Child Protection Policy (2007)

Introduction
This statement sets out a policy which requires the organisation, and all future employed staff and volunteers who seek to be involved in the charity known as Education for Children in Need (ECN), to accept the duty to safeguard the welfare of children and young people, and to prevent physical, sexual and emotional abuses of all children with whom they come into contact.
This policy document will be made available to :
• all future staff employed by ECN
• all volunteers involved in activities with children and young people
• Trustees and member of the Assembly of ECN
• to all other interested parties

1. A Child Protection Policy for Education for Children in Need

Protecting children and young people from abuse should be an integral part of the policy and practice of all activities undertaken by ECN.
ECN has recognised the need to demonstrate interested parties the importance we give to the child protection issue. We are committed to procedures and philosophies which have been developed to protect children themselves, but which also protect adult members from misunderstandings and false accusations of abuse, and which promote the reputation of the ECN.
The aims and objectives of ECN are outlined in its governing document and these set the tone for our work.
The organisation encourages respect for others’ background, appearance, personality, abilities, opinions or preferences. Whilst ECN has a social and moral standpoint which it seeks to promote among its volunteers, this must be done in a way that does not take advantage of a young person’s immaturity or trust in a volunteer.
It means that volunteers must accept the responsibility to exercise due care in all activities, so that children are not exposed to risk through negligence or incompetence.
Child Protection requires good childcare and good group-work practice. It is a requirement in ECN that all volunteers involved with children should create a safe and open environment wherein social relationships can be confidently discussed and in which all people working in ECN may grow.

2. Vetting of volunteers working with children

Volunteers over the age of 18 who wish to work with children and young people in groups or within ECN’s activities are required to provide an existing Enhanced CRB Disclosure or to complete an Enhanced CRB Disclosure Application Form. The checks will be undertaken by an ‘umbrella’ charity. The cost of obtaining an enhanced CRB disclosure will be the responsibility of the volunteer.
It is also important that a reference is sought from a person who knows the volunteer before they start working with children. If the reference causes any doubts, ECN will reserve the right to make further verbal or written contact with the referees before the volunteer can work with children in the organisation. If a Disclosure or reference gives sufficient cause, the volunteer should not be allowed to work with children or young persons.
Volunteers under the age of 18 must produce two character references or provide an existing enhanced CRB. Volunteers under the age of 18 will always work alongside at least one adult volunteer and will never be left alone with any children on a project.
All volunteers who work or have contact with children will be asked to declare any criminal convictions they may have which involve abuse against children, however old these convictions may be. This is an exemption from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
All persons volunteering or working with ECN who have responsibilities for children in Romania must abide by the Child Protection Policy of Romania. The document GOVERNMENT STRATEGY CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF THE CHILD IN DIFFICULTY can be found at http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/UNTC/UNPAN016039.pdf
All other materials relating to the application will be held centrally by the trustees of ECN, and will be held carefully and in confidence.
Training and preparation of Adults taking responsibility
ECN will provide training in respect of Child Protection and from November 2007 ECN will provide a Training Pack for all volunteers. Volunteers will be encouraged to work through this course over a given period.
The volunteer will have a local mentor who will visit the volunteer group and who will be available by phone for discussion and consultation.
Volunteer training will be given in respect of child protection:
• skills required to plan the work of the groups to prevent abuse
• skills required to enable volunteer group meetings to be able to discuss childcare and group management practices
• skills required to deal with abuse which has been disclosed or discovered.

3. Trustees and Staff Role in Child Protection

All staff and trustees of ECN are provided with clear job descriptions and specifications for their work and will agree to sign a Volunteers Contract. Future employed staff will complete a probationary period of 6 months employment. All volunteers working for ECN will be given a volunteers contract which must be signed before undertaking and placements with ECN. This contract is not legally binding and can be cancelled at any time at the discretion of either party.
All Trustees and members of the Assembly will be required to assist the named person responsible for Child Protection in the development of Child Protection Policies and Plans based on ECN’s guidelines and to ensure that copies are lodged with the Board of Trustees.

4. Volunteer roles and responsibilities

All volunteers taking responsibility for children and young people must have signed ECN’s volunteer declaration form and either provided a CRB/CRBS Disclosure or complete a CRB application.
The ECN child protection coordinator ( Philip Gerred Miller) must ensure that all volunteers are aware of and understand their obligations under ECN’s Child Protection Policy.
Planning meetings provide the volunteers with the ability to meet together to review and plan their work, to share experiences, to receive training and to talk about their relationship with the children and young people.
It is important that these meetings are conducted in such a way that allows honest sharing of feelings and constructive criticism of current practice.


5. Planning to minimise risk to children

ECN should organise all their activities to reduce to a minimum those situations within which it may be possible for children to be abused.
The following guidelines are produced for ECN volunteers and staff in contact with children:

• volunteers over the age of 18 working with children will have valid Enhanced CRB certificate or completed a CRB application form.
• any group of children should be supervised by at least two responsible persons on all activities.
• volunteers should be discouraged from meeting individually with children outside ECN activities.
• it is important to know who the leaders are on all activities.
• volunteers should not be alone with children in their dormitories or tents: e.g. at bed-times.
• in exceptional circumstances where a volunteer may be alone with a child for a short period, they should ensure that other leaders are aware of the situation and that they support this action.
• groups should be aware of how they use premises for group activities. Most activities are based on group work, but if there is the need for an adult to work with an individual child, it is better that this is organised in clear view of the rest of the group.
• adults should ensure that the touch and physical contact they use is not exploitative and is not open to misunderstanding. Touch as a medium will be discussed with all volunteers before they come into contact with children. Children and young people should be encouraged to say what they find acceptable and unacceptable in the way they are approached by adults or their colleagues in the group.
• confidential data that is collected on children including addresses, dietary needs, medical conditions etc. should be treated in confidence and with respect and should be shared between adults only on a need-to-know basis.
• plans should include a risk assessment for each activity with contingencies on how to deal with problems if they arise. This should include review meetings for adults to discuss openly and honestly their feelings about activities and the behaviour of adults and young people to each other. Written reports should be required for any significant incidents, and any such reports on serious incidents must be sent to the Board of Trustees
• plans must identify an independent person who speaks the same language to whom children can refer if they have concerns.

6. Responding to concern about possible abuse of a child

ECN is not a children’s counselling agency and volunteers should not be required to explore issues of abuse with children. However, it is possible that children and young people will take advantage of the trusting atmosphere in ECN activities to disclose or describe abuse, which is affecting them.
Leaders should always show they believe the child who is entrusting them with difficult or painful information. Volunteers should show support but should not try to counsel or lead the child with questions - this may hinder subsequent legal action.
Leaders should reassure the child that they are not to blame for any abuse.
Adults should be clear and honest in explaining what will happen next and that such information cannot be kept as a special secret. Other agencies will have to be involved, and it is sensible to keep individual notes which may seem to be relevant.
However, it is the child who will need to share their concerns with an agency who is empowered to help and to deal with such situations.
If the young person is describing abuse which is happening within ECN, advice should be sought immediately from a designated member of ECN and from the local child protection services.
However, parents must be contacted in the first instance as they hold parental responsibility for the overall welfare of their child.
If the abuse seems to emanate from the young person’s home, a consultation with the local child protection services should be made in the first instance.
It is most important that an appropriate external agency is contacted and that the matter is not dealt with internally within ECN.
If an abuse is disclosed or alleged which identifies an adult or another young person in ECN as the alleged perpetrator, it is important that this is responded to quickly and seriously. The advice of the local child protection services will be for the alleged perpetrator to be asked to step down from the group and not to make contact with children from the group until investigations are completed.
However, it is important that this volunteer or young person receives support from a ECN leader during this period. It is important that they are kept informed of the procedures being followed, and that they have the chance to express their feelings. In some circumstances it will be difficult for a local leader to provide this support, and it may also impinge on subsequent legal action. In these circumstances, a request may be made to ECN to have an independent representative appointed.
A full report will be compiled by an investigation panel appointed by the Board of Trustees.

7. Guidance for volunteers wishing to take images of children under the age of 18.

a) No image must be taken of children under the age of 18 unless permission is given by the parent/carer of that child.
b) Any images taken of children under 18 by an ECN volunteer shall not sell, trade or give any image to the national/local or international press of any description or any other organisation unless given permission to do so by our board of trustees.
c) Pictures will only be taken where children are appropriately dressed.
d) No full frame pictures will be taken on any part of the body except head and torso.
e) No picture will be taken at an inappropriate viewing angle.
f) No pictures of children in distress or pain will be taken.
g) If requested by a carer/parent or child not to take their picture all images must be deleted from the camera immediately.
h) If carer/parent/child request any images removed from ECN’s website this must be undertaken as soon as possible by the webmaster.