Child_Protection_Policy

As an employee of Hertfordshire, if a pupil discloses child abuse to you, you are not allowed to keep it to yourself – you must pass it on. However, you must also observe the following principles of confidentiality.

• Only pass on the information to the school’s Child Protection Co-ordinator, do not mention it to anyone else.

• Let the pupil know, in advance, whom you are going to tell.

• Other staff should not be told anything. Most will not need to know anything.

• If the child has been or is likely to be in a distressed state, other members of staff who may be teaching or dealing with them only need to know that they must act sensitively towards the child, not why.

• You may be distressed and may need support yourself. If so, arrange to talk things over with the Child Protection Co-ordinator. If you really need to, you can talk things over with another member of staff but if you do this you must not name the child and must make absolutely certain you give no clues about whom he or she is nor any other way of the person finding out.

• The child should be kept informed of who knows and of what they know, at all stages of child protection procedures.

The role of the individual teacher Please note that, in all of the above levels of response to child abuse or suspicion of it, the role of the individual teacher is restricted to the following: • Forming a suspicion that abuse may have occurred to a particular student, or, receiving a disclosure of alleged abuse from a student.

• Reporting that suspicion or disclosure to the DSP or, in his absence, to Mrs L Fenton.

• Taking only what further action is required of him/her by the DSP or Mrs L Fenton eg observing/monitoring the student, writing reports etc.

4. The School’s Response to suspicion or allegation of Child Abuse The response of any member of staff to suspicion or disclosure of child abuse must be to inform the school’s Child Protection Co-ordinator, Mr M Moss, as soon as is practical. In the absence of the DSP, the teacher should inform Mrs L Fenton. The DSP or Mrs Fenton will then decide which of the three levels of response is most appropriate. Please note that the reporting teacher is unlikely to play any further role in the investigation and follow-up beyond making a written report, monitoring, observing and keeping further written records, as appropriate or required.

Level 1 Response: low suspicion At this level, parental or other adult behaviour towards the child arouses suspicion but there is no clear evidence of physical ill-treatment, neglect or other abuse.

1. DSP or Deputy DSP will arrange for the child to be monitored within school.

The following will be considered: o In what ways can the child be monitored? Who will monitor? o What discussion should there be with the child? o In addition to monitoring and discussion, in what other ways can information about the suspected abuse be obtained from the child?