Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
The Club @ Wraparound Care Limited
Updated June 2025

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Odette Cohen

Safeguarding, Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development

At The Club @ Wraparound Care Limited (The Club) we are committed to ensuring that all students are safe, happy and secure whilst in our care. Through clear procedures and practice we are duty-bound to promoting the welfare of students and expect all team members and volunteers to share this commitment.

This means that we have a Child Protection and Safeguarding policy and clear processes in place which we refer to in our policy. All team members (including volunteers) must ensure that they are aware of these procedures.

The Club is an inclusive Club that actively promotes the holistic care of every young person in our community. This is a strength of The Club and it brings many opportunities to our attendees. We acknowledge that part of our role is to develop young people’s ability to make informed moral decisions and to recognise the difference between right and wrong.

Introduction

The team members of The Club view the safety and welfare of its young people as of paramount importance. We recognise that all team members, including volunteers, have responsibilities and an active part to play in this, and in protecting our children from harm.

All team members believe that our Club should provide a caring, positive safe and stimulating environment which promotes the social, physical and moral development and welfare of the individual young person.

At The Club, all young people have the right to be safeguarded from harm or exploitation whatever their:

Race, religion, first language or ethnicity
Gender or sexuality
Age
Health and disability
Political or immigration

Aims of the policy

Our policy applies to all team members and volunteers working in The Club.

To ensure we practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of team members and volunteers to work with children via their references and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) (also the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). All this information will be recorded on our Single Central Record.

All team members acknowledge that they should not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during a Club session.

To raise awareness of all team members of the need to safeguard children and of their responsibilities in identifying and reporting possible cases of abuse or risk of abuse.

To implement and review procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse.

To provide a systematic means of identifying and monitoring children known or thought to be vulnerable or a risk of harm.

To support children who have been abused in accordance with his/her agreed child protection plan.

To establish a safe environment in which young people can learn and develop to become confident and independent individuals.

We recognise that because of the daily contact with young people, Club team members are well placed to observe the outward signs of abuse. The Club will therefore:

Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk and are listened to.

Ensure children know that there are adults in The Club whom they can approach if they are worried.

Our Club procedures for safeguarding children will be in line with up to date principles and procedures of the Department of Education and the School.

We will ensure that:

We have a Designated Safeguarding Lead for child protection who has received appropriate training and support for this role every 2 years.

We have a member of the team who will act in the Designated Safeguarding Lead’s absence.

Each member of the team (including temporary and supply team members and volunteers) knows the name of the Designated Safeguarding Lead responsible for child protection and their role.

Safe recruitment practices are always followed.

We recognise that children who are abused or witness violence may find it difficult to develop a sense of self-worth. They may feel helplessness, humiliation and some sense of blame. The Club may be one of the only stable, secure and predictable elements in the lives of children at risk. When at The Club, their behaviour may be challenging and defiant or they may be withdrawn. The Club will endeavour to support the pupil through:

The content of activities on offer

A Club ethos which promotes a positive, supportive and secure environment and gives children a sense of being valued.

The Club behaviour policy. The Club will ensure that the children are made aware that some behaviour is unacceptable, but they are valued and not to be blamed for any abuse which has occurred.

Liaising with the School should a situation arise involving disclosure of any kind.

The Club will ensure that:

All members of team members will undergo basic safeguarding and Child Protection training and develop their understanding of the signs and indicators of abuse and receive regular updated training as required but at least every 3years.

All members of team members know how to respond to a pupil who makes an allegation or appears to be vulnerable or at risk.

Child Protection Awareness and updates will be carried out as part of regular training and communication.

All parents/carers are made aware of the responsibilities of team members with regard to safeguarding and child protection procedures.

All pupils are made aware of this policy and who they can speak to at The Club if they are worried or concerned.

Our procedures will be regularly reviewed and updated, and this policy will be reviewed annually.

We will notify the School if significant unexplained absence occurs.

Written records of concerns about children, even where there is no need to refer the matter immediately, are kept.

All records are kept securely; separate from the children, and in locked locations.

All new members of the team have access to a copy of our child protection procedures as part of their induction into The Club.

All temporary team members and volunteers having contact with our children will be checked (DBS) and referred to this policy or provided with a checklist of their responsibilities in the area of child protection

We will follow procedures where an allegation is made against a member of the team or volunteer.

Safeguarding Children Definition

The Government has defined the term ‘safeguarding children’ as:

‘The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully’.

Safeguarding covers a broad agenda and aims to achieve the following:

Protecting children from maltreatment

Preventing impairment of children’s health or development

Ensuring children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.

Undertaking that role so as to enable children to have optimum life chances so they can enter adulthood successfully.

Safeguarding is a preventative agenda that helps children to achieve their full potential regardless of negative factors such as poverty or social exclusion by providing services and support to overcome barriers to achievement.

Responding to disclosure and referral procedures

Club team members are well placed to recognise changes in a young person. It is important that any concerns regarding the well-being of one of our students are initially monitored and reported in the first instance to Odette Cohen as the Designated Safeguarding Lead for child protection. If you think that the incident is of a child protection nature then this must be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Odette Cohen. Any brief notes that have been made should be forwarded to the DSL. You will then be required to write a more formal account which should include the date and time of the reported disclosure.

If a disclosure is reported to you:

Receive what is said.

Accept what you are told - you do not need to decide whether it is true or not.

Listen without displaying shock or disbelief.

Reassure the child.

Acknowledge their courage in telling.

Remind them that they are not to blame (but avoid criticising the alleged perpetrator – young people often love adults who abuse them).

Do not promise confidentiality.

Reassure them but do not promise what you may not be able to deliver, e.g., “everything will be all right now” (- it may not be).

Responding

Respond to what the student has said but do not interrogate.

Avoid leading questions like: “Was it your father? Questions such as this can be used by defence counsel in a subsequent court case to suggest that you ‘contaminated the child’s evidence’.

Ask open-ended questions: “Do you want to tell me anything else?” “And?” “Yes?”

Where necessary, clarify what has been said to you so that you are clear and able to decide whether this is an abusive situation.

There is a careful judgement to be made in ensuring that you have enough information to make an appropriate referral and allowing a young person to talk without being silenced, while making sure that you have not inadvertently led a young person perhaps by an assumption behind a question. For example asking “were you sitting up or lying down when this happened?” contains the answer in question.

Explain what you will do next and (where appropriate) the referral process.

Recording

Make brief notes as soon as possible.

Keep original notes, then write up subsequent record - include date, time, place. Describe observable behaviour.

Record the actual words the young person uses.

Responsibilities

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for:

Following the LSCB, LA and school policy and procedures with regard to referring a child if there are concerns or an allegation of abuse.

Keeping written confidential records of concerns about a child even if there is no need to make an immediate referral.

Ensuring that all such records are kept confidentially and securely and are separate from pupil records.

Ensuring that an indication of further record-keeping is marked on the pupil records.

Ensuring that all team members are kept up to date with regular Safeguarding and Child Protection briefings and that all team members receive regular training that is recorded and monitored.

Having an awareness of those children who may be in need, young carers and children who have special educational needs.

Timing of Referrals

The Club has no legal right to stop the young person from going home at the end of the school day, so it is vital that referrals are made as early as possible, especially if it is believed that the young person would not be safe in going home.

It is particularly important that any concerns about the Safeguarding and Protection of a child or young person are raised as soon as possible to ensure that matters can be dealt with as soon as is reasonably possible. This is in order to safeguard the young person and ensure systems are in place, but also to ensure that relevant team members are available to provide reports.

If a team member believes a child is in imminent or immediate danger they should contact the police and then follow the process set out in our safeguarding flowchart that is on display in team areas at all Clubs.

Supporting and safeguarding

We recognise that a child who is abused or witnesses violence may find it difficult to develop and maintain a sense of self-worth.

We recognise that a child in these circumstances may feel helpless and humiliated. We recognise that a child may feel self-blame.

We recognise that The Club may provide the only stability in the lives of children who have been abused or who are at risk of harm.

We accept that research shows that the behaviour of a child in these circumstances may range from that which is perceived to be normal to aggressive or withdrawn.

Our Club will support all pupils by:

Encouraging self-esteem and self-assertiveness whilst not condoning aggression or bullying.

Promoting a caring, safe, familiar and positive environment within The Club.

Liaising and working together with Akiva School when necessary.

Confidentiality

We recognise that all matters relating to Child Protection are confidential.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead will only disclose information to other team members on a “need to know” basis.

All team members must be aware that they have a professional responsibility to share information with other agencies in order to safeguard children.

All team members must be aware that they cannot promise a child to keep secrets.

Supporting Team members (including supply team members)

We recognise that team members working in The Club who have become involved with a child who has suffered harm or appears to be likely to suffer harm may find the situation stressful and upsetting.

We will support such team members by providing an opportunity to talk through their anxieties with the designated senior person and to seek further support as appropriate.

Allegations against team members

Team members should behave at all times in a professional manner towards children, bearing in mind that even perfectly innocent actions can sometimes be misconstrued. It is important not to touch pupils however casually, in ways or on parts of the body that might be considered indecent or make the child feel uncomfortable.

We understand that a pupil may make an allegation against a member of team members.

If such an allegation is made, the member of team members receiving the allegation will immediately inform Hannah Mindel and Odette Cohen unless the allegation is about the above mentioned.

If the allegation is about the Designated Safeguarding Lead, the team members member should contact the LADO. The contact details are on the Safeguarding flowchart displayed in each Club.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead will discuss the content of the allegation with the Odette Cohen team member at the relevant School.

THE KEY PROCEDURES RESPONDING TO CONCERNS ABOUT A CHILD

Safeguarding Flow Chart - Click to download

Safe Recruitment

The Club will maintain a Single Central Record, detailing the range of checks carried out on team members and relevant volunteers: references, ID, DBS disclosures.

The Single Central Record will demonstrate that the required Children’s List (List 99) or enhanced DBS checks have been carried out.

Documentation sent out to potential candidates will make it clear that child protection is a priority at The Club, and that rigorous checks will be made of any candidate before appointments are confirmed. All references will be taken up and verified.

A reference will always be obtained from the last employer.

At interview, candidates will be asked to account for any gaps in their career/employment history.

All appointments to The Club, including team members recruited from overseas, will require an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service). Disclosure and offers of appointment will be made conditional on The Club being satisfied that the prospective employee is a fit and proper person to work with or in proximity to children and young people

All contracts with third parties that involve the provision of team members to work at The Club will provide that comparable checks are made by the provider in relation to any person engaged to work with or in proximity to children and young persons or for any team members who have not been so checked to be supervised by a person who has been cleared as a fit and proper person to work with or in proximity to children and young people.

Volunteers who are in unsupervised contact with students will require a basic DBS disclosure.

ID checks will be carried out on all appointments with The Club before an appointment is confirmed.

The Club will carry out further checks as appropriate on team members recruited from overseas, as deemed appropriate.

Temporary or casual team members who do not have a current enhanced DBS check will not be allowed to work with or in proximity to children and young person’s unless supervised by a person who has been cleared as a fit and proper person to work with or in proximity to children and young people.

The Club will ensure that DBS checks on existing members of team members are currently valid and renewed in accordance with Ofsted guidance and the school’s Personnel Committee. This requires that DBS checks are carried out every 3 years.

Checks will be taken out on existing team members where concerns arise regarding their suitability to work with children.

Acceptable Physical Intervention or Restraint

Corporal punishment was abolished by section 548 of the Education Act 1996. It is always unlawful to use force as a punishment. However, Section 93 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 enables school team members to use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances to prevent the pupil from doing or continuing to do any of the following:

Committing any offence (or, for pupils under the age of criminal responsibility, what would be an offence for an older pupil).

Causing personal injury to, or damage to property of, any person (including the pupil themselves).

Prejudicing the maintenance of good order and discipline at the school or among any pupils receiving education at the school, whether during a teaching session or otherwise.

There is no legal definition of ‘reasonable force’ but, to be judged lawful, the force must be in proportion to the circumstances it is intended to prevent.

We acknowledge that team members must only ever use physical intervention as a last resort, and that at all times it must be the minimal force necessary to achieve the desired effect. We adhere to the local authority policy on physical intervention or restraint

Team members and other persons authorised by Club team members may intervene if a student is causing damage to property or behaving in a way which endangers themselves or others.

Members of team members will:

Initially try to calm the student and defuse the situation.

If the student does not respond, the team member will tell the student that their behaviour is unacceptable and will give instructions for the student to desist from their actions.

In exceptional circumstances, if the student continues to present a danger, members of team members may need to use passive physical contact (e.g. standing between students or blocking their path), to protect others from danger.

If the student continues to endanger others, the team member or other person will tell the student that they cannot be allowed to continue threatening others and may have to be restrained if they do not comply with instructions to stop.

Restrictive restraint must only be used to contain the danger from the student in exceptional cases where all other strategies have failed. Team members must satisfy themselves that this is the only way to contain a real and present danger.

To be judged lawful ‘reasonable force’, the force must be in proportion to the circumstances it is intended to prevent. It should be the minimum to achieve the desired effect.

The team member or other person is not expected to place themselves in danger. They should judge whether their duty to protect others would dangerously compromise their own safety.

If restraint is used, the team member or other person will submit a report of the circumstances and outcome to the Odette Cohen team member who will hold a centrally held record of incidents and their outcomes.

Odette Cohen will inform the parents and give them an opportunity to discuss the incident.

In some cases, such as with SEN students, there may be medical advice about the safest way to hold pupils with specific health needs.

We understand that physical intervention of a nature which causes injury or distress to a child may be considered under child protection or disciplinary procedures.

There is post-incident support from Odette Cohen for any team member or other person who has had to resort to restraint, after following the recommended procedure.

Dealing with specific safeguarding issues

Bullying

Bullying is a Safeguarding and Child Protection Issue. Please refer to The Club’s Behaviour Policy which details the action that will be taken in respect of an allegation of bullying.

Health and Safety

The Club ensures the safety of its environment for pupils through:

Controlling access to the setting.

Conducting an accessibility report and acting on its recommendations where there are special arrangements for students and team members with disabilities to access all areas of the site.

Ensuring that we comply with Health and Safety requirements for all on-site activities.

Vigilant monitoring to guard against intruders, and antisocial behavior.

Activities and social areas compliant with Health and Safety requirements.

Work experience arrangements that include safeguarding information for employers and a requirement that they accept their child protection responsibilities.

A single entry/exit access point, supervised by team members, with continuous monitoring by a security officer. At the start (from 8am) and end (until 6pm) of The Club day. This is always supervised by security team members and the school’s on-site security team.

Information gathering

In the first instance we have treat all allegations against team members the same and therefore as a Club we must not be seen to have carried an investigation or interfering with evidence e.g. interviewing the child, but must view it as an information gathering exercise. Therefore, the following procedures need to be followed:

Act quickly even if it is not obvious that the young person has suffered significant harm

Make sure the child is safe and decide whether any medical attention is needed

Do not take a written statement from the young person. Instead make your own written record. The recording should include the following:

Name of young person
Name of member of team members the allegation is made against.
Where and when the incident occurred.
Briefly what happened.
Were there any witnesses.
Expected outcome as viewed by young person.
Signature and date your statement

This information then needs to be passed on to the designated child protection team member.

Contact the parents and inform them that their child has made an allegation against the member of team members and that The Club is dealing with it. Inform them that the designated child protection team member will be contacting them before the end of the day.

Pass all information onto the designated child protection team member.

Whistle blowing policy

The Club is committed to the highest possible standards of openness, honesty and accountability. In line with that commitment we encourage team members and others with serious concerns about any aspect of the settings and/or operations to come forward and voice those concerns. It is recognised that certain cases will have to proceed on a confidential basis.

This policy document makes it clear that team members can do something without fear of reprisals. It is intended that this policy will encourage and enable team members to raise serious concerns within the setting. Team members have the right and individual responsibility to raise any matters of concern regarding poor practice at work. Team members are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of all children attending the Club and this takes priority over loyalty towards colleagues.

General Principals: This policy is intended to:

· Encourage and enable individuals to raise genuine and legitimate concerns.

· Support team members to take an active role in the elimination of poor practice· Ensure concerns are appropriately investigated

· Protect those making the complaint from victimisation or retaliation

Odette Cohen (and Hannah Mindel) will promptly and thoroughly investigate all concerns that are raised in accordance with this policy and will take appropriate action.

Confidentiality: The management will do its best to protect a person’s identity when a concern is raised, however in some circumstances identities will have to be revealed to the person complained against and the complainant may be asked to provide written or verbal evidence in support of their complaint. If a person’s identity is to be disclosed, he or she will be told before the disclosure and the reasons why this is necessary. Once the concerns have been raised, we expect that the complainant will not talk about this to any other person inside or outside the setting.

Anonymous Complaints: When a concern is expressed anonymously it is much less powerful and harder to investigate. However they may still be considered and looked at.

Untrue allegations: If an allegation is made in good faith but it is not confirmed by the investigation, no action will be taken against the complainant. If, however, an allegation proves to be malicious, action may be taken against the person responsible for the malicious act.

How to raise a concern: In the first instance, concerns should be raised with Odette Cohen. Concerns are best raised in writing, including a brief background and history of the concern, giving names, dates, places where possible and the reason why you are concerned. The earlier you express your concerns the easier it is to take action. If you raise your concern orally, Odette Cohen will make a written record of the interview and will ask you to sign to confirm accuracy of the notes taken.

Although you will not be expected to prove the truth of your allegations, you will be required to demonstrate that there are sufficient grounds for your concern.

You should not:

· Investigate the matter yourself.

· Alert those suspected of being involved.

· Approach or accuse individuals.

· Tell anyone other than the designated person.

Within a week of receipt of your concern, you will receive a written acknowledgement of your concern, with a copy of your statement where appropriate. Odette Cohen (and Hannah Mindel) will investigate your concern and within 2 weeks you will be informed of what action is being taken and you will be kept up to date on the progress of the investigation. You will also be informed of the outcome of any investigation.

If your concerns cannot be expressed to Odette Cohen or Hannah Mindel you can contact the LADO (Local Area Designated Officer). If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation, you may elevate your concerns directly to Ofsted.

Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy The Club @ Wraparound Care Limited Updated June 2025

Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
The Club @ Wraparound Care Limited
Updated June 2025