Management Information Sheet
Child Protection and Safeguarding Children Information
Child Protection & Safeguarding Children Information
Content:1. Revised Child Protection Procedures and change of web site.
2. New 'Working Together' document.
3. New 'Safeguarding children & Safer Recruitment in Education' Statutory guidance.
4. Child Protection Conferences.
5. Training for Designated Teachers for Child Protection.
6. Recruitment and Selection of staff online training.
7. CRB check list of all staff.
8. Helpline and Well being.
9. Allegations made against staff.
10. Sexually explicit images on pupils mobile phones.
11. Child Protection Consultation lines.
1. Revised Child Protection Procedures & new web site
Norfolk child protection procedures - previously known as the Norfolk Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC) little blue book has been replaced. Under the Children Act 2004, ACPC's ceased to exist and a Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) in line with the statutory requirement has been established. The LSCB has a broader remit for safeguarding. Further details of the functions can be found on the NEW LSCB website.
In line with the new Children Act 2004 LSCB Inter agency procedures have now been revised. Because there is likely to be further amendments or changes as new legislation comes into force a printed copy is not available. However access to the new 'Guide to Inter-agency working to safeguard & promote the welfare of children' and the protocols can be found on the website. It is good practice for Schools to download a copy for their Child Protection /Safeguarding file to replace the blue book.
2. New 'Working Together' document
In line with the Children Act 2004 HM government have issued a new edition of 'Working together to safeguard children' - A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Access to the document can be found on the Every Child Matters website.
3. New 'Safeguarding Children & Safer Recruitment in Education'
School head teachers were sent a letter on 14th November 2006 from the DfES advising that this document is now available on-line. This document came into force on 1st January 2007. The guidance will also apply in advance of the implementation in 2008 of the new vetting and barring scheme being established under the provisions of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. The main regulatory changes reflected in the guidance are:
- Making it mandatory for local authorities, schools & FE colleges to carry out Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosures on all new applicants who have lived or worked overseas.
- Placing a responsibility on schools & FE colleges to keep a single, central record.
- Introducing a responsibility for schools & FE colleges to request full details of CRB checks carried out on staff supplied through an agency.
- Safeguarding children in education
- Safeguarding children: Safer recruitment & selection in Education Settings
- Dealing with allegations of abuse against teachers and other staff.
4. Child Protection conferences
Summary:
To Remind school Designated Teachers for Child Protection to complete Initial and Review Child Protection Conference reports using ACPC1 (1a for Reviews) ,share the report with the parent, send to the Independence Chair 2 days prior to conference, take 10 copies to conference also contact sibling school(s).
Reports ( ACPC 1)
Reports for a child protection conference should be completed using the ACPC 1/1(a) form. The contents should focus on the child's Educational progress & achievements, attendance, behaviour, participation, relationship and interaction with other children & adults, appearance, and knowledge of child's development needs. Also included should be the school's involvement with the child and family, and the capacity of the parents to meet the needs of their child within their family and environmental context.
Reports should be objective and based on evidence. They should distinguish between fact, observation, allegation and opinion. Your professional analysis of the situation is also required under each section of the ACPC 1 form.
You should make every effort to ensure these reports are available to the child's parents prior to the conference unless to do so would place the child at risk of significant harm. Advice on this can be obtained from the LSCB website:.
Please send a copy directly to the Independent Chair at least 2 days before the conference.
Where a child has a sibling at another school it is good practice for the Designated teachers to consult each other. If time permits it may also be possible to do a joint report (ACPC1) for the Initial Child Protection Conference.
Attendance at a child protection conference and preparation
It is the head teacher's responsibility to arrange for an appropriate person from the school to attend the child protection conference. This is usually the Designated teacher for child protection who would have undertaken the appropriate training. The two new statutory Guidance's ' Safeguarding children & safer Recruitment in Education' and 'Working together to safeguard children' state the importance of an appropriate person from the child's school should be present at the conference.
The conference will of course focus on the question of whether a child's name should be added to, or remain on the Child Protection Register. It is however important to note that the conference's role in planning for a child and in making recommendations is of equal importance. It can take place whether or not a child's name is placed on the Register. There are some children for whom a decision to place their names on the Register is absolutely clear cut due to the significance of the harm they have suffered, or are at risk of suffering. However, it is also important to know that research indicates for a vast majority of children, their welfare is best enhanced through the quality of planning for them and of the services they receive, not by the legal basis under which those services are provided. Consequently, in your preparation for conference, it is most helpful to think about how the conference will facilitate planning for a child and what services you believe may be helpful rather than the important but narrower question of whether registration is warranted.
5. Training for Designated teachers for child protection
All education establishments are required by law to have a designated teacher/senior member of the school staff and a deputy for child protection who has undertaken the LSCB/ Children's Services recognised training course and update it every 2 years.
All new designated teachers can now access the LSCB Multi-agency core Programme basic level one day course.
Once a designated teacher has undertaken the basic course it is recommended that they attend the Conference & Assessment module. Dates, venues and access can be found on the LSCB web site (ACPC) under 'Training' on the LSCB website.
Updated courses: At the present time we are looking at various ways of helping designated teachers to update their training. There are also the module courses at intermediate level being provided through the LSCB programme. We have already piloted in the east area the termly twilight Child Protection/safeguarding forum where designated teachers/ head teachers meet with local senior staff from Children's Services. It is planned to offer such a forum to other areas shortly.
6. Recruitment & Selection of staff on line training
Head teachers and Chair of Governors are required to undertake the online training from the National College of School Leadership (NCSL). This training is compulsary as we are expecting a deadline date to be set by the DFES later in the year that will require at least one trained person to be on any interview panel when recruiting staff in educational settings.
We are aware that there has been some difficulties in accessing the online training. The NCSL and the DFES have now been able to sort out these difficulties and recognized the need for other staff to be trained. Through the Norfolk LSCB a core group of trainers have now undertaken the NCSL/DFES 'Training the trainers 'course and will shortly be offering this course to staff in Norfolk. If you are a head teacher or chair of governors who has not yet undertaken the on-line course you should not wait for this course as it is for other staff.
More information is available from the Statutory Guidance :'Safeguarding Children and safer recruitment in Education' and from the NCSL website. The online training is available under 'Safe Recruitment'.
7. CRB check list of all staff
In June, July & September last year the DfES wrote to all head teachers requiring schools to compile and keep a single central record of all staff (& volunteers ) and checks carried out under CRB/ List 99. This is now a statutory requirement. More information can be found on the Teachernet Website.
8. Help line and well being
Staff who are involved with children subject to child protection concerns or are faced with an allegation may need support. School staff may need to be reminded of the support available to them through access to the Help line (Norfolk Support Line 0800 169 7676) or through NCC Staff 'Well Being' programme. ( Co-ordinator John Nicholls 01603 222326 or Head teacher support officer Julia Hurlbut 01603 713832).
9. Allegations made against staff
The Statutory Guidance 'Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in education' and the new statutory guidance (Children Act 2004) 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' Chapter 6, & Appendix 5 have introduced new statutory responsibilities for all agencies and organisations that employ adults (paid and unpaid) to work with children and young people.
It details the framework for reporting and managing cases where allegations/concerns are identified that a person working with children has:
- Behaved in a way that has harmed or may harm a child
- Possibly committed a criminal offence against, or related to a child
- Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates that he or she is unsuitable to work with children.
Head teachers and Chair of Governors with concerns should not undertake investigations without prior discussion with the LADO, and the person to whom the concern relates should not be informed at this stage.
School staff should report initially to the head teacher who will inform the LADO. If an allegation is made against the head teacher then the Chair of Governors will be informed and they should contact the LADO.
Norfolk Children's Services has drawn up new draft procedures for managing allegations and concerns, and these are in a process of consultation, prior to being ratified and placed on the Internet Child Protection website.
Three members of staff from the Safeguarding Team are undertaking the LADO role: Grace Cheese, Stella Lovie and Glynis Tucker. They each have previous extensive experience in this area of work. The LADO is available on 01603 223473.
10. Sexually explicit images on pupils' phones
Recently the local authority has been informed about an incident which has affected a number of schools both inside and outside of this authority involving the sending by pupils of sexually explicit images of a minor to other pupils via their mobile phones. Head teachers may wish to remind parents to check their child's mobile phone to ensure that all inappropriate images are deleted. They may also wish to inform pupils about the seriousness of having these images on their mobile phones. It may very well be that some pupils have received these images without their knowledge.
The Police have provided the following information:
Anyone in possession of sexually explicit photo or video material of a child under the age of 18 is committing a serious offence. Anyone distributing photo or video material of a child under the age of 18 is committing a more serious sexual offence.Should the Police investigate, it could seriously affect the pupil's future career.
11. Child Protection Consultation lines
If you are concerned about a child protection matter and would like to have a consultation the following contacts and numbers are available. You should ask to speak to the Assessment Team Manager, Assistant Team Manager or Advanced Practitioner.
| West Area | 01553 669300 | Team Manager - Peter Hurst Assistant Team Manager - Christine Rodwell |
| East Area | 01493 850317 | T.M - Sally Sinclair ATM -Sandra Barret |
| North Area | 01692 500550 | T.M. - Shaun Burland A.T.M. - Lea Gurling |
| South Area | 01953 602071 | T.M. -Treloar Shepherd A.T.M. - Maureen Hipkiss |
| Central Area | 01603 223500 | T.M. - Jackie Cole A.T.M. - Philip Beck |
For further information or clarification contact Grace Cheese, Child Protection Officer (Schools & Settings), Norfolk Children's Services, Telephone 01603 223473.