Child Protection Liaison Officers

Child Protection Liaison Offcers:

Andrea Saxel (Lead CPLO) | 01483 542029 | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jon Ross| 07966 501049 | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tim McConnell-Wood | 01483 542018 | email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Download our  Child Protection Policy

Child Protection Policy

1.1 This policy is addressed to all members of staff and volunteers and is published on the School website. It can be made available in large print or other accessible format if required. This policy applies wherever staff or volunteers are working with pupils even where this is away from the School, for example at an activity centre or on an educational visit.

1.2 Every pupil should feel safe and protected from any form of abuse which, in this policy, means any kind of neglect, non-accidental physical injury, sexual exploitation or emotional ill-treatment.

1.3 Cranleigh School (Senior School and Preparatory School) - hereafter 'The School' - is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The School will take all reasonable measures to:

• • ensure that we practise safer recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers (including staff employed by another organisation) to work with children and young people in accordance with the guidance given in 'Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education', the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010 as amended and the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools
•  
• • ensure that we carry out all necessary checks on the suitability of people who serve on the School's governing body in accordance with the above regulations and guidance given in Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in education and the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools.
   
• • ensure that where the School ceases to use the services of any person (whether employed, contracted, a volunteer or student) because that person was considered unsuitable to work with children, a prompt and detailed report is made to the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)

• ensure that where staff from another organisation are working with our pupils on another site, we have received assurances that appropriate child protection checks and procedures apply to those staff

• follow the local inter-agency procedures of the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board

• protect each pupil from any form of abuse, whether from an adult or another pupil

• be alert to signs of abuse both in the School and from outside

• deal appropriately with every suspicion or complaint of abuse

• design and operate procedures which promote this policy

• design and operate procedures which, so far as possible, ensure that teachers and others who are innocent are not prejudiced by false allegations

• support a child who has been abused in accordance with his / her agreed child protection plan

• be alert to the medical needs of children with medical conditions

• operate robust and sensible health & safety procedures

• take all practicable steps to ensure that School premises are as secure as circumstances permit

• operate clear and supportive policies on drugs, alcohol and sub-stance misuse as well as having robust anti-bullying and anti-cyberbullying policies.

• consider and develop procedures to deal with any other safeguarding issues which may be specific to individual children in our School or in our local area

• have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Education (DofE) in accordance with section 157 of the Education Act 2002 and associated regulations.

1.4 Every complaint or suspicion of abuse from within or outside the School will be taken seriously and in all proper circumstances will be referred to an external agency such as the Social Services Department of the local authority (SSD), the child protection unit of the police (CPU) or the NSPCC, without investigation by the school. In each case, the matter should be referred to the Surrey Safeguarding Children Unit - 03456009009. Any doubts or concerns over apparently borderline cases will be discussed informally with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), initially on a "no names" basis.

The Designated Person
1.5 The School has appointed senior members of staff with the necessary status and authority (Designated Persons) to be responsible for matters relating to child protection and welfare. The Designated Persons will:

• be the first point of contact for parents, pupils, teaching and non-teaching staff and external agencies in all matters of child protection

• co-ordinate the child protection procedures in the School

• maintain an ongoing training programme for all School employees. All new members of staff are given training upon induction and short CP updates are given to teaching staff at the start of every term. There is an in-depth whole-school CP update every three years.

• monitor the keeping, confidentiality and storage of records in relation to child protection

• liaise with the child protection officer appointed by the SSD (Local Authority Designated Officer).

• The Designated Persons for the Senior School are Andrea Saxel (Senior Teacher) on 01483 542029, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and Jon Ross (Head of Geography and PSHEE) who may be contacted on 07966 501049, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it The Designated Person for the Preparatory School is Stella Gravill, (Deputy Head) who may be contacted on 01483 542052, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it They will:

• advise and act upon all suspicion, belief and evidence of abuse reported to them

• keep the Head informed of all actions unless the Head is the subject of a complaint. In this situation, the Designated Person should consult with Anthony Townsend, Chairman of Governors or in his absence, Adrian Lajtha, the Vice Chairman of Governors, without notifying the Head first.

• liaise with the LADO

• monitor records of pupils in the School who are subject to a child protection plan to ensure that this is maintained and updated as notification is received

• liaise with other professionals to ensure that children who are subject to child protection plans are monitored

• where appropriate, take part in child protection conferences or reviews

• inform social services in writing when a child who is subject to a child protection plan moves to another school and inform the new school of the child protection plan as advised by social services.

• liaise with the SSD and other agencies on behalf of the School

1.6 The Designated Persons have undertaken basic child protection training and training in inter-agency working and will attend refresher training at two yearly intervals.

Signs of abuse

1.7 Abuse can be:

• physical abuse, for example beating or punching

• emotional abuse, for example rejection and denial of affection

• sexual abuse, for example sexual assault or encouraging a child to view pornographic material; and

• neglect, for example failure to provide appropriate care including warmth or medical attention.

1.8 Possible signs of abuse include (but are not limited to):

• the pupil says s/he has been abused or asks a question which gives rise to that inference

• there is no reasonable or consistent explanation for a pupil's injury; the injury is unusual in kind or location; there have been a number of injuries; there is a pattern to the injuries

• the pupil's behaviour stands out from the group as either being extreme model behaviour or extremely challenging behaviour; or there is a sudden change in the pupil's behaviour

• the pupil asks to drop subjects with a particular teacher and seems reluctant to discuss the reasons

• the pupil's development is delayed

• the pupil loses or gains weight

• the pupil appears neglected, e.g. dirty, hungry, inadequately clothed

• the pupil is reluctant to go home, or has been openly rejected by his/her parents or carers

Duty of employees, governors and volunteers
1.9 Every employee and governor of the School as well as every volunteer who assists the School are under a general legal duty:

• to protect children from abuse

• to be aware of the School's child protection procedures and to follow them

• to know how to access and implement the procedures, independently if necessary

• to keep a sufficient record of any significant complaint, conversation or event

• to report any matters of concern to the Designated Person

1.10 Every employee is under a legal duty to undertake appropriate training including refresher training at three-yearly intervals. Governor training on child protection issues will be arranged as appropriate.
 

Whistleblowing
1.11 All staff are required to report to the Designated Person, any concern or allegations about school practices or the behaviour of colleagues which are likely to put pupils at risk of abuse or other serious harm. In exceptional cases such reports should be made to the LADO. There will be no retribution or disciplinary action taken against a member of staff for making such a report provided that it is done in good faith.

Senior pupils
1.12 Senior pupils who hold positions of responsibility over other pupils will be briefed on appropriate action to take should they receive any allegations of abuse.

Procedures
1.13 Initial Complaint
1.13.1 A member of staff suspecting or hearing of a complaint of abuse:

• must listen carefully to the child and keep an open mind. Staff should not take a decision as to whether or not the abuse has taken place

• must not ask leading questions, that is, a question which suggests its own answer

• must reassure the child but not give a guarantee of absolute confidentiality. The member of staff should explain that they need to pass the information to the Designated Person who will ensure that the correct action is taken

• must keep a sufficient written record of the conversation. The record should include the date, time and place of the conversation and the essence of what was said and done by whom and in whose presence. The record should be signed by the person making it and should use names, not initials. The record must be kept securely and handed to the Designated Person.

1.14 Preserving Evidence
1.14.1 All evidence, (for example, scribbled notes, mobile phones containing text messages, clothing, computers), must be safeguarded and preserved

1.15 Reporting
1.15.1 All suspicion or complaints of abuse must be reported to the Designated Person, or if the complaint involves the Designated Person, to the Head. Details of procedures for reporting allegations against members of staff are given in paragraph 13.1.21 below.

1.16 Action by the Designated Persons
1.16.1 The action to be taken will take into account:
• the local inter-agency procedures of the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board

• the nature and seriousness of the suspicion or complaint. A complaint involving a serious criminal offence will always be referred to the SSD or the police without further investigation within the School

• the wishes of the pupil who has complained, provided that the pupil is of sufficient understanding and maturity and properly informed. However, there may be times when the situation is so serious that decisions may need to be taken, after all appropriate consultation, that override a pupil's wishes

• the wishes of the complainant's parents, provided they have no interest which is in conflict with the pupil's best interests and that they are properly informed. Again, it may be necessary, after all appropriate consultation, to override parental wishes in some circumstances. If the Designated Person is concerned that disclosing information to parents would put a child at risk, he or she will take further advice from the relevant professionals before making a decision to disclose duties of confidentiality.

• if there is room for doubt as to whether a referral should be made, the Designated Person will consult with the Local Authority Designated Officer on a no names basis without identifying the family. However, as soon as sufficient concern exists that a child may be at risk of significant harm, a referral will be made without delay. If the initial referral is made by telephone, the Designated Person will confirm the referral in writing to SSD within 24 hours. If no response or acknowledgment is received within three working days, the Designated Person will contact Social Services again.

1.17 External Agencies
1.17.1 Whether or not the School decides to refer a particular complaint to the SSD or the police, the parents and pupil will be informed in writing of their right to make their own complaint or referral to the Social Services Department or the Child Protection Unit of the police and will be provided with contact names, addresses and telephone numbers, as appropriate. Boarders and their parents have access to a complaints procedure in relation to issues affecting their welfare which provides contact details for the  Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the LADO and the Children's Rights Director

1.18 Allegations against Staff or Volunteers
1.18.1 The School has procedures for dealing with allegations against staff (and volunteers who work with children) that aim to strike a balance between the need to protect children from abuse and the need to protect staff and volunteers from false or unfounded allegations. These procedures (which are set out more fully in the Appendix) follow the guidance in the DfE guidance 'Dealing with allegations of abuse against teachers and other staff' (DfE-00061-2011) and should be used where a member of staff or volunteer has:
(a) behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;
(b) possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child; or
(c) behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she would pose a risk of harm if they work regularly or closely with children.

1.19 Allegations against the Designated Person
Where an allegation or complaint is made against the Designated Person or any other member of staff or a volunteer, the matter should be reported immediately to the Head. Where appropriate, the Head will consult with the Designated Person or Deputy Designated Person and all allegations will be discussed with the LADO before further action is taken. The accused person will be informed of the allegation as soon as possible after the LADO has been consulted. Appropriate support will be provided and a representative will be appointed to keep the accused person informed of the progress of the case as appropriate.

1.20 Allegations against the Head or Chair of Governors
Where an allegation or complaint is made against the Head, the person receiving the allegation should immediately inform the Chair of Governors, or in his absence the Vice-Chair, without first notifying the Head. Similarly, if an allegation is made against the Chair of Governors, the allegation should be reported to the Head. Again, any such allegations will be discussed with the LADO before further action is taken

1.20.1 Suspension will not be an automatic response to an allegation. . The LADO will be consulted as to the appropriate action to take and full consideration will be given to all the options, subject to the need to ensure:

• the safety and welfare of the pupils or pupil concerned; and

• the need for a full and fair investigation.

1.20.2 If a member of boarding staff is suspended pending a child protection investigation, arrangements will be made for alternative accommodation away from children.

1.21 Timescales
1.21.1 Where it is clear immediately that the allegation is unfounded or malicious, the case should be resolved within one week. It is expected that most cases of allegations of abuse against staff will be resolved within one month, with exceptional cases being completed within 12 months.

1.22 Unfounded or malicious allegations

• Where an allegation by a pupil is shown to have been deliberately invented or malicious, the Head will consider whether to take disciplinary action in accordance with the School's behaviour and discipline policy.

• Where a parent has made a deliberately invented or malicious allegation the Head will consider (in accordance with the School's terms and conditions) whether to require that parent to withdraw their child or children from the school on the basis that they have treated the school or a member of staff unreasonably.

• Whether or not the person making the allegation is a pupil or a parent (or other member of the public), the school reserves the right to contact the police to determine whether any action might be appropriate.

1.23 Record keeping
1.23.1 Details of an allegation will be recorded on the employee's file and retained at least until the employee reaches the normal retirement age or for a period of ten years from the date of the allegation, if this is longer, unless the allegation was found to have been malicious, in which case it will be removed from the employee's records.

1.24 Criminal proceedings
1.24.1 The School will consult with the LADO following the conclusion of a criminal investigation or prosecution as to whether any further action, including disciplinary action, is appropriate and if so, how to proceed.

1.25 Staff guidance
1.25.1 Detailed guidance is given to staff to ensure that their behaviour and actions do not place pupils or themselves at risk of harm or of allegations of harm to a pupil. This guidance is contained in the Common Room Handbook. The School's policy on physical restraint is included in the Behaviour and Discipline policy, the Code and Conduct for Staff policy and the Common Room Handbook.

1.26 Ceasing to use staff and resignation
1.26.1 If the School ceases to use the services of a member of staff (or a governor or volunteer) because they are unsuitable to work with children, a compromise agreement will not be used and there will be a prompt and detailed report to the Independent Safeguarding Authority. The report will be made promptly and in any event within one month of that person leaving the school. Any such incidents will be followed by a review of the safeguarding procedures within the School, with a report being presented to the Governors without delay.
1.26.2 If a member of staff (or a governor or volunteer) tenders his or her resignation, or ceases to provide his or her services, any child protection allegations will still be followed up by the School. Resignation will not prevent a prompt and detailed report being made to the Independent Safeguarding Authority in appropriate circumstances

1.27 Allegations Against Pupils
1.27.1 A pupil against whom an allegation of abuse has been made may be suspended from the School during the investigation and the School’s policy on behaviour, discipline and sanctions will apply. Any incident of bullying will be treated as a child protection concern when there is reasonable cause to suspect that a pupil is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm. The School will take advice from the LADO on the investigation of such allegations and will take all appropriate action to ensure the safety and welfare of all pupils involved including the pupil or pupils accused of abuse. If it is necessary for a pupil to be interviewed by the police in relation to allegations of abuse, the School will ensure that, subject to the advice of the LADO, parents are informed as soon as possible and that the pupil is supported during the interview by an appropriate adult. In the case of pupils whose parents are abroad, the pupil's Education Guardian will be requested to provide support to the pupil and to accommodate him / her if it is necessary to suspend him / her during the investigation.

 
1.28 Suspected harm from outside the School
1.28.1 A member of staff who suspects that a pupil is suffering harm from outside the School should seek information from the child with tact and sympathy using "open" and not leading questions. A sufficient record should be made of the conversation and he or she should refer the matter to one of the Designated Officers as on as possible.

1.29 Missing child procedures
1.29.1 All staff are informed of the separate procedure to be used for searching for, and if necessary, reporting, any boarder missing from school. The procedure includes the requirement to record any incident, the action taken and the reasons given by the pupil for being missing.

1.30 Informing parents
1.30.1 Parents will normally be kept informed as appropriate of any action to be taken under these procedures. However, there may be circumstances when the Designated Person will need to consult the LADO, the police and / or the Head before discussing details with parents.

Secure school premises
1.31 The School will take all practicable steps to ensure that school premises are as secure as circumstances permit.
1.32 The School keeps a visitors book at Reception. All visitors must sign in on arrival and sign out on departure and are escorted whilst on School premises by a member of staff or appropriately vetted volunteer. All visitors will be given a name badge with the title 'Visitor' which must be clearly displayed and worn at all times whilst on the School premises.
1.33 All visitors to the boarding houses must report to the [duty member of staff] immediately on arrival and must observe the necessity to be kept under sufficient staff supervision during their visit.

Confidentiality and information sharing
1.34 The School will keep all child protection records confidential, allowing disclosure only to those who need the information in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The School will co-operate with police and social services to ensure that all relevant information is shared for the purposes of child protection investigations under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 in accordance with the requirements of Working together to safeguard children (DCSF-00305-2010, March 2010).
1.35 Where allegations have been made against staff, the School will consult with the LADO and, where appropriate, the police and social services to agree the information that should be disclosed and to whom.

Monitoring
1.36 The Designated Persons will monitor the operation of this policy and its procedures and meet at least three times a year with the Governor responsible for Child Protection (Linda Muirhead) who will make an annual report to the Governors.
1.37 The Governors will undertake an annual review of this policy and how their duties under it have been discharged.
1.38 The Governors will ensure that any deficiencies or weaknesses in regard to child protection arrangements are remedied without delay

Contact numbers
1.39 The telephone numbers of the Surrey Council Social Services Departments are as follows:

• Surrey Safeguarding Centre: 03456 009 009

• Surrey Contact Centre: 0300 200 1006

• Emergency Duty Team: 01483 419 246

• Jenny Wood, Education Safeguarding Advisor: 01483 419 246

• Ian McGraw, Education Safeguarding Co-ordinator (E-safety): 01483 518 518

The following telephone numbers may be useful for pupils:

• Childline: 0800 1111

• NSPCC: 0808 800 5000

• Surrey Contact Centre: 0300 200 1006

Status
1.40 Complies with paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 to the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010 and DfE guidance Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in education 2007 (DFES-04217- 20061.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the:
Anti-Bullying Policy
Anti-Cyberbullying Policy
Whistleblowing Policy
Code and Conduct of Staff Policy

Policy reviewed: March 2012

 
Appendix Allegations against staff
The School has procedures for dealing with allegations against staff (and volunteers who work with children) that aim to strike a balance between the need to protect children from abuse and the need to protect staff and volunteers for false or unfounded allegations. These procedures will be used where the member of staff or volunteer has:

• behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child

• possible committed a criminal offence against or related to a child; or

• behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she would

• pose a risk of harm if he or she work regularly or closely with children.

These procedures will be applied with common sense and judgement.

Allegations against staff: The LADO should be informed of all allegations that come to the School's attention and appear to meet the criteria. Where an allegation or complaint is made against the Designated Person or any other member of staff or a volunteer, the matter should be reported immediately to the Head. Where appropriate, the Head will consult with the Designated Person or Deputy Designated Person and all allegations will be discussed with the LADO before further action is taken.

Allegations against the Head or Chair of Governors: Where an allegation or complaint is made against the Head, the person receiving the allegation should immediately inform the Chair of Governors, or in his / her absence the Vice-Chair, without first notifying the Head. Similarly, if an allegation is made against the Chair of Governors, the allegation should be reported to the Head. Again, any such allegations will be discussed with the LADO before further action is taken.

Disclosure of information: The Head will inform the accused person of the allegation as soon as possible after the LADO has been consulted. The Parents or carers of the child[ren] involved will be informed of the allegation as soon as possible if they do not already know of it. Where the LADO advises that a strategy discussion is needed, or the police or the local authority's social care services need to be involved, the Head should not inform the accused or the parents or carers until these agencies have been consulted and it has been agreed what information can be disclosed. The parents or carers should be kept informed of the progress of the case, including the outcome of any disciplinary process.

Support: A school has a duty of care towards its employees and as such, it must ensure that effective support is provided for anyone facing an allegation. Individuals should be informed of concerns or allegations as soon as possible and given an explanation of the likely course of action, unless external agencies object to this. A representative will be appointed to keep him or her informed of the progress of the case and to consider what other support is available for the individual, as appropriate.

Action to be taken against the accused: Where an investigation by the police or the local authority children's social care services is unnecessary, the LADO will discuss the steps to be taken with the Head (or the Chair of Governors where the allegation is against the Head). The appropriate action will depend on the nature and circumstances of the allegation and will range from taking no further action to summary dismissal or a decision not to use the person's services in the future.
It may be necessary to undertake a further investigation to determine the appropriate action. If so, the LADO will discuss with the Head how and by whom the investigation will be undertaken. The appropriate person will usually be a senior member of staff, but in some instances it may be appropriate to appoint an independent investigator as advised by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board.

Suspension: Suspension must not be an automatic response to an allegation and should only be considered in a case where:

• there is cause to suspect a child or other children at the School is or are at risk of significant harm; or

• the allegation warrants investigation by the police; or

• the allegation is so serious that it might be grounds for dismissal.

The professional reputational damage that can arise from suspension where an allegation is later found to be unsubstantiated, unfounded or malicious must be considered. It may be that the result that would be achieved by suspension could be obtained by alternative arrangements, for example, redeployment.

Criminal proceedings: The School will consult with the LADO following the conclusion of a criminal investigation or prosecution as to whether any further action, including disciplinary action, is appropriate and if so, how to proceed. The options will depend on the circumstances of the case, including the result of the police investigation or trial and the standards of proof applicable.

Return to work: If it is decided that the person who has been suspended should return to work, the School should consider how to facilitate this, for example, a phased return may be appropriate and / or the provision of a mentor to provide assistance in the short term. The School should also consider how to manage the contact with the child[ren] who made the allegation.

Ceasing to use staff: If the School ceases to use the services of a member of staff (or a governor or volunteer) because they are unsuitable to work with children, a compromise agreement will not be used and there will be a prompt and detailed report to the Independent Safeguarding Authority. Any such incidents will be followed by a review of the safeguarding procedures within the School, with a report being presented to the Governors without delay.

Resignation: If a member of staff (or a governor or volunteer) tenders his or her resignation, or ceases to provide his or her services, any child protection allegations will still be followed up by the School. Resignation will not prevent a prompt and detailed report being made to the Independent Safeguarding Authority in appropriate circumstances.

Timescales: All allegations must be dealt with as a priority so as to avoid any delay. Where it is clear immediately that the allegation is unfounded or malicious, the case should be resolved within one week. It is expected that most cases of allegations of abuse against staff will be resolved within one month with exceptional cases being completed within 12 months. If the nature of the allegation does not require formal disciplinary action, the Head should institute appropriate action within three working days. If a disciplinary hearing is required and can be held without further investigation, it should be held within 15 working days.

Unfounded or malicious allegations: Where an allegation by a pupil is shown to have been deliberately invented or malicious, the Head will consider whether to take disciplinary action in accordance with the School's behaviour and discipline policy.

Where a parent has made a deliberately invented or malicious allegation the Head will consider whether to require that parent to withdraw their child or children from the school on the basis that they have treated the school or a member of staff unreasonably.

Whether or not the person making the allegation is a pupil or a parent (or other member of the public), the school reserves the right to contact the police to determine whether any action might be appropriate.

Record keeping: Details of an allegation will be recorded on the employee's file and retained at least until the employee reaches the normal retirement age or for a period of ten years from the date of the allegation, if this is longer, unless the allegation was found to have been malicious, in which case it will be removed from the employee's records.