BSB is committed to acting in the best interests of every child in its care. We recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils. All children, regardless of age, gender, ability, culture, race, language, religion or sexual identity, have equal rights to protection.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means:
• providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge;
• protecting children from maltreatment (any type of abuse or neglect caused by inflicting harm or failing to prevent harm) or exploitation, whether that is within or outside the home, including online;
• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care;
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Child protection refers to the processes undertaken to protect children who have been identified as suffering or being at risk of suffering significant harm.
Who is responsible for Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is EVERYONE’S responsibility. This policy applies to all staff and volunteers. Our policy and procedures also apply to extended school and off-site activities. All staff must:
• be aware of their statutory responsibilities with respect to safeguarding;
• have a zero-tolerance approach to abuse of any kind;
• be aware that abuse can happen in all settings and contexts;
• be vigilant and focused acutely upon the wellbeing of the children in our care;
• act on any suspicion or disclosure that may suggest a child is at risk of harm.
All staff members will undertake safeguarding and child protection training at their induction and then on a regular basis thereafter or before they begin working with children if joining mid-year. All staff are also required to read and familiarise themselves with the school’s Safeguarding Policy Portfolio before the start of each new academic year.
Recognising Maltreatment and Abuse Types
Maltreatment includes any type of abuse or neglect of a child or young person caused by inflicting harm or failing to prevent harm. Abuse and safeguarding issues are rarely standalone events that can be covered by one definition or label. In most cases, multiple issues will overlap. Children may be abused by an adult or adults or another child or children. There are four main categories of abuse which are detailed below. More details of specific safeguarding issues such as bullying, sextortion, radicalisation and their indicators are included in the full policy.
Physical Abuse
Examples:
• hitting
• shaking
• scratching
• pinching
• throwing
• drowning
• burning or scalding
• suffocating
• choking
• inappropriate use of restraint
Indicators
Physical signs may include:
• Bruises, scald and burn marks, broken or fractured bones
• poisoning or over-medicating
• injuries that are inconsistent with the explanation given
Emotional and behavioural signs may include:
• flinching when touched
• inability to recall how injuries occurred
• avoiding getting changed for sport or other activities
• wearing trousers and tops with long sleeves even on hot sunny days (although consider religious/cultural reasons)
• reluctance to go home
• excessively eager to please
• being aggressive or withdrawn
• poor attendance to school
• changes in their behaviour
• attempts to run away
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities. This may not necessarily involve a high level of violence and the child may or may not be aware of what is happening. Sexual abuse can be perpetrated by adults, both males and females, and also other children.
Contact activities examples:
• rape and sexual assault
• non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing, and touching outside of clothing
• making a child undress or touch someone else
Non-contact activities examples:
• watching sexual activities
• encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways
• inappropriate role play
• involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images
• forcing a child to take part in sexual activities or conversations online
Indicators
Signs of sexual abuse may include:
• a change in behaviour; a child may start to become withdrawn, become aggressive or have difficulty in sleeping
• physical problems such as soreness, bleeding and bruising in the genital area, or sexually transmitted infections
• sexual knowledge, language, and behaviours beyond their age
• self-harming
• fear or avoidance of being with a person or a group of people
• sexualised drawings
• issues at school, such as difficulty in learning and concentrating
• being secretive about who they are talking to and what they are doing online
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe adverse effects on the child’s health and emotional development. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may also occur alone.
Examples:
• conveying to a child they are worthless or unloved
• not giving the child opportunities to express their views
• deliberately silencing them, degrading, or making fun of them
• age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on the child
• rejecting or ignoring a child completely
• preventing the child from interacting socially
Neglect
Indicators
Signs of emotional abuse may include:
• delayed development
• avoiding home
• lack of trust with adults
• appearing anxious and/or withdrawn
• difficulty in forming friendships
• inappropriate attention-seeking behaviour
• unexplained underachievement at school
• running away from home or missing from school
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic needs and likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development.
Neglect can be categorised into:
• Physical – A child’s basic needs are not met such as food, clothing, and shelter
• Educational – A parent does not ensure their child is given an education
• Emotional – A child does not get the nurture and stimulation they need
• Medical – A child is not given proper health care
• Affluent – Refers to the neglect in wealthier families and is often linked to emotional neglect
Indicators
Physical signs may include:
• untreated medical conditions
• unkempt appearance and poor personal hygiene
• inadequate clothing
• health and development problems
• untreated skin or hair problems (rashes, sores, flea bites, head lice)
• constant hunger
Behavioural signs may include:
• demanding constant attention and affection
• changes in behaviour such as becoming withdrawn, anxious and/or aggressive
• missing or irregularly attending school
• low self-esteem
• developmental delay (for example weight, language, social skills)
Children experiencing emotional neglect may:
• lack confidence or self-assurance
• find it hard to control their emotions
• struggle making and maintaining relationships
• act in age-inappropriate ways
Other signs to look for could include:
• children constantly being looked after by paid carers
• children experiencing extreme pressure to succeed academically
• children experiencing coercive control from parents
• child alcohol and substance misuse
Exploitation
Exploitation is the act of taking advantage of a child’s vulnerability, often through coercion, dishonesty, manipulation, or threats.
Mental Health
If there are indications that a child is struggling with their mental health, a report should be made, and the Safeguarding Team notified. These indications may include:
• anxiety
• low mood and depression
• potential eating disorders
• self-harm
Staff must also be alert to the fact that mental health problems can, in some cases, be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse or exploitation at the hands of another. The school recognises attendance as something which can be impacted by mental health. Furthermore, with all mental health concerns, immediate action should be taken using the same processes as all other safeguarding concerns.
Taking Action
If you have a concern about a child, you must record it immediately and contact a member of the Safeguarding Team – see back page for contact details. Safeguarding concerns can be recorded on:
• the school’s CPOMS system;
• a green Welfare Concern Form (these can be found in common areas around school); or
• any piece of paper, which must be signed and dated.
The DSL or member of the Safeguarding Team will listen to your concern carefully and help ensure that the report is written suitably. Members from the Safeguarding Team will then meet to discuss and plan how best to respond to the concern. Where possible, you will be kept informed of any actions taken.
However, if a child is suffering or likely to suffer from harm, or in imminent danger, a referral must be made to children’s social care services and/or the police immediately. The DSL will make the referral or support you in doing so. If the DSL or a member of the Safeguarding Team cannot be contacted in sufficient time, make a referral directly. Anyone can make a referral.
• Ilfov Child Protection: 021.369.58.89 / 021.369.58.90 Director Executiv - George Denis SENCIUC dgaspcif@protectiacopilului.ro
As soon as able, contact the DSL if you make a referral directly, share all relevant details of the concern and specify all of the actions you have already taken.
Please remember it is our responsibility to report concerns. It is not our responsibility to investigate or decide whether a child has been abused or not.
Concerns about a staff member or volunteer
If you believe a child or young person at school is being harmed or at risk of harm due to the behaviour or actions of a member of staff or volunteer, you must report this immediately to both Heads of School, as per the guidance in the BSB Whisleblowing Policy. If the concern relates to a Head of School, it should then be reported to the other Head of School and the Proprietor
If a member of staff’s behaviour or actions are not believed to have crossed the ‘harm threshold’ but fall short of the expectations outlined in the BSB Staff Code of Ethical Practice, report the matter directly to the relevant Head of School, as outlined in the school’s Low-Level Concerns guidance. If the concern relates to a Head of School, it should then be reported to the other Head of School and the DSL
Allegations of abuse made against other students (child-on-child abuse)
If a child or young person causes harm to another, this should not necessarily be dealt with as abuse and may be dealt with by following the BSB Behaviour Policy. However, staff should recognise that children are capable of abusing and harassing their peers (emotionally, physically, sexually) and this should not be tolerated or passed off as ‘just having a laugh’ or ‘part of growing up’. Any concerns or allegations of abuse or harassment should be recorded and reported to the Safeguarding Team immediately.
Responding to a Disclosure
It takes a lot of courage for a child to disclose that they are being abused. If a student talks to you about any risks to their safety or wellbeing you will need to let them know that you must pass the information on to a member of the Safeguarding Team – you must not promise to keep secrets.
During your conversation with the student:
• Allow them to speak freely; remain calm and do not overreact.
• Give reassuring nods or words of comfort – ‘I’m so sorry this has happened’, ‘I want to help’, ‘This isn’t your fault’, ‘You are doing the right thing in talking to me’.
• Do not be afraid of silences – remember how hard this must be for the student.
• Under no circumstances ask investigative questions.
• Explain to the student that to keep them safe and to help them you must pass the information on.
• Do not automatically offer any physical touch as comfort.
• Do not admonish the child for not disclosing earlier.
• Tell the student what will happen next. The student may agree to go with you to see the designated person. Otherwise let them know that someone will come to see them before the end of the day.
After your conversation with the student:
• Report verbally to a member of the Safeguarding Team.
• Record your conversation as soon as possible using CPOMS or on a green Welfare Concern Form. Only detail the information you have learned and avoid personal judgment.
• If using the green Welfare Concern Form, sign and date your written record and pass it on to the DSL or another member of the Safeguarding Team.
• If appropriate, make a referral to children’s social care services and/or the police directly and tell the DSL as soon as possible that you have done so.
• Seek support if you feel distressed.
Although it is not our job to investigate, you may need to initiate a conversation to let the student know that you are there if they need someone to talk to. Below are prompts which you may find useful:
• Use the child’s name.
• Acknowledge their right to have feelings.
• Tell them why you are speaking with them – “As you know, I have a duty of care for…”
• Tell them that you want to support – “Could you help me with understanding what happened?”
• Paraphrase to check and clarify what they have said – “So you are saying that…”
• Be open and clear about what happens next – “I have to…”
• Have a colleague witness if possible.
Online Safety, including Filtering & Monitoring
Staff should contact students only through the official school-sanctioned platforms, such as Google Classroom. Staff should never be in contact with a current school student or a group of students via a private social media platform (unless they are a close family member). Staff may face disciplinary procedures and action if found to be in breach of school policy.
All student and staff internet and email activity is subject to filtering of blocked sites and monitoring. The systems BSB currently use include DNS Filter and Securly. Teaching staff should also be physically monitoring classroom online activity within their lessons.
If Securly registers any potential concerning activity or phrases used by a student which may suggest the child could be at risk, a flagged email will automatically be sent to the Safeguarding Team and the student’s Class Teacher or Form Teacher. One of these members of staff will take the lead in meeting with the student to discuss and respond to the concern. They will then feedback to the other members of staff and record the matter on CPOMS, if necessary.
If this occurs outside of school hours, no matter what the time, whoever sees the email first must:
1. email SLT and relevant members of the Pastoral Team to say that they are taking the lead on this matter;
2. telephone the parents, explain the purpose of the call and ask if their child is ok/safe. If the parents do not answer the phone, the lead person is to email the parents and then contact members of SLT and the Pastoral Team to help find alternative ways to reach out to the family.
Depending upon the situation, arrangements can then be made to follow up the concern with the child or family. The lead person will then feedback to SLT and the Pastoral Team and record the matter on CPOMS.
Personal devices: tablets, smartphones and cameras
Staff are to use personal devices appropriately and to be alert to any potential misuse of them. Staff should avoid putting themselves into compromising situations which could be misinterpreted and lead to potential allegations. All staff should be aware that all use of personal devices is open to scrutiny.
Staff will not take pictures or recordings of students on their personal phones or cameras. Staff will be provided with suitable devices to take pictures and recordings - these may include school phones allocated to certain school leaders. Any images or videos taken for school use should be uploaded, sent or transferred to the relevant school system (e.g. school social media account, assessment database, cloud system) as soon as possible and then deleted from the device.
When taking photographs and videos for school purposes we:
• seek parental/carer consent as appropriate for photographs and videos to be taken or published (for example, on our website or in newspapers or publications);
• do not identify a student by name when his or her image appears on the school website or on social media, unless specific permission has been granted by the parents/carers;
• ensure students and staff are appropriately dressed;
• ensure students are undertaking an official BSB activity only.
Parents can provide consent for their children’s photographs and videos to be used within the annual re-registration forms.
Any photographs or videos taken on campus by a member of staff or a visitor, including parents, should not be posted online (e.g. via social media) if the imagery contains children or adults for whom permission has not been agreed.
Confidentiality
Staff should only discuss concerns with a designated person. That person will then decide who else needs to have the information and they will disseminate it on a ‘need-to-know’ basis. Consent to share information is not required if a child is suffering or is at risk of suffering significant harm.
Staff should never promise a child (and/or their family where appropriate), that they will not tell anyone about an allegation, as this may not be in the child’s best interests. Staff should be open about why, what, how and whom information will, or could be shared with and seek their agreement, unless it is unsafe or inappropriate to do so.
If staff are in any doubt about sharing information, staff should speak to the DSL or a Deputy DSL. Fears about sharing information must not be allowed to stand in the way of the need to promote the welfare and protect the safety of children.
Child protection information will be stored and handled fairly and lawfully and in line with GDPR principles. All records of concern will be stored and managed securely on CPOMS. Any physical records of concern and related information will be stored in a locked facility and only made available to relevant individuals.
Induction and Training
All staff and volunteers at the British School of Bucharest receive a safeguarding induction at the start of employment to explain clearly all necessary safeguarding expectations and procedures at the school. Furthermore, all staff receive ongoing safeguarding training appropriate to their position within the organisation.
Safer Recruitment
The British School of Bucharest follows strict safer recruitment processes in line with the expectations of the Association of British Schools Overseas (AoBSO) and the Council of British International Schools (COBIS).
Where can I find more safeguarding information?
This is a summary of key points that are relevant to all staff on an everyday basis; it is not the complete policy. Please refer to the BSB Safeguarding Policy for all other relevant safeguarding information.
Other linked policies include:
• Online Safety
• Acceptable Use
• Behaviour
• Toileting and Intimate Care
• Safer Recruitment
• Whistleblowing
• Complaint
• Visitors and Volunteers
• Health and Safety
• BSB Staff Code of Ethical Practice
BSB Safeguarding Team
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is:
Eva Cli e
Director of Professional Learning & Development
0728 861 933 eva.cli e@britishschool.ro
The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads are:
Darren Goode
Director of Secondary Pastoral Care & Inclusion
0730 166 952 darren.goode@britishschool.ro
Dan Batson
Director of Primary Academic Studies
0731 877 196 dan.batson@britishschool.ro
The Safeguarding O cers are:
Victoria Smith
Head of Primary School
0735 302 999 victoria.smith@britishschool.ro
Paul Gildea
Director of Primary Pastoral Care & Inclusion
0730 600 101 paul.gildea@britishschool.ro
Jodie Lewis
Director of EYFS & Key Stage 1
0728 862 006 jodie.lewis@britishschool.ro
Laura Gildea
Director of Key Stage 2
Jason Porter
Head of Secondary School
0728 133 436 jason.porter@britishschool.ro
Anthony George
Director of Secondary Academic Studies
0728 861 878 anthony.george@britishschool.ro
Rob Notley
Director of Co-Curricular, Development and Community Outreach
0732 015 385 robert.notley@britishschool.ro
0728 862 048 laura.gildea@britishschool.ro
If you have any concerns about the safety or welfare of someone in our School, please contact one of our Designated Safeguarding O cers immediately. It might be nothing, it might be something.
