Child protection and safeguarding

Policy statement:

This policy aims to protect children from abuse and neglect inside or outside of the nursery. Children have the right to be safe and well cared for by their primary carers and in their early years setting. This policy aims to uphold those right and take action by contacting the appropriate agencies where there are concerns.

Staff Training

All staff will undertake an introduction to safeguarding and child protection as part of their initial induction to the nursery. Further, there is a test which confirms their understanding of child protection and our procedure. All staff must complete this test within the first three months of employment with Rainbow. There are also additional readings for staff on the Staff Portal and further Training is available on the staff training (Moodle) platform.

Procedure to follow if a staff member has concerns

A staff member may have concerns about abuse or neglect for one of the following reasons:

  1. Behaviour indicators from the child
  2. Physical signs
  3. Observed someone mistreating the child

In these situations, staff members will:

  1. Immediately make an accurate record of their concerns. Recording only factual information, and no interpretation or speculation, and no views or opinions. A clear record of what was seen or said. This should be dated and signed.
  1. The staff member should then discuss the issue with the team leader, (or manager in the absence of the team leader), and pass the notes they have made.
  1. The team leader will read through the statement and clarify any facts that are not clear, and then contact the manager, passing the information on clearly and quickly
  1. The manager will review the evidence and statement from the team member, and if required interview the team member
  1. The manager will then seek advice from a trained and Israeli certified social worker in relation to the next steps
  1. All details of the incident will be recorded and stored in the nursery’s ‘Child protection’ folder on the secure server. This must be updated at each stage or development
  1. Based on the advice from the social worker, there may be 3 outcomes:
  • Concerns are discussed with parents, and clarification sought
  • Concerns are passed on to Israeli official welfare officers (Social worker)
  • No further action at this stage, and the child will be monitored, and any further concerns reported

A staff member should speak to the manager if they are at all concerned about another team member or their behaviour. They may use the Anonymous Disclosure Form (ADF) to raise a concern about a colleague if they are reluctant about speaking personally to the manager, although any discussion is always in the strictest confidence. The ADF can be accessed here. 

Disclosures:

Where a child makes a full or partial disclosure to a member of staff, the practitioner must:

  • Offer reassurance to the child.

  • Listen to the child

  • Not question the child.

 

Recording suspicions of abuse, disclosures and existing injuries:

Staff make a record of:

  • The child’s name

  • The age of the child

  • The time and date of the observation or the disclosures

  • An objective record of the observation or disclosure

  • Staff are NOT to lead the child by questions but are to be active listeners.

  • The exact words spoken by the child and the people involved.

  • The name of the person to whom the concern was reported, with time and date

  • The names of any other person present at the time.

These records are signed and dated and kept in the nursery child protection file.

 

Informing parents:

The manager and/or person in charge who is present will proceed with decisions about informing parents or raising a discussion with parents. Staff or team leaders are not permitted to discuss anything with parents without the agreement of the manager.

Parents are normally the first point of contact. If a suspicion of abuse is recorded parents are informed at the same time as the report is made. Parents should not be informed immediately if it is believed that the parent is the likely involved or have knowledge of the abusive situation. In these cases the investigating social workers will inform parents.

 

Support to families:

  • Rainbow Nursery takes every steps in it’s power to build up trusting and supportive relationships among families and staff.

  • Rainbow Nursery continues to welcome the child and the family whilst investigations are being made in relation to abuse in the home situation.

  • Confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child’s parents or those who have parental responsibility for the child only if appropriate.

  • With the provision that the care and safety of the child is paramount, we do all in our power to support and work with the child’s family.

Social worker contact

The manager is the designated child protection person at Rainbow, and will be the only person who makes initial contact with the social worker.

Designated social worker manager for Tel Aviv Central

Keren Yafa | +972 53-250-3060