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​CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

 

The Striving for Inclusion CIC values young people and children as being a vital part of the organisation and desires to see them grow, mature and be challenged in a healthy and safe environment. 

The name of the child protection officer is XX XX. A copy of this child protection policy will be kept on our website and made available upon request to relevant agencies. 

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Purposes

The purpose of Striving for Inclusion CIC's children and young people’s programme is to offer children a safe and welcoming environment with fun activities, where they can grow and learn, whether through XXX activities or other independent groups working in partnership with XXX.

Aims

• To provide activities for children and young people to help them develop from childhood into adulthood and to provide support for them.

 

• To enable the children to express themselves.

 

• To assist the children in integrating into the community.

 

• To help children/young people appreciate the diversity of their cultures.

 

Organisation Striving for Inclusion CIC

1. Each child and young person should be formally registered or referred within the group. The information includes an information and consent form that their parent or guardian must complete. These forms contain vital information about health and emergency contacts, and they should be kept securely and brought to each session. (see Appendix B). An exception to this is if we are running a workshop with a partner agency and they have done this work. In that case, we will not need to duplicate it. 

 

    2. Attendance register: A register should be kept for each session.

 

For activities for children under 8, which run for more than two hours in any one day, or if you run a holiday club for six or more days a year, you must register the activity.  To register, contact your local Social Services Office and ask for the local Day Centre adviser. The law assumes that registration will be granted unless there are good reasons why it should not be.

 

 

 

Child Protection Representative

The Striving for Inclusion CIC has appointed a child protection representative. If any worker has concerns about child safety, they should discuss them with this representative.  He/she will take on the following responsibilities:

• Ensuring that the policy is being put into practice.

• Being the first point of contact for child protection issues.

• Keeping a record of any concerns expressed about child protection issues.

• Bringing any child protection concerns to the notice of the Management Committee and contacting the Local Authority if appropriate.

• Ensuring that paid staff and volunteers are given appropriate supervision.

• Ensuring that everyone involved with the organisation is aware of the identity of the Child Protection Representative.

 

The policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it is meeting its objectives.

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Trips/Outings

1. When organising a trip or outing, ensure a trip or outing slip is completed. This includes details about the trip, as well as a section for parents to provide their consent. These slips must be returned before the event takes place and must be brought on the trip with the completed group information/consent forms. (If a group information/consent form has not already been completed for a child or young person, then it will need to be completed.)

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   2. Ensure that there is adequate insurance for the work and activities.

 

Personal/Personnel Safety

• A group of children or young people under sixteen should not be left unattended at any time.

 

• Avoid being alone with an individual child or young person for a long time. If there is a need to be alone with a child or young person (e.g., for first aid or if they are distressed), ensure that another worker knows your location and the reason.

 

• At no time should a volunteer or worker from any external organisation arrange to meet a young person away from the activity without someone else being there.

 

• As such, meetings should be planned and have the approval of a member of the Committee (this must be someone other than the organiser).

 

• Teenage assistants should always be supervised.

 

Child Safety

1. Ensure that the area you are using for activities is suitable for the purpose, e.g., remove furniture that could cause injury during energetic games.

2. Make sure that all workers and assistants know​

   • Where the first aid kit is

   • Where the emergency phone is and to operate it.

   • Who is responsible for First Aid, and how to record accidents or injuries in the incident book

   • What to do in the event of a fire or other emergency

 

   3. Once a year, there should be a fire practice

   4. Do not let children go home without an adult unless the parent has specifically given permission. Never let a child go with         another adult unless the parent has informed you that this will happen.

 

    5. If private cars are used for an outing, the drivers must be approved by the committee, be appropriately insured, have              rested before driving, and have a clean driving record. There should always be at least one other responsible person (16          or over) in each vehicle. All vehicles should be fitted with full seatbelts, not just lap belts. Full seatbelts should always be              used.

 

Under normal circumstances, workers should only give a lift home to a young person from group activities if the parents of the young person have specifically requested it. (If workers are asked to provide a young person or child a lift home, they are not obliged to do so; it is left to their discretion.)

For trips or outings, it should be clearly stated whether workers’ cars will be used and where the children or young people will be returned.

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New Workers

Workers and assistants are by far the most valuable resource the group has for working with young people. When recruiting and selecting paid workers and volunteers, the following steps will be taken:

• Completion of an application form.

• An interview with three people from the Committee, who will take the final decision.

• Identifying reasons for gaps in employment and other inconsistencies in the application.

• Checking of the applicants’ identity (passport, driving license, etc);

• Taking up references before the person starts work.

• Ensuring criminal record checks have been carried out through relevant local agencies approved by the Criminal Records Bureau.

• Taking appropriate advice before employing someone with a criminal record.

• Allowing no unaccompanied access to children until all the above have been completed.

• A probationary period of 3 months for new paid workers and volunteers.

• Ongoing supervision of paid workers and volunteers.

• Ensuring good practice is followed in working with children and young people by providing appropriate training and guidance. 

• A nominated child Protection representative on the Management Committee.

 

Training

It is an excellent benefit if workers undertake regular training for this type of work. The committee should keep workers informed of relevant courses.

What is child protection?

Child protection is the response to the different ways in which a young person’s or child’s physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual health is damaged by the actions of another person.

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What you should do

1. Listen to the child/young person

2. Look at them directly and do not promise to keep any secrets before you know what they are, but always let the child/young person know if, and why, you are going to tell anyone 

3. Look at them directly and do not promise to keep any secrets before you know what they are, but always let the child/young person know if, and why, you are going to tell anyone

4. Take whatever is said to you seriously and help the child/young person to trust his/her feelings. Take notes of exactly what is told to you, avoiding assumptions and conjecture.

5. It is noted that the role of the worker is to investigate any allegations (this would contaminate evidence if a situation went to court). Any disclosure by a child/young person must be reported to the named child protection officer.

6. Contact the Local Authority or NSPCC immediately for further advice and guidance.

 

What you should not do

1. Project workers/volunteers should not begin investigating the matter themselves.

2. Do not discuss the matter with anyone except the correct people in authority.

3. Do not form your own opinions and decide to do nothing.

 

Things to say or do:

• ‘What you are telling me is very important’

• This is not your fault’

• ‘I am sorry that this has happened/is happening’

• ‘You were right to tell someone’

• What you are telling me should not be happening to you and I will find out the best way to help you’

• Make notes soon after the event. Try to write down precisely what the young person or child said. Avoid assumptions or conjectures.

 

Things not to say or do:

• Do not ask leading questions – Why? How? What?

• Do not say ‘Are you sure?’

• Do not show your own emotions, e.g. shock/disbelief

• Do not make false promises

 

 

In the event of any safeguarding issues, staff must contact the safeguarding officer as soon as possible. 

 

Safeguarding officers' contact details:

Name

Numer

Address

email

 

 

Appendix A

List of Addresses, Telephone Numbers, and Fax Numbers 

 

Appendix B

Suggested Record Form

 

 

This policy was adopted by Striving for Inclusion CIC on the date. 30-06-2025

 

 

Signed on behalf of the Management Committee by:

 

Name in Capitals… …………………………………

 

The policy has been reviewed by the Management Committee on:

date