St Mary's Primary School

The area of child protection is one of the most sensitive areas of a school’s policy. The overriding aim of protecting the child has to be tempered by the need to be even handed and professional in the school’s approach to everyone concerned.

The policy of St. Mary’s P.S. which follows has been developed in consultation with the SELB Children Order Team and with the whole school staff. It also takes into account information and advice from The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child(1989) , The Children (NI) Order 1995 and the DENI Circular 1999/10 Pastoral Care in Schools. At this school, every member of staff, whether teaching or non-teaching knows that they have a duty to be aware of child protection issues and to follow the child protection procedures lay down if they have concerns.

Child Protection in Context

About three or four children in the UK die each week as the result of abuse.
Children are abused not only by strangers but also more often by people they know or members of their own family.
Child abuse happens in all social classes and all cultural groupings.
Children of all ages, from babies to teenagers, suffer from abuse.
Abuse can have long lasting traumatic effects which damage children’s development
both physical and psychological.

Dilemmas in Working Together in Child Protection

Child protection involves different services and agencies working together towards a common goal, which may engender misunderstanding, lack of communication and other inter-agency tensions. These issues may need to be addressed through training and discussion with the whole school staff.

There is no shared body of knowledge, for example about how ‘significant harm’ is defined, what is ‘good enough parenting’, what are the ‘needs of children’ – every individual may have his or her own view.
There is little knowledge of how the respective systems of different agencies work.
As people we are all subject to our own traumas, feelings, fears and anxieties which can get in the way when dealing with a child protection issue.
We have to balance our responsibilities to individual children, the school and ourselves.
Knowing when something amounts to child abuse.
Knowing when to share it with someone else.
Being aware of when it is appropriate to contact other agencies, the Local Authority, NSPCC or the police.
Knowing when to involve the parents.
Having concerns that the child may feel you’ve betrayed a trust.
Worrying about how to cope with your own feelings and protect yourself and your family.
Being concerned about the possible consequences of your actions, for example breaking up a family.
Fear of losing control of the situation.
Fear of being wrong.

Definitions and Symptoms of Abuse

There are four main categories of abuse – physical injury, neglect, sexual abuse and emotional abuse. The list of symptoms given is not exhaustive or comprehensive but consists of frequently observed symptoms. It is important to remember that most abuse involves more than one main type, for example, sexual and emotional abuse may be recognized together.

These symptoms, for example cuts and grazes, may also be accidental and not a sign of abuse.

Physical Injury

Actual or risk of physical injury to a child or failure to prevent physical injury (or suffering) to a child, including deliberate poisoning, suffocation and Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy. This includes excessive punishment.

Symptoms:

Bruises
Broken bones
Cuts and grazes
Behavior changes/wet bed/withdrawal/regression
Frequent unexplained injuries
Finger marks
Cigarette burns
Afraid of physical contact
Violent behavior during role play
Unwillingness to change clothes
Aggressive language and use of threats
Cowering
Bruising in unusual areas
Changing explanation of injuries
Not wanting to go home with parent or carer

Neglect

Actual or risk of persistent or severe neglect of a child or the failure to protect a child from exposure to any kind of danger, including cold or starvation. Extreme failure to carry out important aspects of care, resulting in the significant impairment of the child’s health or development, including failure to thrive.

Symptoms:

Dirty
Lack of appropriate clothing
Cold – complaining of
Hunger – complaining of
Body sores
Urine smells
Unkempt hair
No parental interest
Not wanting to communicate
Behavior problems
Attention seeking
Lack of respect
Often in trouble – police
Bullying
Use of bad language
Always out at all hours
Stealing
Lack of confidence – low self-esteem
Jealousy

Sexual Abuse

Actual or risk of sexual exploitation of a child or adolescent. The child may be dependent and/or developmentally immature. The involvement of dependent, immature children and adolescents in activities to which they are unable to give informed consent or that violates the social taboos of family roles.

Symptoms:

Inappropriate behavior – language
Withdrawn
Change of behavior
Role play
Rejecting physical contact or demanding attention
Physical evidence – marks, bruising
Pain going to toilet, strong urine
Rocking
Relationships with other adults or children for example, being forward
Knowledge
Stained underwear
Bruising/marks in genital area
Drawing – inappropriate knowledge

Emotional Abuse

Actual or risk of severe adverse effect on the emotional and behavioural development of a child caused by persistent or severe emotional ill treatment or rejection. It is important to remember that all abuse involves some emotional ill treatment.

Symptoms:

Crying
Rocking
Withdrawn
Not wanting to socialize
Cringing
Picking up points through conversation with children
Bad behaviour
Aggression
Behaviour changes
Bribery by parent
Self infliction
Lack of confidence
Attention seeking
Isolation from peers
Unable to communicate
Clingy
Afraid of authoritative figures
Treating others as you have been treated

Confidentiality

Child Protection raises issues of confidentiality, which should be clearly understood by all staff.
Staff has a professional responsibility to share relevant information about the protection of children with other professionals, particularly investigative agencies.
If a child confides in a member of staff and requests that the information is kept a secret, it is important that the member of staff tells the child sensitively that he or she has a responsibility to refer cases of alleged abuse to the appropriate agencies for the child’s own sake. Within that context, the child should, however, be assured that the matter would be disclosed only to people who need to know about it.
Staff who receives information about children and their families in the course of their work should share that information only within appropriate professional contexts. Child protection records should be kept securely locked

Responsibility of Schools

This schools responsibility include:

All staff should be aware of procedures.
There should be no undue delay in reporting concerns.
If in any doubt contact the Child Protection Team.
The child MUST be believed and taken seriously (particularly in cases of alleged sexual abuse).
The child should not be asked to repeat the disclosure.
The Education Welfare Officer should be informed.
It is essential to avoid delay in sharing concerns about a child.
When considered appropriate, seek medical attention.
Take care not to compromise or accidentally destroy any evidence that there may be.
All these principles and actions also apply to all people who visit, but are not permanently based in, schools.

Responsibility of Social Services Department/Child Protection Team

To maintain the Child Protection Register
To convene case conferences (any professional can request a case conference).
To keep all relevant agencies updated on what is happening.
Consider action under the The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 where there is reason to suspect a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
Set up planned investigation (with police).
Take legal action if required (such as an Emergency Protection Order).

Introduction

The date of this policy is Summer 2005 and will be reviewed Summer 2007

This policy has been presented to and agreed by the whole staff on Spring 2002.

This policy has been presented to and agreed upon by the Governing Body on Summer 2002.

This policy has also been presented to the Educational Welfare Officer attached to the school, Mrs. Maura Ward, who can be contacted on 028 41763453

This policy is also available to:

all staff (permanent, temporary, supply or otherwise)
advisers/inspectors
parents (on request)
St. Mary’s P.S. Governors

The policy can also be found in the master policy file.

Duty of the School

St. Mary’s P.S. recognizes its legal duty to work with other agencies in protecting children from harm and responding to abuse.

The Governing Body will ensure that sufficient resources are made available to enable the necessary tasks to be carried out properly under inter-agency procedures.

Child protection issues will be addressed through the curriculum as appropriate, especially through personal, social and health education.

At St. Mary’s P.S. we ensure that bullying is identified and dealt with for the benefit and social development of all concerned. All pupils are encouraged to show respect for others and take responsibility for protecting themselves.

Duty of Staff

At St. Mary’s P.S. all staff (teaching and non-teaching) seek to adopt an open and accepting attitude towards pupils as part of their responsibility for pastoral care. Staff hopes that parents and pupils feel free to talk about any concerns and see school as a safe place. Pupils’ worries and fears will be taken seriously if they seek help from a member of staff.

However, staff cannot guarantee confidentiality if concerns are such that referral must be made to the appropriate agencies in order to safeguard the child’s welfare.

Staff, who observes injuries which appear to be non-accidental, or who are told anything significant by a pupil, must report their concerns to the Principal. Mr. Madine, who is the Child Protection Designated Teacher or to the Deputy Designated Teacher, Miss Walsh.

If staff have significant concerns about any pupil, which may indicate physical, emotional, or sexual abuse or neglect, they must discuss these with the Child Protection Designated teacher, who will contact the agencies responsible for investigation and child protection. School staff does not carry out investigations themselves, nor do they decide whether children have been abused. That is a matter for the specialist agencies.

All staff is aware of the procedures for keeping a confidential written record of any incidents and with the requirements of the SELB Children Order Team.

Information provided by a parent, who has contacted a member of staff concerning abusive behavior in their family or another pupil’s family, should be treated in the same manner. If a member of staff is unsure about a parent’s account of an injury or challenging behavior, then they should pass this information on to the Child Protection Designated Teacher.

Parents

Parents are expected to help their children to behave in non-violent and non-abusive ways towards both staff and other pupils. Parents will be informed if it was necessary to use minimal force to protect a pupil from injury or to prevent a pupil from harming others.

Parents should always inform the school of any accidental bruising or other injuries that might otherwise be misinterpreted. They should also inform the school of any changes in home circumstances, such as the death of a member of the family, separation or divorce that might lead to otherwise unexplained changes in behavior or characteristics.

Parents can feel confident that procedures are in place to ensure that all staff appointed has undergone procedures to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. All voluntary helpers undergo similar procedures including a police check.

If parents have any complaints about staff behavior they should be made to the Principal in the first instance. All those involved, both pupils and staff, are entitled to a fair hearing. If parents are not satisfied with the school’s response, they should contact the school’s Educational Welfare Officer or the senior officer responsible for co-ordinating action on child protection in the SELB. Ms Alex Barr (Tel: 02837512446)

Parents also receive a summary of the schools Child Protection Policy every two years.

The last issue of the summary was Summer 2005

SAINT MARY’S PS GLASDRUMMAN
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
AgREED SUMMER 2005
To Be REVIEWED SUMMER 2007

"SHARING THE CARING"t;;;;;;;