Page 21 - Cherry Orchard Prospectus 2015-2016

CHILD PROTECTION
Child Protection Referral
Section 47(1) of the Children Act 1989 gives the local authority a duty to investigate when it is suspected or found that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. The local authority will then make enquiries from other agencies to enable them to decide whether they should take any action to safeguard or promote the child’s welfare.
As a school we have a statutory duty to assist social services departments acting on behalf of children in need or enquiring into allegations of child abuse. As well as this statutory duty we have a pastoral responsibility towards our pupils and we recognise that pupils have a fundamental right to be protected from harm. Children cannot learn effectively unless they feel safe and secure. We therefore have a Safeguarding Children Policy, which reflects both our statutory duty and our pastoral responsibilities.
If we have a concern that a child has been abused or is at risk of being abused, we have a duty to refer this to social services. In making any referral, the school is not making any judgement for example about individual parents or carers. It is for social services to decide whether there should be an investigation.
Child in Need Referral
There may be other circumstances (which are not to do with child protection, but more related to meeting children’s needs) when we feel that you and your family may benefit from some support from other agencies ie. social services. Before we can do this we will need to seek your permission. We will then complete a Child in Need form. In most cases this will be done with you.
Child Protection – School Policy
Under the 1989 Children Act, schools have certain statutory responsibilities towards the protection of children. We take seriously the well being of the children placed within our care and will always endeavour to meet our responsibilities concerning their safety. Briefly summarised these are as follows:
 To designate a senior member of staff to have responsibility for procedure concerning Child Protection. At present this is Mr M Painter, Headteacher.
 To liaise with other agencies involved in Child Protection such as Social Services and the police.
 To contribute to the prevention of child abuse by teaching both awareness of potential dangers
and strategies which help children to protect themselves. This will be discussed in circle time and
PSHE.
 To ensure that staff take part in training courses that lead to greater professional awareness of
the issues involved in Child Protection.
 To promptly refer suspected cases of child abuse to the local Social Services department or to the
police.
In the course of their professional duties, teachers may be made aware of signs that could be indicators of potential child abuse. Sometimes further investigations reveal these signs to have an innocent explanation. As a staff, we are aware that to be involved in such investigations could be a distressing experience for families and one that can arouse strong emotions. Nevertheless, we are charged with reporting any sign that may lead us to suspect that abuse could be taking place, and will not hesitate to do so in such circumstances. We believe that this vigilance is the best way in protecting your children.
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