At the Nursery
The Unity Nursery Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
Statement
The Unity Nursery recognises and accepts responsibility for the safety and well being of those children and young people who access the services and activities at The Unity Nursery. It does so in the belief that the welfare of children and young people is paramount. We believe in providing a solid foundation for the development of all children in our care and also the need for effective Child Protection practice and procedures. This policy is based on the Government Guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children and the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board policies and procedures. The nursery has a duty to be aware that abuse does occur in our society. Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well being of all children of all children in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents/carers and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention. This statement lays out the procedures that will be taken if we have any reason to believe that a child in our care is subject to emotional, physical, sexual abuse or neglect.
We will do this by
We share information on policies as part of a child’s induction, all policies are available for parent(s)/carer(s) to view upon request. We will maintain an environment where children and young people feel happy, safe and secure and encouraged to talk and be listened to. We will put systems in place that will prevent or minimise the risk of abuse and ensure that any concerns about the welfare and protection of a young person will be dealt will appropriately and sensitively. We abide by Ofsted requirements in respect of references and Criminal Record Bureau Checks for staff and volunteers. Volunteers do not work unsupervised. All activities will include more than one adult present or at least within sight and hearing of others. We have procedures for recording the details of visitors to the setting, we have control over who comes into the setting so that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to children. We have a system to record children’s daily attendance and absences. We seek out training opportunities for all adults involved in the setting to ensure they are able to recognise the signs and signals of possible abuse and are aware of the local authority guidelines for making referrals. We ensure all staff know the procedures for reporting and recording their concerns. All suspicions on investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Parents are normally the first point of contact except where the guidance of the Local Safeguarding Children Board does not allow this, this will usually be the case where the parent is the likely abuser. When concerns about the safety of a child arise the following action will be taken;
- The member of staff dealing with the concern will make a dated record of the details of concerns. This information is stored in the child’s personal file which is kept securely and confidentially.
- The designated officer responsible for child protection will liase with the Local Safeguarding Children Board and Ofsted
- A written referral must be submitted to the social care within 48 hours. A referral form can be found in the child protection folder. Agree with the recipient of the referral what the child’s parents/carer will be told, by whom and when.
- When the receipt of the referral has been confirmed the social worker and the manager will decide on the next course of action within one working day.
- If the designated officer has not received any feedback regarding the referral within three days then you should contact children’s social care again.
Allegations against a member of staff
We follow the guidance of the Local Safeguarding Children Board when responding to any complaint against a member of staff or volunteer in the setting. We respond to any disclosure by children or staff by first recording the details of any such alleged incident. We refer any such complaint immediately to the Local Authority Designated Officer – tel 01709 382121 to investigate. We also report any such alleged incident to Ofsted and what measures we have taken. We are aware that it is an offence not to do this. We co-operate entirely with any investigation carried out by children’s social care in conjunction with the police. Where it is agreed with the Management Committee and children’s social care the member of staff will be suspended on full pay for the duration of the investigation. This is not an indication of admission that the alleged incident has taken place, but is to protect staff as well as children and families throughout the process. Designated Safeguarding Officer is: Sarah Sims Designated Deputy Officer is: Joanne Jarvis Social Services Access Team: 01709 823987 Early Years Safeguarding Officer: June Williams 01709 823510 Ofsted: 0845 6014771 The Unity Nursery follows the guidance as set out in the child protection procedure for early years and childcare providers booklet, the Every Child Matters publication ‘What to do if you are worried a child is being abused’, and the South Yorkshire Local Safeguarding Children Boards Child Protection Procedures.
Legislation
Children Act (1989) Protection of Children Act (1999) Data Protection Act (1998) The Children Act (Every Child Matters) (2004) Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
