Understand_How_to_Safeguard_the_Wellbeing_of_Children_and_Young_People

Understand How to Safeguard the Wellbeing of Children and Young People Outcome 1 1. Current legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures within UK Home Nation affecting the safeguarding of children and young people: Welfare Standards: http://www.birthtofive.org.uk/earlyyearsfoundationstage/welfarerequirements.aspx UN convention: http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/files/uncrcchilldfriendlylanguage.pdf National Standards: http://www.londonscb.gov.uk/files/library/children_act_1989_report__2004_and_2005.pdf 2. Explain child protection within the wider concept of safeguarding children and young people: The Government has defined the term ‘safeguarding children’ as: ‘The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully.’ Every child or young person has the same rights. National Standards, UN Conventions and Children’s Acts are all in place to help ensure that all children regardless of their background or situation are protected. 3. How national and local guidelines, policies and procedures for safeguarding day to day work: • Childcare practice: Policies must be in place to cover all aspects of work and interaction with children and young people. For example, for children still in nappies there should be a Nappy and Toilet Training policy to explain to all involved in the child’s care exactly what is involved, responsibility, etc. By having policies/guidelines in place it helps day to day care, and makes clear everyone’s responsibilities. Documentation is then also in place if needed in the event of any allegations being made against a childcare practitioner. • Child protection: By having guidelines, and a wide range of policies child protection is paramount to all involved in that child’s day-to-day care. It is also clear to all involved exactly what is expected of them in order to keep the child or young person protected. • Risk assessment: Guidelines and policies make practitioners aware that there is need to risk assess a wide range of situations within the childcare setting, on trips, or other places that the child or young person is coming into contact with. • Ensuring the voice of the child or young person is heard (e.g. providing advocacy services): Policies stipulate points of contact for children and young people to ensure that each individual is heard and any issue they have is dealt with sufficiently. • Supporting children and young people and others who may be expressing concerns: With guidelines and policies in place, there is a framework to follow to ensure that children and young people who have concerns will get the care that they need, and the right organisations or individuals are contacted where necessary. 4. Inquiries and serious case reviews are required when allegations of abuse have been made against a childcare practitioner, or a child or young person has been abused by a parent/carer. These are needed to make sure that the child or young person received the care and protection that they should have. Sharing the findings of these inquiries and serious case reviews enables childcare practitioners to review their practices and ensure that safeguarding policies are in place to cover any child protection issue that may arise. It also helps practitioners to deal with children and young people effectively, and in an appropriate manner. 5. In my setting, Little Pirate’s Childminding, all information on children and families is kept securely and is treated in confidence. Information will only be shared if the parents or carers give their permission or there appears to be a child protection issue. All parents receive a copy of my policies and procedures, which detail how I run my setting. I expect parents to inform me of any changes in the child’s home circumstances, care arrangements or any other change which may affect the child’s behaviour such as a new baby, parents’ separation, divorce or any bereavement. All information shared will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed without the parent(s)’ consent, except as required by law, for example, there appears to be a child protection issue. Parents have the right to inspect all records about their child at any time. Children will only be released from my care to the parent(s)/carer(s), or to someone named and authorised by the parent/carer. A password might be used to confirm identity if the person collecting the child is not previously known to me. My first responsibility and priority is towards the children in my care. If I have any cause for concern I will report it, following the local Safeguarding Children Board procedures in Wolverhampton. I understand that child abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, neglect or a mixture of these. I must notify Ofsted of any allegations of abuse, which are alleged to have taken place while the child is in my care. I am aware of the signs of abuse or neglect and what to do if I have a concern. If a child arrives with an existing injury, I will record it in my accident book, which requires an explanation as to how the injury happened. If a child has an accident whilst in my care, I will also record this and will ask the parent to sign. If I am concerned about a child’s welfare, I may contact the local authority, the NSPCC, the National Childminding Association (NCMA), or other relevant support services for advice, providing this does not affect confidentiality. Child protection concerns that could identify a particular child are kept confidential and only shared with people who need to know this information. I work together with parents to make sure the care of their child is consistent. If an allegation is made against me, I will report it to Ofsted and social services following the Safeguarding Children Board procedures in England. I will also contact NCMA’s safeguarding children service on 0800 880 0044 for advice and support. It is not my responsibility to attempt to investigate the situation myself. As stipulated in my Working with parents policy; I aim to work in partnership with the parents/carer to meet the needs of the child(ren). All children and adults are treated with equal concern and are made to feel welcome in my home. I draw up and sign a written contract with parents before the placement starts which details the expectations of the care to be provided, activities and business arrangements. 　 Outcome 2 1. The importance of safeguarding children and young people: Babies and children are vulnerable as they have little sense of danger and only learn to assess risks with help from adults. Any childcare practitioner should ensure that children in their care are not at risk of harm and neglect from negative outcomes and support all children to develop their full potential. All children deserve to grow up in a loving, secure family. 2. The importance of a child or young person centred approach: The Government has set out a positive vision of the outcomes to achieve. The five outcomes which matter most to children and young people are: - Being healthy: enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle - Staying safe: being protected from harm and neglect. - Enjoying and achieving: getting the most out of life and developing skills for adulthood. - Making a positive contribution: being involved with the community and society and not engaging in anti-social or offending behaviour. - Economic well-being: not being prevented by economic disadvantage from achieving their full potential in life. 3. What is meant by partnership working in the context of safeguarding: A CAF, Common Assessment Framework across all services for children, covering special educational needs, Connexions, Youth Offending Teams, health, and social services. CAF provides a support system to allow all children who are being cared for or treated by a variety of different people/places to share information. This ensures that the individual child or young person receives the care required. 4. The roles and responsibilities of the different organisations that may be involved when a child or young person has been abused or harmed: • Social services - The social worker who takes on the case will be the key worker for the child or family. Staff can apply to remove a child to a place of safety or start care proceedings. • NSPCC - The organisation has qualified social workers who have powers to investigate cases of abuse. Referrals can be made directly to the NSPCC. They can apply to remove a child to a place of safety, or to start care proceedings. Has family support workers who work with families both during and after cases have been investigated. • Health visiting - Health visitors have on-going contact with families, particularly those with very young children. They are specialists in child development and one of their main concerns is with he welfare of children and monitoring of their development. Most early years settings have an established health visitor link. Health visitors will refer suspected cases of abuse to the police or social services. • GP - Children may be presented with injuries or health concerns either at their local GP surgery or at the casualty department. Community paediatricians may identify causes for concern during screening programmes for young children. Referrals will be made to police or social services. • Probation - Juvenile probation is used to monitor youths who have been found guilty of crime. Probation allows the youth to avoid incarceration. Instead, he or she is allowed to continue as part of the community under the close watch of a probation officer. A probation officer will be involved in the9 child's case from start to finish. • Police - Police officers uphold the law. Referrals can be made directly to the police. They have a duty to protect children and to follow up any referrals or concern brought to their notice. Police officers have responsibility for the safe keeping of any evidence in cases which may end in prosecution. The police have emergency powers to remove a child to a place of safety. • School - A designated person with responsibility for child protection issues should be named in each setting. Concerns should be taken to the designated person who will notify social services. Staff are trained in child development and are able to monitor signs of change or regression. Training in recognising and responding to signs of abuse should be undertaken. • Psychology service - a Psychologist will become involved to help offer counselling to children and their families in any situation where are child is in need of safeguarding, particularly traumatising events, or to help children deal with abuse. 　 Outcome 3 1. Why it is important to ensure children and young people are protected from harm within the work setting: Children need to be kept safe and protected from harm to ensure happy and healthy development across all areas of development. 2. Explain policies and procedures that are in place to protect children and young people and adults who work with them: Little Pirate’s Childminding Policies and Procedures are as follows: Safeguarding and Promoting Children’s Welfare Safeguarding Children - Child Protection - Confidentiality - Security/Dropping off and Collection - Lost or Missing Children - Outings - Health and Safety Policy - Complaints Procedure - Allegation against a Childminder or family member - Visitors Policy - In the event of a fire Equality of Opportunity - Equal Opportunities - Special Needs - Managing Behaviour - House Rules Promoting Health and Hygiene - Hygiene Policy - Animals in the setting - Medicine Policy - Sickness - Nappy and Toilet Training policy - No Smoking policy - Alcohol and Drugs policy - Food - Accident and Emergency Procedure/First Aid Organisation Administration - Admissions and Inclusion - Settling In - Hours of Opening - Supplies - Fees - Payment Procedures Partnership - Working with you as Parents/Carers Suitable premises, environment and equipment - Garden policy Risk assessments All of the policies and procedures I have in place are to ensure that the children in my care are safe and protected, as are myself and my family. 3. Whistleblowing, raising concerns about poor practice: If there is concern that a provider (including childrens centres and other childminders) are not meeting the requirements and conditions of their registration and/or may pose a risk to children due to their behaviour, practice or attitude, the relevant regulatory body must be informed (Ofsted/CSSIW). The following guidelines in such a circumstance should be followed: - identify the bad practice - record exactly what was witnessed - if you are unsure at this stage of what to do, seek the guidance of a professional (e.g. NCMA) - use formal procedures for complaints (Ofsted/CSSIW), although NCMA’s allegations and complaints service can also be utilised. For more information on this service please see the NCMA Safeguarding Factsheet 1: Safeguarding Children - keep copies of all correspondence and relevant information - do not share this information outside of the relevant framework (e.g. with other childminders) - Possible actions: Ofsted/CSSIW can look into any matter related to the requirements and conditions of registration, as well as concerns about people providing childcare who are not registered with them as childcare providers. Their role is not to prove or disprove the information provided, instead they will look to see whether the information means the provider is failing to meet, or failed to meet at the time of any incident, the requirements and conditions of their registration. When a concern or complaint raises issues about protecting children, Ofsted/CSSIW have a duty to tell the police and/or local authority what they know in order for them to decide whether to investigate. Reporting a concern about the practice of another childminder does not automatically mean that they will be suspended from their work. In cases where it is found that a provider is not meeting the requirements and conditions of their registration, Ofsted/CSSIW may take the following action: - write to the provider telling them what they must do to meet the requirements (known as “setting actions”) - send a provider on the Early Years Register a legal notice (called a Welfare Requirements Notice); this sets out what the provider must do, and by when, to meet the welfare requirements - change or add new conditions of registration, such as limiting the number of children the provider can care for - prosecute a provider if they have committed an offence - cancel a provider’s registration in exceptional cases - suspend the provider’s registration (when it is believed that children are at risk from harm). Anonymity and confidentiality: Those reporting concerns to CSSIW or Children’s Social Services can request for their personal details to be kept confidential, although this cannot be guaranteed. When reporting a concern or making a complaint to Ofsted regarding the practice of others, you do not have to give your name and contact details, this is not recommended practice as this may make it harder to investigate the concerns as there will not be an opportunity to check information or ask follow up questions. In all cases, the relevant professionals will try to keep your details confidential, even if you do not ask them to. In some circumstances this may not be possible and sometimes the Individual that you have reported may be able to work out who has made the complaint. 4. How practitioners can take steps to protect themselves within their everyday practice in the work setting and on off site visits: - Having policies and procedures in place that covers the practitioner. - Registers for all children in attendance - Headcounts - Risk assessments - Recording times of nappy changes/toileting, sleep/naps, food eaten. - Visitors book to be signed by visitor - Permission slips signed by parents - Accident log - Document any unusual behaviour from the child 　 Outcome 4 1. The possible signs, symptoms, indicators and behaviours that may cause concern in the context of safeguarding: Signs could be physical such as bruising or burns, particularly in unusual places. Symptoms of abuse may be a change in behaviour, such as a child who had previously been quite confident and happy becoming withdrawn and quiet. A child who has or is being abused will suffer from a wide range of emotions. This will also affect their behaviour, they may become angry and aggressive. 2. Actions to take if a child or young person alleges harm or abuse in line with policies and procedures in my own setting: I am aware that as a childminder I am vulnerable to allegations of abuse being made against me or my family. I will ensure the following precautions are taken to protect myself from this happening: • I will ensure that all people over the age of 16 living in my house have a CRB check and are clear. This is also part of my legal requirement to register with Ofsted. • Ensure all visitors to the house sign a visitor’s book, and will not have any unsupervised access to the children. • Make no arrangements during minded hours to have workmen visit the house unless it is for an emergency repair. In this case they will not have any unsupervised access to children. • Document every accident and incident that occurs within my care. Making sure that I inform the child’s parents and request they sign my records. • I will ask parents to inform me of any accidents that have occurred outside my care and note down any marks that are on the child when they arrive. • Ensure the children are supervised at all times. However, should an allegation be made, I will do the following: • I will gain professional advice from Early Years, my insurance company, NCMA, and Ofsted. • I will write a detailed record of all related incidents, including what was said by whom, with times and dates. • I will ask any witnesses, if there were any, if they can write a statement detailing the incident they witnessed and their contact details in case the authorities need to follow it up. 3. The rights that children, young people and their carers have in situations where harm or abuse is suspected or alleged. There are a wide variety of situations so the way each case is dealt with must be handled on an individual basis specific to the requirements. The Children Act 2005 gives children, and young people with special needs up to the age of 18, certain rights, including to: • Be listened to • Talk about any worries they have • Be protected if they are in danger or at risk of harm in any way. 　 Outcome 5 1. Bullying could be physical (pushing, kicking, pinching and other forms of violence or threats), verbal (name-calling, insults, sarcasm, spreading rumours, persistant teasing), emotional (excluding, tormenting, ridicule, humiliation), cyber bullying (the use of Information and Communications Technology, particularly mobile phones and the internet, deliberately to upset someone else) and specific types of bullying, which can relate to all the above, such as homophobic or gender-based, racist, relating to special educational needs and disabilities. Both bullies and victims feel more negative about school, and persistent bullying may lead to stress and depression. In the year to March 2006 Childline reported that bullying featured in many calls from children talking about suicide. Bullying can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, hopelessness and isolation. Many callers to Childline say they are self-harming. There are effects on school work too. Children miss lessons or are too scared to attend school. They lose concentration when they do attend. Some of the effects last long after the bullying, until they are adults. HMI in one study found adults who said that they still recalled bullying incidents from thirty years ago and considered that the effects remain with them. Being a person who is present when another is bullied has an effect on the bystander too. They feel compromised, helpless and guilty (ChildLine). Children can be both bullies and victims, and those adopting both roles are often ones with the most significant behavioural problems (Wolke, 2000). Childline discovered that 15% of primary children surveyed and 12% of secondary pupils had both bullied and been bullied in the past year. Signs and Symptoms A child may indicate by signs or behaviour that he or she is being bullied. Adults should be aware of these possible signs and that they should investigate if a child: • is frightened of walking to or from school • doesn't want to go on the school / public bus • begs to be driven to school • changes their usual routine • is unwilling to go to school (school phobic) • begins to truant • becomes withdrawn anxious, or lacking in confidence • starts stammering • attempts or threatens suicide or runs away • cries themselves to sleep at night or has nightmares • feels ill in the morning • begins to do poorly in school work • comes home with clothes torn or books damaged • has possessions which are damaged or "go missing" • asks for money or starts stealing money (to pay bully) • has dinner or other monies continually "lost" • has unexplained cuts or bruises • comes home starving (money / lunch has been stolen) • becomes aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable • is bullying other children or siblings • stops eating • is frightened to say what's wrong • gives improbable excuses for any of the above • is afraid to use the internet or mobile phone • is nervous & jumpy when a cyber message is received These signs and behaviours could indicate other problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and should be investigated. 2. Policies and procedures that should be followed in response to concerns or evidence of bullying: Within a childminding setting I have set of House Rules that must be followed, this encompasses behaviour that must or must not be used within my setting. If any bullying is suspected or there has been a complaint about bullying I will keep a written and dated record of any comments made with regard to bullying. I will talk to all children involved and if necessary parents too. If appropriate and necessary, police will be called. The bullying behaviour or threats of bullying must be investigated and the bullying stopped quickly. An attempt will be made to help the bully (bullies) change their behaviour. Explain the reasons why they are in place: Bullying hurts. No one deserves to be a victim of bullying. Everybody has the right to be treated with respect. Children or young people who are bullying need to learn different ways of behaving. Childcare settings and schools have a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to issues of bullying. 3. How to support a child or young person and/or their family when bullying is suspected or alleged: Never showing that you are in any way shocked or disgusted what may have happened to the child, so you can appear to be calm and reassuring for the child and child’s family. Always reporting anything serious to the correct organisations such as social workers, police, etc. Documenting any evidence or anything said by all those involved. Good communication with parents/carers. Always dealing swiftly with any case of bullying as soon as you are aware of it. 　 Outcome 6 1. To support children and young people’s self-confidence and self-esteem reward charts could be used. Verbal praise and encouragement, stickers, treats (not necessarily sweets or edible treats. Treats could include 5 minutes extra outdoor play, watching a film or favourite TV show, doing an activity of choice which the child has chosen). 2. It is vital to encourage resilience in children and young people. Helping them to deal with disappointment or failure, as inevitably they will encounter this at some point. Giving them the life skills that help them deal with things in a positive way. Building strong relationships, showing children how to form long lasting friendships/relationships that will enrich their lives and social skills. Children who have a wide social circle, and strong relationships with others deal with disappointment far better, and have a more positive outlook on their lives. 3. Ensuring children and young people have strategies to protect themselves and make decisions about safety: Potty training children and teaching them to be independent and have good hygiene. Learning about their own body and personal space, so that they will be aware about rules and boundaries and inappropriate behaviour. Being aware of choices, and their right to say no, not doing anything they don’t feel comfortable with. 4. Ways of empowering children and young people to make positive and informed choices that support their well-being and safety: - Listening to children and giving them opportunities to express their views, it empowers them when they know they are listened to and their opinions and ideas respected. - Giving them opportunities to make decisions for themselves where they are able to learn about consequences etc. - a free play e.g different resources to choose from and helping children to move on to the next stage in their development, e.g helping them learn a new skill such as dressing themselves - Encouraging independence such as moving from potty training to using a toilet and being able to flush the toilet for themselves - Choosing where they want to play (indoors and outside), how they access the toys they play with, how they can select their own resources without having to ask an adult, etc. 　 Outcome 7 1. Risks to children and young people of being online and using a mobile phone: - Bullying via messages either online or texts messages. This could be threatening, nasty comments, and sarcasm, posting pictures of the child or young person online, or sent to other people via mobiles. - Being mugged and or attacked for their phone - Peadophiles trying to gain access to the child or young person via chatroons, social networking sites, or other websites - Inappropriate images, sexual or violent, and language/content being accessed by children and young people. 2. Ways of reducing risk to children and young people from: a. Social networking – Facebook, MySpace, MSN, Twitter, etc. have age limitations in place, parent and other adults caring for the child or young person need to monitor access to these sites, and therefore limit the content that the child has access to. Not having computers in bedrooms, checking internet history. b. Internet use – Using any parental control and blocks that may be put in place, such as on Google a strict search may be put in place to limit search content. Monitoring the child’s use of the internet; parental vigilance and checking the computer’s history. Using cookies to block site content. Not having a computer in bedrooms, keeping them in rooms only used by multiple people such as a living room, etc. c. Buying online – Hackers may gain access to card details and addresses. This may result in stalking, robbery, or inappropriate contact from adults. d. Using a mobile phone – High tech, MMS internet, accessible from private places. Implementing age restrictions for owning own phone. Limited usage, for example when the child is out and needs the phone to contact an adult for a lift, etc.