Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Children and Young People

Safeguarding is the action we take to promote the welfare of children and young people and protect them from harm. Safeguarding children is the responsibility of everyone.

The New Carnival Company recognises its responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within the legal framework of the Children Acts 1989 and 2004.

We are aware that many children and young people are the victims of different kinds of abuse and that they can be subjected to social factors that have an adverse impact upon their lives –including domestic violence, substance misuse, bullying, child prostitution and ritualistic abuse.

We aim to create a safe environment within which children and young people can thrive and adults can work with the security of clear guidance.

Under the terms of the Children Act 2004 anyone under the age of 19 is considered to be a child/young person.

These guidelines are for the use of all staff, volunteers and directors. Through them, we will endeavour to ensure that:

• Children and young people are listened to, valued and respected.
• Staff are aware of the need to be alert to the signs of abuse and know what to do with their concerns.
• All staff and volunteers are subject to rigorous recruitment procedures.
• All staff and volunteers are given appropriate support and training.

 

1. RECOGNISING SIGNS OF ABUSE

It can often be difficult to recognise abuse. The signs listed in these guidelines are only indicators and many can have reasonable explanations. Children may behave strangely or seem unhappy for many reasons, as they move through the stages of childhood or their families experience changes. It is nevertheless important to know what could indicate that abuse is taking place and to be alert to the need to consult further. Someone can abuse a child by actively inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm. Abuse can take place within a family, in an institutional or community setting, by telephone or on the Internet. Abuse can be carried out by someone known to a child or by a complete stranger.

If you are worried about a child it is important that you keep a written record of any physical or behavioural signs and symptoms. In this way you can monitor whether or not a pattern emerges and provide evidence to any investigation if required.

 

Physical Abuse: Physical abuse can involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning and suffocating. It can also result when a parent or carer deliberately causes the ill health of a child in order to seek attention; this is called fabricated illness or Munchhausen’s Syndrome by Proxy.

Symptoms that indicate physical abuse include:

• Bruising in or around the mouth, on the back, buttocks or rectal area
• Finger mark bruising or grasp marks on the limbs or chest of a small child
• Bites
• Burn and scald marks; small round burns that could be caused by a cigarette
• Fractures to arms, legs or ribs in a small child
• Large numbers of scars of different sizes or ages

Emotional Abuse: Emotional abuse happens when a child’s need for love, security, praise and recognition is not met. It usually co-exists with other forms of abuse. Emotionally abusive behaviour occurs if a parent, carer or authority figure is consistently hostile, rejecting, threatening or undermining. It can also result when children are prevented from social contact with others, or if developmentally inappropriate expectations are imposed upon them. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of someone else. Symptoms that indicate emotional abuse include:

• Excessively clingy or attention-seeking behaviour
• Very low self-esteem or excessive self-criticism
• Excessively withdrawn behaviour or fearfulness; a ‘frozen watchfulness’
• Despondency
• Lack of appropriate boundaries with strangers; too eager to please
• Eating disorders

Neglect: Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, causing damage to their health and development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter or clothing, failing to protect a child from harm or danger, or failing to access appropriate medical care and treatment when necessary. It can exist in isolation or in combination with other forms of abuse. Symptoms of physical and emotional neglect can include:

• Inadequate supervision; being left alone for long periods of time
• Lack of stimulation, social contact or education
• Inadequate nutrition, leading to ill-health
• Constant hunger; stealing or gorging food
• Failure to seek or to follow medical advice such that a child’s life or development is endangered
• Inappropriate clothing for conditions

Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. This may include physical contact, both penetrative and non-penetrative, or involve no contact, such as watching sexual activities or looking at pornographic material. Encouraging children to act in sexually inappropriate ways is also abusive. Symptoms of sexual abuse include:

• Allegations or disclosure
• Genital soreness, injuries or discomfort
• Sexually transmitted diseases; urinary infections
• Excessive preoccupation with sexual matters; inappropriately sexualised play, words or drawing
• A child who is sexually provocative or seductive with adults
• Repeated sleep disturbances through nightmares and/or wetting

Older children and young people may additionally exhibit:

• Depression
• Drug and/or alcohol abuse
• Eating disorders; obsessive behaviours
• Self mutilation; suicide attempts
• School/peer/relationship problems

 

2. WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR CONCERNS?

If a Child Discloses to you: DO:

• Listen carefully
• Record the conversation in the child’s words and note the time
• Sign and date the record you make
• Take it seriously
• Reassure they are right to tell
• Explain what will happen next

It is permissible to ask the child simple, non-leading questions to ascertain the facts of the allegation (T.E.D) Tell, Explain, Describe

If a Child Discloses to you: DON’T:

• Ask leading questions
• Make promises you can’t keep
• Jump to conclusions
• Speculate or accuse anybody
• Interview the child / children
• Inform the parents / carers

It is not your responsibility to decide if the allegation is true or not.

Sometimes you may just feel concerned about a child but do not know whether to share your concerns or not. In this situation you should always raise your concerns with your designated child protection officer, who will help you to decide what to do.

 

3. ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST STAFF OR VOLUNTEERS

Organisations that work or come into contact with children and young people need to be aware of the possibility that allegations of abuse will be made against members of their staff or volunteers.

Allegations will usually be that some kind of abuse has taken place. They can be made by children and young people and they can be made by other concerned adults. Allegations can be made for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common are:

• Abuse has actually taken place
• Something happens to a child that reminds them of an event that happened in the past – the child is unable to recognize that the situation and the people are different
• Children can misinterpret your language or your actions because they are reminded of something else
• Some children know how powerful an allegation can be; if they are angry with you about something they can make an allegation as a way of hitting out
• An allegation can be a way of seeking attention

All allegations should be brought to the notice of the designated child protection officer immediately. In cases where the allegation is made against this person, the complainant should approach a more senior official or, if unavailable, take the following action themselves:

• Make sure that the child in question is safe and away from the alleged abuser
• Report the allegation (see section 7)

4. SAFE RECRUITMENT

The application of rigorous procedures for the recruitment of any staff who come into contact with children, both directly and indirectly, can reduce the likelihood of allegations of abuse being made that are founded. As an absolute minimum, the following standards should be followed:

• All prospective staff and volunteers should complete an application form which asks for details of their previous employment and for the names of two referees
• All prospective staff and regular volunteers who have contact with children and / or vulnerable adults, should have a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) disclosure before they start employment with you
• All prospective staff and volunteers should be interviewed to establish previous experience of working in an environment where there is contact with children and perceptions of acceptable behaviour
• Nobody should start work before references have been received
• All appointments to work with children should be subject to an agreed probationary period
• New members of staff should be clear about their responsibilities and wherever possible, work to an agreed job description
• These guidelines should be available to everyone and fully discussed as part of an Induction Process

 

5. GOOD PRACTICE

Every organisation working with children should have a designated child protection officer who must undergo child protection training. It is the responsibility of this person to make themselves available for consultation by staff, volunteers, visitors, children and their families:

• All staff are responsible for the children in their care and must make sure that health and safety guidelines are adhered to
• All staff working with children should receive regular supervision from a more experienced staff member and be encouraged to attend basic child protection training
• No member of staff should be left alone with a child where they cannot be observed by others
• Where possible there should always be at least two adults present with a group of children

 

Outings & Trips

• All vehicles hired for outings must be insured, roadworthy and fitted with seatbelts
• Roll call will be taken at the start of a journey and again before commencing the return journey; if travelling in more than one vehicle, children will be encouraged to travel in the same vehicle there and back
• Staff accompanying trips will carry the contact numbers for the home organization and emergency services in the event of an alert being necessary
• If a child goes missing while on a trip, staff should instigate an immediate search. If the child cannot be found within half an hour, the appropriate security staff and the police should be notified
• If, having notified security staff and the police, the child cannot be found, the parents/carers of the child will be notified immediately
• The care of the remaining children is paramount. It is imperative that they return to the home site as quickly as possible, while a senior staff member remains at the visit site to coordinate contact between security staff and the child’s parents/carers

 

6. IMPLEMENTATION CHECKLIST

These child protection procedures will only be effective if all staff and volunteers in your organisation own and understand them. This checklist is designed to help you to go through that process:

• Identify designated child protection officer (CPO)
• Add CPO name and contact details to procedure
• Ensure CPO attends training on child protection and updates that training regularly
• Ensure all staff and volunteers have a copy of child protection procedures
• Ensure that all staff and volunteers know what to do if they have concerns about a child
• Ensure all existing staff who have contact with children have Enhanced DBS Disclosures
• Ensure that new staff who have contact with children have Enhanced DBS Disclosures

before they start work

• Ensure that any premises we use conforms to health and safety guidelines

 

7. REPORTING CONCERNS

All safeguarding concerns should be acted upon immediately. If you are concerned that a child or vulnerable adult might be at risk or is actually suffering abuse, you should tell the designated child protection lead officer within your organisation.

Your designated officer is: Alison Knapman

Telephone number: 01983 716095

If the designated officer is not available, speak to a senior member of staff.

 

For concerns about children and young people, contact the following telephone numbers:

For use by Isle of Wight Professionals: 0300 555 1381

For use by members of the public: 0300 300 0117

In case of emergencies, contact the Police on 999

 

Safeguarding Adults

All adults have the right to live a life free from abuse and exploitation. Safeguarding means protecting an individual’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.

1. WHO IS AN ADULT AT RISK?

Any adult is potentially at risk but if you are vulnerable you are less likely to be able to seek help for yourself, so the risk is much greater.

Safeguarding, as defined by The Care Act 2014, apply to an adult who: has needs for care and support AND is experiencing or at risk of abuse and neglect AND as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves.

2. WHAT IS ABUSE?

It is the abuse of an individual’s civil and human rights by any other person or persons. Such violation may be intentional or unintentional and may be a single or repeated act(s) over a period of time. Forms of abuse include:

Physical abuse:  hitting, pushing, shaking or withholding care or medication.

Sexual abuse: any sexual act carried out to which the vulnerable adult did not or could not consent and / or was pressured in to consenting to.

Emotional abuse: verbal threats, offensive or belittling remarks or other behaviour that causes distress or concern to another person.

Financial or Material Abuse: another person uses the resources of the vulnerable person for their own advantage. This can range from not getting change from their shopping to property transfer.

Neglect: failure to meet someone’s care needs, either deliberate or unintentionally. This results in risk to the well-being of the vulnerable person.

Discriminatory abuse: based on race or sexuality or a person’s disability, and other forms of harassment or slurs.

Institutional abuse: by an organisation imposing rigid and insensitive routines, unskilled, intrusive or invasive interventions; or an environment allowing inadequate privacy or physical comfort.

3. WHO MIGHT BE CAUSING THE ABUSE?

The abuser is usually known to the vulnerable person and may well be:

• A family member
• A friend or neighbour
• A paid or volunteer care worker
• A health, social work or other professional
• Another resident or service user
• Someone who deliberately exploits vulnerable people

Abuse can happen in any setting.

4. WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR CONCERNS?

Protecting vulnerable adults is everyone’s responsibility.

Make a note of your concerns and tell the designated safeguarding lead officer within your organisation or to the relevant local safeguarding adult teams.

Your designated officer is: Alison Knapman

Telephone number: 01983 716095

Contact the local safeguarding adults team at the Isle of Wight Council on 01983 814980

abusereporting@iow.gov.uk. Out of hours Emergency Duty Team 01983 821105

In an emergency call the Police on 999

 

PREVENT

“PREVENT is part of the UK Government’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy, launched 2011, preventing vulnerable people from becoming involved in terrorism or supporting terrorism.

PREVENT aims to protect those who are vulnerable to exploitation, extremism or radicalisation from those who seek to recruit them to support their cause.

Extremism is defined by the UK government as vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values.

British values are defined as “democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs”; the New Carnival Company will encourage all participants within our programme of activities to respect other people with particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010.”