CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

D05:  CHILD PROCTECTION POLICY

1. Rationale: 

Edison Global Academy  fully recognises its responsibilities for child protection. This policy, therefore, applies to all stakeholders involved in the daily running of the school. “Because of their day to day contact with individual children during the school terms, teachers and other school staff are particularly well placed to observe the outward signs of abuse, changes in behaviour or failure to develop.”(Working Together 2006)

2. Aims:

With this policy, Edison Global Academy  aims to:

1. Ensure that it practises safe recruitment in checking the suitability of all staff and volunteers to work with children.
2. Raise awareness of child protection issues and equip children with the skills needed to keep them safe.
3. Develop and implement procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse.
4. Support pupils who have been abused in accordance with his/her agreed child protection plan.
5. Establish a safe environment in which children can learn and develop

Together with all stakeholders, Edison Global Academy  will further:

6. Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to.
7. Ensure children know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried.
8. Include opportunities in the curriculum for children to develop the skills needed in recognising and keeping safe from abuse.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

All adults working with or on behalf of children have a responsibility to protect them. There are, however, key people within Edison Global Academy  who have specific responsibilities under child protection procedures. 

It is the role of the School Management to ensure that these key people are properly supported to carry out this task and that they are given time to fulfil the duties that their role demands. The School Management will further ensure that these key people are adequately trained and that they are given the opportunity to refresh and further their skills regularly.

It is the responsibility of the School leadership team to ensure that the child protection procedures are followed within the school, and to make appropriate, and timely decisions on referred cases. Additionally, it is the responsibility of the School leadership team to ensure that all staff employed at Edison Global Academy  are aware of the school’s internal procedures, to advise staff and to offer support to those requiring this. 

4. Ethos

Edison Global Academy  recognises the importance of creating an ethos within the school that will help children feel safe and confident that they will be listened to.

Edison Global Academy  also recognises that children who are abused or witness violence are likely to have low self-esteem and may find it difficult to develop a sense of self-worth. They may feel helplessness, humiliation and some sense of blame.

Edison Global Academy  will therefore endeavour to support all pupils through:

1. Ensuring the content of the curriculum includes social and emotional aspects of learning.
2. Ensuring that child protection is included in the curriculum to help children recognise when they do not feel safe and to identify who they should tell.
3. Promoting a positive, supportive and secure environment where pupils can develop a sense of being valued.
4. The school’s behaviour & anti-bullying policies are aimed at supporting all pupils in the school.
5. The school will ensure that the pupils know / are aware of all unacceptable behaviour or acts

5. Confidentiality

All staff at Edison Global Academy  are not to promise to keep, ‘secrets’ with children if children disclose abuse this must be passed on to the School Principal, Psychologist, Social Worker and/or the key person as soon as possible and the child should be told who their disclosure will be shared with.

Staff will be informed of relevant information in respect of individual cases regarding child protection on a “need to know basis” only. 

6. Record Keeping

Child Protection records are kept securely by the School Social Worker/ Psychologist. Members of staff must make a record of child protection issues and events as soon as possible and these records must be signed and dated. Child protection records must not be made in the child’s curriculum file.

7. Allegations against members of staff

Edison Global Academy  recognises that it is possible for allegations to be made against members of staff and volunteers. In such situation, we take any allegation made against members of staff or volunteers seriously and an investigation will be conducted in accordance with the Staff Discipline Policy or with the governing body if it involves volunteers. The local arrangements for reporting or managing allegations is to contact a member of the senior leadership team or the school Psychologist/ Social Worker.