Safeguarding Children Policy
Introduction
It is a primary commitment to provide the children of Musical Theatre High! with safeguarding whilst participating in our activities.
Musical Theatre High! Safeguarding Children Policy is implemented for all children, regardless of age, disability, gender or ethnic origin. It puts the welfare of the child first and states that all children have a right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY IS TO:
Provide the Principal, Assistants, Chaperones, Volunteers, Parents and Students with the over arching legal framework and principles that guide our approach to Safeguarding.
Outline the statutory responsibilities of the Musical Theatre High! community in line with legislation and guidance.
Musical Theatre High! will ensure that arrangements are in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of children by:
* Ensuring a safe environment where children feel secure, enable them to learn and encouraged to talk and are listened to.
* Equipping the Musical Theatre High! team with the ability to identify signs of Physical, Emotional, Neglect, Sexual and Peer on Peer Abuse.
* Support children to recognise risks of both face to face and online abuse.
* Ensure all the Musical Theatre High! team understand their responsibilities in identifying and reporting abuse.
* Ensure safe recruitment practices and safe working practice are in place and followed.
POLICY BACKGROUND & INFORMATION
Child abuse is a difficult issue, many people feel uncomfortable with the subject. It is not easily recognisable and individuals often fear reading too much into a situation. However, safeguarding is about identifying and acting on behalf of children who may be at significant risk of harm.
Abuse can happen anywhere. Research indicates that the perpetrators of abuse are likely to be known and trusted by the child.
TYPES OF ABUSE
The generic term 'child abuse' is used to describe various ways in which children are harmed or mistreated. Below are some key definitions of types of abuse that describe the terminology of each.
PHYSICAL ABUSE
Hitting
Shaking
Throwing
Poisoning
Burning
Scalding
Drowning
Suffocating
An abuser fabricating the symptoms or deliberately inducing illness in a child.
Causing physical harm to a child.
SEXUAL ABUSE
Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic materials or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
EMOTIONAL ABUSE
The persistent emotional ill-treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child's emotional development. It may involve :
*telling a child they are worthless, unloved or inadequate
*valued only insofar as they meet needs of another person
*age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on a child
*overprotective and limitation of exploration and learning
*a child seeing or hearing the ill treatment of another
*serious bullying
*causing a child to frequently feel frightened or in danger
*exploitation or corruption of a child
NEGLECT
Persistent failure to meet a childs basic physical or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child's health and development. Neglect may occur :
* During pregnancy as a result of substance abuse
* Failure to provide adequate food and clothing
* Failing to provide shelter including exclusion from home or abandonment
* Failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger
* Failure to ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care givers)
* Failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment
CHILD ON CHILD/PEER ON PEER ABUSE
A number of issues are identified under the Child on Child/Peer on Peer abuse.
* Bullying - face to face and online
* Sexual Violence - such as rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault (this may include an online element which facilitates, threatens and/or encourages sexual violence)
* Abuse in intimate personal relationships between children (sometimes known as 'teenage relationship abuse'
* Physical Abuse - such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling or otherwise causing physical harm.
* Sexual Harassment, such as sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually or to engage in sexual activity with a third party (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery).
* Consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi-nude images and/or video sexting (also known as youth produced sexual imagery).
* Initiation/hazing type violence and rituals.
* Upskirting - the action of placing equipment such as a camera or mobile phone beneath a persons clothing to take a voyeuristic photograph without their permission.
DISCRIMINATORY ABUSE
Discriminatory Abuse includes racist, religious and sexual abuse, plus abuse based on a person's disability.
INDICATORS OF ABUSE
Indications that a child may be being abused include:
* Unexplained or suspicious injuries such as bruising, cuts or burns, particularly if situated on a part of the body not normally prone to such injuries.
* Injuries for which the explanation seems inconsistent.
* The child describes what appears to be an abusive act involving him or her. This is called a disclosure.
* Someone else (child or adult) expresses concern about the welfare of another child.
* Unexplained changes in behaviour or emotions such as becoming very quiet, withdrawn or displaying sudden outbursts of temper.
* Inappropriate sexual awareness.
* Engaging in sexual explicit talk inappropriate to the child's age.
* Distrust of adults, particularly those with whom a close relationship would normally be expected.
* Difficulty in making friends.
* Uncharacteristic eating disorders, depression and suicide attempts.
* The child may become withdrawn, introverted and depressed and have low self esteem and lack of confidence.
REPORTING A CONCERN
The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Kate West and Designated Safeguarding Deputy is Richard Reynard
It is their responsibility to ensure the safeguarding of all students and adults within the MTH! Community.
It is their responsibility to keep informed and updated of any legal or legislation changes in regards to safeguarding. This is reviewed annually.
Should you have any concerns, be it a child, family or adult within the MTH! Community you are asked to communicate with either Kate or Richard.
Kate - 07906279923
Richard - 07710486347
It is the responsibility of the MTH! DSL's to follow up on any concerns high lighted to them.
Useful agencies that can be contacted to support -
MASH - Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub - 0300 126 7000
NSPCC Helpline - 0808 800 5000
CHILDLINE - 0800 1111
WHISTLE BLOWING HELPLINE - 0800 028 0285
You are asked to present your DBS Certificate to the MTH! DSL's when you are over 18 years old and working with the students.
It is responsibility of the MTH! DSL's to allow non DBS holders to give assistance/helping with students.
All helpers are asked to ensure they are not alone on a one to one with children from MTH!.
WHAT IS A DISCLOSURE?
This is the formal term used for when a child/person shares experiences with you that they have been through or have concerns about.
HOW TO RESPOND TO A DISCLOSURE.
* It is imperative to remain calm when this information is shared with you.
* Listen, show no opinion of what is being said. You can ask questions carefully - who, what, where, when?
* Remember these details as you will need to document them at your earliest convenience, onto the form attached.
* It is imperative you explain to the child/person that you are not able to keep this a secret, you will need to share what has been said with the MTH! DSL's.