Child Protection Policy | Black Teachers Tutor

Child Protection Safeguarding Policy

All children have an absolute right to a childhood free from abuse, neglect or exploitation. Black Teachers Tutor (BTT) believes that in all matters concerning child protection and safeguarding, the welfare and protection of the young people we work with is of paramount consideration. All teachers have a duty of care to safeguard and promote their welfare. This policy and the procedures contained within it exist not to discourage adults from being involved in the work of Black Teachers Tutor but to ensure, as far as possible, that people who may abuse children do not get the opportunity to do so.

Designated Safeguarding Officer contact: dc@blackteacherstutor.co.uk

This individual will:

Offer support and training to all staff and volunteers involved in Black Teachers Tutor.
Ensure that all Black Teachers Tutor staff and volunteers are sufficiently vetted.
Act as the main point of contact in the event of any allegation or disclosure.

If there is an allegation, signs and indicators of abuse are identified or if at any point an adult involved with Black Teachers Tutor (BTT) fails to comply with any element of the Code of Conduct this information must be passed immediately to this email: dc@blackteacherstutor.co.uk. It is the Designated Safeguarding Officer’s responsibility to collect all relevant information and make decisions on how to proceed. You have a duty of care to pass on all relevant information regarding any allegations of abuse, or identified signs and indicators of possible abuse.

In the event of the Designated Safeguarding Officer being unavailable please email dc@blackteacherstutor.co.uk and one of our organisers will help you with your next steps.

Definitions of Abuse

For the purposes of this policy a young person is defined as any person under the age of eighteen (18).

Physical Abuse: physical injury to a child where there is knowledge, or a reasonable suspicion, that their injury was inflicted or knowingly not prevented.

Neglect: the persistent or severe neglect of a child that results in serious impairment of the child's health or development (both physical and mental)

Emotional Abuse: the persistent or severe emotional ill-treatment of a child which has severe adverse effect on the behaviour and emotional development of that child.

Sexual Abuse: the involvement of dependent, developmentally immature children and adolescents in sexual activities they do not truly comprehend, to which they are unable to give informed consent.

Extremism: A vocal or active opposition to fundamental human values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.

Grooming: When someone builds an emotional connection with a child or a young person to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse or exploitation.

Self-Abuse: Any means by which a child or young person seeks to harm themselves. This can take lots of physical forms, including cutting, bruising, scratching, hair-pulling, poisoning, overdosing and eating disorders.

Procedures

In all cases related to child protection and safeguarding, the main procedure is to treat the allegation seriously, in strict confidence and immediately contact the Black Teachers Tutor’s Designated Safeguarding Officer dc@blackteacherstutor.co.uk. The following protocol will be followed:

Any information about suspicious behaviour or circumstances will be passed to the local Police Child Protection Unit or the local Social Services within 24 hours or as soon as shall be reasonably practicable.

In the event that a young person discloses abuse to an employee of Black Teachers Tutor you must:

1. Allow the young person to speak without interruption, encouraging them to tell you only what they feel comfortable telling you, and be accepting and be non-judgmental about what is said. Do not ask investigative or leading questions of any kind.

2. Advise the young person that you will offer support, but that you MUST pass what they tell you and are not able to keep anything they tell you confidential.

3. If they refuse to tell you anything unless you promise to keep it a secret, inform them that you want to help and that there is one person you have to tell. If they then refuse to tell you any more, please respect their decision and report this incident.

4. Ensure that the young person is not immediately at risk of any further abuse.

5. Immediately after a disclosure, contact the Designated Safeguarding Officer.

6. Report the facts as you know them/ or understand them, including the pupil’s name and the account given to you by the young person using the words that they used as well as including any other information your feel is relevant.

7. Provide this detailed information to the Designated Safeguarding Officer at Black Teachers Tutor as soon as you are able.

8. Black Teachers Tutor shall retain a copy of all such notifications in accordance with GDPR guidelines.

In the event that a tutor suspects abuse, but it has not been disclosed by the young person Employees of Black Teachers Tutor shall:

1. Not discuss your suspicions with the young person in question or conduct any form of investigative work.

2. Report the facts as you know them/ or understand them, including the pupil’s name and the account given to you by the young person using the words that they used as well as including any other information your feel is relevant.

3. Provide this detailed information to the Designated Safeguarding Officer at Black Teachers Tutor as soon as you are able.

4. Black Teachers Tutor shall retain a copy of all such notifications in accordance with GDPR guidelines.

If you receive an allegation about any adult or about another teacher (including the person hearing the allegation) Employees of Black Teachers Tutor shall:

1. Immediately after receiving an allegation or disclosure, contact the Designated Safeguarding Children Officer.

2. Report the facts as you know them/ or understand them, including the names of relevant adults and/or young people and the account given to you using the words that they used as well as including any other information your feel is relevant.

3. Provide this detailed information to the Designated Safeguarding Children Officer at Black Teachers Tutor as soon as you are able.

4. Black Teachers Tutor shall retain a copy of all such notifications in accordance with GDPR guidelines.

If you deal with the personal data of young people (including names, grades and school) Employees of Black Teachers Tutor and volunteer tutors shall:

1. Handle all information with sensitivity and confidentiality and in accordance with GDPR guidelines.

2. The information should be kept securely and not be made available to others.

CODE OF CONDUCT

All adults coming into contact with children and young people through BTT must comply with our Child Protection and Safeguarding Children Policy and this Code of Conduct.

You must:

Treat all young people with respect.
Avoid being alone with a young person or cause someone else to be alone with a young person because of your actions e.g. being late. If alone in a room with young people keep the door open at all times.
Remember that someone else might misinterpret your actions, no matter how well intentioned.
Be aware that any physical contact with a young person can be misinterpreted and should always be avoided. Shaking hands in a public setting is considered acceptable.
Be aware that social networking sites are in the public domain if not protected by privacy settings. Strongly consider strengthening any privacy settings so that young people would not be able to access your online profiles and be privy to any information you would not want in the public domain.
Block any young people that approach you online
Recognise that special caution is required when discussing sensitive issues with young people.
Challenge unacceptable behaviour and report all allegations/suspicions of abuse to our Designated Safeguarding Officer.
Operate within BTT procedures in the event of any disclosure/concern.
Raise any questions or concerns about child protection and safeguarding with Designated Safeguarding Officer.

You must not:

Promise confidentiality to young people in any situation.
Seek out or add young people on any social networking site.
Respond to any online communication from a young person, for example on a social networking site.
Share any personal contact details with young people, or, seek out their personal contact details.
Arrange to meet a young person outside of the allocated tutoring time, unless on the school premises and with the prior knowledge of a member of staff.
Act in a manner that excludes the young people you are working with.
Make suggestive or derogatory remarks in front of young people.
Have inappropriate physical contact or verbal contact with young people.
Show favouritism to any individual.
Be under the influence of alcohol or other substances when working on activities involving young people.
Take photographs of young people.
This policy will be formally reviewed every year, or in line with Governmental guidance.