1.0 INTRODUCTION
Befriend a Child acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practices that reflect statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and requirements of the Child Protection Committee in Aberdeen.
This policy applies to all staff and volunteers working with children on behalf of Befriend a Child.
2.0 SAFEGUARDING POLICY
2.1 Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to:
- Promote and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people who receive a service from Befriend a Child
- Provide staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding
- Ensure robust safeguarding arrangements and procedures are in operation
2.2 Legal Framework
This policy has been drawn up based on law and guidance that seeks to protect children, namely:
- Children Act 1989
- National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 – Supporting documents – National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 – updated 2023 – gov.scot
- United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991
- Data Protection Act 1998
- Sexual Offences Act 2003
- Children Act 2004
- Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
- Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011
- Children (Scotland) Act 1995
- The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
- Relevant government guidance on safeguarding children
We recognise that the welfare of the child is paramount, as enshrined in the Children Act 1989 and GIRFEC principles and values.
2.3 Policy Introduction
Befriend a Child believes that a child or young person should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects them.
Befriend a Child has a duty of care to implement effective policies and procedures for safeguarding the welfare of children and young people. To achieve this, we will ensure our staff and volunteers are carefully selected, screened, trained and supervised. Furthermore, we will endeavour to keep up to date with national developments and update any local policy initiatives and legislation relating to the care and protection of children and young people
The policy and procedures will be widely promoted and are mandatory for everyone involved in Befriend a Child. Failure to comply with the policy and procedures will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from the charity.
2.4 Policy
Recruitment of staff and volunteers
Befriend a Child will develop best practice in relation to the recruitment of all staff and volunteers to ensure the prevention of employment / appointment of unsuitable individuals into the charity. To this end Befriend a Child will ensure:
- All applicants complete an application form
- All successful applicants provide suitable references
- Successful applicants complete a self-declaration form including a) all staff b) volunteers who are working with children
- Successful applicants complete a PVG application and are PVG checked by Disclosure Scotland, including a) all staff and b) volunteers who are working with children
- All staff and volunteers appointed to a childcare position are checked against the Disqualified from Working with Children’s List
Training
Befriend a Child will ensure that a) all staff and b) volunteers who are working with children, are trained and aware of the following in relation to the safeguarding of children and young people.
- Different types of abuse and recognising signs of abuse
- Procedures and practice for responding and listening to disclosure of abuse
- Procedures for responding to concerns about abuse/neglect and how to report it
- Details of who within the charity staff and volunteers should report care and protection concerns
- Details of the protection of staff and volunteers who report care and protection concerns
- Information on the relevant legislation that the charity must adhere to, for example the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003
- Providing links to organisations who can provide information; VDS, CRBS, BNS
- Details of why organisations have a responsibility to refer child protection concerns to the statutory child protection agencies (i.e. Police and or Social Work)
- Details of the referral process to child protection agencies via the charity’s nominated Safeguarding Officer
- Details of the charity’s responsibility to refer staff and volunteers to Scottish Ministers when a worker has harmed a child or placed a child at risk of harm and been removed from their position within the charity
- Providing relevant training and support on specific areas such as Health and Safety, confidentiality, boundaries and the charity’s disciplinary procedures
Support and Supervision
To ensure staff and volunteers are fully supported and supervised in relation to safeguarding Befriend a Child will:
- Provide staff and volunteers with a designated supervisor who will provide regular feedback and support for their role
- Ensure staff and volunteers have regular opportunities for safeguarding issues to be discussed
Sharing our safeguarding policy and procedures
Befriend a Child will ensure:
- All staff, and all volunteers who work directly with children, receive training, information and a copy of the relevant Befriend a Child policies in relation to safeguarding
- Children and young people can express their ideas and views on a wide range of issues and will have access to the charity’s policies and procedures
- Parents / carers are encouraged to be involved in the work of the charity and, when requested, have access to our policies and procedures
2.5 Policy Review
The policy will be reviewed on an annual basis, or in the following circumstances.
- Changes in legislation and/or government guidance
- As required by the Child Protection Committee in Aberdeen
- Because of any other significant change or event
3.0 SAFEGUARDING PROCEDURES
3.1 Concerns about Abuse
Befriend a Child will ensure that all staff, and all volunteers working directly with children, understand their obligations to report care, or protection, concerns about a child/young person to the charity’s designated Safeguarding Officer. The charity’s Safeguarding Officer will ensure that appropriate action is taken in the event of incidents/concerns of abuse and that support is provided to the individual/s who raise or disclose the concern
Befriend a Child will ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are maintained and securely stored.
If a child informs a member of staff or volunteer that they have been subjected to abuse, including physical, sexual, sexual exploitation or emotional, we advise the following:
- Listen to the child and show that you take the child or young person seriously. Listen to what they are saying and reassure them, by telling them that they are safe and that you will have to pass on this information to people who will be able to support them
- Do not promise to keep the situation secret as information relating to the child or young person in child protection cases must be referred to the Child Protection team. However, the information provided by the child or young person should only be shared with those who need to know
- Do not ask the child or young person direct questions to obtain more information or investigate, ask minimum open-ended questions to see if there is concern.
Contact the dedicated Safeguarding Officer at Befriend a Child
- Contact the dedicated Safeguarding Officer who is Head of Operations at Befriend a Child, if they are not available you should contact the Depute Safeguarding Officer who is the CEO at Befriend a Child
- Contact should be made as soon as possible if the concerns about the child or young person indicate immediate risk
- The Safeguarding Officer will assess each concern and will contact the JCPU in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire as and when necessary
- Befriend a Child will keep in touch to let you know what is happening and will be there to support you throughout the process
Record the concerns
- As well as telephone contact, it is best practice to put your concerns in writing, using a copy of the form – Safeguarding Procedures.
- Record what the child or young person has said or if you have a concern by detailing the following information:
- The child or young person’s name, address and date of birth
- Date and time of information received / concern identified
- The child or young person’s account of what has happened or in the case where it is you that suspects abuse, detail your concerns and sign and date the record
3.2 Types and Signs of Abuse
Physical Abuse
Physical Abuse can include
- A child’s basis needs, such as food, clothing or shelter are not met or they are not properly supervised or kept safe
- Parents not ensuring their child receives an education
- Children do not get the nurture or stimulation they need. This could be through ignoring, humiliating, intimidating and / or isolating them.
- Children are not given proper health care. This can include dental care and refusing or ignoring medical recommendations
- May also be caused through fabricated or induced illness by a carer (FII) (used to be known as “Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy”).
Signs of physical abuse can include:
- Bruising especially in unusual places
- Broken bones
- Bite marks
- Burns
- Cuts
Sexual Abuse
Children and young people can be forced, tricked or manipulated into sexual activities. They might not understand that what’s happening is abuse or that it’s wrong for the abuser to do this to them. They might be afraid to tell someone or behave as though this is normal for them to experience, both are valid for the child to be displaying. Sexual abuse can happen anywhere – and it can happen in person or online.
Signs of sexual abuse can include:
- Children staying away from certain people
- Stop washing themselves
- Sexualised behaviours
- Worries expressed through play
- Regression in development
- Taking risks
- Obsessive behaviours
- Self-harm
- Missing school
Sexual Exploitation
Sexual exploitation of children and young people under 18 involves exploitative situations and relationships where young people receive ‘something’ (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money) because of performing and/or others performing on them, sexual activities. This could involve forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening and whether they consent or not. Both boys and girls are vulnerable.
Sexual exploitation may include non-contact activities including the following:
- Manipulating the child to send indecent images of themselves
- Use of sexual language towards a child
- Encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate way
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is any type of abuse that involves the continual emotional mistreatment of a child. It’s sometimes called psychological abuse. Emotional abuse can involve deliberately trying to scare, humiliate, isolate or ignore a child.
Emotional abuse is often a part of other kinds of abuse which means it can be difficult to spot the signs or tell the difference, though it can also happen on its own.
Signs can include
- Struggling to control their emotions
- Lack social skills
- Being scared or distressed
- Independent for their age
- Have delayed development
- Unconfident, wary and anxious
- Being clingy
- Being withdrawn or distressed
- Being aggressive
3.3 Contact details
Safeguarding Officer Susanne McMenemy, Head of Operations
Depute Safeguarding Officer Sarah Misra, CEO
Befriend a Child office telephone number: 01224 210060, office hours: 9.00am – 4.30pm
Out of office hours contact via Befriend a Child on call phone, Tel: 07555317743
Aberdeen Social Work out of hours, Tel: 0800 731 5520
Aberdeenshire Social Work out of hours, Tel: 0345 608 1206