Lammas Green Nursery Limited
Sydenham Hill site
Safeguarding Children and Child Protection
Policy Statement
Lammas Green Nurseries LTD will work with children, parents and the community to ensure the rights and safety of children and give them the very best start in life. We will encourage children to develop positive self-image, by speaking about colour, ethnicity, languages spoken at home, their religious beliefs and cultural traditions.
Since 1st July 2015 a statutory guidance was introduced, this outlines our responsibilities for keeping children safe whilst in our care, this works alongside our existing safeguarding policies and procedures. Childcare providers are subject to duty under section 26 of the counter-terrorism and security act 2015. All team have attended training in Prevent Duty and the Nursery Managers and Nursery Director have attended WRAP training. (Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent).
Procedures
Staff and Volunteers
- Our designated child protection officer is Nicola Smith
- Our deputy child protection officer is Lynette Jefferies
We ensure all staff are trained to understand our safeguarding policies and procedures and that parents are made aware of them too.
All staff has up-to date knowledge of safeguarding issues including risk of extremism and radicalisation.
We recognise the need in preventing impairment of Children’s Mental Health and Physical Development.
We have clear procedures for dealing with children and families who go missing from the setting, particularly those who go missing on repeat occasions.
We work in partnership with Lewisham safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP).
Applicants for post with-in the setting are clearly informed that the positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Candidates are informed of the need to carry out ‘enhanced disclosure’ checks with the Criminal Records Bureau before posts can be confirmed.
Where applicants are rejected because of obtaining information that has been disclosed, applicants have the right to know and to challenge incorrect information.
We abide by Ofsted requirements in respect of reference and Criminal Record Bureau checks for staff and volunteers, to ensure that no disqualified or unsuitable person works at the setting or has access to the children.
Volunteers do not work unsupervised.
We record information about staff qualifications, and the identity checks and vetting process that have been completed including:
- The criminal records disclosure reference number,
- The date the disclosure was obtained
- Details of who obtained it.
We inform all staff that they are expected to disclose any convictions, cautions, court orders or reprimands and warnings which may affect their suitability to work with children (whether received before or during their employment with us).
We abide by the safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006) requirements in respect of any person who is dismissed from our employment, or resigns in circumstances that would otherwise have led to dismissal for reasons of a child protection concern.
We have procedures for recording the details of visitors to the setting.
We take security steps to ensure that we have control over who comes into the setting so that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children.
We take steps to ensure children are not photographed or filmed on video for any purpose than to record their development or their participation in events organised by us. Parents sign consent forms and have access to records holding visual images of their child.
Responding to suspicions of abuse
We acknowledge that abuse of children can take different forms- Physical, emotional, and sexual and neglect.
When children are suffering from physical, sexual or emotional abuse or experiencing neglect, this may be demonstrated through:
- Significant changes in their behaviour,
- Deterioration in their general well-being,
- Their comments which may give cause for concern, or the things they say (direct or indirect disclosure)
- Changes in their appearance, their behaviour, or play,
- Unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse or neglect,
- Any reason to suspect neglect or abuse outside the setting.
- Repeated absences from the setting.
We take into account factors affecting parental capacity, such as social exclusion, domestic violence, parent’s drug or alcohol abuse, mental or physical illness or parent’s learning disability.
We are aware of other factors that affect children’s vulnerability such as, abuse of disabled children, fabricated or induced illness, child abuse linked to beliefs in spirit possession, sexual exploitation of children, such as through internet abuse; and Female Genital Mutilation; that may affect, or may have affected, children and young people using our provision.
Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment
All of our team attend regular and updated training both external and in house on how to recognise signs of abuse, especially of a sexual content or sexual violence. This applies to the children, parents and team who are under the companies care.
It is the nurseries responsibility to ensure their team understands how to react to disclosures of abuse and suspicions based on what they have observed or overheard and to follow the correct processes of reporting our concerns to the safeguarding leads and following our escalation procedures.
We will not tolerate any form of abuse and anyone in immediate danger will be referred directly to the police and mash team.
We teach the children about keeping safe online and remind them to ask permission to use online tools, when at home.
We send information out for parents to help them support children when using online materials and keeping safe.
Keeping everyone safe is of the highest priority to Lammas Green LTD.
Peer on Peer Abuse
We recognise that children and young people are capable of abusing their peers. Peer on Peer abuse relates to situations such as gang activity, by complex multiple or organised abuse, sexual exploitation, financial abuse, through forced marriage or honour based violence, extremism, and radicalisation or may be victims of child trafficking. While this may be less likely to affect young children in our care, we may become aware of any of these factors affecting older children and young people who we may come into contact with. We want all children and their families to feel safe and as part of our commitment to keeping them safe we regularly observe children’s interactions and aim to be approachable so they will speak to us if they are concerned about any aspects of their relationships with others. Parents are aware that they can contact us at any time if they have concerns about their children’s behaviour at home.
Where we believe that a child in our care or that is known to us may be affected by any of these factors, we follow the procedures below for reporting child protection concerns.
- Where such evidence is apparent, the child’s key person makes a dated record of the details of the concern and discuss what to do with the designated child protection officer present at the time. The information is stored on the child’s personal file.
- We refer concerns to local authority children’s social care department and co-operate fully in any subsequent investigation. NB In some cases this may mean the police or other agency identified by Local Safeguarding Children’s Board.
- We take care not to influence the outcome either through the way we speak to children or by asking questions of children.
- We take account of the needs to protect young people aged 16-19 as defined by the Children Act 1989. This may include students or school children on work placement, young employees or young parents.
- Where abuse is suspected we follow the procedure for reporting any other child protection concern.
- The views of the young person will always be taken into account, but the setting may override the young person’s refusal to consent to share information if it feels that it is necessary to prevent a crime from being committed or intervene where one may have been, or to prevent harm to a child or adult.
- Sharing confidential information without consent is done only where not sharing it could be worse than the outcome of having shared it.
Recording suspicions of abuse and disclosures.
Where a child makes comments to a member of staff that give cause for concern (disclosure), or a member of staff observes signs or signals that give cause for concern, such as significant changes in behaviour; deterioration in general well-being; unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse or neglect; that member of staff will:
- Listen to the child, offer reassurance and gives assurance that she or he will take action;
- Does not question the child;
- Makes written record that forms an objective record of the observation or disclosure that includes, the date and time of the observation or disclosure; the exact words spoken by the child as far as possible; the name of the person to whom the concern was reported, with the date and time; and the names of any other person present at the time.
- These records are signed and dated and kept in the child’s personal file, which is kept securely and confidentially.
- The acting safeguarding officer is informed of the issue at the earliest opportunity.
- Where the Local Safeguarding Children Board stipulates the process for recording and sharing concerns, we include those procedures alongside this procedure and follow the steps set down by the Local Safeguarding Children Board.
Making a referral to the local authority children’s social care team.
- Lammas Green Sydenham Hill Nursery uses a Cause for Concern’ form for recording concerns and making a referral. This is based on ‘What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused’ (HMG 2006).
- We keep a copy of this document alongside the procedures for recording and reporting set down by our Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships which we follow.
Escalation Policy
It is extremely important for us to build excellent professional working relationships with outside agencies but in the case of difference in opinions around what is best for a child, it is our aim to reduce any conflict of opinions and to reach a professional agreement by talking to professionals to resolve the matter.
Nursery Practitioners and SENco’s who attend meetings with other professionals will keep clear accurate records of discussions taken place.in the children’s Key group folder. If the Nursery Team have concerns, they will raise these during the meeting or with their Management Team.
The Nursery Manager will contact relevant professionals to follow up and discuss any concerns raised by the Nursery Team, Parents or other Agencies and attempt to solve the situation as soon as possible. All professionals are treated with respect and given opportunities to raise their concerns, which will be listened to.
If this cannot be resolved, the Manager will speak to the Nursery Director who is the Safeguarding Lead for support.
We can also speak to Lewisham Early Years Team for advice and guidance if we are not satisfied with the decisions made regarding Safeguarding Children.
We understand all professionals have the children’s best interests as a priority and our aim would be to find a resolution as quickly and promptly as possible.
We follow and adhere to Lewisham Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP) Escalation Policy, which can be found on the following links below:
Lewisham Safeguarding Children Partnership – (safeguardinglewisham.org.uk) lscp_escalation_policy_-_21.04.2020.pdf (safeguardinglewisham.org.uk)
Lewisham Safeguarding Board – 02083143396 or sa**********@le******.uk
Lado (Local Authority Designated Officer) – Le**********@Le******.uk
Informing parents
- Parents are normally the first point of contact. We discuss concerns with parents to gain their view of events, unless we feel this may put the child in greater danger.
- We inform parents when we make a record of concerns in their child’s file and that we also make a note of any discussion we have with them regarding a concern.
- If a suspicion of abuse warrants referral to social care
Information Sharing
We recognise that parents have the right to know that information they share will be regarded as confidential as well as being informed about the circumstances and reasons, when we are obliged to share information. We are obliged to share confidential information with-out authorisation from the person who provided it, if it is in the public interest:
We understand with GDPR policies in place, that It is not necessary to seek consent to share information that safeguards and promotes the welfare of a child as long as it is lawful to process personal information.
If it will prevent a crime being committed or intervene where one may have been, or to prevent harm to a child or adult. Not sharing this type of information could be worse than the outcome of having shared it.
This decision should never be made by an individual, but with the backup of the management. They should consider:
The evidence that the child is suffering, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm. To prevent significant harm arising to children or serious harm to adults, including prevention, detection and prosecution of serious crime.
The Data Protection Act is not a barrier to sharing information but provides a framework to ensure that personal information about living persons is shared appropriately.
We are open and honest and explain to parents/carers how and why information will be shared about them and with whom. We seek consent to share information, unless it puts the child at risk or undermines a criminal investigation.
The management will advise when there are doubts about possible harm to a child or others. When making a decision about information sharing the manager considers the safety and welfare of the child. I there are concerns regarding significant harm the child’s wellbeing and safety is paramount.
We follow our procedures for reporting concerns and record keeping. We ask parents to give us written consent to share information about any additional needs their child may have or pass onto the child’s next provider or school.
Any information sharing is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the child.
Updated August 2023