Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Policy

Safeguarding_What to do if you have concerns about a child's welfare

Drop off and collection of children by parents_policy and procedures_Lewes

Collection of children by authorised adults_policy and procedures

Making a complaint policy and procedures

Parental behaviour_policy and procedu

Behaviour policy and procedures

Allergies and illness policy and procedures

Food allergy and intolerance policy and procedures

Nappy changing, toilet training and beyond_policies and procedures

Health and wellbeing_policy and procedures

Parental involvement policy and procedures

Please view all our policies here.

feguarding children

1.2.1 Child Protection and Safeguarding policy and procedures

(Including managing allegations of abuse against a member of staff)

Key contacts

• Designated Safeguarding Lead: Names on parent noticeboard or ask any member of staff
• Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Names on parent noticeboard or ask any member of staff
• Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) at ESCC is Donna Davis. Consultation via the online portal here
• Referrals into Early Help and Social Care Single Point of Access:
  • 01323 464222;
  • [email protected]
• Emergency Duty Service (after hours, weekends and public holidays): 01273 335906 / 01273 335905

INTRODUCTION

• Our whole nursery approach to safeguarding is based upon an understanding of the local context and an attitude of ‘it could happen here’.

• Our children’s welfare is our paramount concern. The nursery Owners and management team will ensure that our nursery will safeguard and promote the welfare of children and work together with other agencies to ensure that our nursery has robust arrangements to identify, assess and support those children who are experiencing or likely to experience harm.

• Our nursery is a community and all those directly connected, staff, volunteers, Owners, parents, families and children, have an essential role to play in making it safe and secure.

• Safeguarding is not an isolated activity which is undertaken by a select few within only certain areas of nursery practice. Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility and everyone at our nursery who has contact with children and families must play an active role in keeping children safe from harm. In that respect we take a whole nursery approach to safeguarding, ensuring that it is at the forefront of all our work, that it underpins all of our policies and processes and that everything we do is always with the best interests of the children at heart.

• Our nursery will provide a caring, positive and stimulating environment that promotes the social, physical, emotional and moral development of the individual child, and where children feel safe.

• We always take a child-centred approach to our work and ensure that we listen to the voice of the child so that all children feel heard and understood. When children talk to an adult about a concern they may have they will always be taken seriously, they will always be supported and kept safe, they will never be given the impression that they are creating a problem or have anything to feel ashamed about.

• We understand that children may not feel ready or know how to tell someone that they are being abused, exploited, or neglected, and/or they may not recognise their experiences as harmful. For example, children may feel embarrassed, humiliated, or being threatened. This could be due to their vulnerability, disability or language barriers. This will not prevent staff from having professional curiosity and speaking to the DSL if they have concerns about a child.

• So that children are able and confident to raise concerns with adults we ensure that our safeguarding systems are well promoted, easily understood and easily accessible. Alongside this we expect all staff to develop positive relationships with children, which build trust and facilitate communication.

• To support children who may find it difficult to directly speak with an adult in the nursery there are other means of encouraging children to share, such as emotion puppets and emotion books.

• As well as systems for individual children to raise concerns, we also gather the child’s voice, to understand the experience of children at the nursery, so that this can inform the development of safeguarding practice. We always aim to capture the full breadth of the child demographic, including children with SEND and those who are known to be vulnerable.

• So that children are supported to stay safe online whether they are at nursery or at home we teach a range of knowledge through specific topics related to safeguarding as part of our broad and balanced preventive curriculum. This includes: using technology safely with the help of their parents /carers; discussing how they shouldn’t talk to strangers; to go home if they get lost; to go to someone in a uniform if separate from parents / carers.

• Children do not use the internet in nursery. The web browser is not available on our iPads in the classroom.

1.13       All teachers and practitioners recognise that there are opportunities to reinforce the learning around these safeguarding within all subject areas and will plan to do so. Non-teaching members of staff recognise that they too can support learning in these areas through broader modelling of behaviours or messages.

1.14       The use of technology is a significant component of many safeguarding issues so as part of our whole nursery approach to safeguarding we issue parents with an ‘Online Safety checklist for the Under 5s’ which helps parents / carers set boundaries for their children.

1.15       We recognise that abuse may occur in a range of situations: within families or households, within the community, or online or face-to-face. We also recognise too that it is not only adults who may abuse children but also that children can abuse other children as well.

1.16       We recognise that just because children are not raising concerns, that is not to say that there are no concerns. For example, there may be no reported cases of child-on-child abuse, but such abuse may still be taking place and is simply not being reported, this is why it is so important to listen to children, to teach them about risk and safety and to raise awareness around how to seek support.

1.17       We take a zero-tolerance approach to child-on-child abuse. Further information on this area of work is within Appendix C of this policy. This should also be read alongside the Behaviour Policy.

1.18       We will work with parents to build an understanding of the nursery’s responsibilities to ensure the welfare of all children, including the need for referrals to other agencies, such as Children’s Social Care, in some situations.

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1.12.2 How we care for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities – Our Offer

1. How does the nursery know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

• At School House Nurseries we are committed to the inclusion of all children. All children have the right to be cared for and educated to develop to their full potential alongside each other through positive experiences, to enable them to share opportunities and experiences and develop and learn from each other. We provide a positive and welcoming environment where children are supported according to their individual needs and we work hard to ensure no children are discriminated against or put at a disadvantage as a consequence of their needs.
• If a Practitioner has any concerns, these observations will be shared with the nursery’s Senco (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) and the Manager.
• At School House Nurseries we have a Key Person system in place, which means every child has a named individual overseeing the child’s record keeping and care needs. When they are not present a Key Buddy is responsible. The role of the Key Person/Buddy is to develop trusting, sensitive relationship with both the child and the parents/carers to enable respectful sharing of information.
• If you have any concerns about your child’s development you can ask for time to discuss your concerns in private with your Key Person.
• If your child’s Key Person has identified a possible individual need they will discuss their concerns with you in private and then a joint plan can be made to support your child’s learning and development.
• Our trained Senco can offer advice and support to the Key Person and our other childcare practitioners. The Senco will liaise with other professionals to seek advice and support in identifying individual needs if and when necessary. Additional support can also be given by East Sussex’s Early Years Support Team with parent’s/carer’s permission.
• Reports from health care professionals, such as Health Visitors and Speech and Language therapists, who have been involved in identifying a child’s individual needs are always welcomed. This information can then be used to plan for your child’s care, learning and development requirements.

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