HEALD GREEN METHODIST PRE-SCHOOL
SAFEGUARDING/CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
At Heald Green Methodist Pre-school we work with children, parents, external agencies and the community to ensure the welfare and safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Children have the right to be treated with respect, be helped to thrive and to be safe from any abuse in whatever form.
We support the children within our care, protect them from maltreatment and have robust procedures in place to prevent the impairment of children’s health and development. In our setting we strive to protect children from the risk of radicalisation and we promote acceptance and tolerance of other beliefs and cultures. Safeguarding is a much wider subject than the elements covered within this single policy, therefore this document should be used in conjunction with the pre-school’s other policies and procedures.
Legal framework and definition of safeguarding
● Children Act 1989 and 2004
● Childcare Act 2006
● Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
● The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2014, a new updated version will be implemented from September 2021.
● Working together to safeguard children 2015
● What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused 2015
● Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, in relation to this policy is defined as:
● Protecting children from maltreatment
● Preventing the impairment of children’s health or development
● Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
● Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
(Definition taken from the HM Government document ‘Working together to safeguard children 2015).
Policy intention
To safeguard children and promote their welfare we will:
● Create an environment to encourage children to develop a positive self-image
● Provide positive role models and develop a safe culture where staff are confident to raise concerns about professional conduct
● Encourage children to develop a sense of independence and autonomy in a way that is appropriate to their age and stage of development
● Provide a safe and secure environment for all children
● Promote tolerance and acceptance of different beliefs, cultures and communities
● Help children to understand how they can influence and participate in decision-making and how to promote British values through play, discussion and role modelling.
● Always listen to children
● Provide an environment where practitioners are confident to identify where children and families may need intervention and seek the help they need
● Share information with other agencies as appropriate.
The pre-school is aware that abuse does occur in our society and we are vigilant in identifying signs of abuse and reporting concerns. Our practitioners have a duty to protect and promote the welfare of children. Due to the many hours of care we are providing, staff may often be the first people to identify that there may be a problem. They may well be the first people in whom children confide information that may suggest abuse or to spot changes in a child’s behaviour which may indicate abuse.
Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well-being of each child in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention. This includes sharing information with any relevant agencies such as local authority services for children’s social care, health professionals or the police. All staff will work with other agencies in the best interest of the child, including as part of a multi-agency team, where needed.
The pre-school aims to:
● Keep the child at the centre of all we do
● Ensure staff are trained to understand the child protection and safeguarding policy and procedures, are alert to identify possible signs of abuse, understand what is meant by child protection and are aware of the different ways in which children can be harmed, including by other children through bullying or discriminatory behaviour
● Ensure staff understand how to identify early indicators of potential radicalisation and terrorism threats and act on them appropriately in line with national and local procedures
● Ensure that all staff feel confident and supported to act in the best interest of the child, share information and seek the help that the child may need
● Ensure that all staff are familiar and updated regularly with child protection training and procedures and kept informed of changes to local/national procedures
● Make any child protection referrals in a timely way, sharing relevant information as necessary in line with procedures set out by the Stockport Safeguarding Children Board
● Make any referrals relating to extremism to the police (or the Government helpline) in a timely way, sharing relevant information as appropriate
● Ensure that information is shared only with those people who need to know in order to protect the child and act in their best interest
● Ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the charge of pre-school staff
● Take any appropriate action relating to allegations of serious harm or abuse against any person working with children or working on the pre-school premises including reporting such allegations to Ofsted and other relevant authorities
● Ensure parents are fully aware of child protection policies and procedures when they register with the pre-school and are kept informed of all updates when they occur
● Regularly review and update this policy with staff and parents where appropriate and make sure it complies with any legal requirements and any guidance or procedures issued by the Stockport Safeguarding Children Board.
We will support children by offering reassurance, comfort and sensitive interactions. We will devise activities according to individual circumstances to enable children to develop confidence and self-esteem within their peer group.
Staffing and volunteering
Our policy is to provide a secure and safe environment for all children. We only allow an adult who is employed by the pre-school to care for children and who has an enhanced clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to be left alone with children. We do not allow volunteers to be alone with children or any other adult who may be present in the nursery regardless of whether or not they have a DBS clearance.
All staff will attend child protection training and receive initial basic child protection training during their induction period. This will include the procedures for spotting signs and behaviours of abuse and abusers/potential abusers, recording and reporting concerns and creating a safe and secure environment for the children in the pre-school. During induction staff will be given contact details for the LADO (local authority designated officer), the local authority children’s services team, the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and Ofsted to enable them to report any safeguarding concerns, independently, if they feel it necessary to do so.
We have a named person within the pre-school who takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and co-ordinates child protection and welfare issues, known as the Designated Safeguarding Co-ordinator (DSCO). The pre-school DSCO liaises with the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and the local authority children’s social care team, undertakes specific training, including a child protection training course, and receives regular updates to developments within this field.
The Designated Safeguarding Co-ordinator (DSCO) at the preschool is: Fiona Henderson. In her absence, Alison Rosevere.
● We provide adequate and appropriate staffing resources to meet the needs of all children
● Applicants for posts within the pre-school are clearly informed that the positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Candidates are informed of the need to carry out checks before posts can be confirmed. Where applications are rejected because of information that has been disclosed, applicants have the right to know and to challenge incorrect information
● We give staff members, volunteers and students regular opportunities to declare changes that may affect their suitability to care for the children. This includes information about their health, medication or about changes in their home life such as whether anyone they live with in a household has committed an offence or been involved in an incident that means they are disqualified from working with children
● This information is also stated within every member of staff’s contract
● Staff are required to sign a statement every three months regarding criminal history, health and medication.
● We abide by the requirements of the EYFS and any Ofsted guidance in respect to obtaining references and suitability checks for staff, students and volunteers, to ensure that all staff, students and volunteers working in the setting are suitable to do so
● We ensure we receive at least two written references BEFORE a new member of staff commences employment with us
● All students will have enhanced DBS checks conducted on them before their placement starts
● Volunteers, including students, do not work unsupervised
● We abide by the requirements of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Childcare Act 2006 in respect of any person who is disqualified from providing childcare, is dismissed from our employment, or resigns in circumstances that would otherwise have led to dismissal for reasons of child protection concern
● We have procedures for recording the details of visitors to the pre-school and take security steps to ensure that we have control over who comes into the pre-school so that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children
● All visitors/contractors will be supervised whilst on the premises, especially when in the areas the children use
● All staff have access to and comply with the whistle blowing policy which will enable them to share any concerns that may arise about their colleagues in an appropriate manner
● All staff will receive regular supervision meetings where opportunities will be made available to discuss any issues relating to individual children, child protection training and any needs for further support
● The deployment of staff within the pre-school allows for constant supervision and support. Where children need to spend time away from the rest of the group, the door will be left ajar or other safeguards will be put into action to ensure the safety of the child and the adult.
Informing parents
Parents are normally the first point of contact. If a suspicion of abuse is recorded, parents are informed at the same time as the report is made, except where the guidance of the LSCB/ local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this. This will usually be the case where the parent or family member is the likely abuser or where a child may be endangered by this disclosure. In these cases the investigating officers will inform parents.
Confidentiality
All suspicions, enquiries and external investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Any information is shared in line with guidance from the LSCB.
Support to families
The pre-school takes every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relations among families, staff, students and volunteers within the pre-school.
The pre-school continues to welcome the child and the family whilst enquiries are being made in relation to abuse in the home situation. Parents and families will be treated with respect in a non judgmental manner whilst any external investigations are carried out in the best interest of the child.
Confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child’s parents or those who have parental responsibility for the child, only if appropriate in line with guidance of the LSCB with the proviso that the care and safety of the child is paramount. We will do all in our power to support and work with the child’s family.
Extremism – the Prevent Duty
Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 we have a duty to refer any concerns of extremism to the police (In Prevent priority areas the local authority will have a Prevent lead who can also provide support).
This may be a cause for concern relating to a change in behaviour of a child or family member, comments causing concern made to a member of the team (or other persons in the setting) or actions that lead staff to be worried about the safety of a child in their care.
e-Safety
Our pre-school is aware of the growth of internet use and the advantages this can bring. However it is also aware of the dangers and strives to support children, staff and families in using the internet safely.
Within the pre-school we do this by:
- Ensuring we have appropriate anti virus and anti-spyware software on all devices and updating them regularly
● Using approved devices to record/photograph in the setting
● Ensuring content blockers and filters are on our computers, laptops and any mobile devices
● Integrating e-safety into pre-school daily practice by discussing computer usage ‘rules’
Our pre-school has a clear commitment to protecting children and promoting welfare. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, they should report the matter to the DSCO, Fiona Henderson or the Deputy DSCO, Alison Rosevere at the earliest opportunity.
Alternatively, if you would wish to discuss any matters with an outside agency, please see the list of contacts below.
Local authority children’s social care team 0161 217 6028
Local authority Designated Officer (LADO) 0161 217 6028 / out of hours 0161 718 2118
Ofsted 0300 123 1231
Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) 0161 474 5657
Non-emergency police 101 or 0161 872 5050
Government helpline for extremism concerns 020 7340 7264
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Heald Green Methodist Pre-school
Equality and Inclusion Policy
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Statement of intent
At Heald Green Methodist Pre-school we take great care to treat each individual as a person in their own right, with equal rights and responsibilities to any other individual, whether they are an adult or a child. We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children and families according to their individual needs. Discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, race, religion or belief, marriage or civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, ethnic or national origin, or political belief has no place within our pre-school.
A commitment to implementing our inclusion and equality policy will form part of each employee’s job description. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of the manager or the committee at the earliest opportunity. Appropriate steps will then be taken to investigate the matter and if such concerns are well-founded, disciplinary action will be invoked under the pre-school’s disciplinary policy.
The legal framework for this policy is based on:
- ·0 Special Education Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice 2015
- ·1 Children and Families Act 2014
- ·2 Equality Act 2010
- ·3 Childcare Act 2006
- ·4 Children Act 2004
- ·5 Care Standards Act 2002
- ·6 Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.
The pre-school and staff are committed to:
- Recruiting, selecting, training and promoting individuals on the basis of occupational skills requirements. In this respect, the pre-school will ensure that no job applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, sex, gender reassignment, disability, marriage or civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity/paternity which cannot be justified as being necessary for the safe and effective performance of their work or training
- Providing a childcare place, wherever possible, for children who may have learning difficulties and/or disabilities or are deemed disadvantaged according to their individual circumstances, and the pre-school’s ability to provide the necessary standard of care
- Making reasonable adjustments for children with special educational needs and disabilities
- Striving to promote equal access to services and projects by taking practical steps (wherever possible and reasonable), such as ensuring access to people with additional needs and by producing materials in relevant languages and media for all children and their families
- Providing a secure environment in which all our children can flourish and all contributions are valued
- Including and valuing the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality, inclusion and diversity
- Providing positive non-stereotypical information
- Continually improving our knowledge and understanding of issues of equality, inclusion and diversity
- Regularly reviewing, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of inclusive practices to ensure they promote and value diversity and difference and that the policy is effective and practices are non-discriminatory
- Making inclusion a thread, which runs through the entirety of the pre-school, for example, by encouraging positive role models through the use of toys, imaginary play and activities, promoting non-stereotypical images and language and challenging all discriminatory behaviour.
Admissions/service provision
The pre-school is accessible to all children and families in the local community and further afield through a comprehensive and inclusive admissions policy.
The pre-school will strive to ensure that all services and projects are accessible and relevant to all groups and individuals in the community within targeted age groups.
Recruitment
Recruitment, promotion and other selection exercises such as redundancy selection will be conducted on the basis of merit, against objective criteria that avoid discrimination. Shortlisting should be done by more than one person if possible.
All members of the selection group will be committed to the inclusive practice set out in this policy and will have received appropriate training in this regard.
Application forms will be sent out along with a copy of the equal opportunities monitoring form. Application forms will not include questions that potentially discriminate on the grounds specified in the statement of intent.
Vacancies should generally be advertised to a diverse section of the labour market. Advertisements should avoid stereotyping or using wording that may discourage particular groups from applying.
At interview, no questions will be posed which potentially discriminate on the grounds specified in the statement of intent. All candidates will be asked the same questions and members of the selection group will not introduce nor use any personal knowledge of candidates acquired outside the selection process.
Staff
It is the policy of Heald Green Methodist Pre-school not to discriminate in the treatment of individuals. All staff are expected to co-operate with the implementation, monitoring and improvement of this and other policies. All staff are expected to challenge language, actions, behaviours and attitudes which are oppressive or discriminatory on the grounds specified in this policy and recognise and celebrate other cultures and traditions. All staff are expected to participate in equality and inclusion training.
Staff will follow the ‘Dealing with Discriminatory Behaviour’ policy where applicable to report any discriminatory behaviours observed.
Training
The pre-school recognises the importance of training as a key factor in the implementation of an effective inclusion and equality policy. All new staff receive induction training including specific reference to the inclusion and equality policy.
Early learning framework
Early learning opportunities offered in the pre-school encourage children to develop positive attitudes to people who are different from them. It encourages children to empathise with others and to begin to develop the skills of critical thinking.
We do this by:
- Making children feel valued and good about themselves
- Ensuring that all children have equal access to early learning and play opportunities
- Reflecting the widest possible range of communities in the choice of resources
- Avoiding stereotypical or derogatory images in the selection of materials
- Acknowledging and celebrating a wide range of religions, beliefs and festivals
- Creating an environment of mutual respect and empathy
- Helping children to understand that discriminatory behaviour and remarks are unacceptable
- Ensuring that all early learning opportunities offered are inclusive of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children from disadvantaged backgrounds
- Ensuring that children whose first language is not English have full access to early learning opportunities and are supported in their learning
- Working in partnership with all families to ensure they understand the policy and challenge any discriminatory comments made
- Ensuring the medical, cultural and dietary needs of children are met
- Identifying a key person to each child who will continuously observe, assess and plan for children’s learning and development
- Helping children to learn about a range of food and cultural approaches to meal times and to respect the differences among them.
Information and meetings
Information about the pre-school, its activities and their children’s development will be given in a variety of ways according to individual needs.
Wherever possible, meetings will be arranged to give all families options to attend and contribute their ideas about the running of the pre-school.