KATTENBERG 19, B-1170
BELGIUM
SAFEGUARDING HANDBOOK
Statement of commitment
At ISB, our Mission is to develop independent learners and international citizens in an environment where all students are included, challenged, and successful.
In doing so, our school complies with legal and ethical requirements for the treatment of children in Belgium, as well as international expectations in support of the rights of children ISB adheres to the following guiding principles derived from the International Taskforce on Child Protection and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC):
All children have equal rights to be protected from harm and abuse.
Everyone has a responsibility to support the protection of children
ISB has a responsibility to build a community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion for each child
ISB has a duty of care to enrolled students in the school and children who are affected by the operations of the school.
All child protection actions are taken with regard to the best interests of the child, which are paramount
ISB takes the ethical responsibility to protect all children in the school’s care very seriously, and will provide them with a safe and secure environment in which to grow and develop Child abuse and neglect are violations of a child’s human rights and are obstacles to the child’s education, as well as to their physical, emotional and social development
All ISB employees have a professional and ethical responsibility to identify children who are in need of help and protection and through following the school’s reporting procedures must address situations of abuse or neglect Such cases must be followed and recorded by the appropriate personnel at school and reported to the appropriate authorities, as required
This handbook and the policies and procedures in place at ISB have been created with regard to the legal frameworks of both the Federal Belgian Government and the Francophone community in Brussels. These frameworks are linked below:
Décret relatif à l'Aide aux enfants victimes de maltraitance (2004)
Policies & regulations
TheISBChildProtectionPolicyisasfollows:
I Purpose
1 In keeping with the School’s mission, the ISB Board of Trustees endorses a policy whereby the School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the well-being of all students in a safe and secure environment
II. Scope and Framework
2 To this end and in accordance with best practices in the field, the School uses a comprehensive child protection framework that aligns with the recommendations and requirements of accrediting agencies, the International Task Force on Child Protection, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, of which Belgium is a signatory All stakeholders have a duty of care to actively seek help for students when abuse and/or neglect is suspected Employees, volunteers, and contracted service providers are expected to maintain an attitude of vigilance for possible signs of abuse and/or neglect of children, and these individuals adhere to a child protection code of conduct
3 The Board notes that the School has adopted procedural responses to allegations of suspected abuse and/or neglect in the following situations: (i) allegations against a person from home or community, (ii) allegations against a School employee, volunteer, or contracted service provider, and (iii) allegations against other students
4 Furthermore, the School adopts a number of organisational measures which promote a safe and secure learning environment for all These include:
The appointment of a Child Protection Officer who is a current member of staff.
Documented child protection procedures that the School uses to: clearly define types of abuse and/or neglect, outline procedural responses to such allegations, and rigorously enforce vetting procedures for all employees and volunteers
Annual training sessions for students, employees, and families aimed at raising awareness of child protection issues
III. Review and Evaluation
5 The School’s child protection policies and procedures are annually updated by the responsible personnel. Additionally, a report is submitted to the Board summarising the implementation of the child protection framework each school year
ISB has clearly defined leadership responsibilities and delegation of responsibility at the governance and leadership levels for child safeguarding and welfare; the designated lead undertakes formal training on child safeguarding and duty of care
Board
The school has clearly defined governance responsibilities for safeguarding, as documented in the governance handbook. This includes the designation of a Board member as the Safeguarding Trustee, with a written role profile
The Board is ultimately responsible for the way in which the school safeguards young people from harm.
The Board responsibilities include:
Supporting the school in maintaining an overview of the legal, ethical, and cultural expectations and requirements regarding child abuse in Belgium;
Being aware of the safeguarding risks, including legal and reputational risks; Ensuring the school has developed adequate processes and procedures to respond to an allegation;
Understanding how the school would respond to an allegation of abuse against an adult in school (including historical);
Strategic oversight of safeguarding by ensuring the school has appropriate and clear designation of responsibility for safeguarding, fostering a safe culture, and overseeing the mitigation of safeguarding risks
All employees, contractors, regular volunteers and board members receive training, agree to a code of conduct, and are subject to safer recruitment practices, in accordance with their role Safer recruitment practices are based on Belgian law and recommendations from the International Taskforce on Child Protection. This includes a safeguarding statement on all advertised positions at the school which outlines the school’s commitment to safeguarding and its safer recruitment practices
Employees
Prior to making an offer of employment at ISB, verbal reference checks are performed for all new employees. The reference-takers include specific confirmation that the referee has no knowledge of inappropriate behaviour regarding child-protection The candidate must disclose any criminal offences and / or involvement in disciplinary procedures related to child protection.
All employees must submit clear criminal background checks to cover the whole career, as available, without interruption as far as possible The Belgian criminal record extract is requested every two years of employment This extract is referred to as Model 596-2 and is intended for the exercise of an, ‘Activity that falls within the scope of education, psychomedico-social guidances, youth assistance, child protection, animation or supervision of minors’ (Article 596, Paragraph 2 of the Code of Criminal Investigation).
Verbal reference checks are performed for all new employees prior to recruitment. Among the questions asked, the reference-takers include specific confirmation that the referee has no knowledge of inappropriate behaviour regarding aspects of child-protection
A statement is present in the employment contract template about respecting ISB’s child protection policy and procedures at all times, and failure to do so may result in immediate dismissal (termed faute grave in Belgian employment law)
Regular Volunteers
Regular volunteers are defined as those who hold a voluntary position in the school or on behalf of the school (e g Board member, Family Association volunteer, or ISST Housing Host Families), for example: those who are in school once each week or more or volunteer on four days in a 30-day period, or adults who are accompanying students on a residential trip.
Safer recruitment practices are applied to regular volunteers in a way that is reflective of their role, as determined by the DSL in collaboration with those leading the event or activity
Housing hosts additionally sign a housing code of conduct, which is managed by the Athletics department
The Code of Conduct sets expectations for appropriate behaviour of adults working at ISB, as well as safer working practices A French version of the Code of Conduct is available for those with French as their dominant language (for example: bus drivers, guards and catering staff)
Onboarding Training
New employees receive in-person training at the start of the academic year delivered by the DSL. This includes informing employees about the safeguarding policies and procedures at ISB, as well as how to recognize and report harm or abuse
Contractors, regular volunteers (including new Board members), and mid-year hires will receive training in-person on an individual basis, or online using Tes Educare Child Protection for International Schools course, including a certificate.
Refresher Training
All employees, contractors and regular volunteers participate in an annual refresher training which includes updates on emerging risks and trends and new developments in safeguarding at ISB This may be in-person or online
ISB guards undergo an annual Safeguarding training specific to their role led by the Security Manager
Enhanced Training
The DSL and all school counsellors undertake Child Protection training through the Council of International Schools (CIS), and attend at least two training sessions each three-year-cycle in relevant Safeguarding areas
The Safeguarding Trustee representative on the Board attends the CIS Child Protection Foundation training, following the leadership and governance strand of workshops and presentations
Role-specific training can be requested through the DSL, for example, training for school nurses and school trip leaders.
ISB employees are bound by contract to mandatory reporting of suspected harm and abuse of children This includes concerns about the conduct of ISB employees, contractors and volunteers All concerns should be reported without delay to the DSL.
The mandatory reporting of suspected abuse falls within the broader context of reporting of complaints at ISB The Health and Safety page on the ISB employee website outlines reporting avenues to disclose workplace abuse, complaints about various working conditions, and breach of social law.
Concerns
about the welfare or wellbeing of a student
In accordance with the ISB reporting protocol, concerns about the welfare or wellbeing of a student should be directed to the child’s counsellor or the DSL without delay (this needs to happen within 48 hours of observation or disclosure) Through safeguarding training, all employees are aware of the signs that a student may be at risk of harm or abuse, and know how to report it Faculty and staff are trained to be alert to the signs that a student may be experiencing harm and are sensitive to signs such as behaviour changes.
When a report is received, immediate action is taken to determine the validity of the concern as well as the urgency and level of risk to the student. Depending on the situation, this might include:
Interviewing the student
Reviewing documentation such as behavioural and health records
Speaking with the student’s counsellor and/or teachers
Speaking with the parents/guardians
Interviewing peers
Convening a team including the student’s Sectional Head and counsellor for shared decision-making
Conducting a risk assessment
Concerns or allegations about the conduct of ISB employees, contractors or volunteers
These reports are shared directly with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, who will inform the Head of School Allegations and concerns about colleagues are treated with the utmost confidentiality and in alignment with Belgian law The school has a system (StaffSafe) and procedures in place for centralised reporting of suspected or disclosed maltreatment or abuse, including historical abuse, by volunteers, contractors, faculty and staff
When an allegation is made about an ISB employee, the school follows the ITFCP Managing Allegations Protocol to conduct an inquiry Inquiry outcomes may include internal disciplinary action and informing appropriate local authorities, i e , law enforcement or child protective services as appropriate.
Reports of suspected or disclosed abuse and resulting actions taken by the school are securely archived in StaffSafe, and in keeping with applicable law, regardless of the conclusions reached. Records are reviewed periodically for identification of possible patterns of inappropriate behaviour
Self-reporting
All employees are encouraged to come forward to the DSL or Director if they are concerned about a situation they have been involved in that they feel a sense of unease about. For example, a member of staff may feel as though they have acted in a way that could be misinterpreted, could appear compromising to others, or they realise, upon reflection, is outside of the standards set in the Code of Conduct The Director and DSL will be understanding and sensitive towards those who self-report. While those who selfreport will not be treated more favourably during any resulting inquiries, their self awareness and intentions will be taken into consideration.
Employees should seek advice if they suspect a student has developed an infatuation with them or another adult. The DSL will decide on the best way to proceed and give advice accordingly
Self-reports will be recorded in StaffSafe
Reporting pathways for students
The school provides students with multiple avenues to report concerns, including to external supports Students are encouraged to disclose any situations that put them at risk, or harmful behaviour to their counsellor, the Designated Safeguarding Lead, or another trusted adult These reports are relayed to the Designated Safeguarding Lead immediately if there is the possibility of immediate risk to the student, or within 24 hours if there is no possibility of immediate risk to the student As part of the curriculum, students are taught how and why they should report concerns, including well-being concerns about their friends/peers.
ISB has adopted the ICMEC/CASEL standards for its safeguarding and socialemotional learning curriculum, and uses these in conjunction with ISCA standards.
This curriculum is embedded in the broader curriculum, documented and reviewed on a regular basis, and delivered by trained personnel
The ICMEC/CASEL standards complement the Digital Citizenship, Health and Sexual Education, Character, and DEIJ curricula across the school
For individualised needs, ISB provides appropriate counselling support for students to support their well-being
The school regularly consults with and empowers students to have agency and voice in a range of areas related to school life, including the school’s safeguarding curriculum and programmes
Further, the school has established regular and meaningful partnership opportunities with families and guardians to learn from them about children’s experiences and to help them to protect their own children and support the school’s child protection efforts.
Designated Safeguarding Lead: safeguarding@isb be
Government and Social Services: Service Aide á la Jeunesse Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles
Vertrouwencentrum-kindermishandeling Flanders
SOS Enfants Office de la Naissance et de l’Enfance
Online Therapy and Support Services: https://www.linden-education.com/counseling-children https://trumangroup.com/ https://complicated.life/
Expat Mental Health Services in Brussels: https://www.chsbelgium.org/ 24 Hour Helpline: +32 2 648 40 14