BISHOP CHALLONER

CATHOLIC COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

POLICY : CHILD PROTECTION

Bishop Challoner School Governors agree to the arrangements set out in the Tower
Hamlets ‘Child Protection’ folder. A copy can be found in the staff room and in the
office. The designated teacher is: Ms Rose Seymour in the Girls’ and Mr P
leyland in the Boys’ School and in their absence Mrs Catherine Myers.

Any member of staff who suspects or knows of abuse must immediately inform the
designated member of staff who will discuss the matter with appropriate staff. If she
is satisfied that there is evidence then she must immediately telephone the Child
Protection Helpline provided by Children Services. Any referrals should be treated
in confidence and notes must be placed in the child protection file.

Child Abuse and the Children Act

The Children Act 1989 and 2004 and Education Act 1996 relies upon staff
members to report suspicions of abuse as they often are the only professionals
who have daily contact with the children. Abuse is not defined in the act. HMSO
document ‘Working together under the Children Act 1989’ defines 4 distinct
categories of abuse.

1. Neglect
Persistent or severe neglect of a child which results in impairment of the
child’s health or development, including non-organic failure to thrive.

2. Physical Abuse
Physical injury to a child including deliberate poisoning, where there is definite
knowledge or a reasonable suspicion that the injury was inflicted or knowingly
not prevented.

3. Sexual Abuse
The involvement of dependent developing immature children and adolescents
in sexual activities they do not truly comprehend, to which they are unable to
consent or that violate the social taboos of family roles.

4. Emotional Abuse
the severe adverse effect on the behaviour and emotional development of a
child caused by persistent or severe emotional ill-treatment or rejection.

What should Staff members do when they suspect abuse?

Staff members are expected to be vigilante and watch out for;

• sudden changes in the student’s behaviour

• student becoming withdrawn
• unexplained bruising
• reluctance to leave the classroom because ‘something’ needs to be discussed
• conversation in which a student reveals information of a worrying nature

POLICY NO. 9 1 of 4 REVIEWED NOV 07

 BISHOP CHALLONER
CATHOLIC COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

POLICY : CHILD PROTECTION

A staff who has reason to be concerned about a child, should always act in the best
interests of the child and inform the designated person of;

• signs of abuse
• details of a child’s disclosure of abuse
• anxieties about a family

Quick action by staff will prevent suffering and in extreme cases may save a life.

Dealing with Disclosure of Abuse

A child may quite innocently disclose details of abuse that occurs within the family.
It is also the case that children with experience of abuse may unburden themselves
to a member of staff as the one adult they can trust.

It is vital that a staff member in whom a child has chosen to confide is sympathetic
and supportive, encouraging dialogue in the following ways.

1. A room which is private and quiet should be found to discuss the concerns.
2. The staff should always believe what the child is saying - research has shown
that children are very unlikely to fabricate allegations of sexual abuse.
3. The staff should remain calm and reassuring - children who suffered abuse
may have low self-esteem and may withdraw if they detect signs of doubt or
revulsion.
4. The staff should listen carefully and quietly but should never attempt to cross-
examine the child or to press for evidence.
5. The teacher should not attach blame to any party.

The staff must then take the following steps:

1. Explain to the child that her/his disclosure must be reported - it is important for
staff to stress that they believe the child’s story and want to help.
2. Do not promise to keep secret what the child has said.
3. Do not discuss concerns and fears with the parent(s) or indeed with anyone
who is not involved in the care of the child. If the child’s allegations prove to
be untrue, reporting them to someone who is not concerned with the care of
the child may be deemed defamatory.
4. Inform the designated teacher - this is essential.
5. Prepare a detailed report itemising:
a) the information revealed by the child
b) actions taken by the staff
• when the suspicions were reported
• to whom the suspicions were reported
• follow-up action taken within the school

The staff must keep a copy of the report and also pass a copy on to the designated
person and the head. If the allegations involve physical abuse, the report should
include a diagram showing the marks on the body.

What if Abuse is suspected?

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 BISHOP CHALLONER
CATHOLIC COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

POLICY : CHILD PROTECTION

• The designated person should always be informed.

• If the child is absent from school and the absence may be suspect, this should
also be reported - it may be that the child is kept at home to hide signs of abuse.
• Where injuries have been sustained, the staff should keep a careful note of when
and how the marks were noticed. If a child or parent makes a reference to the
marks the staff should record what has been said. Staff should ensure that
they do not ask to the student to show them any marks that are under
clothes – unless the staff is a first- aider and the student is seeking aid.
• If a student is examined, another member of staff should also be present.

The role of the member of Staff who reports allegations of abuse

Some staff feel disloyal and uncomfortable in reporting abuse; staff have a duty to
report findings to the social services. Any decision on action is taken by all support
services. Staff who attend case conferences (usually Year Leaders) report as
accurately as possible on the child’s health and welfare behaviour and educational
attainment.

Recording Information

• All records should be dated and signed.

• The designated person will be responsible for recording information about each
case and for collecting reports and notes from those involved in the case. The
designated person should not collect statements from the child but record or ask
the person who initially listened to the child to record what the child said.
• The records will document every aspect of the case as it develops including
grounds for initial concern arising from, where appropriate, descriptions of injuries
to the child or of worrying behaviour, a note of what the child said, composition of
the case team, minutes of meetings of the case team and decisions reached,
records of interviews, evidence offered to the case conferences, minutes and
outcomes of case conference.
• Access to records will be confined to members of the School Case Team and
appropriate agencies. All records should be kept in the school safe for security
reasons.

Abuse by Education Employees

• It is essential in that if ever there is a case of suspected abuse by a member of

staff, that action is taken quickly and professionally in the interest and welfare of
the child.
• In the rare event that any member of staff suspects any other member of staff of
being involved in professional abuse it is their responsibility to discuss these
concerns with the director and designated person except where the suspect is
either of these.
• Other than in a case where the suspected person is the Director, the Director
should be immediately informed. The Head should contact the Children’s Service

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 BISHOP CHALLONER
CATHOLIC COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

POLICY : CHILD PROTECTION

Advice Line immediately, in addition to following the normal procedures for Child
Protection.
• Where the Director is suspected, the designated person in conjunction with the
Deputy Head should contact the Children’s Service Advice Line.
• If the Director is the designated person and there is no other person formally
designated, the member of staff should discuss it with the Deputy Head who will
follow the same procedure.

If the above procedures do not meet the concerns of the members of staff then they
should contact the Children’s Service Advice Line directly.

Review Procedures

Each term the designated person should review all suspected cases and monitor
and evaluate how well the school managed the cases. The procedure for each
case is:-

• Were the guidelines from the LA followed?

• Was the case well managed by the school; could improvements be made?
• Were the records appropriate?
• Did the outside agencies respond appropriately?
• How was the family relationship dealt with?

POLICY NO. 9 4 of 4 REVIEWED NOV 07