Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment Policy
Incyte International Ltd and MGA Education Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment policy
Policy last reviewed September 2024
Introductory Statement
Contents
· Purpose of the policy
· Legislation and Key Documents
· Key personnel and contact details
· Safeguarding – Definition
· Safeguarding – Types of Abuse
· Grooming
· Relevance to your role
· What to do if a child discloses any form of abuse to you
· Allegations
· Relationships with Pupils
· Training
· Relationship with the School and particularly the Designated Safeguarding Lead
· Records
· Use of Mobile Technology and Electronic Equipment
· Safer Recruitment
· External Contractors on Site
· Expectations of All Staff
· Expectations of the Safeguarding Lead for <company name>
· Expectations of Senior Leadership Team
· Expectations of Senior Leadership Team
· Expectations of the Board of Directors/Governors
Purpose of the Policy
Everyone working with children or young people has a responsibility to understand what safeguarding means and what their responsibilities are in relation to keeping children and young people safe.
In your role, as an employee or associate consultant of Incyte International Ltd you are likely to have some interaction or engagement with the pupils, possibly at times when teachers may not be around such as before school, during break and lunch times and after school. Children and young people may find it easier to speak to you as a non-teacher if they are experiencing abuse or being neglected.
The purpose of this policy is to provide managers, consultants and staff with information about safeguarding children and young people, and to give guidance on the procedures to follow should there be any concerns that comes to your notice about the safety of a child or young person attending the school.
The policy and procedures are aimed to ensure that, as far as reasonably possible, all children or young people are protected from harm, including risk from any inappropriate behaviour from a member of Incyte International Ltd or school staff. It provides guidance on the risks that consultants and staff should be vigilant about and how processes, such as recruitment and selection, are used to minimise some of these risks.
The policy includes information on working with the school, particularly the school’s designated safeguarding lead, (DSL) to ensure pupils are safe and that Incyte International consultants and staff are playing an effective role in keeping them safe.
Legislation and Key Documents
The legislative framework underpinning safeguarding of children and young people includes:
The Children Act 1989
The Children Act 2004
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
Children and Families Act 2014
The Children and Social Work Act 2017
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Human Rights Act 1998
The SEN Code of Practice 2014
The Equality Act 2010
Prevent Strategy 2011
Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974)
Key documents
Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2024)
Working Together to Safeguarding Children 2023
Related Policies
Staff Code of Conduct
Recruitment Policy
Whistle Blowing Policy
Acceptable User Policy
Complaints
Confidentiality
Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy
Useful School Policies for consultants to access prior to a visit
The school’s Safeguarding Policy
The school’s behaviour policy, including the Anti-bullying Policy
Staff Code of Conduct
Policies covering use of mobiles and social media for staff
Key personnel and contact details
Organisation Safeguarding Lead Name: Caroline McKee
Contact e-mail: carolinem@incyteinternational.com
Contact phone number: 0044 7980254118
Updates for Sept 2020-2024 KCSIE
Online safety, including when children are online at home
Mental health – see the amended definition of safeguarding. Pg 7
Whole school safeguarding culture
Children who have a social worker and how schools are meeting their needs.
Response to allegations (supply teachers are now added specifically and the new bullet is about transferable risk of the suitability to work with children).
The role of the DSL ‘should help promote educational outcomes’ for a range of children, including those with a social worker.
KCSIE applies to providers of post-16 education as set out Education and Training (Welfare of Children) Act 2021.
It now makes clear it is essential that when they make a report of abuse, all victims are reassured that they are being taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe.
It explains in more detail the risks associated with peer-on-peer online abuse and what this can look like.
It makes clear that peer-on-peer abuse can happen outside the school or college and that it can be hidden – just because there aren’t reports of it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
It provides more information for governors on reporting mechanisms and sets out that systems should be in place and easily understood for children to confidently report abuse, knowing their concerns will be treated seriously, they can express their views and give feedback.
It emphasises the need to consider tailored approaches to teach children about staying safe, especially with regard to victims of abuse, vulnerable children and SEND children.
A section has been added which deals with unsubstantiated, unfounded, false or malicious reports.
DfE has added information on Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) setting out how children can be exploited, and making clear that the experiences of girls being criminally exploited can be very different to boys, as well as the indicators to look for in victims of CCE.
DfE has added a new section in Part four (relating to allegations made against staff) to differentiate between allegations that meet the reporting threshold and those under the threshold considered ‘low level concerns’.
The most notable changes are on victim support, child-on-child abuse (including online) and the availability of reporting channels. The update makes clear that abuse, sexual violence, and sexual harassment may be happening outside of school or college premises and online. In addition, it is clear there should be a zero-tolerance approach to sexual violence and sexual harassment and that schools should take a “it can happen here" attitude, being clear abuse could be happening even where it is not being reported.
Safeguarding
Definition
In relation to children and young people, safeguarding and promoting their welfare is defined in ‘Working together to safeguard children 2023’ as: (text in red is what has been removed in KCSIE 2023 from this definition).
• providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• (promoting the upbringing of children with their birth parents, or otherwise their family network through a kinship care arrangement, whenever possible and where this is in the best interests of the children).
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes (in line with the outcomes set out in the Children’s Social Care National Framework).
A child is defined as everyone under the age of 18 (United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child).
Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility.
Safeguarding is about embedding practices throughout the company to ensure the protection of children and young people wherever possible.
The NSPCC defines child abuse as:
‘Any action by another person – child or adult – that causes significant harm to a child. It can be physical, sexual or emotional, but can just as often be about a lack of love, care and attention. We know that neglect, whatever form it takes can be just as damaging as physical abuse.’
Abuse can be caused by those inflicting harm or those who fail to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children. Abuse is not restricted to any socio-economic group, gender or culture.
Types of Abuse and Neglect and Exploitation
The following definitions of physical, sexual, emotional abuse, neglect and exploitation are taken from Working Together to Safeguard Children:
Physical abuse
A form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child. Serious violence is identified clearly in 2019 KCSIE.
Sexual abuse
Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.
Upskirting (using a phone camera or camera to take a photo looking up the skirt of a person) is also a criminal offence.
Emotional abuse
The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
In the course of your duties, you may come across a child who isolates themselves from others; they may disclose details of how they are being abused. Any concerns you have should be reported as soon as possible.
Neglect
The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
· provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment);
· protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger;
· ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or
· ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
Child protection is part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.
In addition to physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect, the following are further risks to children and young people identified in Keeping Children Safe in Education and risks that staff need to be aware of and be vigilant about:
Radicalisation into extremist ideas and terrorism: this involves looking out for adults and children who may express extremist ideologies, distribute material which promotes extremist ideas or demonstrate negative behaviour towards others based on their race, religion, sexual orientation etc. The government’s Prevent strategy aims to counter all forms of extremism including: far right ideologies; Islamist fundamentalism; football hooliganism; animal rights extremism etc. The underlying signs include spreading hate and advocating, being willing to or actually committing violence. The government has a de-radicalisation programme, Channel, where those who wish to spread hate and violence based on their extremist ideas are de-programmed.
Domestic violence and abuse: this may come to your notice through disclosure by a pupil at the school; you may see bruising that is unlikely to have been caused by the usual rough and tumble that children often engage in. This also includes children seeing, hearing or experiencing its effects of domestic abuse in the home.
Bullying and harassment, including harassment based on discrimination against a protected characteristic: any form of harassment by an adult to a child or by one child to another is unacceptable. Where pupils use derogatory language based on a protected characteristic such as race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability etc, it must be reported.
Children missing in education or unexplainable and or/persistent absences from education’: children going missing, particularly repeatedly, can act as a vital warning sign of a range of safeguarding possibilities. This may include abuse and neglect, which may include sexual abuse or exploitation and child criminal exploitation. It may indicate mental health problems, risk of substance abuse, risk of travelling to conflict zones, risk of female genital mutilation or risk of forced marriage.
Pupils who are absent or missing from education can be a warning sign of a range of safeguarding concerns including sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or child criminal exploitation.
Female genital mutilation: FGM comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. It is illegal in the UK and a form of child abuse with long-lasting harmful consequences.
Forced marriage: this is distinct from an arranged marriage and is when parents, or a parent, forces their child to get married against their will, i.e. the child does not give free consent, and where violence, threats or any other form of coercion is used to cause a person to enter into a marriage. Threats can be physical or emotional and psychological. Some communities use religion and culture as a way to coerce a young person into marriage, misrepresenting this as an ‘arranged’ marriage. A lack of full and free consent can be where a person does not consent or where they cannot consent (if they have learning disabilities, for example). Forced marriage is illegal in England and Wales.
Child on child abuse: Children can abuse other children. This is generally referred to as child on child abuse and can take many forms. This can include (but is not limited to) bullying (including cyberbullying); sexual violence and sexual harassment; physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm; sexting and initiation/hazing type violence and rituals.
Sexual violence and harassment between children: sexual violence and sexual harassment can occur between two children of any age and sex. It can also occur through a group of children sexually assaulting or sexually harassing a single child or group of children.
Child criminal exploitation - County lines: Criminal exploitation of children is a geographically widespread form of harm that is a typical feature of county lines criminal activity. Drug networks or gangs groom and exploit children and young people to carry drugs and money from urban areas to suburban and rural areas, market and seaside towns.
Modern slavery: child slavery occurs when a child is exploited for someone else’s gain. It can include child trafficking, child marriage and child domestic slavery.
Mental Health
All staff and consultants should also be aware that mental health problems can, in some cases, be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Only appropriately trained professionals should attempt to make a diagnosis of a mental health problem. Consultants however, are well placed to observe children when visiting schools and learner centres and identify those whose behaviour suggests that they may be experiencing a mental health problem or be at risk of developing one.
Where children have suffered abuse and neglect, or other potentially traumatic adverse childhood experiences, this can have a lasting impact throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. It is key that staff are aware of how these children’s experiences, can impact on their mental health, behaviour and education.
If consultants have a mental health concern about a child that is also a safeguarding concern, immediate action should be taken, following the school’s or centre’s child protection policy and speaking to the designated safeguarding lead or a deputy.
Grooming
This is a process by which adults and other children, especially older children, use to establish control over a child with the ultimate purpose of exploiting them. The grooming can be for:
· Sexual exploitation
· Criminal exploitation
· Fundamentalism and terrorism.
The process of grooming for sexual exploitation involves:
Targeting the victim – often someone who is vulnerable, lonely, emotionally needy, lacking in confidence or self-esteem
Gaining the victim’s trust – groomers are very patient and invest a great deal of time in gaining trust. They have the long-term gain in mind.
Filling a need – making the victim feel better about themselves; giving attention and also gifts and presents.
Isolating the victim – creating situations where the victim is alone with the groomer and, little by little, cutting the victim off from friends and family.
Sexualising the relationship – this occurs where the groomer has created sufficient emotional dependency so that the victim does not resist/cannot resist.
Maintaining control - this is possible because through the processes above, the victim no longer trusts anyone else and trusts the groomer above all, which enables the groomer to manipulate the victim and control them completely.
Grooming for criminal exploitation or into fundamentalism is not very different. These also involve careful targeting, gaining trust, isolating the victim, filling a need, providing propaganda to make the victim willing to commit crimes, includes desensitising them to violence, and maintaining control.
Those individuals involved in grooming children are adept at convincing adults around them, and the children, that they mean no harm and that they are caring people.
Early Help
Early help strengthens the role of education and childcare settings in supporting children and keeping them safe, including information on a child’s right to education and risk factors for practitioners to consider when identifying children and families who may benefit from early help. The approach to working with families has been strengthened throughout the guidance, KCSIE 2024, outlining the role of family networks, including stronger guidance on the use of family group conferences to improve family network engagement in decision making and supporting children.
Local authorities, with their partners, should develop and publish local protocols for assessment. A local protocol should set out clear arrangements for how cases will be managed once a child is referred into local authority children’s social care.
KCSIE 2024, para 205-209
Guidance on Children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning their gender’ – disclaimer added, and additional text includes further clarification to comply with gender questioning children guidance terminology.
N.B. This section remains under review, pending the outcome of the gender questioning children guidance consultation, and final gender questioning guidance documents being published.
Relevance to Your Role as a consultant
In the course of your work, you may see behaviours in children that may suggest a safeguarding issue or risk, for example, children suffering from neglect looking unkempt, seeking needy attention; children who appear to be poorly dressed or in a poor state of dress and cleanliness; you may find children avoiding lessons by hiding around the school or the grounds; children who appear to have expensive clothes and possessions, such as designer jewellery, watches etc may have acquired these as a result of being exploited, sexually or through involvement with criminal gangs. These are just some of the examples of how abuse manifests itself.
Vulnerable children and young people in the school are likely to find it easier to speak to you than a teacher or other member of staff in the school. Therefore, they may disclose information about being abused or exploited, or something which suggests that they may be being abused or exploited.
It is important that if you have any concerns about the safety of a child or children, no matter how small, that you report it immediately to the school’s DSL or headteacher and also Incyte’s designated safeguarding lead: Caroline Mckee, 0044 7980 254118.
What to do if a child discloses any form of abuse to you
It is important to take the following action if a child decides they want to confide or disclose to you:
· Follow the school’s protocol and avoid if possible being on your own with the child
If this is not possible
· Do not promise to keep it a secret – be clear that you will have to pass on the information
· Do listen to what they have to say
· Do not judge the child or show your own emotions i.e. do not show disgust; feelings of abhorrence or shock at what you are being told
· Do not give views about the allegations or the person about whom allegations are being made
· Reassure the child that they have done the right thing in speaking about what they are experiencing
· Reassure the child that whatever is happening to them is not their fault
· Take notes of what they say; if you are not able to write it down while they are disclosing, then do so as soon as possible after they have spoken to you
· Do not ask leading or probing questions or try to investigate it further yourself – this will be done by safeguarding professionals
· Any questions being asked should be to seek clarification only
· “Make a report of disclosure as soon as possible to the DSL or headteacher and then to Incyte’s designated safeguarding lead: Caroline Mckee, 0044 7980 254118.
· Do not speak to other members of staff or pupils, or anyone else unless they are professionally involved in the case, such as the school’s designated safeguarding lead, the police, a social worker assigned to the case etc. You must maintain confidentiality about what has been disclosed and not share information inappropriately.
Allegations
If you observe any member of Incyte International’s consultants behaving towards a child in a way that causes you concern, you should report this immediately to Incyte’s designated safeguarding lead: Caroline McKee, 0044 7980 254118.
It is not the role of the individual consultant to make a decision about whether the member of staff they are reporting is guilty of an offence against a child. However, it is everyone’s responsibility to report suspicious behaviour or behaviour towards a child from another member of staff that concerns them. The company has a clear policy on how it handles such allegations and whether an investigation is necessary to establish the full facts.
If the concern is about a senior member of Incyte International staff or director, report your concerns to the LADO or police.
If you have concerns about allegations made against an outside organisation or individual such as allegations from community groups, sports associations or other service providers running extra-curricular activities then the LADO must be informed.
If you see any concerning behaviour by a member of the school staff towards a child, please also report this immediately to the DSL, to headteacher and then to Incyte’s designated safeguarding lead: Caroline McKee, 0044 7980 254118.
Allegations about a member of staff maybe made by:
· A child
· Another member of Incyte International’s staff
· A member of the school staff
· A contractor
· A visitor
· A volunteer
· A parent.
If an allegation relating to safeguarding against a member of staff is substantiated, the DBS must be informed. There is a legal duty to refer to the DBS anyone who has harmed, or poses a risk of harm, to a child or vulnerable adult. Refer to Incyte’s allegation policy
Relationships with Pupils
As part of the day-to-day in schools most consultants will come into contact with pupils in the school. It is important to remain polite and respectful towards pupils but on no account to form friendships either in person or on social media. If pupils at the school or close relatives, such as a parent, request you to join their social media circle, although this will be unlikely, you must refrain from doing so.
To keep yourself safe from false allegations, ensure that you are never alone in a room or a lift with a pupil from the school. Never offer to give lifts or gifts, no matter how small, to a pupil.
In addition, if, in your role, you need to enter changing rooms or toilets, make sure that you knock and check that there is no-one inside. Wait till the rooms or toilets are vacated before entering.
Be a positive role model and professional in your behaviour towards other staff, pupils and visitors.
If any pupils are rude or disrespectful, or are behaving badly around the school and no member of the school staff is present, follow the school policy and report this to the appropriate person in the school. It is important not to get involved in any dispute or argument with pupils. Do not attempt to restrain a pupil.
You should ensure that you do not make any physical contact with a child or young person at the school.
Do not take pictures or videos of pupils either deliberately or by accident.
Training
All staff are provided with training on safeguarding. This consists of bi monthly safeguarding updates and annual training.
All staff must read all sections of Keeping Children Safe in Education.
New staff must complete any safeguarding training within the first week of starting work. The company’s designated safeguarding lead will provide training as part of induction for new staff.
Relationship with the School and particularly the Designated Safeguarding Lead
Our staff need to work closely with the school on safeguarding procedures and impact of provision to ensure that any concerns are shared for the safety of pupils.
It is unlikely that Incyte International will deal directly with social services, the police or other agencies expect in the rare circumstances.
Where consultants have a regular contract with a school it is important that there is regular contact with the school’s designated safeguarding lead to share information, any changes or updates in procedures, and to review working protocols.
Where an allegation has been made about a member of our staff, this will, in most instances, need to be shared with the school’s designated safeguarding lead or headteacher. If the allegation relates to behaviour towards a child or children at the school, the school will need to let the parent or parents know. If there is an investigation, the child or children will need to be involved.
Agreed protocols are in place for these situations.
Records
All concerns that are reported should be recorded, no matter how small.
Records should be dated and signed and contain brief but clear details. Copies should be shared with the school’s designated safeguarding lead.
Records are kept safe and secure and are maintained electronically, and password protected.
Use of Mobile Technology and Electronic Equipment
Personal mobile phones should not be taken into school unless agreed by the Headteacher. In this case, they should not be taken out of the designated base for the consultant. If needed for business, calls should be made from this office.
Phones, cameras or other mobile technology should not be used to take photographs or videos of pupils.
Incyte is the holder of the annual cyber essentials accreditation and filters and monitors all the company equipment. It is the consultant’s responsibility to ensure that their equipment meets requirements and that any data is deleted once the contract with the school is 3 months old from the report being released to the client.
Safer Recruitment
One of the ways to keep children at the school safe is to make sure that the recruitment and selection process is carried out diligently so that anyone who may be unsuitable to be around children is appointed. This process is called ‘safer recruitment’ and involves a full range of checks, including an enhanced disclosure and disbarring service checks (DBS) to be made before anyone is employed r contracted. At least one member of the management team should have completed the online safer recruitment training.
It is important to note that those who wish to abuse children and groom them often seek out work, including voluntary work, in organisations that give them easy access to children and young people.
All prospective consultants or staff must provide two referees. The referees must be able to make a clear statement that they know of no reason why the prospective employee is not suitable to work with children. In addition, they must also declare that they know of no allegations made against the employee in relation to working with children and young people in the past or currently.
All prospective employees must be able to explain satisfactorily any gaps in their work history.
As part of the employment checks, prospective employees must show current ID; documents which confirm their address and right to work in the UK. In addition, where relevant, a police check may also be requested from a police force in another country. The prospective employees mental and physical fitness for work must also be checked.
If a DBS check is returned and it provides details of any prior offence, conviction, caution, or reprimand (other than parking or speeding convictions) we undertake a written risk assessment to support the final decision on whether any job offer stands or should be withdrawn.
No employee is allowed to work unsupervised until all the recruitment checks have been completed.
The DBS numbers of staff are shared with the school so that the school can include the consultant on its single central record of checks.
We require all staff to renew their enhanced DBS check every three years or we require all new staff to sign up to the update service provided by the DBS. This means that their records are updated automatically if they commit an offence or are cautioned and can be checked at any time by Incyte International Ltd.
Potential job applicants must be told that online searches will be carried out as part of due diligence checks ahead of their interview (short-listed candidates).
Alternative Provision in schools
The school remains responsible for the pupils they place in alternative provision.
Expectations of All Staff
All staff should:
· know and understand the company policy
· know and understand the school’s policy
· attend training as required, and update training at least annually
· be vigilant and look out for any signs that may indicate a child is at risk or in need of support
· be ready to listen to any concerns or disclosures from children in the school
· know the procedures to follow
· know who to report to
· understand how they are expected to behave around children and model positive behaviours and values.
· understand the requirements for confidentiality with regard to safeguarding information while also being aware of the need to share this information with relevant agencies and safeguarding professionals.
Expectations of the Safeguarding Lead for Caroline McKee
· Attend safeguarding training and updates annually
· Understand policies and procedures required to safeguard children
· Be familiar with Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working together to Safeguard Children
· Ensure that all new employees complete the required training
· Ensure that concerns staff raise about safeguarding at schools are passed onto the school’s designated safeguarding lead and the company DSL
· If an allegation is made against a member of staff, report this to senior leaders/HR who will take the appropriate action
· In the event of a serious safeguarding issue, take responsibility for contacting the police and/or social services
· Ensure that any concerns staff have shared are properly recorded
· Maintain records of all concerns staff have shared safely and securely
· Produce regular reports for senior leaders and the board on safeguarding matters
· Ensure that the company policy is effectively implemented
· Check staff understanding from time-to-time by asking individuals what they would do in various situations.
Expectations of Directors
· Ensure that the company policy is implemented by all staff and contractors
· Monitor the policy, and review and revise it as needed annually
· Promote a positive safeguarding culture where safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility
· Ensure that all staff, contractors, visitors and volunteers know their responsibilities in relation to keeping children safe, who to report to if they have a concern and what to do if a child discloses abuse
· Create and maintain an environment where children and staff feel safe and secure
· Ensure that recruitment and selection of new employees are conducted in line with safer recruitment requirements and all the required checks are carried out
· Deal appropriately with any safeguarding complaints or allegations made against a member of Incyte International’s staff
Expectations of HR
· Ensure that the safeguarding policy is in place and accessible to all staff
· Support senior leaders in managing any complaints or allegations against a member of staff on the grounds of safeguarding
· Ensure that all required checks when new staff are recruited are carried out
· Provide the school with the DBS numbers of consultants working on site
· Undertake training on safeguarding as required, especially in relation to safer recruitment
· If a DBS check is returned and it provides details of any prior offence, conviction, caution, or reprimand (other than parking or speeding convictions) undertake a written risk assessment to support the final decision on whether the prospective employee is safe to employ or not <the company should have a protocol with the school about sharing this information with the school should, following risk assessment, the offer of employment is not likely to be withdrawn – this might need to be added to this policy or it may be included in the recruitment policy>
· Ensure that staff making safeguarding checks etc have up-to-date knowledge and understanding of these
· In the event of a safeguarding allegation against a member of staff which is substantiated, alert the DBS.