School Policies

Child Protection Policy

Ribblesdale High School firmly believes that it can make a positive and useful contribution to protecting and supporting pupils in school.  This can be achieved by:

  1. Prevention: Fostering and maintaining a positive caring ethos not only in the pastoral curriculum but permeating all teaching, behaviour and activities.
  2. Protection: Following agreed procedures and ensuring that staff are well informed, trained and properly supported so they can respond appropriately and sensitively to Child Protection concerns.
  3. Support: To pupils and staff and to those children who are at risk of or are the victims of abuse.

Our Commitment

Ribblesdale High School believes that high self-esteem, confidence and supportive friends help children to grow and cope with their personal situations.  Clear and easy communication with a trusted adult also helps prevent problems arising for pupils.

Consequently we will:

  • Create and maintain an ethos in which children feel secure and able to discuss problems, one in which they will also be listened to.  All teachers have a crucial role here, either implicitly or explicitly through PSHE programmes.
  • Inform pupils of which staff they can approach if they are worried or are in difficulty during form periods, PSHE lessons at the beginning of their school career.
  • Offer programmes of study within PSHE and other curriculum activities giving information on how pupils can attempt to stay safe from abuse.
  • Present pupils with a variety of learning experiences to teach them to cope with the responsibilities of adult life, most importantly those pertaining to childcare and parenting skills.
  • Continue to develop effective liaison with relevant external agencies (Social Services, EWO, Police, Health etc) and with parents.

Children who are abused or who witness violence may find it hard to develop a sense of self worth and view their world in a positive way. School may be the only stable, secure and predictable element in their lives. Their behaviour, however, in school may still be challenging and defiant. Also children who have experienced abuse may, in turn, abuse others. This all requires a considered, sensitive approach in order that the child can receive appropriate help and support.

We realise that, statistically, children with behavioural difficulties and disabilities are most vulnerable to abuse and that in a home environment where there is domestic violence, drug or alcohol abuse, children may also be vulnerable and in need of support and protection.

Roles and Responsibilities

We do not operate in isolation; child protection is the responsibility of all adults and especially those working with children. The Lancashire Child Protection Committee (LCPC) is responsible for developing procedures and monitoring good practice.

There are key people within the school who have specific responsibility for Child Protection procedures:

  • MRS STREET: Senior Designated Teacher
  • MR BARKER: Deputy Designated Teacher

The Senior Designated Teacher will co-ordinate action and recording within the school and liaise with other agencies over suspected child abuse.

The Designated Governor, Dr John Saunders, is responsible for seeing that a system to deal with Child Protection is in place but does not have access to confidential information and is not consulted on individual pupils.  Action taken by governors independently could be dangerous.

Procedures

Aspects of confidentiality need to be understood in this context.  The only purpose of confidentiality in this respect is to benefit the child - not to keep secrets.

  • Any suggestion by a pupil that they are being abused must be taken seriously.
  • It is necessary to point out to pupils that any information related to abuse cannot be kept confidential but must be passed on to the designated teachers and may have to be shared with others.
  • Staff must immediately pass on information from children but should not discuss this with other members of staff.

We will then follow the procedures set out in the document produced by the LCPC multi-agency policy, Guidance and Protection file.

School may decide to refer the pupil using a Multi-Agency Assessment and Referral form.  One copy is to go to the Social Services, one to the EWO and one for the files.  Whenever possible we will maintain good relations with the parents of the child involved.  Even if a child is not deemed to be at real risk Mrs Street/Mr Barker will register school’s concerns using a Multi-Agency Assessment and Referral form.  This form will be used as a framework to gather and record information.  This may be forwarded to Social Services and other agencies if the school/parents agree that additional services would help to support the needs of the child and family.

Recording and Monitoring

Well-kept records are essential to good child protection practice. Ribblesdale will objectively record any concerns held about a child.  A specific record will be kept in the Headteacher’s confidential file of Child Protection information and case conference minutes. Staff will be referred to these only as appropriate. (Any teacher held notes should be destroyed once information is centralised).

If parents wish to see this information and disagree with it their views will be recorded.

Careful monitoring of initial concerns will help us to plan an effective form of intervention and protection. Concerns and their significance should be gauged within the context of a child’s life situation and family background. Parents will not necessarily be informed of initial monitoring.

Parameters for monitoring could be:

  • Attendance
  • Contact with parents/carers
  • Pupils’ body language, appearance and behaviour
  • Pupils’ response to socialisation with other pupils
  • Health & Medical complaints

Form Tutors and Learning Managers will play a significant role in collating this information.

Should a pupil with a Child Protection File transfer, Ribblesdale will retain a copy of the CP files and send a copy to the new Senior Designated Teacher under separate cover from the rest of the file. These files may be kept up to 7 years after the child’s 18th birthday.