SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD
POLICY STATEMENT
ID (Version) DU/5.1.1 (v5)
Published 15 August 2024
Valid Until 15-August 2025 (Annual)
TheArborSchool(“Arbor”,“we”,“theschool”)iscommittedtoensuringthat everyone is responsible forthe careofchildrenandyoungpeoplealwaysundertaketheirdutiesina professional manner, ensuringatall timesthatchildrenaretreatedwithsensitivityandrespect.Itisextremelyimportantthatanyconcernraised about the conduct of amember ofstaff or allegations of abuse inour school is managed thoroughly and efficiently,maintainingthehighestlevelofprotectionisprovidedwhilstalsogivingsupporttothevictim.
Thispolicywillensurethatallstaff,children,parents,volunteers,orcarersareawareoftheprocedurefor safeguardingandchildprotectionisadopted consistently andmattersarisingare confidentiallydealtwith effectivelyandefficientlyaspossible.
TheArborSchoolcomplieswithlocallegislationwiththeintroductionofUAECabinetdirectiveno.(3/3و)of 2022fromMr.HemalBelHasa,CEOofKnowledgeandHumanDevelopmentPolicies.Thisdocumenthasbeen published in both English and Arabic for your reference and is designed to protect and safeguard the welfare and wellbeing of all children in the UAE, thispolicy includes information for school leaders, early childhood centres, teachers and parents, and detailsthe responsibilities and obligations ofall adults who comeintocontactwithchildren.ThishasbeenpublishedinconjunctionwiththeUAE’sFederalLawNo.3of 2016onChildRights(Wadeema’sLaw):
(khda.gov.ae).
FormoreinformationonhowtheUAEprotectschildrenbyenforcinglawstoprotectthemandempowering them byprovidingeducation,goodhealthandotherfacilities,pleaseuse thislink: Children’s safety | The Official PortaloftheUAEGovernment.Youcanreportchildabuseto MinistryofInterior throughthe hotline number 116 111 or through the MoI’s Child Protection Centre’s website and the ‘Hemayati’ (Arabic for ‘protect me’)app(availableon Android and iOS).
RESPONSIBILITY ASSIGNMENT
Thefollowingposition(s)/role(s)has/havebeenassignedtheresponsibilitieshereunderinrelationtothe execution of the guidelines, requiring the relevant responsible individual(s) to ensure that they are communicatedto,understood,andadheredtobyallapplicableschoolemployees:
Responsibility
Responsible Everyone
Accountable Everyone
Position(s) / Role(s)
Consulted ArborSafeguardingTeam,ELTandGoverningBody
Informed Parents/Community
APPLICATION
1. BELIEFS
AttheArborSchool,webelievethat:
Allchildren,haveequalrightsofprotection.
All children (any young person aged 18 and below) inourcarehavearighttolearnanddevelopin asafe,caringenvironment.
Safeguardingandpromotingthe welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility.
The welfare of children will always be safeguarded and given paramount consideration when developinganddeliveringschoolactivities.
2.
SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD PROTECTION
ID (Version) DU/5.1.1 (v5)
Published 15 August 2024
Valid Until 15-August 2025 (Annual)
The adherence to all applicable safeguarding children’s regulations and guidelines, as well as implementingsafeguardingbest practicesina holisticmannerisacriticalelement ofensuringthe safeguardingofallchildren.
Throughtheadoptionofachildcentredapproach,allpractitionersatArborwillbeinapositionto identifyconcernsearly,providehelptochildren,promotechildren’swelfareandpreventconcerns fromescalating.
Encouragingandpromotingthegenuineinvolvementofstaff,atalllevels,inmaintaininghigh standardsofchildprotectionandputtingchildrenandyoungpeoplefirst;isadutyoftheleadership ofArbor.
Alladultsattheschoolmustbeopen,accessibletostudents,preparedtolistenandsupportiveofa child’sneeds.
DEFINITIONS
(adopted from Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), 2024)
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means:
providinghelpandsupporttomeettheneedsofchildrenassoonasproblemsemerge;
protectingchildrenfrommaltreatment,whetherthatiswithinoroutsidethehome,includingonline;
preventingtheimpairmentofchildren’smentalandphysicalhealthordevelopment;
ensuringthatchildrengrowupincircumstancesconsistentwiththeprovisionofsafeandeffective care;and
takingactiontoenableallchildrentohavethebestoutcomes.
Child protection ispartofsafeguardingandpromotingthewelfareofchildrenandisdefinedforthepurpose ofthisguidanceasactivitythatisundertakentoprotectspecificchildrenwhoaresuspectedtobesuffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm. This includes harm that occurs inside or outside the home, including online.
Abuse isaformofmaltreatmentofachild.Somebodymayabuseorneglectachildbyinflictingharmorby failing to acttoprevent harm. Harm can includeill treatmentthatis not physicalaswell asthe impact of witnessingilltreatmentofothers.Thiscanbeparticularlyrelevant,forexample,inrelationtotheimpacton childrenof allformsof domestic abuse,includingwhere they see, hearorexperienceits effects.Children maybeabusedinafamilyorinaninstitutionalorcommunitysettingbythoseknowntothemor,morerarely, byothers.Abusecantakeplacewhollyonline,ortechnologymaybeusedtofacilitateofflineabuse.Children maybeabusedbyanadultoradultsorbyanotherchildorchildren. See Appendix A for indicators of abuse.
Neglect isaformofabuseandisthepersistentfailuretomeetachild’sbasicphysicaland/orpsychological needs, likelytoresult intheseriousimpairmentofthechild’shealthordevelopment. Appendix A defines neglect in more detail.
Allstaffareawareofthe indicators of abuse, neglect and exploitation,understandingthatchildrencanbe atriskofharminsideandoutsideoftheschool/college,insideandoutsideofhome,andonline.Exercising professionalcuriosityandknowingwhattolookforisvitalfortheearlyidentificationofabuseandneglect sothatstaffareabletoidentifycasesofchildrenwhomaybeinneedofhelporprotection.Staffmustalso remainvigilantandawareofchildrenwithsexuallyharmfulbehaviour,andpromptlyreportanyconcernto amemberofthesafeguardingteam.ArborwillusetheBrookSexualBehavioursTrafficLightTool continuum todemonstrateandcategorisetherangeofsexualbehaviours: CPD: Brook Sexual Behaviours Traffic Light Tool (RSE) Course
SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD PROTECTION
3. SAFEGUARDING TEAM
Designated Safeguarding Lead
ID (Version) DU/5.1.1 (v5)
Published 15 August 2024
Valid Until 15-August 2025 (Annual)
ASafeguardingTeamhasbeenestablished,ledbytheDesignatedSafeguardingLead(DSL)andcomprisedof competentexpertsinsafeguarding.The2024/2025SafeguardingTeamare:
Role
Safeguarding Governor (DSG)
Person
KennethJonesgovernors@thearborschool.ae
Arbor Principal GemmaThornleyprincipal@thearborschool.ae
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) FrancesPowell:headofsecondary@thearborschool.ae
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP)
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Person (DDSP)
KathyrnKeeshanheadofprimary@thearborschool.ae
PRIMARY:RichardSwinglerrswingler@thearborschool.ae
SECONDARY: VanessaMitchellvmitchell@thearborschool.ae NON-ACADEMIC: GhadahAlSalousgalsalous@thearborschool.ae
PRIMARY (EYFS): ChloeMorrittcmorritt@thearborschool.ae
PRIMARY (KS1):MeganGallachermgallacher@thearborschool.ae
PRIMARY (KS2):EvelynHendersonehenderson@thearborschool.ae
SECONDARY (KS3): NicholasCookencooke@thearborschool.ae
SECONDARY (KS4): EmilyKerrLaslett ekerrlaslett@thearborschool.ae
SECONDARY (KS5): ChrisMartin cmartin@thearborschool.ae
LSAs: JaniceQuintojquinto@thearborschool.ae NON-ACADEMIC: LudaZuhairlzuhair@thearborschool.ae
Thrive Representative SarahVundumsvundum@thearborschool.ae
Family Liaison AshleighWilsonawilson@thearborschool.ae
Counsellors AlexandraJurgensenajurgensen@thearborschool.ae JacquelineHarrisonjharrison@thearborschool.ae
Medical DrQuratulainFaisalqfaisal@thearborschool.ae
E-Safety (Digital and Online) Leads
PRIMARY: SabrinaMichaelsmichael@thearborschool.ae
SECONDARY: DavidSmaledsmale@thearborschool.ae NON-ACADEMIC: AliHatamleha.hatamleh@mggt.company
The identity andcontact informationfor Arbor’sSafeguardingTeam issharedwiththeArborcommunity, and prominently displayed in multiple locations around campus. See Appendix B for Roles and Responsibilities.
4. STANDARDS
Theschoolwillcarryoutsaferrecruitmentprocessestoensurethatalladultsworkingwithchildren aresuitable.
Every member of staff, as well as volunteers and third-party providers working in the school’s facilities,isresponsibleforsafetyandsecurityofallchildrenintheircare.
All staff are responsible for their own actions and behaviour; and will follow the contents of the SafeguardingDeclarationandArborStaffHandbook.
AllstaffwillreadandunderstandtheArborsafeguardingpoliciesandprocedures.
Allstaffhaveequalresponsibilitytoactonanysuspicionordisclosurethatmaysuggestachildisat riskofharm,inaccordancewiththeschoolguidance.
Allstaffwillrecognisethatanychildmaybenefitfromearlyhelp,butallstaffmustbeparticularly alerttothepotentialneedforearlyhelpforavulnerablechild.
Eachmemberofstaffmustknowwhattheyneedtodoiftheyhaveconcernsaboutachild,orthe behaviourofacolleague/adult,andactimmediately.
SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD PROTECTION
ID (Version) DU/5.1.1 (v5)
Published 15 August 2024
Valid Until 15-August 2025 (Annual)
All employees are responsibleforchallenginginappropriate behavioursbetweenchildrenthat are abusiveinnature,thusreducinganydownplayingordismissalorcertainbehavioursandharassment. SeetheArbor Child-on-Child Abuse Procedure forfurtherinformation.
Allstaffwillundergoregularandfrequenttrainingtoensuretheyareuptodatewiththeirknowledge andunderstandingoftheirresponsibilitieswithregardstosafeguardingandchildprotection.
5. GUIDELINES
AllstaffatArborwill:
Knowhowtocommunicateappropriatelywithchildren.
Understandwhatmightmakeachildmorevulnerable.
Understandandrespondtopossiblesignsofabuse.
Bediligentintheirapproachinrespondingtomattersofasafeguardingnature.
Knowhowtosharekeyinformationandwhotoshareitwith.
Beawareofthecircumstanceswhichmaymakesomechildrenparticularlyvulnerable.
Beawareofspecificsafeguardingissuesthatcanputchildrenatriskofharm,includingbeing preparedtoidentifychildrenwhomaybenefitfromearlyhelp.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
This policy should be readand applied in conjunction with all relevant governance documents within the schoolandrelatedreferencedocuments,whetherexistingorintroducedand/ormodifiedsubsequentto thisprocedurebeingpublished,including(butnotlimitedto):
SafeguardingandChildProtectionProcedure
Child-on-ChildAbuseProcedure
E-Safety(DigitalandOnline)SafetyProcedure
HomeVisitsProcedure
LocalGuardianshipProcedure
Non-CollectionProcedure
SafeTouchandPositiveHandlingProcedure
Self-HarmandSuicidalIdeationProcedure
StudentSupervisionandTransitions
DU/5.1.1.1
DU/5.1.1.2
DU/5.1.1.3
DU/5.1.1.4
DU/5.1.1.5
DU/5.1.1.6
DU/5.1.1.7
DU/5.1.1.8
DU/5.1.1.9
ToiletingandIntimateCare DU/5.1.1.10
Relationships,SexandHealthEducation(RSHE)Procedure DU/5.1.1.11
BehaviourforLearningPolicy DU/5.1.2
BehaviourforLearningProcedure:Primary DU/5.1.2.1
BehaviourforLearningProcedure:Secondary DU/5.1.2.2
EducationalVisitsandExcursionsPolicy DU/5.1.3
EducationalVisitsandExcursionsProcedure DU/5.1.3.1 Staff
ManagingAllegationsAgainstStaffPolicy
DU/5.2.1
ManagingAllegationsAgainstStaffProcedure DU/5.2.1.1
SaferRecruitmentPolicy DU/2.4.9
SocialMediaProcedure DU/5.2.2
HealthandSafetyPolicy
Health and Safety
DU/2.1.1
IncidentManagementPolicy DU/2.2.4
SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD PROTECTION
ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS
Abbreviation / Term
SLT SeniorLeadershipTeam
Owner Designated Safeguarding Lead
ID (Version) DU/5.1.1 (v5)
Published 15 August 2024
Valid Until 15-August 2025 (Annual)
Description / Definition
DSL DesignatedSafeguardingLead
DSPs DesignatedSafeguardingPerson
DSG DesignatedSafeguardingGovernor
KHDA TheKnowledgeandHumanDevelopmentAuthority
CDA CommunityDevelopmentAuthority
HR HumanResources
SCR SingleCentralRecord