Safeguarding

& Child
Protection

What you need

to know….
Working together to keep the learners of HAMPTON PREPARATORY SCHOOL safe
 • Aim: To ensure that all staff are made aware
Today of the systems within HPS which supports
safeguarding children.
we’ll learn • Learning Objectives: To ensure that all staff
know.
about… • The 4 main types of abuse and signs to look
out for.
• Child Protection policy: The process for
responding to all forms of harm but in
particularly, teacher to child and child to child.

• Behaviour policy: Also known as CODE OF

CONDUCT.
• Safeguarding children absent from
education: Looking out for patterns of
repeat occasions and prolonged periods.
• Role of the designated safeguarding lead
(DSL): Who are they and how to share
information about concerns
Safeguarding means protecting
an adult’s and a child’s right to
live in safety, free from abuse
and neglect.
DEFINITIONSChil Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is
d Protection and defined as:
Safeguarding? hi • Protecting children from maltreatment
Protection and • Preventing impairment of children’s physical and
Safeguarding? mental health or development
Child Protection and • Ensuring children are growing up in circumstances
Safeguarding? consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best
outcomes

Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting

welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect
specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer,
significant harm.
 A form of maltreatment of a child.
WHAT Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by
inflicting harm, or,
IS failing to act to prevent harm
ABUSE Children may be abused:
? • In a family
• In an institution
• In a community setting
• By a stranger
• Via the internet
• Peer on peer – child on child
Is abuse
always
intention No!
al?
It can be the result of
negligence or ignorance.

Sometimes it can be the result

of well-intentioned actions
but remember that ABUSE is
about the impact of the act on
the individual, not the intent.
 Types OF Children’s Abuse
&
Definitions

Emotional Physical Sexual Neglect

Physical Abuse
Physical
Children Abuse

A form of abuse which may involve hitting,

shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, or
scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise
causing physical harm to a child.
Emotional Abuse
The persistent emotional maltreatment of a
child so as to cause severe and persistent
adverse effects on the child’s emotional
development. […] Some level of emotional
abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment
of a child, though it may occur alone.
 Neglect
The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological
needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or
development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal
substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer
failing to:
 provide adequate food, clothing or shelter (including exclusion from home
or abandonment)
 protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
 ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caregivers)
 ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment
 provide suitable education
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic
emotional needs.
 Sexual Abuse
Involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child
is aware of what is happening.

The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example,
rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts, such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing, and
touching outside of clothing.

They may include non-contact activities, such as:

• involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images
• watching sexual activities
• encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways
• grooming a child in preparation for abuse.

Sexual abuse can take place online and technology can be used to facilitate it.

Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of
sexual abuse, as can other children.
Some of the signs that might be an indicator that a child is
experiencing abuse or neglect:

Unexplained changes in Becoming Becoming

Lack of social skills and
behaviour or withdrawn/seeming uncharacteristically
few friends, if any
personality anxious aggressive

Poor bond or Restrictive movements Knowledge of adult

relationship with a Isolation or access to personal issues inappropriate for
parent resources their age

You may also notice

Always choosing to Unexplained injuries / some concerning
Running away or going
wear clothes that cover inconsistent behaviour from adults
missing
their body explanations who have children in
their care
 Record your
safeguarding concerns

• Record your concerns accurately, including

any minor concerns, and the details of any
action you have taken, information you
have shared and decisions you have made
relating to those concerns.

• Make records at the time the events

happen, or as soon as possible afterwards.

• If you work for an organisation, please

follow your in-house recording procedures.
 When it comes to safeguarding, we all need to be vigilant,
Wider Community in both our everyday lives as well as our working life.
Safety Raising awareness is the first step.
• Even if abuse is not occurring, it
may be a situation that someone
needs support with.

• Don’t worry that you have

misunderstood a situation.

• Within your role, it is not your job

to investigate – just report.

• Report any concerns you may have,

as soon as possible.
The priority should always be
to ensure the safety and
protection of the child at risk.
To this end, it is the
responsibility of us all to act
on any suspicion or evidence
of abuse or neglect and to
pass the concerns to the
responsible person.
 Immediate safety
and risk assessment

You should ensure the immediate safety and

welfare of the child at risk without putting
yourself in any danger.
 What if someone does
not want me to
report?
Explain to the person that you must report
the concern if it’s safe to do so and won’t
put them at risk.

It is vital to pass concerns on because:

• Other people may be at risk.
• There might be other issues that you’re
unaware of.
• You should not have to carry the
responsibility alone.
Safeguarding
is
Everybody’s
Responsibility
 Key takeaways from today’s training

Always assume ‘it could happen here.’ Just because there are no reports
doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

Always act in the child’s best interests

Always make a written record

If you see something, say something – including concerns about staff and our
safeguarding practice

Be on the lookout for signs of abuse, and in particular, for changes in a child
 QUESTIONS

Questions