Child Protection Policy

The following named responsible person has been nominated by this school to refer allegations or suspicions of neglect or abuse to the statutory authorities.

The named responsible person is: Mrs Leila Eslami Mobayen safeguarding officer

In the absence of the named responsible person, the matter should be brought to the attention of the second named responsible person.

The second named responsible person is: Miss Ghoncheh Dolatshahi Safeguarding deputy

The social services number for the area is: 020 8489 4470

The emergency number is: 020 8489 0000

Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board
River Park House
London N22 8HQ

Tel 020 8489 1470/3145

Objective

To contribute to the personal safety of all children/young people attending by promoting child protection awareness, good practice and sound procedures.

Policy statement

We at MTO Persian School believe that children/young people have the right to be treated equally and to learn in a safe and friendly environment.

This policy is based on the following principles:

the welfare of the child/young person is paramount
all children/young people, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity, have the right to protection from abuse
all suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately
staff/volunteers are trained to understand the nature of abuse and to be alert to matters of concern
all staff/volunteers working in this supplementary school have a responsibility to report concerns to the designated person with responsibility for child protection at the school, and/or to the school’s co-ordinator.

We aim to safeguard children/young people by:

adopting child protection guidelines through procedures and a code of conduct for staff/volunteers
sharing information about child protection and good practice with children/young people, parents and carers and staff/volunteers
sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know, and involving parents and children/young people appropriately
following carefully the procedures for recruitment and selection of staff/volunteers
providing effective management for staff/volunteers through support, supervision and training
Reviewing our policy and good practice regularly.

Our child protection policy cannot be separated from the general ethos of the school, which should ensure that pupils are treated with respect and dignity, taught to treat each other with respect, feel safe, have a voice, and are listened to.

The role of the Designated Safeguarding officer:

ensuring that this policy is implemented throughout the school
ensuring that all necessary enquiries, procedures and investigations relating to child protection are carried out
reporting results of screening enquiries and preserving ‘need to know’ levels of confidentiality and access to secure records
ensuring that all confidential records relating to child protection matters are kept secure
liaising with social services at a formal and informal level on child protection matters, also with the police
reporting allegations and suspicion of abuse to the appropriate authorities
ensuring that there is adequate induction and training relating to child protection matters
ensuring that each activity carried out by the school is sound in terms of child protection as regards personnel, practices and premises
checking all incident reports made by staff/volunteers, countersigning them and making such reference to the appropriate authority as is appropriate.

Good practice

Before any activity starts, the designated Safeguarding officer shall ensure that adequate child protection procedures are in place, as follows.

Each parent must fill out a consent form for each child/young person attending the school.
A register must be kept of all children/young people attending the school’s activities, including information about arrival and departure times.
A daily diary or signing-in book must be kept for all adults on the premises (staff members, volunteers, parents and visitors).
Team members will record any unusual events on the accident/incident form or in the daily diary, unless this includes anything confidential.
Where possible, staff/volunteers should not be alone with a child/young person, although it is recognised that there may be times when this may be necessary or helpful.
The school recognises that physical touch between adults and children/young people can be healthy and acceptable in public places. However, staff/volunteers will be discouraged from this in circumstances where adult and child/young people are alone together.
All team members should treat all children/young people with dignity and respect in their attitude, language and actions.

Safe recruitment

All staff/volunteers will be appointed by at least two members of the management committee.

Most staff and all volunteers will work in teams or in open environments where they are not alone with children. Where necessary, staff members (but not volunteers) may work alone with children/young people, providing that they have completed a satisfactory probationary period.

All staff/volunteers will:

be given a clear job description or role description, setting out expectations for their work and conduct
show that they meet the person specification for the post or role
fill in a form on first appointment and annually at the start of each school year, to update their personal details, previous and current work/volunteering experience and qualifications
supply the names of two referees, who will be contacted personally
be required to produce a recent enhanced CRB (now called DBS) check on appointment or to have one made through the Disclosure and Barring Service, giving photographic and other evidence of identity and including a formal declaration of any criminal convictions
be taken through child protection policy and procedure on induction, followed by annual training to remind them of procedures and important concepts
be supervised by Mr. Rahbari and observed at work by Safeguarding officer (Leila Mobayen) or Safeguarding deputy (
Ghoncheh Dolatshahi).

Safeguarding pupils who are vulnerable to extremism,

Since 2010, when the Government published the Prevent Strategy, there has been an awareness of the specific need to safeguard children, young people and families from violent extremism and gang violence. There have been several occasions both locally and nationally in which extremist groups have attempted to radicalise vulnerable children and young people to hold extreme views including views justifying political, religious, sexist, racist and other violence, or to steer them into a rigid and narrow ideology that is intolerant of diversity and leaves them vulnerable to future radicalisation.

We at MTO Persian School value freedom of speech and the expression of beliefs/ideology as fundamental rights underpinning our society’s values. Both pupils and teachers have the right to speak freely and voice their opinions. However, freedom comes with responsibility and free speech that is designed to manipulate the vulnerable or that leads to violence and harm of others goes against the moral principles in which freedom of speech is valued. Free speech is not an unqualified privilege; it is subject to laws and policies governing equality, human rights, community safety and community cohesion.

The current threat from terrorism in the United Kingdom may include the exploitation of vulnerable people, to involve them in terrorism or in activity in support of terrorism. The normalisation of extreme views may also make children and young people vulnerable to future manipulation and exploitation. We at MTO Persian School are clear that this exploitation and radicalisation should be viewed as a safeguarding concern.

Responding to allegations of abuse

Allegations against a member of staff/volunteer

The school will fully support and protect anyone who, in good faith, reports their concern that a colleague is, or may be, abusing a child/young person. Where there is a complaint against a member of staff/volunteer, there may be three types of investigation: criminal investigation, child protection investigation or disciplinary/misconduct investigation. The results of the police and child protection investigation may well influence the disciplinary investigation, but this will not necessarily be the case.

Concerns about poor practice

If, following consideration, the allegation is clearly about poor practice, this will be dealt with as a misconduct issue.

If the allegation is about poor practice by the school’s designated safeguarding officer (Leila Mobayen) or her deputy (Ghoncheh Dolatshahi), or if the matter has been handled inadequately and concerns remain, it should be reported to the chair of the management committee, who will advise how to deal with the allegation and whether or not the school should initiate disciplinary proceedings.

Internal enquiries and suspension

The designated person will make an immediate decision about whether any individual accused of abuse should be temporarily suspended, pending further police and social services inquiries.

Irrespective of the findings of the social services or police inquiries, the school will assess all individual cases to decide whether a member of staff or volunteer can be reinstated and how this can be handled sensitively. This may be a difficult decision, particularly where there is insufficient evidence to uphold any action by the police. In such cases, the school must reach a decision based upon the available information. This might suggest that, on a balance of probability, it is more likely than not that the allegation is true. The welfare of the child/young person must remain of paramount importance throughout.

What to do if you suspect that abuse may have occurred

1. You must report your concerns immediately to the Safeguarding officer (Leila Mobayen ) or Safeguarding deputy (

Ghoncheh Dolatshahi)

Step-by-step guidance for staff/volunteers on dealing with their earliest concerns is provided on the card ‘What to do if you are worried that a child is being abused’. This guidance is produced by the Department of Health and endorsed by the local authority. Copies of the card must be available to every member of staff and volunteer.

Safeguarding officer (Leila Mobayen) or safeguarding deputy (Ghoncheh Dolatshahi

will:

obtain information from staff/volunteers, children/young people or parents/carers who have child protection concerns and record this information
assess the information quickly and carefully and ask for further information, as appropriate
consult with a statutory child protection agency such as the local social services department or the NSPCC to clarify any doubts or worries
ensure that the parents/carers of the child/young person are contacted as soon as possible, following advice from the social services department
make a referral to a statutory child protection agency or to the police without delay.

If Safeguarding officer (Leila Mobayen) or Safeguarding deputy (Ghoncheh Dolatshahi) is the subject of the suspicion/allegation, the report must be made to the chair of the management committee, who will refer the allegation to social services.

2. Suspicions will not be discussed with anyone other than those named above.

3. It is the right of any individual to make direct referrals to the child protection agencies. If, for any reason, you believe that the designated people have not responded appropriately to your concerns, then it is up to you to contact the child protection agencies directly.

4. If a child makes a disclosure of abuse:

make notes as soon as possible (ideally within one hour of being told)

- write down exactly what the child/young person has said, what you said in reply and what was happening immediately before you were told (for example, what activity was taking place)
- record dates, times and when you made the record
- keep all your handwritten notes secure
- report your discussion to the designated person as soon as possible
- if the named responsible person is implicated, you need to report to the second designated person
- if both are implicated, report to social services
- do not discuss your suspicions or allegations with anyone other than those nominated above
- Safeguarding officer (Leila Mobayen) or Safeguarding deputy (Ghoncheh Dolatshahi) must consider carefully whether or not it is safe for a child/young person to return home to a potentially abusive situation, and, if necessary, they should take immediate action to contact social services in order to discuss putting safety measures into effect.

Allegations of physical injury or neglect

If a child/young person has a symptom of physical injury or neglect, Safeguarding officer (Leila Mobayen) or Safeguarding deputy (Ghoncheh Dolatshahi) contact social services for advice in cases of deliberate injury or concerns about the safety of the child/young person, but they must not inform the parents/carers

seek emergency medical attention if necessary
inform the child’s/young person’s doctor of any suspicions of abuse
in other circumstances, speak with the parent/carer and suggest that medical help/attention is sought for the child/young person
if appropriate, encourage the parent/carer to seek help from social services
if the parent/carer fails to act, seek advice from the Local Safeguarding Children Board
in the case of real concern, contact social services for advice.

Allegations of sexual abuse

In the event of allegations or suspicions of sexual abuse, Safeguarding officer (Leila Mobayen) or Safeguarding deputy (Arash

Ghoncheh Dolatshahi) will:

contact the social services duty social worker for children and families directly, but must not speak to the parent or to anyone else
seek advice from the Local Safeguarding Children Board
collect and clarify the precise details of the allegation or suspicion and provide this information to social services, but should not attempt to carry out any investigation into the allegation or suspicion of sexual abuse
while allegations or suspicions of sexual abuse should normally be reported to the named responsible person, their absence should not delay referral to social services.

Responding to a child making an allegation of abuse

It is important not to make promises that you may not be able to keep. Do not say that you will keep confidential what a child/young person is about to tell you, as you may have a duty to share it with others.
Find an appropriate early opportunity to explain that it is likely that the information will need to be shared with others.
Stay calm and listen carefully to what the child/young person is saying.
Allow the child/young person to continue at their own pace.
Ask questions for clarification only and at all times avoid asking questions that suggest a particular answer.
Reassure the child/young person that they have done the right thing in telling you.
Tell them what you will do next and with whom the information will be shared.
As soon as possible, record in writing what was said, using the child’s/young person’s own words.
Make a note of the date, time, any names mentioned and to whom the information was given, and ensure that the record is signed and dated.

Helpful statements to make

‘I believe you (showing acceptance of what the child/young person says).’
‘Thank you for telling me.’
‘It’s not your fault.’
‘I will help you.’

Do not say:

‘Why didn’t you tell anyone before?’
‘I can’t believe it!’
‘Are you sure that this is true?’
‘Why? Who? When? Where?’

Never make promises you can’t keep.

Support for dealing with the aftermath of abuse

Consideration should be given to the kind of support that children/young people, parents/carers and members of staff/volunteers may need. Use of helplines, support groups and open meetings will maintain an open culture and help the healing process. The Directory of the British Association for Counselling is available from:

The British Association for Counselling,

1 Regent Place,

Rugby CV21 2PJ,

Tel: 01788 550 899,

fax: 01788 562189.

Appendix 1

Definitions of abuse

These definitions are based on those from Working together to safeguard children (Department of Health, Home Office, Department for Education and Employment, 1999).

Physical abuse

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing harm to a child/young person.
Physical harm may also be caused when a parent/carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes, ill health to a child/young person whom they are looking after. This situation is commonly described as factitious, fabricated or induced illness in children/young people or ‘“Munchausen syndrome by proxy’.
A person might do this because they enjoy or need the attention they get through having a sick child/young person.
Physical abuse, as well as being the result of a deliberate act, can also be caused through omission or the failure to act to protect.

Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child/young person, such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s/young person’s emotional development. It may involve making a child/young person feel or believe that they are worthless, unloved, and inadequate or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of the other person.
It may feature expectations being imposed on a child/young person that are inappropriate for their age or stage of development. It may also involve causing a child/young person to feel frequently frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of a child/young person.
Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of a child/young person, though it may occur alone.

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child/young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child/young person is aware of, or consents to, what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative acts such as rape, buggery or oral sex, or non-penetrative acts such as fondling.
Sexual abuse may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children/young people in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material, or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children/young people to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Boys and girls can be sexually abused by both males and females, whether adults or other children/young people.

Neglect

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s/young person’s basic physical and/or psychological needs that is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s /young person’s health or development. It may involve a parent or a carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter or clothing, leaving a child/young person at home alone or failing to ensure that a child/young person gets appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s/young person’s basic emotional needs.
It is accepted that, in all forms of abuse, there are elements of emotional abuse and that some children/young people are subjected to more than one form of abuse at any time.

These four definitions do not minimise other forms of maltreatment.

Note

Recent guidance identifies other sources of stress for children/young people and families, such as social exclusion, domestic violence, the mental illness of a parent/carer or drug and alcohol misuse. These may have a negative impact on a child/young person’s health and development and may be noticed by an organisation caring for a child/young person. If it is felt that a child/young person’s well-being is adversely affected by any of these situations, the same procedures should be followed.

Recognising and responding to abuse

The following signs may or may not be indicators that abuse has taken place but the possibility should be considered.

Physical signs of abuse

Physical signs of abuse may include:

any injuries not consistent with the explanation given for them
injuries which occur to the body in places which are not normally exposed to falls or games
unexplained bruising, marks or injuries on any part of the body
bruises which reflect hand marks or fingertips (from slapping or pinching)
cigarette burns
bite marks
broken bones
scalds
injuries which have not received medical attention
neglect, undernourishment, failure to grow, constant hunger, stealing or gorging food, untreated illnesses, inadequate care
repeated urinary infections or unexplained stomach pains.

Changes in behaviour which can also indicate physical abuse may include:

fear of parents/carers being approached for an explanation
aggressive behaviour or severe temper outbursts
flinching when approached or touched
reluctance to get changed in front of others – for example, wearing long sleeves in hot weather
depression
withdrawn behaviour
running away from home.

Emotional signs of abuse

Emotional signs of emotional abuse may include:

a failure to thrive or grow, particularly if a child/young person puts on weight in other circumstances – for example, in hospital or away from their parents/carers
sudden speech disorders
persistent tiredness
development delay, in terms of either physical or emotional progress.

Changes in behaviour which can also indicate emotional abuse include:

obsessions or phobias
sudden underachievement or lack of concentration
inappropriate relationships with other children and/or adults
being unable to play
attention-seeking behaviour
fear of making mistakes
self-harm
fear of the parent/carer being approached regarding their behaviour.

Sexual abuse

Physical signs of sexual abuse may include:

pain or itching in the genital/anal area
bruising or bleeding near genital/anal areas
sexually transmitted disease
vaginal discharge or infection
stomach pains
discomfort when walking or sitting down

Changes in behaviour which can also indicate sexual abuse include:

sudden or unexplained changes in behaviour, such as becoming withdrawn or aggressive
fear of being left with a specific person or group of people
having nightmares
running away from home
sexual knowledge which is beyond the child’s/young person’s age or developmental level
sexual drawings or language
bed-wetting
eating problems such as overeating or anorexia
self-harm or mutilation, sometimes leading to suicide attempts
a child/young person saying they have secrets that they cannot tell anyone about
substance or drug abuse
suddenly having unexplained sources of money
not being allowed to have friends (particularly during adolescence)
acting in a sexually explicit way with adults.

Neglect

Physical signs of neglect may include:

constant hunger, sometimes stealing food from other children/young people
being constantly dirty or smelly
loss of weight or being constantly underweight
inappropriate dress for the conditions.

Changes in behaviour which can also indicate neglect include:

complaining of being tired all the time
not requesting medical assistance and/or failing to attend appointments
having few friends
mentioning being left alone or unsupervised.

Appendix 2

Good practice guidelines

All personnel should be encouraged to demonstrate exemplary behaviour in order to protect themselves from false allegations. The following are common sense examples of how to create a positive culture and climate.

Good practice means:

always working in an open environment (for example, avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging open communication with no secrets)
treating all children/young people equally, and with respect and dignity
always putting the welfare of each child/young person first
maintaining a safe and appropriate distance with children/young people (for example, it is not appropriate for staff/volunteers to have an intimate relationship with a child/young person or to share a room with them)
building balanced relationships based on mutual trust, empowering children/young people to share in the decision-making process
making school activities and other off-site activities, fun, enjoyable and safe
keeping up to date with technical skills, qualifications and insurance
involving parents/carers wherever possible – for example, by encouraging them to take responsibility for children/young people in changing rooms
ensuring that parents/carers, staff/volunteers, coaches or officials work in pairs, if groups have to be supervised in changing rooms
ensuring that, when mixed groups are taken away, they are always accompanied by a male and a female member of staff/volunteer (but remember that same-gender abuse can also occur)
ensuring that, at tournaments or residential events, adults do not enter children’s/young people’s rooms or invite children/young people into their rooms
being an excellent role model, including not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company of children/young people
giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism
recognising the developmental needs and capacity of children/young people and not pushing them against their will
securing written consent from parents/carers for staff to act in loco parentis, if the need arises to administer emergency first aid and/or other medical treatment
keeping a written record of any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given
requesting written consent from parents/carers, if it is necessary for staff/volunteers to transport children/young people in their cars.

Practices to be avoided

The following should be avoided except in emergencies. If cases arise where these situations are unavoidable, it should be with the full knowledge and consent of the person in charge in the club or of the child/young person’s parents – for example, if a child/young person sustains an injury and needs to go to hospital, or if a parent/carer fails to arrive to pick up a child/young person at the end of a session.

Avoid spending excessive amounts of time alone with children/young people away from others.
Avoid being in a situation where you are alone with a child, e.g. taking a child/young person to an event, or dropping them off in your car.

Practices never to be sanctioned

The following should never be sanctioned. You should never:

engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay
use corporal/physical punishment to manage behaviour
share a room with a child/young person
allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching
allow children/young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged
make sexually suggestive comments to a child/young person, even in fun
reduce a child/young person to tears as a form of control
allow allegations made by a child/young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon
do things of a personal nature for children/young people or disabled adults that they are able do for themselves
invite or allow children/young people to stay with you at your home unsupervised.

Please note

It may sometimes be necessary for staff/volunteers to do things of a personal nature for children/young people, particularly if they are young or disabled. These tasks should be carried out only with the full understanding and consent of parents/carers and of the child/young person involved. There is a need to be responsive to a person’s reactions. If a person is fully dependent on you, talk with him/her about what you are doing and give choices, where possible. This is particularly so if you are involved in any dressing or undressing of outer clothing or where there is physical contact – for example, lifting or assisting a child/young person to carry out particular activities. Avoid taking on the responsibility for tasks for which you are not appropriately trained.

Appendix 3

Reporting allegations or suspicions of abuse

If you have any concerns about a child/young person being abused, you should inform Safeguarding officer

Organisation: MTO Persian school

Name: Leila Mobayen or Ghoncheh Dolatshahi

Job/role: Designated safeguarding officer or Deputy safeguarding officer

Address: MTO Persian School, High Gate Wood School,

Montenotte Road, London,

Postcode: N8 8RL

Important contacts outside the organisation

Local Safeguarding Children Board: 020 8489 3145

Social services office: 020 8489 4470

Emergency number: 020 8489 0000

Police station: Emergency -always dial 999
text phone 18000

Non-emergency – dial 101
text phone 18001 101

NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: Tel: 0208 808 7882
Fax: 0208 808 7624

Childline: info@nspcc.org.uk, Tel: 0800 1111

Reporting suspected abuse

Confidential recording sheet

Organisation: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Name of person reporting: ……………………………………………………………………………………..

Name of child/young person: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Age and date of birth: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ethnicity: …………………………………

Religion: ………………………………………………….. First language: …………………………..

Disability: ………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………

Parent’s/carer’s name(s): ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Home address: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Postcode: ………………………………………………………… Tel: ………………………………………

Are you reporting your own concerns or someone else’s? Please give details.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Give a brief description of what has prompted the concerns – include date, time and an outline of specific incidents.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Any physical signs? Behaviour signs? Indirect signs?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Have you spoken to the child/young person? If so, what was said?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Have you spoken to the parent(s)/carer(s)? If so, what was said?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Has a specific person been alleged to be the abuser? If so, please give details.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Have you consulted anyone else? Please give details.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Name of person reported to: ………………………………………………………………………………….

Date of reporting: …………………

Signature of person reporting: ………………………………………………………………………………..

Today’s date: …………………………

Action taken: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Notes

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Policy agreed on behalf of the management committee

Signed: …………………………………….. Date: ………………………..

Date implemented:	Future review dates
Date implemented:	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Date reviewed		August 2017	June 2018	July 2019	June 2020
Date approved by trustees		August 2017	June 2018	July 2019