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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Principles and Essential Safeguards
3. Residential Settings
4. Safeguarding - Minimum Standards
5. Concerns
6. Protocol

1. Introduction

Every setting in which children live should provide the same basic safeguards against abuse, founded on an approach that promotes their general welfare, protects them from harm and treats them with dignity and respect. Children in residential settings may be particularly vulnerable and safeguarding forms one of the elements in commissioning provision that is going to give the best possible outcomes for children's education and development.

Children covered by the policy

This policy covers children who fall into all of the following categories:

• Have a statement of SEN;
• Local Authority has placed in residential schools through SEN services;
• The school named in part 4 of the Statement is a residential school;
• Not looked after by Ealing LA;
• Family is resident in Ealing.

2. Principles and Essential Safeguards

2.1 Organisational

All schools and settings must ensure that:

• The school/setting is open to the external world and to external scrutiny; including contact with families and the wider community;
• Staff are trained in all aspects of safeguarding children, are alert to children's vulnerabilities and risks of harm, and understand how to implement procedures for safeguarding children;
• Complaints procedures are effective, and user-friendly and are accessible to children and young people including those with disabilities, those who use alternative means of communication and those for whom English is an additional language;
• Staff recognise the importance of finding out the wishes and feelings of children and understand how individual children communicate by verbal or non-verbal means;
• Bullying is effectively countered;
• Recruitment and selection procedures are rigorous and there is effective supervision and support that extends to temporary staff and volunteers;
• Contractor staff are effectively checked and supervised when on site or in contact with children;
• Clear procedures and support systems are in place for dealing with expressions of concern by staff and carers about other staff or carers (a Whistle-blowing Policy);
• There is respect for diversity, and sensitivity to race, culture, religion, gender, sexuality and disability;
• Staff are alert to the risks of harm to children in the external environment from people prepared to exploit the additional vulnerability of children living away from home;
• There is a clear protocol in the school for dealing with allegations against professionals and informing the placing authority;
• There is a designated lead officer for child protection and safeguarding in school.

2.2 Operational

When LA officers carry out safeguarding monitoring visits, attend at Annual Reviews or visit for any other purpose they should check that:

• Children feel valued and respected and their self-esteem is promoted;
• Children are listened to, and their views and concerns are responded to;
• Children have ready access to a trusted adult outside the school/setting, e.g. a family member;
• Children should be made aware of independent advocacy services, external mentors and Child Line.

Information on these issues will also be found in the Annual Review of Statement of SEN in the child's SEN file

3.  Residential Settings

All residential schools and setting where children and young people are placed, whether provided by a private, charitable or faith based organisation, or a local authority, must adhere to the relevant regulations and to the relevant National Minimum Standards.  This protocol refers to children living away from home for significant periods of time including weekly, 38-week and 52-week residential placements.

4. Safeguarding - Minimum Standards

Schools must be approved by the DfE and have a DfE number.

The residential elements must be registered as a Children's Home and adhere to National Care Standards regulations.

Reviews and inspections must take place in accordance with National Minimum Standards and regulations.

London Child Protection Procedures

5. Concerns

Safeguarding concerns may arise from a range of issues from those about the environment, food and care to bullying or abuse by other children or allegations against members of staff.. It's important that the Visiting Officer looks into all aspects of safeguarding and that all concerns are taken seriously and acted upon accordingly by following the relevant Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures.

6. Protocol

Responsible Officer

The SEN Education Consultant Pupil and Family Worker is the officer responsible for the group of children in Ealing (the visiting officer) with Statements of SEN who are no 'looked after'.  In certain circumstances e.g. for pupils who use BSL as their primary means of communication the Visiting Officer will be a teacher from the SEN Support Service or LA professional with suitable skilss to communicat with the child. Visiting Officers will need to complete a Safeguarding Visit Report form. This together with relevant feedback will be considered during supervision sessions with their line manager or immediately where there are concerns and take the action described below under the heading 'Concerns'

Social Care Protocol

See London Child Protection Procedures

Frequency of visits

One safeguarding visit to the school and one safeguarding meeting ( that may be held locally)  are required each year. Safeguarding visits are held in addition to the Annual Review of the Statement.

Nature of visits

Visiting officers take the safeguarding principles into account when forming their overall judgement on safeguarding in the school or setting.

The officer visits the school setting and checks both the educational and the residential environment and looks at the arrangements for sleeping and eating.

The visiting officer must have an opportunity to meet the child alone and to meet with relevant members of staff. They must write a Report of the visit using the Safeguarding Children Living Away From Home, SEN Visit Form and follow the procedures below.

Special Needs

Children covered by this protocol have a range of special needs. Preparations must be made in advance of the visit to make adjustments that ensure an appropriate means of communication such as BSL or AAC is available where needed. The visiting officer will need to check the child's file, their annual review and any other records indicating the pupil's views.

Parents and carers

The Visiting Officer will seek permission from the child's parents prior to any visit they intend making.

Report on the visit

The Visiting Officer comments on but is not limited to the following points:

1. Child's details;
2. Visit details and any general comments;
3. Standard of care: domestic arrangements; sleeping arrangements; eating arrangements; diet;
4. Child's view of placement;
5. Parents/ Carers view of placement;
6. Health: including any special needs and whether they are being met; general health; health education appropriate to the child's age;
7. Education: progress and /or difficulties in education/employment/work experience/training; out of class activities, clubs, interests, skills; opportunities for integration; provision for meeting the child's special needs of the child;
8. Identity: development of self-esteem and a positive attitude to his/her life; whether the child's racial, religious, cultural, linguistic and other needs are being met; life-story work as appropriate;
9. Family and social relationships - with parents, carers, family, peers, significant others and whether social needs are being met i.e. continuity of relationships, close ties, home/setting liaison etc.;
10. Social presentation: communication; coping with different social situations; social activities and interests;
11. Emotional and behavioural development - any serious problems or needs; improvements; general comments;
12. Self-care skills:
13. General progress in placement- visiting officers views;
14. Recommendations: any additional support, work or action required;
15. Concerns.

Concerns

If visiting officer has concerns they should consult with LA Child Protection Advisors Service in Social Care on 020 8825 8930. Where there is reasonable cause to believe that a child in a residential school or setting has suffered or is at risk of suffering significant harm, the Visiting Officer will advise senior staff in SEN and Inclusion, and make a referral to Child Protection team in Ealing who will ask the LA in which the school is located to convene a Strategy Meeting, Risk assessments will be undertaken to identify any further risks and action required.

Where the concerns relate to a member or members of staff and/or the care the child is receiving in the residential setting, The Visiting Officer will follow the Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures, advise the LA Designated Officer (Rupinder Virdee on 020 8825 5268) and ensure that senior staff in ESCAN  are informed. Ealing LA will raise the concerns with the LA in which the school or setting is based and ask them to call a Strategy Meeting, which must include representatives from Ealing LA. Risk assessments will be undertaken to identify any further risks and action required.

At the Strategy Meeting an action plan should be drawn up and it should be decided which Local Authority should take responsibility for the next steps and the arrangements for review.

Other Follow-up Action

The Visiting Officer should record the action points clearly and pass to the Special Education Officer (SEO) and /or other relevant professionals for action to be carried out. The SEO will be responsible for checking that action has been carried out.

Logging the Report and Information Sharing

Where there are no concerns, the Visiting Officer will pass the Report to the SEO in SEN assessment service.

SEN will copy the report to the child's parents and to the child's file and log on the database.

End