Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

The welfare of the children is paramount. Through ongoing training we have appropriate procedures in place at The Kid’s Club and The Little Kid’s Club. The staff retain the right to protect any child from any form of danger they may perceive.

Policy Statement

The Kids’ Club including The Little Kids’ Club acknowledges their duty of care to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people who attend the Clubs.

All children and young people have the right to protection, and have their individual needs taken into account.

Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states ‘The best interests of the child must be a top priority in all decisions and actions that affect children’.

Article 19 refers to the protection from violence, abuse and neglect. (There is a copy of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in our Policy folder)

The Kids’ Club including The Little Kids’ Club will therefore endeavour to ensure the safety and protection of all children and young people through the Child Protection guidelines adopted by the staff including volunteers of our Clubs.

It is the responsibility of all staff including volunteers within our Clubs to assist in this endeavour.

Policy Aims

To provide children and young people with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of our Clubs

To reassure parents and carers that their children will receive the best practicable care possible whilst participating in activities within our Clubs.

To provide support to our Clubs’ staff including volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child protection issues and to fulfil their role effectively.

Principles

The welfare of the children and young people is paramount.

All children and young people, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, ethnic origin and religious beliefs have the right to protection from abuse and neglect.

All suspicions and allegations of abuse, neglect or poor practice will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.

All staff and volunteers working in our Clubs have a responsibility to report concerns to their Management.

Adults – Club staff, volunteers, outside coaches, will be supported to understand their role and responsibility with regard to the duty of care and protection of the children and young people.

No staff, volunteers, adults, children or young person who enter the premises, should take still or video footage on their personal devices at any time, unless authorised by the parent/ carer and the child/ young person and the Management.

Staff and volunteers will receive support through annual training coordinated by the Clubs either through in-house training and/ or the Safeguarding Partnership Board and Childcare & Early Years’ Service (CEYS). To be continually aware of and understand best practice including how to manage any welfare or child protection issues that may come to light.

The Club’s policy and procedures are based on the above principles and these procedures are based on the Children’s [Jersey] Law 2002 in particular Article 42 (see attached) and the UK Government Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 (www.education.gov.uk).

Responsibilities and Communication

The Kids’ Club including The Little Kids’ Club Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy will be available to all parents/ carers, staff, volunteers and participants.

The Management Team has responsibility for ensuring that the policy and procedures are implemented.

Processes are to be followed consistently by all staff and volunteers.

To promote a culture within the settings of openness, where safeguarding is everyone’s business and the children’s health and welfare is the primary consideration.

The Club’s Management Team/Designated Safeguarding Leads have responsibility for responding to any allegations, concerns or child protection incidents, passing information to the appropriate Safeguarding Officers via the Children and Families Hub and informing the appropriate Club staff where relevant. If an enquiry is made it will also be reported to the Childcare & Early Years’ Service (CEYS).

Parents/ carers have a responsibility to work together with the Clubs in implementing procedures and providing their children with the necessary information to keep themselves safe.

Designated Safeguarding Leads

The designated safeguarding leads must take responsibility for the well-being and safeguarding of all children/ young person, staff and volunteers.
Responsible for ensuring policies and procedures are up to date, real and read and understood by all staff and volunteers.
Responsible for ensuring all staff/ volunteers are kept up to date with training and changes to the policy and procedure.
Responsible for making decisions, bringing it all together, following it through and listening.
Reporting to and receiving information from outside agencies
A deputy designated safeguarding lead must be available when the DSL is not there

Our Designated Lead contact details are:

Stephanie Ferey – Mobile: 07797 810453

Email: steph@thekidsclub.je

Mark Patterson – Mobile: 07797 824194

Email: mark@thekidsclub.je

Intimate Care

Where contact of a more intimate nature is required e.g. assisting in toileting or the removal of wet/soiled clothes, another member of staff should be in the vicinity and will be made aware of the task being undertaken.

Regular requirements of an intimate nature should be planned for with intimate care plans drawn up and will be discussed with parents/carers on a regular basis and recorded on the children’s care plan.

(Please read our Health and Safety Policy for more information)

Monitoring and review

This Policy will be reviewed every year by the Management Team/Designated Safeguarding Leads, and/or in response to significant new legislation, training, circumstances and amended as appropriate. Guidance from Jersey’s Safeguarding Partnership & Childcare & Early Years’ Service (CEYS) will be sought as part of the review process.

The Policy will be monitored in partnership with Childcare & Early Years’ Service (CEYS).

Staffing

All staff and volunteers are fully DBS checked and are all on the update scheme, we have our own in house DBS verifier, Operations Manager– Stephanie Ferey. References including character are obtained. Confidentiality is adhered to at all times and agreements signed annually.
All staff and volunteers are subjected to a fit persons check annually. Staff and volunteers are updated training annually in-house or out sourced.

Safeguarding & Child Protection Procedure

If a child or young person’s behaviour, appearance or disclosure causes concern you need to follow the steps that are stated below:

Staff members including volunteers must inform the Management/ Designated Lead immediately. This must be treated with the strictest confidence.
The Management/ Designated Lead will then ask the staff member or volunteer to write a signed report stating the disclosure or concern, which will include the date and time and only factual events are to be stated no personal views or perceptions are to be declared. (This is to be done on the Club’s Incident Report form)

A diagram of an injury location may be necessary (This is to be shown through filling out the Club’s Serious Injury Report form). The account of the disclosure or concern will be then kept in a confidential file, unless the Management/ Designated Lead needs to use the report if the process needs to be taken further.

It may be necessary for other staff members or volunteers to be asked to share observations and evidence, so all information is gathered appropriately.

In cases of injury, parents/carers will be asked how the injury occurred, in the presence of the child or young person; their response will also be noted and kept in the confidential file, unless the process needs to be taken further.

The Management/ Designated Lead will contact the Children and Families Hub if needed and will follow the guidance and instructions given by these specialised outside agencies. If an enquiry is made it will also be reported to CEYS.

If a staff member or a volunteer are to feel that Management or the Designated Lead has not taken the right steps in reporting a concern then the staff member or volunteer can call the Children and Families Hub themselves to report the concern.

Remember, never do nothing if you have a concern!!

The Children and Families Hub will provide a single point of contact and referral for children, young people and families who require additional support to ensure they are appropriately safeguarded and protected. MASH is now fully integrated into this new service. The Hub aims to streamline some of the current processes and bring the right support to children and families at the right time.

Central to the Right Help Right Time approach is that children and families who need support from more than one agency have a lead worker. This lead worker works alongside the family, getting to know their circumstances and making sure that the support they need is co-ordinated.

The Hub aims to reduce bureaucracy and bring the right support to children and families at the right time.

The contact details for the Children and Families Hub:

Telephone No: 01534 519000

Email: childrenandfamilieshub@gov.je

The work of the Hub is supported by the Jersey’s Children First Practice Framework. Jersey’s Children First delivers training designed to ensure that all those working with children in Jersey have the same level of understanding of safeguarding processes.

The Children and Families Hub working hours are:

8.30am – 5.00pm Monday to Thursday

8.30am – 4.30pm on Friday.

An out of hours service is also available by contacting the Police switchboard on 01534 612612 or the Hospital switchboard on 01534 442000.

(Reviewed and Revised April/May 2020).