Avonside Early Childhood Centre

Child Protection

(Including Abuse, Neglect & Vulnerable Children)

Rationale

All children have a right to be kept safe from harm. The team at Avonside Early Childhood Centre encourages a culture of child protection that always safeguards and promotes the wellbeing of children.

Purpose

●        Avonside Early Childhood Centre Board of Trustees, Management Team, Kaiako, students and volunteers are committed to protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect through its actions, activities and staff.

●        This policy recognises the important role and responsibility of all our staff in the protection of children by identifying and responding to suspected child abuse or neglect and appropriately responding to concerns about the wellbeing of a child in a timely and appropriate way. All staff feel confident to challenge poor practice, raise issues with the team leader and at team meetings, and act on concerns of abuse.

●        The interests and welfare of the child will be the prime considerations when any decision regarding suspected abuse is made.

●        The team is committed to supporting whānau and will aim to meet the needs of all parties concerned in a suspected abuse case. We recognise the importance of whānau and their right to participate in decision-making about their children, unless this would result in increased risk to the child.

Designated person for child protection:

The Centre Manager/Senior kaiako is responsible for providing advice and support to staff where they have a concern about an individual child or who want advice about the child protection policy.

Definition of Abuse

Child abuse is the harming (whether physically, emotionally or sexually), ill-treatment, abuse, neglect or deprivation of any child. (Section 2, Oranga Tamariki Act 1989). It involves any action or inaction that results in harm to a child.

https://practice.orangatamariki.govt.nz/practice-standards/ensure-safety-and-wellbeing/definitions-of-abuse-neglect-and-harm
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/child-maltreatment
https://www.unicef.org.nz/child-rights

This includes:

●        Physical Abuse: Physical abuse is a non-accidental act on a child that results in physical harm. It can be, but is not limited to; smacking, punching, beating, kicking, shaking, biting, burning or throwing the child. It may also result from excessive or inappropriate discipline, or violence within the family. Physical abuse may be the result of a single episode, or of a series of episodes. The injuries to the child may vary in severity and range from minor bruising, burns, welts, or bite marks, fractured or broken bones, to its most extreme form, the death of a child.

●        Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse is an act or acts that result in the sexual exploitation of a child or young person, whether consensual or not.

Sexual abuse can be, but is not limited to:

●        Contact abuse: any touching for sexual purpose, breasts, genital/anal fondling, masturbation, oral sex, penetrative or non-penetrative contact with the anus or genitals, encouraging the child to perform such acts on the perpetrator or another, involvement of the child in activities for the purposes of pornography or prostitution.

●        Non-contact abuse: adults exposing themselves to the child, exhibitionism, voyeurism, exposure to pornographic or sexual imagery, inappropriate photography or depictions of sexual or suggestive behaviours or comments.

●        Emotional Abuse: Emotional abuse is any part or omission that results in impaired psychological, social, intellectual and/or emotional functioning and development of a child or young person. Emotionally abusive behaviour on the part of a caregiver can include verbal abuse, a pattern of rejecting, degrading, ignoring, isolating, corrupting, exploiting or terrorising a child.

●        Verbal Abuse: language that results in significant harm to a child’s self-esteem or their intellectual, emotional or social development and functioning.

This includes patterns of isolation, degradation, constant criticism or negative comparison to others. Isolating, corrupting, exploiting, exploiting, or terrorising a child can be emotional abuse. Exposure to family/whanau or intimate partner violence.

●        Neglect: Child neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or psychological needs, leading to adverse or impaired physical or emotional functioning or development. This includes:

●        Physical Neglect: failure to provide the necessities to sustain the life or health of the child or young person.

●        Emotional Neglect: significant failure to meet a child’s need for nurture and support.

●        Neglectful Supervision: failure to provide developmentally appropriate or legally required supervision of the child or young person, leading to an increased risk of harm.

●        Medical Neglect: failure to seek, obtain, or follow through with medical care for the child or young person, resulting in their impaired function or development.

●        Abandonment: leaving a child or young person in any situation without arranging necessary care for them and with no intention of returning.

●        Educational Neglect – failure of a parent or caregiver to meet a child’s educational needs.

●        Refusal to assume parental responsibility: unwillingness or inability to provide appropriate care or control for a child.

Guidelines

Protecting Children in the Centre

●        Children’s rights will be respected.

●        Children will be empowered through choice and decision making.

●        Kaiako will promote and encourage children’s self-esteem and confidence.

●        Kaiako will talk with and listen to children.

●        Kaiako will support children’s growing social and emotional competence.

●        The team at Avonside Early Childhood Centre has an ongoing commitment to appropriate training, development and supervision in child protection for all kaiako.

●        The Centre operates an open door approach. Whānau are encouraged to be a part of the programme when and as often as they choose.

●        All practicable steps are to be taken to protect children from exposure to inappropriate digital, visual, or auditory material. An IT incident report will be kept of any IT security incidents.

●        Staff will check newspapers/magazines brought into the service to ascertain if it is suitable for children’s use.

●        Kaiako will be responsible for toileting the children at the Centre. 

●        Whānau will only toilet their own child.

●        Children will be encouraged to manage their own hygiene routines where possible.

●        Kaiako will use appropriate names for body parts.

●        Kaiako will keep accurate records including name, date and times of anyone who visits the Centre.

●        No child will be allowed to leave the Centre with anyone not specifically named by the parent on the sign-in sheet, or by telephone call from the parent (in case of emergency)

●        Permanent staff will keep professional boundaries and personal lives separate. E.g. no babysitting allowed.

●        If any employee has been suspected of misconduct against a child, they will be suspended from the Centre on full pay until investigations are complete.

●        Safer Recruitment -As per Regulations 56 & 57

The Centre will or may exclude any person employed or engaged in the service from coming into contact with children if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person:

●        Has abused a child.

●        Committed a crime against children.

●        In controlling or guiding a child, has subjected the child to solitary confinement, immobilisation, or deprivation of food, drink, warmth, shelter or protection. 

●        Is in a state of physical or mental health that presents any risk of danger to children.

●        Has an infectious or contagious disease or condition. (If necessary, to ensure no child becomes ill, the Centre will exclude the person from the Centre and ensures they do not remain on the premises while the Centre is operating).

●        Standard safety checking – As per Selection and Appointment Policy in line with Children’s Act 2014

Any person, staff or parent can report suspected abuse should the need arise. Staff should advise the Centre Manager/Senior Teacher if a report has been filed. Teachers will take prompt and appropriate action in any case of suspected child abuse including:

●        Notifying and/or seeking advice from Oranga Tamariki or NZ Police. 

●        Acting on any physical signs immediately teachers will:

●        Care for and comfort the child.

●        Notify another staff member.

Recording concerns or disclosures

(See the Child Record Checklist in Appendix)

Kaiako will record exact wording of disclosure straight away on a Child Record Checklist before talking to anyone else.

Kaiako will notify the person in charge or centre manager of any visual signs of abuse and these will be recorded on the diagram on the checklist. Respectful interactions and compassion towards the child is paramount.

What to record:

●       The child’s name, time and place of observation/disclosure/reporting

●       Names of those present

●       What the child said

●       Any physical signs of abuse (and record on diagram if needed)

●       Any behavioural signs of abuse (refer to appendix)

●       Factual concerns or observations (can include discussions or disclosure from whānau)

●       Action taken

●       Any other relevant information

●       Name of kaiako reporting

●       Sighted, signed and dated by Centre Manager

Records will be kept in the child’s file.

Prevention of unauthorised removal of children (including non-custodial parent)

●        Staff will ensure that only persons named as being able to collect children may take a child from the Centre.

●        If an unknown person wishes to take a child from the Centre, they will be asked to remain at the Centre while a staff member contacts the child’s parent. (If the parent is unable to be contacted emergency contacts will be called and asked to come to the Centre).

●        If permission to take the child is not granted the person will be asked to leave the Centre.

●        If the person will not leave the Centre, or becomes abusive or takes the child without authority, the police will be called immediately by the person in charge. 

●        Staff will note the description of the person who has taken the child and any vehicle licence plates. 

●        Parents will be notified after police are called.