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Child Protection Policy

This policy outlines the board’s commitment to child protection and recognises the important role and responsibility of all our staff in the protection of children. It includes the board’s expectations when child abuse is reported or suspected. All staff members are expected to be familiar with this policy, its associated procedures and protocols, and to abide by them. Advice will be sought through appropriate agencies in all cases of suspected or alleged abuse.

In line with section 15 of the Children, Young Person and Their Families Act, any person in our school who believes that any child or young person has been, or is likely to be, harmed (whether physically, emotionally, or sexually) ill-treated, abused, neglected, or deprived must follow school procedures and may also report the matter to a social worker or the local police.

Rationale:
All children should be treated with respect and dignity, and have the right to have their needs met in a safe environment. Teachers and other members of the school staff are often the first adults to become aware of instances of child abuse.

Purpose:

To ensure the safety of every child, including those not enrolled in the school (i.e. siblings)
To have established, clear, step-by-step procedures to follow, up to and including reporting to Child,Youth and Family (CYF).
To provide training and guidelines for teachers so they can identify signs of abuse, or neglect and know the procedures for dealing with cases of abuse or neglect.

Guidelines:
Although ultimate accountability sits with the board, the board delegates responsibility to the principal to ensure that all child safety procedures are implemented and available to all staff, contractors, volunteers and parents.

Therefore, the principal must:

Develop appropriate procedures to meet child safety requirements as required
Comply with relevant legislative requirements and responsibilities
Make this policy available on the school’s internet site or available on request
Ensure that every contract, or funding arrangement, that the school enters into requires the adoption of child protection policies if:
- iThe person is a provider of children’s services.
- iiThe contract or arrangement (or at least part of it)is for the provision of children’s services.
Ensure the interests and protection of the child are paramount in all circumstances
Recognise the rights of family/whanau to participate in the decision-making about their children
Ensure that all staff are able to identify the signs and symptoms of potential abuse and neglect, deal with disclosures by children and allegations against staff members and are able to take appropriate action in response
Support all staff to work in accordance with this policy, and to work with partner agencies and organisations to ensure child protection policies are understood and implemented
Promote a culture where staff feel confident they can constructively challenge poor practice or raise issues of concern without fear of reprisal
Consult, discuss and share relevant information, in line with our commitment to confidentiality and information sharing protocols, in a timely way regarding any concerns about an individual child with the board or designated person
Seek advice as necessary from NZSTA advisors on employment matters and other relevant agencies where child safety issues arise
Make available professional development, resources and/or advice to ensure all staff can carry out their roles in terms of this policy
Ensure that this policy and its related procedures form part of the initial staff induction programme for each staff member

Complaints Procedure against Staff or Principal involving Child Abuse:
All such matters shall be dealt with according to the Concerns, Complaints and Discipline Policy (NAG 3).

Conclusion:

Parents and staff will be aware of the procedures the school will take to protect children from any kind of abuse.

Staff will have clear guidelines to follow for any cases of suspected abuse.

A digital copy of this policy and its associated procedures can be found on our website at https://kiwitahi.ultranet.school.nz/WebSpace/46/

The policy is due to be updated on 1 June, 2019. It is consistent with Child, Youth and Family and Police guidelines and will be updated when new guidance is issued.

Child Protection Procedures:

Staff will be receptive and sensitive to children, so that the children feel listened to and believed.

Information volunteered by a child should be fully and accurately recorded.

Records shall include dates and times allegations or indications of abuse were made and the reporter/observer, observations of the child’s behaviour or appearance, action taken by staff and details of referrals made to outside agencies.

Staff will receive training to assist them in recognising the signs of abuse and can also refer to the attached Appendices.
Any referrals to outside agencies will be the ultimate responsibility of the principal.
CYFS will be asked for advice about how to proceed without identifying the child. The school will act on this advice when identifying the child to the agency best able to deal with the matter.
In the case of a report from a third party to the school, the school will advise the third party to contact CYFS or the police. The school will not become involved unless there are exceptional circumstances, but may become involved at a later date. The school will protect the confidentiality of informants who contact the school in good faith.
Decisions about informing parents/caregivers will be made after consultation with CYFS or the police.
Keeping Ourselves Safe and self esteem programmes will be taught as part of the Health Curriculum to increase children's assertiveness skills in dealing with uncomfortable situations and to help raise teachers' and students' awareness of the issues.
At all stages, confidentiality and objectivity will be maintained (including dealing with the media).
Information should be passed on to people who can support the student and the staff member.
For the protection of the staff and students, any 1 to 1 contact shall take place in an ‘open’ area e.g. office door shall remain open if a child is present.
Visitors should be monitored at all times by staff, and volunteers and outside instructors should be monitored by staff. If activities require one to one physical contact (i.e., classes in swimming, gymnastics etc) parents and caregivers should be advised.
Staff should avoid being alone when transporting a child, unless an emergency requires it.
Except in an emergency, children are not to be taken from the school’spremiseswithout written parental consent.

Our approach to identifying abuse or neglect is guided by the following principles:

●We understand that every situation is different and it’s important to consider all available information about the child and their environment before reaching conclusions. For example, behavioural concerns may be the result of life events, such as divorce, accidental injury, the arrival of a new sibling etc.
●We understand when we are concerned a child is showing signs of potential abuse or neglect we should talk to someone, either a colleague or the principal – we shouldn’t act alone.
●While there are different definitions of abuse, the important thing is for us to consider overall wellbeing and the risk of harm to the child. It is not so important to be able to categorise the type of abuse or neglect.
●It is normal for us to feel uncertain, however, the important thing is that we should be able to recognise when something is wrong, especially if we notice a pattern forming or several signs that make us concerned.
●Exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is a form of child abuse. There is a high rate of co occurrence between IPV and the physical abuse of children.

Refer to Appendix B for Warning Signs of Abuse

Appendix A:

Definitions of Child Abuse

The Children, Young Persons and Their Families Amendment Act 1994, section 2(1), defines child abuse as “the harming (whether physically, emotionally, or sexually), ill-treatment, abuse, neglect, or deprivation of any child or young person”.

Types of child abuse:

Emotional Abuse

This may involve expressing to a child that they are worthless, unloved, and inadequate, or where inappropriate expectations are imposed upon them. It also includes children who are regularly frightened, exploited or corrupted.

Physical abuse

This is non-accidental injury by another person and also includes abusive administration of drugs or alcohol to a child. Using force for the purpose of disciplining a child is a criminal offence.

Family Violence

Children are affected either emotionally or physically where there is family violence even if they are not personally injured of physically present.

Neglect

Neglect consists of the on-going failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, such as failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, or neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

Sexual abuse

This 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 and/or non-physical contact (e.g. sexual grooming which refers to actions deliberately undertaken with the aim of befriending and establishing an emotional connection with a child, in order to lower the child's inhibitions in preparation for child sexual abuse). Sexual abuse may also include involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Online Grooming

Online grooming of children occurs on the Internet. Some abusers will pose as children online and make arrangements to meet with them in person

Appendix B:

Identifying Child Abuse and/or Neglect

The earlier child abuse is caught, the better the chance of recovery and appropriate treatment for the child. Child abuse is not always obvious. By learning some of the common warning signs of child abuse and neglect, you can catch the problem as early as possible and get both the child and the abuser the help that they need.

Of course, just because you see a warning sign doesn’t automatically mean a child is being abused. It’s important to dig deeper, looking for a pattern of abusive behaviour and warning signs, if you notice something off.

Warning signs of emotional abuse in children

●Excessively withdrawn, fearful, or anxious about doing something wrong.
●Shows extremes in behaviour (extremely compliant or extremely demanding; extremely passive or extremely aggressive).
●Doesn’t seem to be attached to the parent or caregiver.
●Acts either inappropriately adult (taking care of other children) or inappropriately infantile (rocking, thumb-sucking, throwing tantrums).

Warning signs of physical abuse in children

●Frequent injuries or unexplained bruises, welts, or cuts.
●Is always watchful and “on alert,” as if waiting for something bad to happen.
●Injuries appear to have a pattern such as marks from a hand or belt.
●Shies away from touch, flinches at sudden movements, or seems afraid to go home.
●Wears inappropriate clothing to cover up injuries, such as long-sleeved shirts on hot days.

Warning signs of neglect in children

●Clothes are ill-fitting, filthy, or inappropriate for the weather.
●Hygiene is consistently bad (unbathed, matted and unwashed hair, noticeable body odour).
●Untreated illnesses and physical injuries.
●Is frequently unsupervised or left alone or allowed to play in unsafe situations and environments.
●Is frequently late or missing from school.

Warning signs of sexual abuse in children

● Trouble walking or sitting.
●Displays knowledge or interest in sexual acts inappropriate to his or her age, or even seductive behaviour.
●Makes strong efforts to avoid a specific person, without an obvious reason.
●Doesn’t want to change clothes in front of others or participate in physical activities.
●An STD or pregnancy, especially under the age of 14.
●Runs away from home.

Other Warning Sings

●Developmental delays (e.g., small for their age, cognitive delays, falling behind in school, poor speech and social skills).
●Sleep problems, low self-esteem, obsessive behaviour, inability to cope in social situations, sadness/loneliness and evidence of self-harm)
●Eating disorders/substance abuse, disengagement/neediness, aggression

Appendix C:Responding to Child Abuse Disclosure