Child Protection Policy

Step to it Academy Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

1. Introduction

This policy is aimed at all individuals who are involved with the Step to it Academy.

The purpose of this policy is to set out the requirements for safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults from any forms of abuse and the expectations of Step to it Academy on all individuals who are involved in the operation of Step to it Academy classes, performances and exams.

This policy is available on our website: www.steptoit.co.uk

2. Issue and review

The date of issue of this policy is September 2023. This policy will be subject to review and monitoring by Step to it Academy and if necessary will be amended and updated following feedback from customers and teachers.

3. Step to it Academy responsibilities for safeguarding and child protection

Step to it Academy recognises that we have an explicit duty to safeguard and protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from abuse as defined in the Children Act 2004, the Education Act 2002 and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

Everyone at Step to it Academy shares an objective to help keep children, young people and vulnerable adults safe by:

Providing a safe environment to learn in
Identifying and responding to children, young people and vulnerable adults in need of support and / or protection
Supporting children and young people’s development in ways which will foster a sense of self esteem and independence
Fostering an environment in which children feel valued and able to articulate their wishes and feelings in their preferred method of communication in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust.

Step to it Academy will endeavour to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are protected from harm whilst participating in any activities organised by Step to it Academy. We will do this by:

Making sure our staff and volunteers are recruited with integrity
Providing appropriate training for staff in issues of child and vulnerable adult protection
Carrying out checks and monitoring of all staff which may require them to undergo an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure
Establishing and maintaining an ethos where children and young people feel secure and are encouraged to talk, and are listened to
Taking all reasonable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of any child or vulnerable adult in contact with us
Not physically, emotionally or sexually abusing any child or vulnerable adult in contact with us
Taking all reasonable steps to prevent any staff member, persons working for us or member of the public from putting any child or vulnerable adult in a situation in which there is an unreasonable risk to their health and safety
Taking all reasonable steps to prevent any staff member, persons working for us or member of the public from physically, emotionally or sexually abusing any child or vulnerable adult
Reporting to the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) any evidence or reasonable suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult has been physically, emotionally or sexually abused in contact with us or anyone in our organisation
Referring to statutory authorities all incidents reported to the DSL

Everyone working or applying to work for Step to it Academy is to be made aware of our policy for children’s welfare. Furthermore, this document will be issued to all staff and other people who are likely to have contact with children as part of their work with us.

4. Roles and responsibilities for all Step to it Academy staff in safeguarding

In regard to the safety and welfare of children and similarly vulnerable people all staff are required to:

Agree to ongoing monitoring of their suitability for a position working with children and vulnerable adults which may include an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau/ Disclosure and Barring Service Disclosure
Take all reasonable steps to protect children and vulnerable adults from hazards
Strictly observe the code of behaviour in this document
Take prompt and appropriate action if an accident occurs
Take all reasonable steps to prevent abuse of children and vulnerable adults in contact with anyone within the organisation
Report any incident or suspicion of abuse promptly to the DSL
Safety of participants and staff is of prime consideration at all times
All accidents involving anyone should be recorded in our accident book or other formal recording system immediately or as soon as practicably possible
Staff are responsible for familiarising themselves with building/facility safety issues, such as, fire procedures, location of emergency exits, location of emergency telephones and first aid equipment
Staff are responsible for reporting suspected cases of child abuse to the named responsible person and/or agencies
Appropriate staff should have access to any parent consent/emergency consent forms for all children taking part in any activities [this information should be confidential]
Staff should ensure that their activities start and end on time
Staff are expected to promote, demonstrate and incorporate the values of fair play, trust and ethics throughout their activities
Staff should ensure that they are adequately insured, to protect against claims of negligence, through their organisation or their own personal insurance if acting as self employed.

5. Use of personal data

Where appropriate, personal data relating to students will be kept by Step to it Academy. This data will be subject to GDPR and data protection requirements and will only be used for the purposes of providing emergency information if needed and promoting Step to it Academy events.

6. Code of behaviour for Step to it Academy staff

People working at Step to it Academy must always observe the following requirements where children, young people or similarly vulnerable people are concerned.

Do’s and Don’ts for Working with Children

DO:

Behave professionally
Listen to children
Treat everyone with respect
Communicate at an appropriate level
Be aware of policy and procedures
Report any suspicions within our guidelines
Be aware, approachable and understanding

DO NOT:

Harm a child or frighten a child
Touch inappropriately
Use inappropriate language
Threaten, shout or be aggressive
Force a child to do something they do not want to do
Mistreat, demean, ignore, or make fun of
Show favouritism to any one individual or groups of individuals
Let a child expose him/herself to danger
Make racist, sexist or any other remark which upset or humiliate
Take photos of children without permission

Do’s and Don’ts for Working with Vulnerable Adults

DO:

Be respectful, responsible and professional
Act in an appropriate manner
Listen and communicate
Use common sense; be caring, attentive and aware
Be sympathetic to their needs
Be aware of your responsibility
Be aware of policy and procedures as outlined in this document

DO NOT:

Treat vulnerable adults as children
Engage in inappropriate behaviour
Be aggressive or physically restrain
Do anything of a personal nature they can do for themselves
Place yourself in a vulnerable position

You have a strict duty never to subject any child or vulnerable adult to any form of harm or abuse. Failure to adhere to these procedures will be treated as gross misconduct.

7. Photographing children

Photographs of children should only be used if written consent has been obtained from a parent, guardian or, if referring to school groups, relevant school authority. General group photographs may be used if no individual can be identified by reason of any attached data. Permission should be obtained firstly to take the photograph and secondly for permission from the parent if the photograph is to be reproduced.

8. What to do in case of accidents or injury

Depending on your judgment of the situation, go to the scene immediately if possible and/or summon First Aid assistance and/or contact the emergency services. With children it can be hard to assess whether they have been injured or the extent of the seriousness of an injury. If you have any doubt about this, you should err on the side of caution and contact the emergency services. Even if a child is accompanied and you think an accident is not being treated seriously enough, get medical assistance on your own initiative if necessary. All accidents should be reported in the Health and Safety book.

9. First aid

Unless there is good reason, First Aid should not be administered without the permission of the child’s parent or accompanying adult. A child cannot give consent. If the parent is not at the premises, obtain their phone number and try and make contact. However, if a child is alone and seriously injured or unconscious, the situation will need to be dealt with immediately. If at all possible, treatment should only be given by a trained First Aider.

Provided this does not in itself put the child at risk, always try to administer First Aid with another adult present. Always tell the child exactly what you are doing and why.

Unless it is irrelevant, ask the child if they use medication (e.g. for asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy) or have any allergies. Some children have allergic reactions to stings.

For minor injuries, you may not offer any medication, including antiseptics or pills of any kind. If you have any doubts about helping someone to use their own medication, phone National Health Service Direct on 0845 4647 or the emergency services.

Any treatment should be as little as necessary without threatening the child’s wellbeing.

If a child comes to you for comfort because of a minor accident or fright, it is acceptable with the Code of Behaviour to hold their hand or put your arm around them. Just ensure:

you know about any injury and do nothing to make it worse
physical contact is what the child wants, and the kind of contact between you is appropriate to their age and stage of development
you do your best to stay in sight of other adults

If a child needs a doctor or hospital, call the emergency services.

It is nearly always best to stay with them and wait for the ambulance. You should only take the risk of bringing in the child yourself if the emergency services ask you to do so because of exceptional circumstances.

10. Child abuse guidelines

The NSPCC has a written document which outlines the requirements for professionals reporting child abuse in the United Kingdom.

To read this information, please follow the link below:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/

The Department of Health web-site www.doh.gov.uk contains a practical guide to the law relating to child protection, particularly The Protection of Children Act 1999. The site also provides a publication entitled: “What to do if you're worried a child is being abused”. This publication has been developed to assist practitioners to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It sets out the process for safeguarding children. It is aimed at those who come into contact with children and families in their everyday work.

11. The Role of the DSL

Our current DSL officer is: Darren Massey

Our organisation will promote awareness of the policy through the induction Process.

The DSL should ensure that they are knowledgeable about child protection and that they undertake any training considered necessary to keep updated on new developments.

The DSL is the link between the members of the public, and staff.

The DSL will have the following functions. Namely to:

Be an advisor to all organisation and freelance staff on best practice in regard to the child protection policy
Agree incident reporting procedures
Keep records of incidents and reports, together with any other relevant information
Report incidents to the Statutory Authorities and ensure that appropriate information is available at the time of referral and that the referral is confirmed in writing, under confidential cover;
Ensure that individual case records are maintained of any compliant, injury or action taken by the organisation

12. Enhanced DBS disclosure

All staff including examiners, contractors, volunteers, administrational and ancillary staff should undertake an Enhanced CR/DBSB disclosure where this is deemed to be appropriate and relevant. It is strongly recommended that this is kept up-to-date. It is the Principal’s responsibility to view the contents of the Enhanced CRB/DBS disclosure and make a decision about whether that staff member should be excluded from working with young people within their organisation.

13. Further information

Statutory Guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children:

In England this is Working together to safeguard children, and the local safeguarding children board's child protection procedures.

In Wales the All Wales child protection procedures and Safeguarding children: working together under the Children Act 2004.

In Northern Ireland Cooperating to safeguard children and Area Child Protection Committees' regional policy and procedures.

In Scotland the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland and the local Child Protection Committee's guidance.

The NSPCC is a registered charity established to prevent cruelty to children. Help line for concerns about a child’s welfare. 0808 800 5000 [24 hours], website https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-protection-system/england/reporting-your-concerns/.

Links to specific information about Children and Vulnerable Adult Policy can be found by visiting: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-prot

Last Updated: 30/08/23 By: Darren Massey