Protecting our children and young people is a fundamental principle and one which will assist the County Borough Council in fulfilling this aim. The Education, Leisure and Community Services Directorate (ELCS) has a key role to play in this area, if we are to ensure that all our children and young people are safe and secure when growing up and are able to take maximum advantage of the educational and leisure opportunities available to them within the county borough.

Protecting children and young people from abuse is a shared responsibility for all staff. It should never be assumed that somebody else will recognise and report when children or young people are at risk.

The work of staff in child protection is governed by a number of statutory frameworks, circulars and guides to good practice. These are:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children – (Welsh Assembly Government 2004)

• All Wales Child Protection Procedures (Welsh Assembly Government July 2002)

• The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Department for Health 2000)

• National Assembly for Wales Circular 45/2004 Staff Disciplinary Procedures in Schools

• Bridgend County Borough Council - Education, Leisure and Community Services Umbrella of Safety (2000)

• Education Act 2002

• National Employers’ Organisation for School Teachers (NEOST) document 2002

• Children Act 1989

• Children Act 2004 – Sect 28

• Human Rights Act 1998

• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

To safeguard children and young people it is essential that all agencies work together and our policy is governed by the All Wales Child Protection Procedures which have been endorsed locally by the Area Child Protection Committee.

This policy applies to all the service units within the Education, Leisure & Community Services Directorate.

• To create an ethos within the Directorate which helps children to feel secure and able to talk freely, in the belief that they will be listened to and that their point of view will be valued.

• To raise the awareness of all staff about their responsibility to identify and report possible cases of abuse.

• To provide a systematic means of monitoring children thought to be at risk.

• To provide suitable support and guidance for staff so that children have a range of adults whom they feel confident to approach if they are in difficulty.

• To develop a structured internal procedure to be followed by all members of staff in cases of suspected abuse.

• To promote good communication between staff over concerns about children and young people.

Staff within Education, Leisure & Community Services (ELCS) identify strongly with the key principles on which to base their work with children, young people and their families. These key principles are found in the Children Act 1989 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which the UK is a signatory. All children and young people deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

ELCS staff will have various degrees of contact with children and each service area should have in place working practices and procedures to minimise situations where abuse of children may occur, such as unobserved contact. Staff should be enabled to understand the importance of reporting any concerns they have that a child may be in need of protection and the process of referral.

5. DESIGNATED PERSONNEL FOR CHILD PROTECTION

All schools must have a designated teacher and deputy with responsibilities for dealing with child protection issues and providing advice and support to other staff. All schools must also have a nominated ‘child protection governor’ who should ensure that the school has an effective child protection policy that is consistent with the All Wales Child Protection Procedures (2002.) Other Educational establishments must also inform staff who is nominated as their designated person.

Similarly each sport or recreation centre, and youth and community learning centre will have a nominated person designated to fulfil the role. It is essential that the designated person has received specific training to carry out this role.

Ultimately it is for each and every member of staff to have responsibility for the welfare of children and young people. Suitable training on safeguarding children is required to enable staff to fulfil their responsibilities in respect of child protection effectively, together with refresher training to keep staff knowledge and skills up to date. The Directorate has a comprehensive training programme to enable all staff to carry out their duty.

Definition of an Abused Child (All Wales Child Protection Procedures)

Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional setting, by those known to them, or more rarely, by a stranger. A child or young person up to the age of 18 years can suffer abuse or neglect and require protection via an inter-agency Child Protection plan.

There are four categories of abuse:

• Physical

• Emotional

• Neglect

• Sexual

(Extract from All Wales Child Protection Procedures)

“If any person has knowledge, concerns or suspicions that a child is suffering, has suffered or is likely to be at risk of harm, it is their responsibility, to ensure that the concerns are referred to Social Services or the Police, who have statutory duty and powers to investigate and intervene when necessary.”

Staff should first discuss their concerns with the designated member of staff who will then make the appropriate referral. Staff should not worry about being mistaken about concerns regarding a child/young person’s welfare, as they will always be taken seriously by the statutory agencies.

It is imperative that staff do not conduct their own investigations as this can have serious implications for any subsequent Police or Social Services enquiry.

The initial referral should be made by telephone in the first instance to the Children’s Services duty desk on 642320 and followed up within 48 hours with a written referral and a copy to be faxed to the ELCS Child Protection Co-ordinator on 720710. Copies of the inter-agency referral and pre-referral forms are available at each establishment.

Throughout this process advice and support is available from the Education, Leisure and Community Services’ Child Protection Team on 728546.

Child abuse may come to staff attention in a number of ways:

• A child or young person may make a direct disclosure to staff

• Staff may observe bruises/burns or injuries for which there is no plausible explanation

• Another child, young person or parent/carer may tell staff something which causes concern

• Staff may observe changes in behaviour that are a cause of concern

• Staff may instinctively feel something is wrong

• There may be neglect issues.

The Directorate places great emphasis on effective communication between staff and children/young people and their parents/carers. However staff must recognise that where there are child protection concerns they must deal very differently with both the child or young person and their parents/carers. If someone discloses that they or another young person has been, or is being, abused, staff should:

• Always believe what the child is saying or conversely try not to show disbelief. Show that you have heard what they are saying, and that their allegations will be taken seriously.

• Encourage the child or young person to talk, but do not prompt or ask leading questions. Staff should not interrupt when the child or young person is recalling significant events or make the child or young person repeat themselves.

• Explain what actions must be taken, in a way appropriate to the age and understanding of the child or young person.

• Do not promise to keep what has been disclosed confidential. Staff have a duty to disclose information to those who need to know. Reporting concerns is NOT a betrayal of trust.

• Write down what has been said, using the child’s own words. Keeping an accurate record is essential.

• Make a note of the date, time, place and those present at the discussion.

• Report concerns immediately to the designated member of staff.

• Do not confront the alleged abuser.

• Do not inform the parents until advice has been given by Children’s Services’ duty desk.

The abuse of a child or young person by a fellow member of staff can be a particularly difficult and potentially damaging matter to deal with. If there are concerns regarding a colleague, STAFF MUST be prepared to “Think the Unthinkable”.

Any doubts or uncertainties about a colleague must be raised immediately, with the designated member of staff with responsibility for child protection, who must then discuss the matter with the Education, Leisure and Community Services’ Child Protection Co-ordinator who will be able to offer further advice.

Headteachers or Service Managers must not inform the member of staff who is the subject of a concern or undertake their own enquiries. Such complex issues must involve the Police and Social Services.

Within Education, Leisure and Community Services Directorate, an Assistant Director is the nominated senior officer for the LEA. We also have a small discrete Child Protection Team, comprising:

A Child Protection Co-ordinator, and a

Child Protection Officer.

The Team works closely with the statutory agencies and are valuable sources of information for schools and all Directorate staff. They are based at the Pupil Referral Unit, Aberkenfig and can be contacted on (01656) 728546.

Although located at Aberkenfig the Child Protection Team is part of the Pupil & Student Services Unit, managed at Sunnyside by the Manager of Pupil & Student Services.