BISHOPBRIGGS VILLAGE NURSERY SCOTTISH CHARITY NO. SC006583 CHILD PROTECTION POLICY At Bishopbriggs Village Nursery we follow East Dunbartonshire Council's Child Protection guidelines and intend to create an environment in which children both attending and visiting the Nursery are safe from abuse and in which any suspicion of abuse is promptly and appropriately responded to. In order to achieve this we will: Exclude Known Abusers Background The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 ensures that those who either have regular contact with vulnerable groups through the workplace, or who are otherwise in regulated work, do not have a history of inappropriate behaviour. It excludes people who are known to be unsuitable, on the basis of past behaviour, from working with children and/or protected adults and detects those who become unsuitable while in the workplace. Disclosure Scotland keeps a list of individuals who are considered to be unsuitable to work with children, the PVG Children's List. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act provides the current framework on the use of prior convictions. In general terms, it provides for convictions to become spent after a specified period related to the length of sentence. For instance, a conviction becoming spent is that it does not require to be declared, for example, for the purpose of a job application. However, there are some areas of activity which are exempt from these provisions, in particular those involving substantial access to children. The exceptions are set out in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 as amended. For those applying to work in these areas, which include staff in pre-school groups, all convictions, no matter how old, require to be declared. The PVG Scheme is managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland as an executive agency for the Scottish Government. The Protection Unit within Disclosure Scotland receives and considers referrals and takes decisions, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, about those people who may be unsuitable to work with children. The Protection Unit gathers and assesses all relevant information to make listing decisions. It will be made clear to applicants for posts involving regulated work with children (as defined by The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007) within the nursery that the position is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and is subject to PVG Scheme checks. Reference will be made as part of this process to the PVG Children's List. It is an offence for someone placed on the Children's List to do regulated work, or attempt to do regulated work, with children. Before applying for PVG Scheme checks from the CRBS or Disclosure Scotland the Nursery will have the following policies in place in addition to this Child Protection Policy:
Policy on the Recruitment of Ex Offenders Policy on the Secure Handling, Use, Storage & Retention of PVG Scheme Information Ensure Recruitment and Selection Procedures are Robust All applicants for work within the Nursery, whether voluntary or paid, will be interviewed before an appointment is made and will be asked to complete a Self- Declaration Form and provide at least two written references which should be both personal and work related. When an applicant has been absent from employment for a considerable time, a reference should be requested from a professional person. All such references will be checked by speaking to the referees. Checks will also be implemented with the applicant s previous employer. In the case of applicants with unexplained gaps in their employment history or who have moved rapidly from one job to another, explanations will be sought. All appointments, both paid and voluntary, will be subject to a probationary period of three months and will not be confirmed unless the Nursery is confident that the applicant can be safely entrusted with children. During the probationary period the prospective early years worker will go through an induction programme to enable them to fully comprehend their new position. Staff will not be appointed until their PVG Scheme record has been received from the CRBS or Disclosure Scotland. The PVG Act places a duty on organisations to make a referral if the following criteria are met: a. an individual doing regulated work has done something to harm a child and b. the impact is so serious that the organisation has (or would) permanently remove the individual from regulated work. It will be an offence to employ barred individuals in regulated work. The only way to establish if an individual is not barred is to confirm that they are a PVG Scheme member. Seek and Supply Training We will ensure that all staff and volunteers have knowledge of and access to East Dunbartonshire Council s Child Protection Guidelines. We will seek out training opportunities for all early years workers involved in the Nursery to ensure that they recognise the symptoms of possible physical abuse, neglect, emotional abuse and sexual abuse and are aware of child protection procedures. The administrator will keep documentary evidence of courses attended and their comprehension by staff and volunteers. Prevent Abuse by Means of Good Practice
We will be registered with the Care Commission/ Social Care & Social Work Improvement Scotland and all our staff in regulated work with children will have been subject to PVG Scheme checks. On inspections the management committee will be asked to demonstrate that all staff and regular volunteers in regulated work with children have documented evidence that they have been subject to PVG Scheme checks. Adults who have not been vetted through Disclosure Scotland and through careful selection procedure will not take children, other than their own, unaccompanied to the toilet, or be left in sole charge of children. All staff will be provided with a copy of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Code of Practice and will be expected to adhere to the standards as defined in the Code. All staff will need to be registered with the SSSC from 2006 onwards and the registration will involve an PVG Scheme check. The SSSC disclosure will be renewed every three years. Staff will be made aware of the requirement to notify their employer about any occurrence which may affect their PVG Scheme record. The management committee is aware of its obligation to refer to Disclosure Scotland, any individual in regulated work with children who harms a child or puts a child at risk of harm AND is dismissed or moved away from access to children as a consequence. In addition, the management committee is aware that it must also refer to Disclosure Scotland any person in regulated work with children who harms a child or puts a child at risk of harm AND would have been dismissed if they had not resigned, retired, been made redundant or left at the end of a temporary contract. Children will be supervised at all times by a responsible adult, including when taking part in the Nursery s external activities, e.g. walks, visits and other outings. A risk assessment will be undertaken and appropriate ratios will be agreed and adhered to. Nursery staff will not be left alone for long periods with individual children or with small groups. A worker who needs to take a child aside for any reason will alert another member of staff and they will monitor the length of absence. Adult: child ratios as outlined in National Care Standards will be adhered to at all times. Children will not be left alone with visitors to the Nursery. Any visitors will be asked to provide proof of identity and sign in and out of the visitor's book. Staff will supervise children when visiting specialists are on the premises. Regular visitors may require a PVG Scheme check if their work falls within the regulated category. Children will only be collected from the Nursery by adults who are authorised by parents or carers to do so. This should be provided in writing, wherever possible. If in the opinion of the staff on duty the parent/carer is incapable of looking after the child safely through being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, delaying tactics should be employed to get the child s emergency contact person or other family member to look after the child in the meantime. Nursery staff turning up for duty under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be instructed to go home. They may also face disciplinary action and be dismissed for gross misconduct. If a member of staff faces disciplinary action it will be reported to Social Care and
Social Work Improvement Scotland. There are NO CIRCUMSTANCES in which children will be punished by smacking, slapping or shaking. Neither will humiliating or frightening methods of punishments be used for example, ridicule or exclusion. Parents will be requested not to smack their own children too. Children will be respected, listened to and encouraged to develop a sense of autonomy and independence through adult support in making choices and in finding names for their own feelings, and acceptable ways to express them. This will enable children to have the self-confidence and the vocabulary to resist inappropriate approaches. Children will be encouraged to be confident in dealing with personal hygiene needs. Accidents will be dealt with in a sensitive manner. The layout of the playroom(s) will permit constant supervision of all children. Risk assessments of the Nursery s child protection procedures will be undertaken and reviewed annually. In addition to staff and volunteer training, it will be the Nursery s responsibility to encourage participation in general discussion in child protection matters and to keep abreast of current legislation. Respond Appropriately to Suspicions of Abuse Changes in children s behaviour or appearance will be monitored, recorded and acted upon by the Nursery s Child Protection Co-ordinator or, in her absence, by the Deputy Child Protection Co-ordinator. Suspicions will be referred immediately to the Social Work Department or Police to discuss the circumstances and agree the immediate action to be taken. Nursery staff are then required to cooperate with any subsequent enquiries or support plans. All such suspicions will be kept confidential, shared only with those who need to know. Suspicions will also be reported to the nursery s chairperson providing their child is not directly involved and the nursery s contact person within East Dunbartonshire Council s Early Years & Childcare Services. Any member of staff may contact the Social Work Department directly if they have a concern about a child which they believe is not being progressed. Bishopbriggs Village Nursery- Child Protection Co-ordinator FIONA DRAKE Deputy Child Protection Co-ordinator LYNN BARR Committee Chairperson CHRISTINE McMILLAN. Early Years Service contact name: GORDON CURRIE Tel: 578 8744 Social Work Department : ADVICE & RESPONSE TEAM WOODHALL
Tel : 775 1311 772 6384 Police: FAMILY PROTECTION UNIT-SARACEN POLICE STATION Tel : 532 3967 BISHOPBRIGGS Tel: 207 5800 National Child Protection Line 24 hour service Tel: 0800 022 3222 Where there are suspicions of a child being abused while in the Nursery s care (e.g. by a staff member or parent/carer) Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland will be notified SCSWIS contact name: KAREN BRADLEY Tel : 843 4230 Keep Records Whenever worrying changes are observed in a child s behaviour, physical condition or appearance, a confidential child protection record will be set up, quite separate from the ongoing records of children s progress and development. The record will include; the name, address and age of the child timed and dated observations describing objectively the child s behaviour and appearance, without comment or interpretation: where possible, the exact words spoken by the child the dated name and signature of the recorder. Such records will be kept in a separate locked file and will not be accessible to people in the Nursery other than to specified personnel as appropriate. The Nursery will specify clearly in writing the person/s identified as having access to information and to the secure files. These names will be reviewed, annually at least, and any changes recorded appropriately. Liaise with Other Bodies The Nursery operates in accordance with Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland and local authority guidelines. Confidential records, kept on children about whom the Nursery is anxious, will be shared with the Social Work Department if the Nursery feels that adequate explanations in the child s condition have not been provided. If a report on a child is to be made to the authorities, the child s parents will be informed at the same time as the report is made, unless there are suspicions that the parents are implicated. Once reported, the Nursery will maintain ongoing contact with the local authority,
including names, addresses and telephone numbers of individual social workers, to ensure that it would be easy, in any emergency, for the Nursery and the Social Work Department to work well together. The Nursery will ensure they are up to date with reporting procedures. Contact details will also be kept of the Local Child Protection Officer, Social Work Department and other agencies and individuals as appropriate. Support Families The Nursery will take every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relationships between families and staff and volunteers in the nursery. Where abuse at home is suspected, the Nursery will continue to welcome the child and family while investigations proceed. With the proviso that the care and safety of the child must always be paramount, the Nursery will do all in its power to support and work with the child s family. This policy will be displayed on the Nursery s notice board There will be access to copies of East Dunbartonshire Council s Child Protection Guidelines. All Nursery staff and committee members will have a working knowledge of these guidelines and this policy. In collecting, holding and processing personal data the Nursery complies with current Data Protection rules and guidelines. Definitions of Abuse Abuse may take a number of forms including: (a) NEGLECT: actual or likely, persistent or severe neglect of a child, or the failure to protect a child from exposure to any kind of danger, including cold or starvation, or extreme failure to carry out important aspects of care, resulting in the significant impairment of the child s health or development, including non organic failure to thrive. (b) PHYSICAL ABUSE: actual or likely perpetrated physical injury to a child, or failure to prevent physical injury (or suffering) to a child. (c) SEXUAL ABUSE: actual or likely sexual exploitation of a child or adolescent (d) EMOTIONAL ABUSE: actual or likely, persistent or severe ill treatment or rejection resulting in severe adverse effects on the emotional and behavioural development of a child. All abuse involves some emotional ill treatment. This category should be used where it is the main, or sole, form of abuse. Likely, in the context of these definitions, means either potential or suspected. These categories of abuse are not necessarily exhaustive nor are they mutually exclusive. Any of
them may result in a failure of the child to thrive. This policy will be displayed on the Nursery's notice board. All Nursery staff and management committee members will have a working knowledge of this policy and will review it annually. This policy was reviewed at a meeting of Bishopbriggs Village Nursery On. Signed ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Designation ----------------------------------------------------------------- This policy will be reviewed annually and re-adopted by new management committees. Person/s specified within the group having access to confidential information and secure files: Child Protection Co-ordinator: FIONA DRAKE Deputy Child Protection Co-ordinator: LYNN BARR Committee Chairperson: CHRISTINE McMILLAN ANNUAL REVIEW RECORD