HANNA'S FIELD CHARITY CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
HANNA’S FIELD CHARITY
CHILD PROTECTION - POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Hanna’s Field Charity Committee intends to create an environment in which children are safe from abuse and in which any suspicion of abuse is promptly and appropriately responded to.
In order to achieve this the Charity will:
1 Exclude all known abusers. It will be made clear that any positions within the Charity Committee that could come in contact with children or children facilities, that the position is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
All applicants for work within these facilities, whether voluntary or paid, shall be interviewed before an appointment is confirmed and will be asked to provide at least one reference. All such references will be followed up. In the case of applicants with unexplained gaps in their employment history, or have moved rapidly from one job to another, explanations shall be sought
All appointments, both paid or voluntary, shall be subject to a probationary period and will not be confirmed unless the charity is confident that the applicant can be safely entrusted with children.
2 Seek and Supply Training. The Charity shall seek out training opportunities for all adults involved with children to ensure that they recognize the symptoms of possible physical abuse, neglect, emotional abuse and sexual abuse.
3 Prevent abuse by means of good practice. Committee members shall not be left alone for long periods with individual children or with small groups. Committee members will not take a child aside, or take children to the toilet, unaccompanied. Children will be encouraged to develop a sense of autonomy and independence through adult support in making choices and expressing feelings. This will empower children to have the self confidence and the vocabulary to resist inappropriate approaches.
Committee members who have not had a CRB check returned shall not be unaccompanied with children at any time.
4 Respond appropriately to suspicions of abuse. The first concern is the child. Changes in children's behaviour/appearance shall be investigated. Depending on the circumstances parents shall normally be the first point of reference, though suspicions will also be referred as appropriate to the local NSPCC contact. All such suspicions and investigations will be kept confidential, shared only with those who need to know. cont../..
The people most commonly involved would be the reporting Committee Member, Child Protection Officer and Committee Chairperson.
If an allegation is made against any Committee member, this person will be informed and immediately removed from any environment where children are or could be present, whilst investigations are carried out. Confidential records will be kept of the allegation and of all subsequent proceedings.
5 Keep Records. Whenever worrying changes are observed in a child's behaviour, physical condition or appearance, a specific and confidential record shall be set up. The record shall include, in addition to the name, address and age of the child; timed and dated observations, describing objectively the child's behaviour/appearance, without comment or interpretation; where possible, the exact words spoken by the child; the dated name and signature of the recorder.
Such records will be kept in a separate file and will not be accessible to anybody other than the child protection officer, the charity chairperson and others directly involved as appropriate.
6 Liaise with other bodies. Records will be kept of the local NSPCC contact or other contact(s) as appropriate.
7 Support families. The child protection officer and other Committee members involved shall take every step in its power to build up a trusting and supportive relationship with families.
Where abuse at home is suspected, the Committee shall continue to welcome the child and family while investigations proceed. With the proviso that the care and safety of the child must always be paramount the Committee will do all in its power to support and work with the child’s family.
8 This policy was adopted on
Signed by: Child Protection Officers:
Clare Liddiard
Dawn Falkingham
Committee Chairperson:
Colin Warren
