • The term ‘looked after child’ denotes a child’s current legal status; this term is never used to categorise a child as standing out from others.  We do not refer to such a child using acronyms such as LAC.
  • We offer places for funded two, three and four year olds who are in care to ensure they receive their entitlement to early education.  We expect that a child will have been with a foster carer for a minimum of one month and has formed a secure attachment to the carer.  We expect that the placement in the setting will last a minimum of six weeks.
  • Where a child who normally attends our setting is taken into care and is cared for by a local foster carer, we will continue to offer the placement for the child.

Procedures

  • The designated person for looked after children is the designated safeguarding lead.
  • Every child is allocated a key person before they start, and this is no different for a looked after child.  The DSL ensures the key person has the information, support and training necessary to meet the looked after child’s needs.
  • The DSL and the key person liaise with agencies, professionals and practitioners involved with the child and his or her family and ensure appropriate information is gained and shared.
  • The setting recognises the role of the local authority social care department as the child’s ‘corporate parent’ and the key agency in determining what takes place with the child.  Nothing changes, especially with regard to the birth parents or foster carers role in relation to the setting without prior discussion and agreement with the child’s social worker.
  • At the start of a placement there is a professionals meeting that will determine the objectives of the placement and draw up a care plan that incorporates the child’s learning needs.  This plan is reviewed at intervals.
  • Regular contact should be maintained with the social worker through planned meetings that will include the foster carer.
  • Transition to school will be handled sensitively and the designated person and or the child’s key person will liaise with the school, passing on relevant information and documentation.

Early years providers must take action to protect children from harm and should be alert to harmful behaviour by other adults in the child’s life.  We already focus on the children’s personal, social and emotional development and the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework supports early years providers to do this in an age-appropriate way, through ensuring children learn right from wrong, mix and share with other children and value other’s views, know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and challenge negative attitudes and stereotypes.

Redwood Early Years are subject to the duty to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. Being drawn into terrorism includes not just violent extremism but also non-violent extremism, which can create an atmosphere conducive to terrorism and can popularise views which terrorists exploit. We will assess the risk of children being drawn into terrorism, including support for extremist ideas that are part of terrorist ideology. We will ensure that any visiting speakers, whether invited by staff or by children’s families themselves, are suitable and appropriately supervised. Staff will all complete Prevent training.

We will take into account the policies and procedures of the Berkshire West Safeguarding Children Partnership (BWSCP)