Safeguarding children policy & procedure

Underlying aims and principles

TDAS work in line with the Child in Need and Safeguarding policies set out by Trafford Safeguarding Board, Salford Safeguarding children board and the Greater Manchester Partnership.

The purpose of the procedure, within TDAS, is to ensure that all concerns about the care and protection of children and young people are effectively managed.

There is a Duty of Care placed on all those who work for TDAS and who work with Children and Young people to do what is reasonable to safeguard the child/young person’s health, development and welfare.

Child protection is a multi-agency responsibility and TDAS will work with all relevant agencies in order to safeguard children and young people.

Recruitment and training

TDAS will follow clear guidelines on the recruitment, selection and training of staff that apply and/or are successfully appointed to work for us. All management and staff will attend minimum, Level 2 Safeguarding Children training and all trustees will attend minimum, Level 1 Safeguarding Children training.

The designated lead, managers and CEO will attend minimum Level 3 safeguarding, including safer recruitment training. All TDAS employees will undertake TDAS’s Safeguarding inhouse training as part of their induction. All training will be refreshed yearly. Refer to Recruitment and Training policy.

Definitions of the different types of abuse

Children and young people may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child/young person. This also includes Female Genital Mutilation and the procedures outlined below should be followed, in line with the FGM Fact sheet.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child/young person, such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on their emotional development. It may involve conveying to children/young people that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or “making fun” of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children/young people. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as over protection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children/young people frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child/young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child/young person 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 also 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 or grooming a child/young person in preparation for abuse (including via the internet).

Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse as can other children/young people

Neglect

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child/young person’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 and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment)
• Protect a child/young person from physical and emotional harm or danger
• Ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers)
• Ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment

It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child/young person’s basic emotional needs

Online Abuse

Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet. It can happen across any device that’s connected to the web, like computers, tablets and mobile phones. And it can happen anywhere online, including:

• social media
• text messages and messaging apps
• emails
• online chats
• online gaming
• live-streaming sites.

Children can be at risk of online abuse from people they know or from strangers. It might be part of other abuse which is taking place offline, like bullying or grooming. Or the abuse might only happen online.

Procedure for responding to concerns about abuse/neglect

TDAS will follow good practices as outlined below:

• Have a designated Child Protection Lead and Deputy who staff will report any concerns to.
• Discuss any concerns or incidents about a child with their parent/carer to gain their agreement before making a referral to Trafford Children’s first Response Team (Social Services); however, this should only be done if discussion or seeking agreement will not place the child at increased risk of significant harm or place the referrer at risk or the concern is suspected sexual abuse or fabricated illness.
• When discussing any concern with the parent, staff must inform them that any information regarding a concern will be recorded in her file, discussed with the CP officer and/or line manager and ultimately a decision may then be made to refer the concern to Trafford Children’s first response team. The staff member needs to inform the parent if a referral is made.
• Reviews of safeguarding in supervision and case management
• Allocate time in each staff meeting to discuss any child protection and/or safeguarding concerns or incidents so all staff are updated.
• The Director of Operations and Service Managers will hold a Safeguarding Panel meeting monthly.
• A quarterly meeting is conducted by the Safeguarding Subcommittee, which includes the participation of the safeguarding lead from the board of trustees. During the meeting, the Director of Operations will provide a report on any recurring themes. The subcommittee will review the safeguarding log in advance and identify any incidents they would like to discuss.
• The DSL or Safeguarding trustee will report to the board meeting every quarter on significant issues identified at the subcommittee.
• Serious incidents will be reported to the appropriate borough – Trafford Council, Salford Council, and the Charity Commission.

 

Procedural guidance on reporting & recording child protection concerns

 

NB: ALL INCIDENTS ARE RECORDED AT THE CP PANEL MEETING AND A REPORT PRODUCED AND GIVEN TO THE TRUSTEES. IF A CHILD DISCLOSES ABUSE TO A WORKER OR VOLUNTEER

As outlined in TSCB Safeguarding Children Training:

DO:

• Stay Calm
• Listen carefully
• Make accurate notes using the child’s words
• Speak to the Team Leader
• Inform the designated/lead person/manager for child protection
• Tell the child that they have done the right thing by telling you

DON’T:

• Ask leading questions
• Use your own words to describe events
• Investigate
• Promise confidentiality

Recording

Any CP concern or incident should be recorded on the Safeguarding tab on under the individuals profile on  Oasis, with an alert raised to the team Leader. The actions and outcome will be reviewed and then sent to the service manager for final sign off.

“CP” needs to be flagged on the Client Profile on Oasis to notify key workers accessing the file.

The entry needs to be clear, concise, non-speculative, non-judgemental and factual. The recording should be dated and written continuously from line to line with no spaces or gaps (this is to prevent any addition after the event). If any alteration is made it should be initialled to confirm you have changed the entry.

Any staff discussions, telephone calls received or made regarding Child Protection concerns or incidents must be recorded on Oasis Case Management system and all entries in relation to the concerns need to be signed by the worker and her line manager.

LADO Referral

All allegations (that meet the criteria set out below) against adults who work in regulated activity with children, in statutory, independent or voluntary organisations must be referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) in the borough where that person works.

A referral to the LADO must be made within 1 working day if there is information about an adult who works (either paid or voluntary) with children and young people under the ages of 18 indicating they have:

• behaved in a way that has harmed a child or may have harmed a child;
• possibly committed an offence against or related to a child;
• behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children; or
• behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.

If there is an allegation with regard to someone who cares for children outside of their main workplace then this potentially has implications for their professional role and must also be referred to the LADO.

In all cases of alleged child abuse involving a professional, where a worker or volunteer (whether part of the TDAS team or otherwise), who is potentially involved in regulated activity, is known or believed to be involved, a referral must be made to the Local Authority Designated Officer

If it is alleged that a worker or volunteer has abused a child TDAS will:

• Ensure that any such allegation is reported immediately to the Chief Executive, Director of operations and/or the Management Committee, who will decide what action is necessary.
• Keep a record of the allegations of child abuse made against any worker or volunteer.
• Fully investigate any allegation of inappropriate behaviour by a worker or volunteer.

It may be necessary to suspend the worker or volunteer while the investigation is carried out.

Safeguarding Leads for TDAS

The In the first instance please contact your line manager, if they are unavailable, please contact the DSL or deputy listed below:

Kirsty McAllister – Director of Operations and DSL

07534620465 | kirsty.mcallister@tdas.org.uk

Deputy DSL’s

Amy Moss – Accommodation Service Manager

07340698418 | Amy.Moss@tdas.org.uk

Justine Edwards –Salford IDVA and CYP Service Manager

07542583890 | Justine.edwards@safeinsalford.org.uk

Ceinwen Bright – Trafford Community Adults and CYP Service Manager

07908463718 | Ceinwen.bright@tdas.org.uk

Summary of the referral process

Making a referral to social services Trafford (First Response)

Advice

Telephone: 0161 912 5125 | 0161 912 2020 (out of hours)

Email: firstresponse@trafford.gov.uk

Referral

You must decide on the child/family’s Level of Need and use the online referral process. Levels of Need are used to determine the kind of support a child or family requires.

However, if it is your professional judgement that Trafford Children’s First Response requires this information immediately you must call 0161 912 5125. After your discussion you will be advised to return to this page to complete the online form.

Local Authority Designated Officer: Lado@trafford.gov.uk

Referral Form: https://trafford-framework.egovhub.net/ALLEGATIONOFPROFESSIONALABUSE/launch

Making a referral to social services Salford

Advice

Telephone: 0161 603 4500 | 0161 794 8888 (out of hours)

All reports or enquiries concerning the welfare or safety of a child must go straight to the Bridge Partnership, on the number above or complete the online referral form on the worried about a child page.

If you have concerns about an adult working with children or young people, please report your concern using the Salford LADO referral form. https://safeguardingchildren.salford.gov.uk/media/1297/salford-lado-referral-form-may-2020.docx

If you wish to have an informal conversation with the Salford LADO before making a referral, please call 0161 603 4350.

Completed referrals forms should be emailed to LADO@salford.gov.uk

Protection of staff who report care and protection concerns

TDAS gives all staff the assurance that where they have been involved in the reporting of child protection issues, the law protects them from actions by those individuals who have been implicated in the abuse, harm  and/or neglect of a child/young person, as long as the staff member’s report was not malicious or vexatious.

 

Data protection and management of confidential information

TDAS, in accordance with its Data Protection Policy, has a commitment to manage confidential information effectively and efficiently. The rights of children and young people to confidentiality will be maintained, unless the Organisation considers they could be at risk of abuse and /or harm

Signed by

Print name: Samantha Fisher

Position: CEO

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Revised: April 2024

Review Date: April 2026