Crystal Palace Transition Town Safeguarding Children Policy
AIM
The Steering Group and members of Crystal Palace Transition Town fully recognise the responsibilities and duty placed upon them to have arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children who participate in activities run by the organisation. We recognise that all members have a full and active part to play in
safeguarding children from harm.
We believe that our activities should provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment in which children can learn and which promotes the social, physical and emotional wellbeing of each individual child.
CONTEXT
Crystal Palace Transition Town does not presently employ staff. Children and young people are engaged in events and projects through their parents and carers. This policy will be reviewed when the organisation begins to organise direct contact with children and young people without parent/carer presence.
DEFINITIONS
Child abuse is taken to refer to any child of under 18 years who, through the actions of adults (with a caring role for that child) or their failure to act, has suffered or is at risk of suffering significant harm.
Child Abuse is broadly divided into four categories:- Neglect, Physical Injury, Sexual Abuse and Emotional Abuse. Brief definitions are given below.
· Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to
result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter or clothing, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care and treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to a child’s basic emotional needs.
· Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes ill health to a child who they are looking after. This situation is now known as illness fabricated or induced by carer (previously Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy).
· Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or a young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative (e.g. rape or buggery) or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at pornographic material or watching sexual activities or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
· Emotional abuse is the persistent ill treatment of a child, such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of the other person. It may feature age or
developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. It may involve causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is
involved in all types of ill treatment of a child although it may occur alone.
IMPLEMENTATION
We will seek to protect children and young people by:
* Valuing them, listening to them and respecting them
* Keeping them physically safe through implementation of our Health and Safety Policy
* At all times making the child’s welfare our primary priority
* Being aware of any concerns that may arise through verbal disclosure, demeanour during play or through physical evidence of injury or neglect.
* Ensuring that any concerns are quickly passed on to one of the two Designated Officers. If the concern is related to one of the officers, the other will be able to deal with the matter in confidence.
* Dealing with any suspicions and concerns in a manner that is discreet and respectful to all parties involved,
including the parents/carers of the child in question.
For further advice and information contact The Croydon Safeguarding Children Board
Telephone 020 8726 6000
AIM
The Steering Group and members of Crystal Palace Transition Town fully recognise the responsibilities and duty placed upon them to have arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children who participate in activities run by the organisation. We recognise that all members have a full and active part to play in
safeguarding children from harm.
We believe that our activities should provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment in which children can learn and which promotes the social, physical and emotional wellbeing of each individual child.
CONTEXT
Crystal Palace Transition Town does not presently employ staff. Children and young people are engaged in events and projects through their parents and carers. This policy will be reviewed when the organisation begins to organise direct contact with children and young people without parent/carer presence.
DEFINITIONS
Child abuse is taken to refer to any child of under 18 years who, through the actions of adults (with a caring role for that child) or their failure to act, has suffered or is at risk of suffering significant harm.
Child Abuse is broadly divided into four categories:- Neglect, Physical Injury, Sexual Abuse and Emotional Abuse. Brief definitions are given below.
· Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to
result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter or clothing, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care and treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to a child’s basic emotional needs.
· Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes ill health to a child who they are looking after. This situation is now known as illness fabricated or induced by carer (previously Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy).
· Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or a young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative (e.g. rape or buggery) or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at pornographic material or watching sexual activities or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
· Emotional abuse is the persistent ill treatment of a child, such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of the other person. It may feature age or
developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. It may involve causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is
involved in all types of ill treatment of a child although it may occur alone.
IMPLEMENTATION
We will seek to protect children and young people by:
* Valuing them, listening to them and respecting them
* Keeping them physically safe through implementation of our Health and Safety Policy
* At all times making the child’s welfare our primary priority
* Being aware of any concerns that may arise through verbal disclosure, demeanour during play or through physical evidence of injury or neglect.
* Ensuring that any concerns are quickly passed on to one of the two Designated Officers. If the concern is related to one of the officers, the other will be able to deal with the matter in confidence.
* Dealing with any suspicions and concerns in a manner that is discreet and respectful to all parties involved,
including the parents/carers of the child in question.
For further advice and information contact The Croydon Safeguarding Children Board
Telephone 020 8726 6000