Child Safeguarding Procedures

• These procedures ensure children and vulnerable adults are safeguarded, covering concerns and suspicions of child abuse.
• Child protection procedures, safe spaces, matching and referrals, online and internet safety, safer recruitment, Multiple Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), and professional boundaries guidance are also covered.
• The procedures gear towards safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
• Policies not included in this specific document, but part of a wider collection, are health and safety, anti-bullying, discrimination, harassment, drug and substance abuse, complaints, and safeguarding girls at risk of Criminal Sexual Exploitation (CSE).

Safeguarding Roles Within Beam Support

• Registered Manager: Augustina Collins, [email protected], 07713014836, Safeguarding Level 3
• Responsible Individual: Marilyn Barzey, [email protected], 07960 978693, Safeguarding Level 3
• Safeguarding Lead: Omotayo Adenekan, [email protected], 07360925782, Safeguarding Level 3
• Recruitment Lead: Aleksandra Sobczak, [email protected], 07401 178171, Safeguarding Level 3
• The Responsible Individual has overall safeguarding responsibility.
• The Safeguarding Lead has day-to-day safeguarding duties.
• The Recruitment Lead handles daily recruitment, working with the Responsible Individual.
• All staff undergo enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
• The Safeguarding Policy is reviewed annually.
• Staff, including agency staff, receive monthly supervision from a competent professional with at least two years of experience.
• Beam Support follows the referrals process for the London Borough of Harrow's Designated Officer (LADO) and Safeguarding (MASH).

Beam Support's Safeguarding Policies Cover

• Child Protection
• Safe Spaces
• Online Safety
• Matching and Referral process
• Guidance around physical contact and professional boundaries
• Training for all staff on indicators of child abuse, including contextual safeguarding and exploitation.
• Safer Recruitment
• Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

Safeguarding Core Principles

• Safeguarding children and young people is everyone's responsibility.
• Beam Support promotes early intervention, focusing on positive outcomes and emphasizes listening to children and vulnerable adults.
• It ensures staff training and supervision encompass awareness, individual roles, symptom identification, and timely information sharing.
• Beam Support ensures awareness of Harrow Local Safeguarding board's thresholds and internal processes for concerns.
• This policy should be read with risk assessment and other procedures, including missing persons, sexual exploitation, radicalization, and sexually active children.
• Beam Support holds information on each relevant authority, including each Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
• Beam Support adopts rules from local authorities based on Working Together To Safeguard children (2018).

Recognition and Definitions of Child Abuse

• Guidance for staff clarifies when to inform a senior staff member and address individual safeguarding needs before Local Authority referrals.
• Child abuse and neglect cases require Social Services and Police involvement for those under 18 at risk due to actions of parents, carers, or others.
• Referrals must be made to Social Services or Police if a professional is aware of a child suffering harm or neglect.
• Police or Social Services should be contacted immediately if there is immediate danger to a child.

Definitions of Abuse

• Physical Abuse: Involves hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, drowning, or causing physical harm, including factitious illness by proxy or Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
• Emotional Abuse: Persistent ill-treatment causing severe emotional harm, including conveying worthlessness, imposing inappropriate expectations, or causing frequent fear.
• Sexual Abuse: Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities.
• Neglect: Persistent failure to meet basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in serious impairment.
• Abuse may occur through the internet and communication systems.
• Decisions on harm significance consider Children Act 1989 definitions.

Welfare Checklist (s.1 Children Act 1989)

• The child's wishes and feelings
• Physical, emotional, and educational needs
• The likely effect of any change
• Age, sex, background, and relevant characteristics
• Any harm suffered or risk of suffering
• The capability of parents or other persons to meet the child's needs

Definitions of Harm

• Harm: Ill-treatment or the impairment of health or development.
• Development: Physical, intellectual, emotional, social, or behavioural development.
• Health: Physical or mental health. Ill-treatment: Includes sexual abuse and forms of ill-treatment which are not physical.
• Beam Support aims at working with Placing Local Authorities and the Local Authority.

Signs and Indicators of Abuse

• Physical signs and behavioral indicators may be clues that children and young people are abused, and should not be taken as confirmation that abuse has taken place.
• Emotional Abuse indicators are Neurotic behavior, being unable to play, fear of making mistakes and self-harm.
• Neglect indicators include Complaining of being tired all the time, not requesting medical assistance and/or failing to attend appointments and having few friends.
• The presence of one or more physical or behavioral indicators should not be taken as proof that abuse is occurring.
• The London thresholds and processes around such criteria should enable Local Authorities to agree with the initial referral criteria grading or escalate the threshold grading based on available evidence.
• In cases of doubt, consultation with experienced colleagues and local child protection teams is recommended.
• Information about past abuse should be referred in the same way as current concerns.

Contact Information

• Children & Family Services Children's Access Team: 020 8901 2690
• Harrow Out of Hours team: 020 8424 0999
• In emergencies, dial 999.
• Referrers normally remain confidential.

Child Protection Procedures

• Inform Responsible Individual, Safeguarding Lead, or Manager if there is a fear that a child or vulnerable adult suffered or is at risk of suffering physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.
• Beam Supports Responsible Individual has overall responsibility for informing Children's Services of any child protection concerns.
• The decision to make a referral to Children's Services is by the Responsible Individual and Safeguarding Lead.
• Duty Officer is informed of concerns related to child protection.
• In out-of-office-hours incidents, the BEAM overnight service contacts the Responsible Individual.

Referral to Children's Services Encouragement

• If there is belief that a child needs support and services, or is at risk of suffering or has suffered significant harm a referral to children’s services can be made.
• Parents' agreement should be sought before a referral.
• Immediate advice sought if informing a parent/carer puts the child at risk or compromises Police evidence.
• If parents/carers withhold agreement, consider the impact on child welfare.
• Professional consultants the designated professional with special responsibility for child protection matters (Beam Support Responsible Individual or the Registered Manager).
• Local Social Services Duty Teams are available for advice and consultation on whether to make a referral to the Social Services Directorate.

Referral Guidelines

• Referrals should provide full details of the child and family, family circumstances, agency involvement, and reasons for referral. Concerns about abuse or neglect need to be identified.
• If a child may need emergency protection, contact the Police or Social Service by telephone with details of the child and the reason for immediate action.
• Referrals made by telephone must be followed up in writing within two working days.
• A referral about what course of action will be taken within 24 hours will be decided by the Duty Manager of Social Services.
• The action may include Immediate s.47 enquiry required/or emergency action to protect the child, in accordance with s.47 of the Children Act 1989.

Allegations Against Staff

• A summary of any allegations against staff is kept in their confidential file.
• The Safeguarding Lead is responsible for ensuring the LADO is notified.
• Notification reports must have manager's views.
• In the Lead's absence, another keyworker will write the notification report.

Immediate Threshold Considerations for Child Removal:

• Police must be informed immediately if a child is suspected to have suffered or is at risk of suffering immediate serious harm.
• A decision may include asking the alleged perpetrator to leave home.
• A risk assessment will be undertaken and a new risk assessment for the child completed in all situations.
• Full co-operation and collaboration with any investigation is required from the investigating parties.
• A designated manager ensures assistance promptly if Beam Support has a role in information gathering.
• Strict adherence to information sharing and confidentiality protocols ensure child safety and investigation integrity.
• Additional action is determined by the case nature, and support may be provided to the child to deal with emotional or physical trauma.
• Local authority social and support workers, parents, other professionals, and the child are all consulted.
• The child will be supported during and after an investigation to deal with any potential mental or physical trauma.

Addressing Unfounded Allegations

• Work with the child to find the underlying reasons as to why an unfounded allegation was made.
• Manage malicious allegations in-house with relevant professionals.
• LADO and designated manager may address poor professional conduct via disciplinary or complaints procedure.
• The person who made the complaint/allegation will be informed as to decision.
• It is determined by the manager and LADO where information is lacking and how it should be obtained.
• Re-evaluate risk assessment and safer caring plans is necessary on confidentiality and information sharing with worker.

Child Protection Example Flow Chart

• Decision made by an agency with statutory child protection powers that emergency action may be necessary to safeguard a child.
• Immediate strategy discussion makes decisions about immediate safeguarding action and information giving, especially to parents.
• Relevant agency seeks legal advice and outcomes recorded.
• There has to be see child and outcome is recorded when Relevant agency takes an emergency action.
• The situation transitions to "child in need" when appropriate emergency action is taken, but there's not a need for further action.
• The process continues by agreeing a plan for the child's safety and welfare with family and professionals, followed by recording and acting on decisions.

Child Protection Flow Chart Example 2

• Professional has concerns about a child's welfare.
• If there are concerns of significant harm, go straight to referral, professional discusses with manager and safeguarding advisor, including parental consent consideration.
• If a common assessment has been completed professional adds to it and contacts the lead professional.
• The children's social care receive referral and decide next course of action.
• If there's no further LA children's social care involvement at this stage, other action may be necessary e.g. onward referral.

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub Policy (MASH)

• This policy is about the benefits of having a MASH policy, the methodology for referral, when to make a MASH referral, who should make the MASH referral, what to consider when making the MASH referral and steps to take to make a MASH referral.
• This document includes information for child, young person or vulnerable adult safeguarding and welfare purposes, and removes barriers to effective information sharing.
• Sets parameters for sharing personal data and clearly identifies the responsibilities of Beam Support.
• Identifies the correct lawful basis to share personal information.

MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub)

• The London Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) Project improves the way that local safeguarding partnerships deal with referrals.
• The main aim of a MASH is to improve the quality of information sharing and decision making between agencies at the earliest opportunity.
• A MASH team is made up of practitioners from Local authority, police, probation and health services.
• By combining the information held by the full range of agencies working with child, young people and vulnerable adult and or their family MASH process allows practitioners to build up a fuller picture before action.

Methodology for Referral

• Harm: Things in a young person's environment that might hurt them or make them feel scared.
• Danger: This is what what we are scared might happen if we do not make any changes including misuse of drugs and alcohol, sex, and molestation.
• Clarity on the worries and the strengths, using the signs of safety methodology, consider what level of support the family need.
• Use the Right Help/Right Time Threshold to decide which service would be best to support vulnerable people to prevent any delay.
• Notifications to the MASH are considered by a social work manager who makes an initial judgement to the level of risk to the child and categorises the referral as red, amber, or green.

MASH Referral Timescale

• For decisions ranging from a few hours (four hours in urgent cases) to a few days.
• Information shared within the hub is gathered from practitioners such as teachers, GPs, health visitors, school nurses or police officers.

A Referral Should Be Made To Mash When

• If concerns of significant harm, if the child makes an allegation of abuse or is abandoned.
• Concerns for a child under a Supervision or Care Order.

Who Should Make A Referral

• Beam Support staff are responsible to consider the welfare of vulnerable adults and children in their care.
• Key steps to follow to identify and respond appropriately to possible abuse and/or neglect are Be Alert, Question Behaviours, Ask for Help and Refer.
• In an immediate danger situation contact the Police (999) and refer to MASH as soon as possible using MASH Referral form.

Information Sharing Checklist

• Justify the purpose and identify relevant legislation that applies to information that is being shared.
• Individuals should be informed that the information will be shared.
• Consider whether notifying the individual of the sharing may place someone at risk.
• The Mash referral form is to be completed by Beam Supports Safeguarding Lead and sent for approval to Beam Supports Responsible Individual.

Recruitment, Selection and Vetting Policy

• Committed to equal opportunities and encouraging applications from all ages, genders, sexualities, religions, nationalities and cultures.
• Organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and expects commitment from all staff and volunteers.
• The is to ensure that recruitment and selection processes are conducted in compliance with current employment, safeguarding and immigration legislation and qualified staff are adequately qualified and trained..
• It assess and vets the suitability of candidates to work with children and young people to ensure adequacy of staff.

Delegation Of Appointment

• The Responsible Person is ultimately responsible for all staff appointments whom may delegate the Managing Director.
• The main elements of the recruitment and vetting processes are advertisements for staff are placed on job sites and college centers.
• Candidates must not be eliminated from short listing for reasons relating to any of the Protected Characteristics (Equality Act 2010).
• Candidates are assessed for communication skills prior to selection.
• Candidates selected provide evidence of their right to live and work in the job is fully explored and explained with appropriate understanding of issues.
• A 6 month probation is in place to ensure that candidate is able to fulfill the duties appropriately.

Conditional Offer of Employment

• The receipt of two satisfactory employment references, their identity verification.
• All candidates are required to provide a full employment history (fully explaining and all gaps in their employment).
• Any offer of employment to a successful candidate is conditional upon the following.

Engagement of Temporary (Agency) Workers

• Beam Support complies fully with Data Protection Regulations regarding the correct handling, use, storage of all information.
• The organization recognizes the importance of consistency of staff for the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children.

Monitoring and Recording

• Complies fully with Data Protection Regulations regarding the correct handling, use, storage retention and disposal of all disclosure information.
• Beam Support reserve the right to review this policy from time to time.

Staff are Interviewed With Questions Relating To

• Administrative duties - documenting the day-to-day activities of the young people using the information systems
• Communication skills – liaising with professionals such as placement teams, social workers, team leaders and service user's family and friends
• Providing support - in acquiring the core skills (personal hygiene, cooking, planning, education and or work)
• Undertaking training, delivering training in areas of specialism

Part C Interview Tasks - Using Office

• Task 1 is to identify and use the appropriate form template for reporting the events of 22/09/2019.
• Part C Interview - Using Microsoft Excel- present the information below in an Excel Spreadsheet using formulas were appropriate and the deadline is on 02/05/2023.
• Beam Support policy is to customize the service to the needs of the service user.
• Task 1 is, create a PowerPoint slide to inform and remind staff to refer to this SOP document when they are on duty.
• To is to send Powerpoint slides to the [email protected].

Matching and Referral

• Strives to support children, young adults, the professionals that work with them the right support services to relieve any anxieties and concerns when searching.
• The matching and referral process help identify and plan support/services.
• The following outlines the steps and considerations that are followed once a referral is received after receiving the initial placement request/IPA we review.
• Local Authority has power to change category and provide evidence, a risk assessment.

Escalation In Service User Category.

• This the service user has been accepted for placement in one category.
• Verifying the balance of service user category within the unit is the first step.
• The placing authority sends a fee template.
• The placing authority is informed of the outcome of the Referral Placement meeting along with the support requirements.

Safe Space Policy

• Safe spaces work to support the reduction of toxic dysfunction and inequity permeating the environment.
• Beam Supports physical safe space for staff is supported lockable door and CCTV.
• Physical Wellbeing safe space - is where staff and service users share their ideas and thoughts without fear of repercussions, and live their identity without facing discrimination.

Guidance In Implementing Beam Support's Safe Spaces

• Beam Support gives to share their ideas without discrimination.
• A physical safe space is referred to as the service user's room or office for staff and Wellbeing safe the to discuss.
• Depersonalize conflict by discussing behaviours and actions, not by attacking a person's character and show respect for others by not interrupting and show respect.

Commitment

• Beam Support is committed to take a zero-tolerance approach to any that could cause harassment, bullying, or discriminated.
• Believes all staff and service users should be free from resulting from grounds of marital status and socio-economic status.

Online and Internet Safety Policy

• Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, facilitated through devices (Department for Education-2018).
• Policy statement is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of who are using the internet media mobile and online provides staff and volunteers.
• The statement applies to all staff and anyone involved, like children and young people as a result can be revictimized where if abuse has already occurred.

The Impact of Online Abuse

• Can lead to self-harm & anxiety and suicidal thoughts (DCMS-2020.)
• Cyber-leads to depression such and other mental health difficulties.

Child Sexual Abuse Online

• Effects of online sexual abuse as abuse off and may be for the young people in order to blackmail into complying (Hamilton.)
• They may feel by those who have been in contact, they are often fatigued.

Recognition and Speaking Out

• A may be reluctant to speak about online because they feel dirty and ashamed, or afraid because of from the abuser (NSPCC-2016).
• They also blame and not get support online (Hamilton-Giachritsis et al-2017)
• Maintain easier access, and feel a false sense of security if any in offline (Hamilton.)

EU Kids Online Developed 3CS

• Commercial by adverts and hateful/violent content.
• Or negative values (Hamilton.)

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Factors To Consider

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Vulnerability To Online Grooming

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