Policy on Child Protection

							                                       WESTMINSTER SCHOOL




                                POLICY ON CHILD PROTECTION


Introduction

The Children Act (1989); Education Act (2002); Safeguarding Children in Education (2004);
and Safeguarding Children: Safer Recruitment and Selection in Education Settings (2005) all
outline the duties and responsibilities of educational establishments in regard to
safeguarding and promoting the welfare and protection of children.

The governors and staff of Westminster School fully recognise the contribution the School
makes to safeguarding children, and the importance of school as a source of stability in the
lives of children who have been abused or who are at risk of harm.

The School is required to publish a detailed policy based on government regulation and
London Child Protection Procedures that gives details of how we intend to fulfil these
responsibilities in practice.

All members of staff need to be sensitive to the needs of the pupils and to be alert to the
various possible changes in behaviour that may indicate some form of abuse, whether
neglect, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. For details of the relevant legislation please
refer to the Under Master, who is the School’s Designated Teacher (for Child Protection),
and has copies of the relevant legislation and materials produced by various professional
bodies. There is also a nominated Deputy Child Protection Officer, who has received the
appropriate training and can act appropriately in the Designated Teacher’s absence.

Undertakings

Westminster School gives primacy to the protection of pupils, and seeks to provide a caring,
safe and positive environment in which each individual child can grow and flourish, explore
their own character, and find enjoyment and fulfilment. To this end:

        We will support the child’s development in ways that will foster security, confidence
         and independence, and in a manner that has respect for the dignity, privacy and
         beliefs of all the individuals concerned, and which does not discriminate on the basis
         of race, culture, religion or sexual orientation.

        We will raise the awareness of teaching and non-teaching staff, both full and part-
         time, as to the need to safeguard children, and of their responsibilities in identifying
         and reporting possible cases of abuse. To this end, we shall ensure that all relevant
         training and documentation are regularly updated.

        We will emphasise the need for good levels of communication between all members
         of staff to ensure that a structured procedure for the safeguarding of children will be
         followed in cases of suspected abuse.

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        We will provide a systematic means of monitoring children known to be, or thought to
         be, at risk from harm. In particular, if it comes to the attention of any adult member of
         the School community that a pupil is suffering or at risk of suffering abuse or neglect,
         within or outside the School, appropriate action will be taken to ensure their safety.
         Members of staff in these situations will be supported as appropriate, and decisions
         and plans will in all cases be recorded.

        We will train those pupils in a position of pastoral responsibility, e.g. Peer Supporters,
         School Monitors and House Monitors, in Child Protection matters. Their response will
         be tactful and they will give an appropriate level of confidentiality. They will have
         clear guidance through their training that their role is to listen, not to investigate and
         not to ‘keep secrets’ if the matter pertains to a Child Protection concern or allegation.

        We will comply fully with the government’s published policies on safer recruitment to
         ensure that no one is employed within the School who is unsuitable to work with
         children.

        We will ensure full written records of all child protection procedures are maintained
         and stored confidentially. All causes for concern, disclosures or allegations made by
         pupils, decisions and subsequent actions will be recorded, signed and dated and
         stored in a separate, locked cabinet. These records will be accessible only to the
         Head Master and the Under Master.

        We will maintain good working relationships with other agencies, including the Police
         and the local Social Services, whom we will approach for advice and any necessary
         referral. (We will ensure that any pupil currently on the Child Protection Register who
         is absent without explanation for two days is referred to the Social Services.)

        We recognise that the School plays a significant part in the prevention of harm by
         providing pupils with good lines of communication with trusted adults within an ethos
         built upon care, support and protection. To this end, all pupils (and members of staff)
         will have access to the document, ‘If You Have A Concern’ which sets out whom
         pupils should contact if they are worried or in difficulty. This document is also
         discussed in PHSE lessons with all new pupils, and reprinted as Appendix B below.

Procedure

If confronted with a possible case of abuse, or disclosure of abuse, each member of staff
should in the first instance follow the simple rules of listening and being supportive, but
without asking any leading questions. Contemporaneous notes should be kept of any
conversation, and signed and dated by the member of staff.

If a pupil is deemed to be at risk, or has made an allegation or disclosure of abuse, it must
be explained to the pupil that the member of staff is under a duty to report the matter. All
staff will be made aware that they have a professional responsibility to share information with
other agencies in order to safeguard children. The pupil will need to be reassured that only
the minimum number of people will need to know in order to keep him/her safe, and that it is
in their best interests that the matter is reported. It is not appropriate for staff to conduct any
kind of investigation; staff cannot undertake to keep secret what the pupil has told them.

Any concern about abuse should be reported immediately to the Under Master in his
capacity as the School’s Designated Teacher (CPO), except in the circumstance that a claim
is made against a member of staff, in which case reference should be made immediately to
the Head Master. Where the claim is made against the Head Master, then it must reported


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directly to the Chairman of the Governing Body. In cases involving an allegation against a
member of staff, the School will inform the local authority designated officer on the same day
in which the allegation is made, in accordance with government regulation and guidance.

We recognise that staff working in the School who have become involved with a child who
has suffered harm, or appears to be likely to suffer harm, may find the situation stressful and
upsetting. We will support such staff by providing an opportunity to talk through their
anxieties with the Under Master, School Counsellor or Chaplain. Similarly, during any
protracted procedure arising from claims of abuse, the School Counsellor and the Chaplain
may be able to offer confidential support to the member of staff.

Role of the Under Master (Designated Teacher for Child Protection)

The Under Master is the School’s Designated Teacher, responsible for ensuring that the
correct procedures are followed if there are concerns about possible abuse.

Through training and through experience, he will be able to judge how to proceed further
when cases are reported to him. Other parties will be involved only on a ‘need to know basis’
in the interests of the child concerned. Discussion might involve the pupil concerned (usually
in the presence of another person); the Housemaster, tutor, matron, teachers; the School
Counsellor; other pupils; and parents (except where this is deemed to put the pupil at risk
and/or in cases where there has been an allegation of sexual misconduct or abuse.)

As a result of these discussions, the Under Master will determine a strategy that might
include one or more of the following:

        A response through the Housemaster and continued liaison with him or her;
        A response to any bullying as laid down in the Policy on Bullying;
        A referral to the School Counsellor (possibly through the Housemaster);
        An informal consultation, on a no-names basis, with the Education Welfare Service at
         Westminster City Council;
        An immediate referral to Social Services, formalised (from August 2007) through the
         Common Assessment Framework documentation, in the use of which the Under
         Master, the Deputy CPO, and the School Counsellor have been trained;
        A Strategy Meeting, chaired by the Under Master, of interested parties (e.g. the
         Housemaster, tutor, School Counsellor, and others involved in the case.)

In each case, discretion and confidence will be maintained at the appropriate level, the
Under Master being responsible for communicating strategies and decisions to fellow
professionals. The Under Master will report his response to the Head Master; keep him
apprised of any developments; and maintain the written record. Continuing support will be
given to a pupil who leaves the School, about whom there have been concerns, by ensuring
that appropriate information is forwarded under confidential cover to the pupil’s new school.

The Governing Body has designated one of its members to have specific Child Protection
responsibility. The Under Master will report regularly to this Governor on the Child Protection
procedures implemented and on particular causes for concern.

Monitoring, evaluation and review

The Governing Body will review annually whether the School’s obligations under current
legislation – and the guidance in Every Child Matters (2005) - are being fulfilled. The Under
Master (Designated Teacher, CPO) will be retrained at least once every two years. The
Head Master will be retrained at least once every three years. The School will regularly
assess the implementation and effectiveness of its Child Protection procedures as a whole.


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APPENDIX A – DEFINITIONS OF ABUSE

At Westminster School we try to promote respect and care for each other; but there is
always a risk that abuse will occur in any school or institution, just as it may at home, within
the family or among acquaintances outside School. A child who is abused or witnesses
abuse may find it difficult to develop and maintain a sense of self-worth, may feel helpless
and humiliated, and may feel self-blame. It is the responsibility for all of the community to be
alert to signs of abuse of any pupil. The Child Protection Policy outlines procedures that
should be undertaken; all staff should be conversant with these procedures and will be
regularly trained in order to enable them to do so.

Examples of abuse may include:

Neglect
The persistent or severe neglect of a child (for example by exposure to any kind of danger,
including exclusion from warmth and from food) which results in serious impairment of the
child’s health and development.

Emotional abuse
Persistent or severe emotional mistreatment.

Physical abuse
Physical injury to a child where there is definite knowledge, or a reasonable suspicion, that
the injury was inflicted or knowingly not prevented.

Sexual abuse
The involvement of children and developmentally immature adolescents in sexual activities.
Children abused by other children;

Domestic Violence
This is a child protection issue and children and young people are at risk physically and
emotionally and also vulnerable in terms of keeping themselves safe from others.

Other actions to cause concern

Children may find themselves in situations that are not listed above but still might be at
significant risk. These might include, for example, situations where another child in the
household has been harmed or the household contains a known abuser.

What is bullying?

Bullying takes many forms, and may be quite ordinary behaviour but focused in order to
undermine a victim. It may take the form of verbal, physical or emotional abuse, or
harassment on gender or racial grounds. Once a victim is sensitised, a threatening look
alone may reinforce their fearfulness. A victim may feel isolated because of gender, race,
colour, physical appearance or age. Bullying has the effect of hurting, threatening or
frightening another person. Bullying is oppressive, coercive and an abuse of power. It
makes a victim feel isolated and undermines self-confidence. It is often planned and secret.
It may take place via the internet. Bullying tends to be systematic rather than a one-off act.

Examples of bullying may include:

 i) punching, hitting, pushing, spitting, throwing things. This can be considered as “assault”
    and obviously more serious physical attacks could be seen as actual bodily harm and a
    criminal offence. Parent or pupils do have the option of reporting this to the Police;


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 ii) damaging property, throwing property around, invading locked bags, boxes or lockers,
     or writing offensive graffiti;

iii) whispering, name-calling, teasing, insulting, writing unkind or obscene letters, making
     anonymous telephone calls, spreading rumours;

iv) inappropriate sexual advances, sexual harassment ;

 v) isolating someone, intimidating someone;

vi) making racist/homophobic comments to other pupils (sometimes encouraged by
    unpleasant television programmes) claiming that they are a joke and even claiming to
    believe that the victim regards them as a joke; this should never be treated as a joke;

vii) using a mobile phone or the internet to cause distress, insult or injury to another person.

A victim of one abuse may become sensitised to what might otherwise be thought to be fairly
ordinary patterns of behaviour. The victim may well need support and encouragement for
some time. We would wish parents to be involved (although the victim’s views need to be
taken into account). We would want to reinforce friendships and encourage peer support.


APPENDIX B - IF YOU HAVE A CONCERN
[published termly in the School Almanack and circulated to House notice boards]

Most of the things that concern you at School are likely to be sorted out informally before
they become major problems. We hope that you feel able to share any worries about your
work with your teachers and parents. However, there may be other problems occasionally
which could require slightly different treatment. For example:

        You may feel you are being unfairly treated by a member of staff or a pupil
        You may feel that you are the victim of verbal and/or physical abuse.
        You may feel that you are being badly taught in a particular subject.
        Someone may have taken something of yours and not returned it.

It is important that you feel able to share concerns such as these with us so that where
necessary we can work together to sort out misunderstanding or to take remedial action.

INFORMAL HELP

If you have a concern, you should first talk informally to:

                  Your Housemaster or
                  Your House Tutor or
                  One of your subject teachers or
                  Any teacher you trust or
                  A School Matron

If for any reason you do not feel able to share your concern with a member of staff, then you
may consider discussing it with one of the Peer Supporters whose names can be found in
the School List and on House boards. Some matters of concern to you may cause the
person with whom you have talked anxiety that you may be in a vulnerable situation or that
you are being hurt in some way. If so, these concerns will need to be shared with another
professional to ensure your safety and well-being. Please be assured that this will be
managed sensitively, keeping you informed of all actions or plans.

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You may of course share your anxiety in confidence with the School Counsellor, Mr Philip
Hewitt, who comes to School each week and can also be contacted Monday to Friday on
020 8402 2984 (which is also a fax and answering machine.)

You could also talk in confidence to

                  The Chaplain, Rev Gavin Williams, on 020 7963 1128, or
                  The School Doctor, Dr Joanna Hayes or
                  Kidscape- telephone number 0207 730 3300 or
                  Childline – telephone number 0800 1111 (calls are free)

FORMAL HELP

If, after trying to resolve your concern in this way, you are still feeling unhappy, or if for any
reason you do not feel that this route is appropriate, then you should ask formally for help. It
is often useful to you and to us for you to clarify your thoughts by putting them in writing.
This must be signed, as it is not possible to respond to anonymous information. We
therefore suggest that you do this and give it to either:

                           Your Housemaster or
                           The Under Master,

who will then discuss the matter with you. If that action fails to sort things out, then you may
pass your written summary to the Head Master. Alternatively, you may prefer to contact the
Head Master immediately on 020 7963 1042, rather than getting in touch with others first. A
meeting will be arranged to discuss your concern and try to work out a solution. You will
probably find it helpful to come to that meeting with someone who understands how you feel,
such as your parents, a friend or a trusted member of staff. You can also call Westminster
Children’s Services Department on 020 7641 7560.

We assure you that once your concern is shared with the School every effort will be made to
work with you to sort it out swiftly and sensitively.

If you believe that, for whatever reason, your concerns have not been dealt with
satisfactorily, you should ask your parents to follow the complaints procedure.




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