Child Protection Policy

Rationale

St Patrick’s Catholic School is a Child Protection focused organisation where children’s safety is paramount.

Purposes

· Making the safety, protection and wellbeing of children the primary concern, with the child at the centre of all decision making.

· A commitment to work together to produce the best possible outcomes for the children, respecting our culturally diverse society and giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

· To work towards continuous improvement in child protection practices.

Scope of this Policy

· St Patrick’s recognises that all staff and board members have a full and active part to play in protecting students from harm

· This policy applies to:

>all children who are enrolled at St Patrick’s Catholic School

>all staff employed by St Patrick’s Catholic School

>all volunteers who come into contact with St Patrick’s students in the course of their work

>all contractors who come into contact with St Patrick’s students in the course of their work

Delegations:

Although ultimate accountability sits with the Board, the Board delegates responsibility to the principal to ensure that all child safety procedures are implemented and available to all staff, contractors, volunteers and parents/caregivers.

Guidelines

This policy includes guidelines and procedures for the following:

· safety checking of adult employees and volunteers

· harmful behaviour

· bullying

· disclosure of abuse by an adult (including staff members)

· referrals to external agencies

· safe working practices (including restraint and seclusion)

· protected disclosures

Other policies related to this policy are:

· Education Outside the Classroom Policy

· Internet Safety Policy

· Privacy Act Policy

• Minimising Child Distress and the Use of Physical Restraint Policy

• Health and Safety Policy

Guidelines: Safety Checking of Paid and Volunteer Employees

All adults who work or volunteer in an unsupervised capacity with children must undergo a safety check, as outlined in the Children’s Act 2014.

The safety check will be carried out by the principal.

The safety check will include:

· sighting two forms of official identification (Drivers’ Licence, Passport, Birth Certificate)

· two verbal referee’s checks with a focus on child protection (e.g. Are you aware of any reason that this person is not safe to work with children?)

· an interview with a child protection focus

· a police vet every three years

HARMFUL BEHAVIOUR

Guidelines: Child-on-Child Harmful Behaviour

· Child-on-child harmful behaviour is any behaviour through which one child is seriously harmed or injured by another child. This does not cover minor incidents that are handled within the school’s behaviour management policy

· Types of harmful behaviour could be sexualised behaviour or violence.

· When child-on-child harmful behaviour is disclosed or witnessed, the Harmful Behaviour Process (next page) should be followed.

Guidelines: Bullying

· Bullying is defined by the Ministry of Education (Circular 160301) in the following statement:

Whether bullying is physical, verbal, emotional or online (cyberbullying), there are four factors that can be used to identify bullying.

• Bullying is deliberate – intentionally causing physical and / or psychological harm to another person.

• Bullying involves a power imbalance – an actual (or perceived) unequal relationship between those being bullied and those who bully. For example due to physical size, age, gender, social status or digital capability and access.

• Bullying is usually not a one-off – it is repeated over time, with the threat of further incidents leading to fear and anxiety. People may bully one person many times, or different people each time.

• Bullying is harmful – there is short or long-term physical or psychological harm to the target (eg, as a result of coercion or intimidation).

· Staff will endeavour to create a bully-free environment, placing emphasis on respectful behaviour and our school values

· Harmful or aggressive behaviour that does not meet the criteria for bullying will be covered by the school’s behaviour management plan and processes

· When an incident of bullying is disclosed or witnessed, the Harmful Behaviour Process (next page) should be followed.

Harmful Behaviour Process

INCIDENT

(Staff member witnesses harmful behaviour resulting in serious harm or injury, or bullying, or such behaviour is disclosed by the victim.)

RESPOND

(Ensure immediate safety of all children. This may involve calling in other staff members, separating children etc. Report to the principal.)

CONSULT

(Principal may consult, as needed, with: victim, witnesses, guardian teacher, NZ Police, Oranga Tamariki, sexual abuse centre, parents, RTLB, Children’s Team, Public Health Nurse)

RECORD

(Reporting staff member must give a written account of exactly what was witnessed or disclosed.

Principal must record all victim and witness statements and notes from consultation and parent meetings.)

REPORT

(Principal must report to the parents of all children involved.

Principal may report to NZ Police, Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki as necessary)

ADULT ABUSE OF CHILDREN

General Guidelines

· Adults will be receptive and sensitive to children so that they feel listened to and believed.

· Abuse is defined as causing physical, sexual or psychological harm, or neglecting to provide the necessities for a child’s safety and health.

· Any suspected abuse or offending against children must be reported to the NZ Police and the Oranga Tamariki Ministry for Children. This should be done by following school procedures outlined in the guidelines below.

· Where a disclosure of abuse is made or suspected, all information must be kept confidential within the school

· Parents will be made aware of procedures the school will take to protect children from abuse.

· Staff will be reminded of the guidelines to follow for any cases of suspected abuse at least once annually

· The NZ Police unit, ‘Keeping Ourselves Safe’ will be taught as part of the Health Curriculum biannually to increase children’s assertive skills in dealing with uncomfortable situations, and to help raise teachers’ consciousness of the issues

Guidelines for Cases of Suspected Abuse

· Teachers will be trained to help identify students who are possibly “at risk” and will then monitor these students and keep detailed written records of concerns. This information should be kept in a file which will only be accessed by those who have a right to view this information (e.g. Principal, NZ Police, Oranga Tamariki)

· Once abuse is strongly suspected, staff should follow the Disclosure of Abuse Process (next page)

Guidelines for Cases of Disclosed Abuse

· Disclosure of abuse can be direct, indirect, conditional or third party. Staff should refer to the Disclosure of Abuse Process (next page) for appropriate responses to each of these.

· If a child is in immediate danger, act immediately to secure their safety

· Do not alert the alleged abuser

· Follow the Disclosure of Abuse Process (next page)

Guidelines for Cases of Abuse by a Staff Member

· If any staff member is accused of abusing a child the principal and Board Presiding Member must be informed immediately. If it is the principal who is suspected, the Board Presiding Member must be contacted.

· The principal (or Board Presiding Member in the case of the principal being accused) must inform the NZ Police, the Education Council of NZ and NZEI.

• Before working through the internal employment process, NZSTA will be contacted for advice and guidance. 

· The principal and Board Presiding Member will inform the staff member, who will then be advised to seek legal and / or union representation

· Once an investigation has started, the staff member will be suspended according to the regulations set out in the Primary Teachers Collective Contract Agreement, Sections 10.4 and 10.5

Disclosure of Abuse Process

Indirect Disclosure (including third party or conditional disclosure)

e.g. “My dad does things I don’t like.” “Me and Mum have a secret.” “I don’t like it when my uncle comes to stay.” “I don’t want to go home today.” “My friend has told me that her cousin touches her.” “Can I tell you a secret?”

OR

Direct Disclosure

Child directly tells you of abuse by an adult.

e.g. “My dad hit me.” “My mum locked me in a cupboard last night.” “My uncle came into my room last night and touched my private parts.”

REASSURING RESPONSE

Give a reassuring response

e.g. “Thank you for telling me.” “You’ve done the right thing.” “It’s not OK what happened to you.” “I’m going to get you some help.”

CLARIFYING QUESTION

“How come?”

“Tell me about it?”

“Tell me a bit more?”

Do not interview the child. If necessary, this will be done by professionals with appropriate expertise.

Abuse is not disclosed but is still strongly suspected OR Child discloses abuse

CONSULT

Tell the principal as soon as you have finished talking to the child.

The principal may consult with the following: the child’s classroom teacher, the school’s Social Worker, Ministry for Vulnerable Children, NZ Police, Public Health Nurse, Sexual Abuse Centre, the Board Presiding Member.

REPORT

The principal must report all cases of disclosed or strongly suspected abuse to the Oranga Tamariki Ministry for  Children, the NZ Police and the Board Presiding Member. The Principal will leave any interviewing of the child to trained professionals.

For cases of abuse by a teacher, the Education Council must also be informed.

RECORD

The date and time, what was said, verbatim, your name.

Give this to the principal within 24 hours of the disclosure. The principal will file this in the confidential file in the school’s google drive, on eTap and in the child’s folder.

SHARING INFORMATION WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES

There are times when, in the interests of child protection and safety, information will need to be shared with outside agencies. This could happen in the consultation or the reporting stage of the processes outlined in this policy.

Guidelines

· The Privacy Act (1993) must be adhered to at all times

· If agencies such as the NZ Police or the Oranga Tamariki request information from the school their inquiry should be forwarded to the principal

· The principal should not give out any information to the NZ Police or the Oranga Tamariki without first verifying the identification and role of the person requesting the information

· All written information regarding suspected or disclosed abuse must be kept in a confidential file on the school’s Google Drive, available only to the principal

· When a staff member has a student disclose abuse to them they should not talk about this with other staff members who were not present. If the staff member needs support this will be made available to them

PROTECTED DISCLOSURES

When a child discloses harmful behaviour or bullying by another child or abuse by an adult, the perpetrator and their whānau do not have an automatic right to know who their accuser is. This information will be given at the discretion of the principal and with both children’s safety as a considering factor.

SAFE WORKING PRACTICES

Below are listed situations which could be considered as “high risk” for child vulnerability and the procedures which must be followed in these cases.

Students who Become Violent

· When students become violent towards themselves or others the first action must be to remove yourself and all others from the vicinity of that student. This may mean asking your class to leave the classroom, asking children to move inside away from the violent student or, in serious cases, asking the principal to place the school in lock-down.

· The principal must be informed as soon as a violent incident happens.

· At no time should a staff member seclude or lock a student in a room

· At no time should a staff member restrain a student unless he or she reasonably believes that there is serious and imminent risk to the safety of the student or others. If physical restraint is to be used, the guidelines below must be followed.

Guidelines for Reducing Student Distress and the Use of Physical Restraint

Physical Restraint of students must only be used if all three of these conditions are met:

1. To prevent imminent harm, including emotional distress, for the student or others

2. You reasonably believe that there is no other option available

3. The physical restraint is reasonable and proportionate to the situation.

For all guidelines on restraint please see the Reducing Student Distress and the Use of Physical Restraint Policy.

Sick Bay

· Students should never be in the sick bay with the door closed

· Staff members are able to use their First Aid training to treat minor injuries but should not attempt to treat an injury that is hidden by underwear or that the student says they are uncomfortable about

· When treating an injured child, if possible have the injured child accompanied into the sick bay by a friend or another staff member

· If treating an injured child alone in the sick bay, ensure that the door remains open and that other adults are in the office or sickbay. If feeling unsafe, ask another staff member to supervise

Changing Clothes

There are times when children may need to change their clothes at school, e.g. after soiling themselves or falling over.

· The child should change their own clothing wherever possible

· If the child is unable to change their own clothing the child’s parent should be contacted to either come to school and assist or to give permission for a staff member to assist their child

· If a staff member is changing a child’s clothes, another staff member should be present

Changing Nappies

Some children with additional needs will be unable to toilet independently and will need assistance with nappy changes. This should always happen in a staff or disabled toilet while other staff members are nearby. Nappy routines will differ from child to child and will be outlined in each child’s IEP.

Physical Contact

It is recognised that there are some times when physical contact with a student is necessary and helpful. Primary school students will sometimes need comforting and will often initiate physical contact such as a hug or holding hands. Such contact should always be:

· above the clothes

· in the presence of others

· initiated or requested by the student

· ceased immediately if the student appears uncomfortable

Travelling in Cars

· A student should never travel alone with an adult in a car

· When a staff member or adult volunteer is driving a group of students to an event, they should not deviate from the agreed route unless necessary by a road block or for safety

· A staff member or adult volunteer should not make any stops that are unplanned

Social Media

Staff members should not have contact with students on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or any other form of Social Media.

Coaching

· St Patrick’s School does not safety-check sports coaches

· Children should not be left alone and in the charge of parent volunteer coaches

· Parents whose children play sport should attend all practices and games with their child and should take responsibility for their child’s actions

Camp and Overnight Trips

· All adult volunteers attending overnight trips will be police-vetted every two years and no adults with police records for violence or offences against children will be permitted to attend

· Adult volunteers with other offences listed on their police record will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The final decision about whether an adult can attend an overnight trip will be made by the principal and Board Presiding Member.

· Thorough instructions and guidelines will be given to adult volunteers at overnight trips, including instructions not to be alone with a child

· All adult volunteers have the right to refuse a task or instruction if they feel it puts them at risk

· More guidelines around adult supervisors and volunteers can be found in the EOTC Policy

Photos

· No photos of children at St Patrick’s Catholic School may be kept on any staff member’s personal devices, hard-drive or cloud storage for more than two weeks

· With parent permission, photos of children may be shared on the school website and Facebook page but may not be shared on staff members’ personal social media pages

· Adult volunteers are also subject to this rule and should be discouraged from sharing photos of St Patrick’s children on their personal social media pages without parental permission

Witnessing Unsafe Practices

· Staff members and parent volunteers should be confident to step up and stop an activity if they feel it is unsafe, even if this activity is being facilitated by an “expert”

· Adult volunteers should be made aware of this responsibility before attending a school trip and empowered to keep safety as a strong focus

Allegations

If allegations are made to a staff member about a parent volunteer or a colleague, these allegations should be taken immediately to the principal who will then follow the Disclosure of Abuse Process.

Review

This policy will be reviewed yearly.

Ratified: 21 October 2020

Reviewed: 25 October 2023