Safeguarding

402 Club Safeguarding Policy- augmenting Parkstone URC’s Policy

Introduction

402 club LTD (hereafter referred to as “the Company”) operates with the following core objectives:

a) To foster a secure and inspiring environment that guarantees equal opportunities for all children, irrespective of their racial, cultural, religious, gender, or medical background.

b) To educate children aged 9 to 11 using our proprietary methodologies, meticulously designed to optimize learning outcomes and bolster success rates in 11+ Examinations.

c) To nurture the unique intellectual growth and knowledge acquisition of each individual pupil.

The Company’s registered address is:
16, Glen Road, Poole BH14 0HF
Company Number: 15971748

This comprehensive safeguarding policy has been instituted by the Company and mandates compliance from all associated individuals, including but not limited to staff members, management, trustees, directors, volunteers, students, and any parties operating on the Company’s behalf.

Purpose of the Policy

This policy aims to safeguard all children who interact with our services, including those whose parents or guardians are service recipients. For the purposes of this policy, ‘children’ refers to any individuals under eighteen years of age.

The Company firmly believes that every child deserves protection from harm and abuse. This policy outlines the guiding principles for our approach to child protection and safeguarding, serving as a compass for all representatives of our organisation, whether staff or volunteers.

The Risks to Children

Children can be susceptible to various forms of abuse and harm. It’s crucial to recognize that such abuse encompasses a broad spectrum of circumstances and behaviours. Children may be at risk of:

– Physical or emotional abuse
– Neglect
– Sexual abuse
– Grooming and exploitation
– Human trafficking and modern slavery
– Exposure to or victimization by domestic abuse
– False allegations
– Bullying, including cyberbullying
– Exposure to inappropriate content or behaviour, such as violence or criminal activity
– Self-harm
– Physical injury due to inadequately supervised activities

It’s important to note that the sources of such harm or abuse can be diverse, potentially originating from family members or individuals within the community.

Safeguarding Principles

The protection of children from harm and abuse is a paramount responsibility for our Company. We are steadfastly committed to ensuring that any child who engages with our services receives comprehensive safeguarding. Every individual bound by this policy must actively contribute to the proper safeguarding of children.

All persons subject to this policy bear the following responsibilities:

1. Maintaining vigilance and awareness of potential safeguarding risks to children.

2. Shielding children from harmful environments through appropriate measures (e.g., adequate supervision and ensuring safe spaces).

3. Taking proactive steps to uphold the safety and well-being of children interacting with our Company.

4. Promptly and appropriately reporting concerns, in accordance with established child protection procedures.

5. Comprehending the duty to report specific concerns and understanding how this obligation intersects with confidentiality requirements.

6. Challenging and reporting any inappropriate or harmful behaviour exhibited by other adults.

7. Conducting oneself appropriately in the presence of children.

8. Refraining from taking unnecessary risks.

9. Abstaining from smoking, consuming alcohol, or using any form of illicit substances in the presence of children.

Safeguarding Officer

All inquiries, reports, or concerns related to child safeguarding should be directed to our designated Safeguarding Officer:

Name: Mr Jody Ivie
Email: info@the402.club
Telephone: 07949924507

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All personal information pertaining to children that we may process will be handled and stored in strict accordance with our data protection privacy policy, which is accessible on our website.

Responding to a Safeguarding Concern

Immediate Risk Situations:
In cases where a child is at immediate risk of serious harm, any adult present must call 999 without delay. Following this, the Safeguarding Officer should be notified as soon as reasonably possible.

Non-Immediate Risk Situations:
When a safeguarding concern arises but there’s no immediate risk of serious harm, the adult who has witnessed or been informed of the concern must consult with the Safeguarding Officer at the earliest opportunity, and no later than the end of that same day.

Handling Disclosures:
When a child discloses information relating to harm or abuse to an adult, it is crucial for that adult to:

1. Listen attentively and calmly, demonstrating that the child’s views are taken seriously.
2. Offer appropriate and honest reassurance.
3. Avoid interrogation or asking probing, intrusive, or leading questions.
4. Refrain from making false promises regarding secrecy or confidentiality, as any abuse/harm concerns must be shared with the Safeguarding Officer and may require further safeguarding referral.
5. Create a confidential written record of the discussion, either during or immediately after the conversation. This record should include key details of the disclosure, relevant times, dates, locations, and individuals involved.
6. Avoid making audio or video recordings of children making disclosures.
7. Relay all pertinent information to the Safeguarding Officer as soon as practicable, and no later than the end of the day.

Action by Safeguarding Officer:
Upon receiving any safeguarding concern, the Safeguarding Officer will:
1. Consult with other relevant persons as necessary.
2. Make appropriate referrals to relevant authorities, such as the applicable Local Authority Children’s Services department.

Reporting Concerns About Other Adults

If any person has concerns regarding the conduct of an adult connected to the Company that poses or may pose a safeguarding risk to children, such as:
– Physically or emotionally harming a child
– Exposing a child to behaviour that may cause physical or emotional harm
– Engaging in criminal activity concerning a child

This must be promptly raised with the Safeguarding Officer (or where inappropriate, a different senior member of the organisation) to determine and implement the next appropriate steps.

We acknowledge that circumstances may arise where a person needs to report an incident that occurred outside their engagement with the Company.

Typical steps following a safeguarding referral concerning an individual connected to the Company may include:
1. Further initial inquiries
2. Escalation to the relevant Local Authority Children’s Services department for assessment and/or police investigation
3. Initiation of appropriate disciplinary measures, formal investigation processes, and potential suspension of the individual(s) concerned within the Company
4. Referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service or other relevant regulatory bodies

Handling Allegations:
1. Any person within the Company who faces allegations will be properly informed in a formal meeting about the nature of the allegations and subsequent steps. This meeting should typically be conducted by the Safeguarding Officer.
2. In some instances, such a meeting may be delayed pending approval from involved authorities (e.g., police or relevant Local Authority).
3. All individuals facing allegations will be treated fairly. Inquiries, investigations, and decisions will be conducted justly, with the safety of any child concerned as the paramount consideration.
4. Any person from within the Company who makes an allegation against another member will be listened to, taken seriously, and treated fairly and justly throughout the entire process of inquiries, investigations, and decision-making.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks and Reporting

DBS Checks:
We conduct DBS checks in accordance with appropriate legislation wherever required. The primary groups for whom we typically undertake DBS checks are:
– Teachers
– Teaching assistants
– Adult volunteers

DBS Referrals:
In the event we deem it necessary and appropriate to remove an individual from a position involving regulated activity as defined by relevant legislation, we are obligated to make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Safeguarding Children at Events and Activities

Responsibilities and Planning:

Typical Events:
We regularly organise the following types of events and activities that may involve children:
– English and Mathematics instruction

Ultimate Responsibility:
The Safeguarding Officer holds ultimate responsibility for ensuring the safety and appropriateness of all events. They may, however, delegate specific responsibilities for particular events.

Shared Responsibility:
While the Safeguarding Officer and any appointed delegates bear ultimate responsibility for overseeing event and activity safety, all individuals governed by this policy must actively contribute to ensuring children’s safety at all times.

Background Checks:
Appropriate background checks will be conducted for any adult engaged by us in connection with events or activities involving children, as required by law (refer to the relevant section above).

Event-Specific Guidelines:
For certain events or activities, we may issue additional codes of conduct, policies, or specific requirements. Any such supplementary documentation will be made available to all concerned parties (staff members, parents, guardians, etc.) in advance. These should be carefully reviewed and strictly adhered to.

Venues:
All locations for our events or activities will undergo thorough risk assessments to ensure their suitability and safety for children. Fire safety procedures and precautions will be clearly communicated to all involved parties.

Arrivals Procedure:
1. Parents/Carers are requested to drop off their children 15 minutes before the scheduled start of lessons.
2. Upon arrival, Parents/Carers should escort their child to the designated entrance and hand them over to a staff member.
3. Parents/Carers assume sole responsibility for their child’s safety during the drop-off process. 402 club LTD will not be held responsible for any accidents or incidents occurring during this time.

Departures Procedure:
1. At the conclusion of each session, children will be gathered together in the designated area.
2. Parents/Carers must provide their child’s name to a staff member and wait until their child is brought to them.
3. Parents/Carers wishing to receive feedback should join the ‘Feedback Queue’ and wait to be called.
4. Any changes to the person collecting a child must be communicated to a staff member during drop-off.
5. Parents/Carers assume sole responsibility for their child’s safety during the pick-up process. 402 club LTD will not be held responsible for any accidents or incidents occurring during this time.

First Aid

Our Company adheres to the following first aid procedure:

1. First Aid Kit Availability:
A fully stocked First Aid Kit is maintained at all our centres.

2. Incident Reporting:
Any accident or injury involving a child must be:
a) Immediately brought to the attention of the nearest qualified first aider.
b) Formally reported to the Safeguarding Officer as soon as practicable.

Supervision

Our supervision procedures for activities and events are as follows:

1. Teaching Sessions:
Each session will be staffed by one main teacher and one teaching assistant.

2. Paper Class Sessions:
These will be supervised by up to five teaching assistants and three volunteers.

3. Parent/Guardian-Attended Events:
For events where children attend alongside their parents or guardians, the responsibility for proper supervision remains with the accompanying adult.

NB:- Where mock tests take place at Parkstone URC, the Safeguarding policy of the church requires child to adult ratio of 8:1 which shall be adhered to

Managing Behaviour of Children

When faced with challenging or inappropriate behaviour from a child, or conflicts between children, all adults engaged by our Company must:

1. Treat each child fairly and equally.
2. Approach the situation calmly and neutrally.
3. Use physical restraint/intervention only when necessary to protect the immediate safety of a person, for example, to prevent injury to the child or others.
4. In cases where physical restraint is justified, use the minimum amount of force necessary to mitigate the risk posed.
5. Create a detailed written record of the incident and report it promptly to the Safeguarding Officer.

Managing Risks Posed by Other Children

It’s crucial for all adults engaged by our Company to recognize that children can face harm from their peers, commonly in the form of bullying.

Definition of Bullying:
Behaviour that is:
– Repeated
– Intended to hurt someone either physically or emotionally

Bullying can be motivated by prejudices based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other factors. It may include:
– Physical aggression
– Verbal abuse and threats
– Cyberbullying (threats and abusive comments made via technology)

Procedure for Handling Bullying Incidents:

1. Initial Response:
a) Interview children involved and relevant staff individually to ascertain facts.
b) Where appropriate, issue a first warning to the children involved.
c) Inform parents/guardians of the incident and our response.

2. Persistent Bullying:
If bullying behaviour persists despite initial intervention:
a) The child or children responsible for persistent bullying will be banned from attending our sessions.
b) All steps taken in response to bullying must be made in consultation with the Safeguarding Officer.

Photography Policy

We maintain a strict no-photography policy:

1. Our staff will not take any photographs during sessions or events.
2. We request that members of the public, parents, guardians, and children refrain from taking any photographs while attending our premises, activities, and/or events.

Other Relevant Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with the following documents:
1. Our Site data protection & privacy policy
2. GDPR Policy
3. Website terms and conditions

These policies are available on our website for reference.

Legal Framework

This policy has been formulated in accordance with all relevant and applicable legislation and guidance available to the Company in the jurisdictions within which it operates.

Policy Review

This Policy is approved and robustly endorsed by 402 club LTD and is subject to review every 18 months.

Signed: Mr Jody Ivie (Safeguarding Officer)
Date: [08/10/2024]