Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
Key Safeguarding Contacts
Blackpool Council Children's Social Care
During office hours: 01253 477299
Out of hours: 01253 477600
Blackpool Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
Telephone: 01253 477541
Email: lado@blackpool.gov.uk
Blackpool Safeguarding Children Partnership
Telephone: 01253 477025
Email: child.protection@blackpool.gov.uk
Lancashire Children's Social Care
During office hours: 0300 123 6720
Out of hours: 0300 123 6701
Lancashire Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
Telephone: 01772 536694
Email: lado.admin@lancashire.gov.uk
Emergency Contacts
Police, Fire or Ambulance: 999
Police (non-emergency): 101
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
About Blackpool Skills Academy
Blackpool Skills Academy is an independent specialist secondary school providing education for young people aged 11 to 16.
The Academy was established by local education and industry professionals with a shared vision of creating a smaller, highly supportive learning environment where relationships, aspiration and employability are central to every student's experience.
The Academy specialises in vocationally contextualised education, combining high-quality academic learning with practical industry experiences in areas including Construction, Hair and Beauty and other vocational pathways. Through close partnerships with employers, local authorities, commissioning schools and community organisations, students develop the knowledge, skills and personal qualities required for successful adult lives.
Many students join the Academy following disrupted educational experiences, low attendance, social, emotional and mental health needs or other barriers to learning. Safeguarding therefore underpins every aspect of Academy life and is everyone's responsibility.
Blackpool Skills Academy is committed to creating a culture where every child feels safe, valued, respected and listened to. Safeguarding is embedded throughout the curriculum, pastoral support, behaviour systems, staff training and daily practice.
1. Policy Statement
Blackpool Skills Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child.
The welfare of the child is paramount.
The Academy expects every member of staff, governor, volunteer and visitor to share responsibility for protecting children from abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm.
Safeguarding is not viewed as a standalone process but as an integral part of everything the Academy does. Every decision taken by staff should consider the best interests of the child.
The Academy recognises that safeguarding includes:
- protecting children from maltreatment
- preventing impairment of children's mental and physical health or development
- ensuring children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
- providing help and support as soon as concerns emerge.
The Academy maintains an open safeguarding culture where concerns are identified early, recorded accurately and acted upon promptly.
2. Purpose
This policy explains how Blackpool Skills Academy safeguards and promotes the welfare of children.
It aims to:
- protect all students from harm
- establish clear safeguarding responsibilities
- ensure all staff understand their legal duties
- provide clear reporting procedures
- promote early identification of concerns
- support effective partnership working
- maintain compliance with statutory safeguarding guidance
- ensure safeguarding remains central to Academy improvement.
3. Legislative Framework
This policy has been developed with reference to, but is not limited to:
- Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2025)
- Working Together to Safeguard Children
- Education Act 2002
- Children Act 1989 and 2004
- Children and Social Work Act 2017
- Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (Prevent Duty)
- Equality Act 2010
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Data Protection Act 2018
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- Independent School Standards Regulations
- Blackpool Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures.
Where statutory guidance changes, the Academy will implement revised requirements immediately where necessary without waiting for the annual review of this policy.
4. Safeguarding Principles
Blackpool Skills Academy believes that:
- every child has the right to feel safe
- safeguarding is everyone's responsibility
- early intervention leads to better outcomes
- children should be listened to and taken seriously
- safeguarding concerns should never be ignored
- effective safeguarding depends upon strong partnership working
- all concerns should be reported, however small they may appear
- safeguarding includes protecting children both online and offline.
The Academy operates a culture of professional curiosity and encourages staff to share concerns rather than assume somebody else will do so.
5. Roles and Responsibilities
Every adult working within Blackpool Skills Academy has a safeguarding responsibility.
All staff will:
- read and understand Part One of Keeping Children Safe in Education annually
- undertake safeguarding training during induction and receive regular updates thereafter
- understand the signs and indicators of abuse, neglect and exploitation
- know how to report safeguarding concerns
- maintain professional curiosity
- act immediately if concerned about a child's welfare
- record concerns accurately and factually
- contribute to safeguarding discussions where appropriate.
Safeguarding is a standing agenda item within leadership meetings and is regularly discussed during staff meetings, supervision and quality assurance activities.
6. Designated Safeguarding Lead
The Academy has an appropriately trained Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) supported by Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads.
The DSL is responsible for:
- managing safeguarding referrals
- providing advice and guidance to staff
- maintaining safeguarding records
- liaising with Children's Social Care and other agencies
- overseeing Early Help
- ensuring safeguarding training remains current
- promoting safeguarding throughout the curriculum
- supporting staff involved in safeguarding cases
- monitoring safeguarding trends across the Academy.
The Deputy DSLs are trained to the same standard and will undertake the role whenever the DSL is unavailable.
The Academy ensures that a suitably trained safeguarding leader is available whenever students are on site or participating in Academy activities.
7. Early Help
Blackpool Skills Academy recognises the importance of identifying concerns as early as possible.
Early Help means providing support as soon as difficulties emerge, helping to prevent concerns from escalating.
Staff should be particularly alert where children:
- experience poor attendance
- have experienced multiple suspensions or exclusions
- present with mental health concerns
- are affected by domestic abuse
- misuse drugs or alcohol
- are at risk of criminal or sexual exploitation
- have additional vulnerabilities through SEND
- are young carers
- have a parent in custody
- are frequently missing from education, home or care.
Where appropriate, the Academy will work with families, commissioning schools, local authorities and external agencies to provide coordinated Early Help.
8. Recognising Abuse and Neglect
Staff should remain alert to changes in presentation, behaviour or attendance that may indicate a safeguarding concern.
Possible indicators include:
- sudden changes in behaviour
- declining attendance
- deterioration in appearance or personal hygiene
- unexplained injuries
- significant weight loss or gain
- anxiety or withdrawal
- changes in friendship groups
- unexplained gifts, money or possessions
- inappropriate sexualised behaviour
- concerning online activity
- repeated missing episodes
- signs of neglect
- disclosures by the child or another person.
No single indicator will necessarily mean that abuse has occurred. Staff should consider the wider context, maintain professional curiosity and discuss concerns promptly with the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
The Academy recognises that abuse may occur within or outside the home and may be perpetrated by adults or by other children.
with the DSL.
CASPAR briefing guidance also clarifies that low level concerns which are shared about supply staff and contractors should be notified to their employers; and schools and colleges should consult with their LADO if unsure whether low-level concerns shared about a member of staff meet the harm threshold.
Part five child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harassment
This section has been expanded to incorporate guidance previously covered in the DfE’s Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges advice. It also provides new information, emphasising:
- the importance of explaining to children that the law is in place to protect them rather than criminalise them.
- the importance of understanding intra-familial harms, and any necessary support for siblings following incidents
- the need for schools and colleges to be part of discussions with statutory safeguarding partners.
Updated definition of early help
- Early help is now defined as 'support for children of all ages that improves a family’s resilience and outcomes or reduces the chance of a problem getting worse' (paragraph 497)
- This reflects the Working together to safeguard children guidance, linked above
Statistical clarification
- The guidance says that children with disabilities are 3 times more likely to be abused than their peers. This previous wording was 'children with special educational needs and disabilities' (paragraph 456)
- Implementation Stages
Our safeguarding Policy is embedded within the company and is implemented via a range of policies and procedures within the organisation. These include:
- Whistleblowing – The Ability to inform on staff/ practices within the organisation.
- Grievance and disciplinary procedures – to address breaches of procedures/ policies.
- Health and Safety Policy - Mitigating risks to staff and students
- Equal Opportunities Policy – ensuring safeguarding procedures are in line with this policy, around discriminatory abuse and ensuring that the safeguarding policy and procedures are not discriminatory.
- Data protection (how records are stored and access to those records)
- Confidentiality (or limited confidentiality policy) ensures that service users are aware of our duty to disclose.
- Staff induction.
- Staff training.
- Communications and discussion of safeguarding issues
Commitment to the following communication methods ensure effective communication of safeguarding issues and practice:
- Provision of a clear and effective reporting procedure which encourages reporting of concerns.
- Encouraging open discussion to identify any barriers to reporting so that they can be addressed.
- Inclusion of safeguarding as a discussion prompt during supervision meetings/appraisals to encourage reflection.
- Weekly wellbeing meetings are conducted with staff to ensure they are up to date with the latest information.
Typical support mechanisms would include:
- Debriefing support for staff so that they can reflect on the issues they have dealt with.
- Seeking further support as appropriate, e.g. Access to counselling.
Reporting and allegations management
If someone tells you about the abuse, they have experienced:
- Remain calm, no shock or disbelief.
- Listen.
- Be empathetic.
- Do not ask probing questions.
- Tell them to report the concerns to a manager or the school leader.
DO NOT
- Put yourself at risk.
- Be judgmental.
- Make promises you cannot keep.
- Tell anyone who does not need to know.
- Stage an interview.
- Contact the alleged perpetrator. Immediate actions
- Do not handle evidence.
- Separate the perpetrator and the victim.
- Is anyone at immediate risk? If so, call an ambulance/ Police.
- Make a written account as soon as possible with facts, not opinions, date, and sign it.
If a member of staff is suspected
- Follow the whistleblowing procedure or if a manager is suspected, alert social services.
- A manager must support the alleged victim.
- Support the wider staff team.
- Support the investigation.
- Be fair to the alleged perpetrator.
- Implement disciplinary procedures and possible suspension without prejudice.
All staff have a responsibility to cooperate with management to ensure that BSA offers a safe learning environment for students. Safeguarding is a permanent agenda item at management meetings and staff meetings; all staff can raise safeguarding issues at these meetings; however staff must not wait to report a safeguarding issue if they feel it is urgent.
5.1. Confidential Pupil Voice and Safeguarding Reporting
Blackpool Skills Academy is committed to ensuring that all students feel safe, listened to, and able to raise concerns confidentially.
To support this, the Academy provides clear and confidential ways for students to share feedback or report safeguarding concerns, including worries about bullying, behaviour, wellbeing, or safety.
How students can raise concerns:
- Speaking directly to a trusted member of staff
- Requesting a private meeting with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or a member of the safeguarding team
- Using a confidential reporting method, which may include:
- A written concern form
- A secure email or digital reporting option
- A confidential worry/feedback box
Key principles:
- Students can raise concerns in confidence
- All concerns are taken seriously and sensitively
- Students will not get into trouble for raising concerns
- Information is shared only on a need-to-know basis, in line with safeguarding procedures
- Immediate action is taken where there is a risk of harm
Pupil voice:
- Student feedback is used to improve safeguarding, behaviour, and wellbeing provision
- Pupil voice is gathered through regular check-ins, discussions, and structured feedback opportunities
- Outcomes and improvements are shared with students where appropriate
- Prevention and Awareness
- A code of Conduct – Which provides the standards expected from everyone in the organisation.
- Safer recruitment guidance – which outlines how your organisation minimises risks of harm to others from the people you recruit.
- Communication Guidance – which outlines acceptable and safe ways to communicate within your organisation.
- Digital Technology and social media guidelines – which outlines how to use technology safely and your organisation's standards for using social media.
- Photographs, films, and media guidance – which outline how you will take, store, and use media safely and ethically.
BSA will ensure an appropriate level of safeguarding training is available to its Students, Employees, Volunteers, and any relevant persons linked to the organisation who requires it.
For all employees who are working or volunteering with children, this requires them as a minimum to have awareness training that enables them to:
- Understand what safeguarding is and their role in safeguarding children.
- Recognise a child potentially in need of safeguarding and act.
- Understand how to report a Safeguarding Alert.
- Understand dignity and respect when working with children.
- Have knowledge of the Safeguarding Children Policy.
- Management of Safeguarding
Students in our training School
All BSA staff have a collective responsibility for the safeguarding of our students when they are in our training School. Students are informed about safeguarding during induction and safeguarding is then embedded throughout the ‘Students Journey. Continually raising awareness is part of the BSA approach to the ‘Safer Learner Concept’ and Equality and Diversity ethos.
Students on industry placement
Safeguarding is embedded through delivery in the workplace and forms part of our placement vetting processes, raising awareness of the importance of safeguarding with employers. Where learners are educated off-site or in Alternative Provision, BSA retains safeguarding oversight and sets expectations with the provider, including named contacts, reporting routes and DSL availability.
Escalation Policy (where appropriate)
Occasionally situations arise when staff feel that the decision made by a colleague on a safeguarding case is not a safe decision. Disagreements could arise in several areas, but are most likely to arise around:
- Levels of Needs.
- The need for action.
- Roles and responsibilities.
- Communication.
The safety of individuals is the paramount consideration in any professional disagreement, and any unresolved issues should be addressed with due consideration to the risks that might exist for the individual.
- Equality Impact Statement
BSA is committed to the promotion of equality, diversity, and providing a supportive environment for all members of its community. Our commitment means that this policy has been reviewed to ensure that it does not discriminate (either intentionally or unintentionally) any of the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender (including gender identity), race, religion or sexual orientation and meets our obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
Appendix A - Code of Conduct for External Guests/Visitors
To ensure the safety of our service users, all personnel working with BSA will comply with the code of conduct below.
It is the responsibility of all adults to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. The supplier is asked to ensure that any person directly employed by them or through a subcontractor agrees to comply with the following:
- Work safely and take responsibility for their own actions and behaviour. Avoid any contact which would lead any reasonable person to question your motivation and intentions.
- Avoid contact with children/ vulnerable adults.
- Never give your personal contact details to children or young people, including your mobile phone number. Contact via Social media sites are also unacceptable.
- Work and be seen to work in an open and transparent way.
- Never be in contact with children without supervision from a representative for the site undergoing work.
- Stay within the agreed work area and access routes.
- Obtain permission if you need to go outside the agreed work area or access routes from a representative for the site undergoing work.
- Keep staff informed of where you are and what you are doing.
- Do not use profane or inappropriate language.
- Dress appropriately, i.e., Dress in the way that:
- Is unlikely to be viewed as offensive, revealing or sexually provocative.
- Does not distract, cause embarrassment, or give rise to misunderstanding.
- Is absent of any political or contentious slogans.
- Is not considered to be discriminatory and is culturally sensitive.
Appendix B: Dealing with a disclosure of trauma or abuse for adults.
Key principles for adult safeguarding
In the safeguarding of adults, BSA is guided by the principles set out in The Care Act 2014 and aim to demonstrate and promote these principles in our work.
- Empowerment- People being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and informed consent.
- Prevention- It is better to act before harm occurs.
- Proportionality- The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.
- Protection- Support and representation for those in greatest need.
- Partnership- Local solutions through services working with their communities.
- Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting, and reporting neglect and abuse.
- Accountability- Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding.
Recognising the signs of abuse
Staff may be particularly well-placed to spot abuse and neglect; the adult may say or do things that hint that all is not well. It may come in the form of a complaint, or an expression of concern. All BSA staff must understand what to do, and where to go locally to get help, support, and advice. It is vital that everyone within the organisation is vigilant on behalf of those unable to protect themselves.
Physical Abuse
The physical mistreatment of one person by another which may or may not result in physical injury, this may include slapping, burning, punching, unreasonable confinement, and pinching, force-feeding, misuse of medication, shaking, inappropriate moving and handling.
Signs and indicators
Over or under use of medication, burns in unusual places; hands, soles of feet, sudden incontinence, bruising at various healing stages, bite marks, disclosure, bruising in the shape of objects, unexplained injuries or those that go untreated, reluctance to uncover parts of the body.
Sexual Abuse
Any form of sexual activity that the adult does not want and or has not considered,
a sexual relationship instigated by those in a position of trust, rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendos, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing a sexual act, indecent exposure and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting.
Signs and indicators
Signs of being abused may include recoiling from physical contact, genital discharge, fear of males or females, inappropriate sexual behaviour in presence of others, bruising to thighs, disclosure, and pregnancy. Abusers may take longer with personal care tasks, use offensive, work alone with students, or show favouritism to clients.
Financial or material abuse
Financial or material abuse- including theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions, or benefits.
Signs and Indicators
This may include not allowing a person access to their money, not spending allocated allowance on the individual, denying access to their money, theft from the individual, theft of property, misuse of benefits. There may be an over protection of money, lack of money, forged signatures, disclosure, inability to pay bills, lack of money after payments of benefits or other, unexplained withdrawals. An abuser may be evasive when discussing finances, goods purchased may be in the possession of the abuser. There may be over-keenness in participating in activities involving an individual's money.
Self-Neglect
This covers a wide range of behaviour neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding, and lack of self-care to the extent that it threatens personal health and safety. Another type is having the inability to avoid self-harming and failure to seek help or access services to meet health and social care needs.
Signs and Indicators
- Very poor personal hygiene
- Unkempt appearance
- Lack of essential food, clothing, or shelter
- Malnutrition and/or dehydration
- Living in squalid or unsanitary conditions
- Hoarding
- Collecting a large number of animals in inappropriate conditions
- Non-compliance with health or care services
- Inability or unwillingness to take medication or treat illness or injury.
- Neglecting household maintenance.
Discriminatory Abuse
This includes forms of harassment, slurs, or similar treatments; because of race, gender and gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, and religion or health status and may be the motivation factor in other forms of abuse. It can be personal, a hate crime or institutional.
Signs and indicators
There may be withdrawal or rejection of culturally inappropriate services, e.g., food, mixed gender groups, or activities. Individuals may simply agree with the abuser for an easier life; there may be disclosure, or someone may display low self-esteem. An abuser may react by saying “I treat everyone the same”, have inappropriate nicknames, be uncooperative, use derogatory language, or deny someone social and cultural contact.
Domestic abuse
The cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 and over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to:
- Sexual
- Emotional
- Financial
- Psychological
A new offence of coercive and controlling behaviour in intimate and familial relationships was introduced into the serious crime act 2015. The offence will impose a maximum 5-year imprisonment, a fine or both.
Signs and Indicators
May include many of those indicators listed under previous categories in this document, including unexplained bruising, withdrawal from activities, work, or volunteering, not being in control of finances, or decision making.
Who might abuse?
Abuse of adults at risk may be perpetrated by a wide range of people including relatives, family members, professional staff, paid care workers, volunteers, other service users, neighbours, friends and associates, people who deliberately exploit
vulnerable people and strangers.
Incidents of abuse may be one-off or multiple and affect one person or more. Professionals and others should look beyond single incidents or individuals to identify patterns of harm.
Prevention of abuse
To assist in the prevention of abuse the following factors should be considered:
- Rigorous recruitment practices
- Internal guidelines for staff
- Training
- Making Safeguarding Personal and empowering service users
Making Safeguarding Personal
Making Safeguarding personal means it should be person-led and outcome-focused. It should engage the person in a conversation about how best to respond to their safeguarding situation in a way that enhances involvement, choice and control as well as improving quality of life, wellbeing, and safety.
We aim to empower our service users and provide them with the information they need to make decisions on how to be safe from abuse and reduce risks.
Adults must be assumed to have capacity to make their own decisions and be given all practicable help before anyone treats them as not being able to make their own decisions. Where an adult is found to lack capacity to decide then, any action taken, or any decisions made by, or on their behalf, must be made in their best interest.
Appendix D - What should I do if I have a concern with an adult or child?
Students are also able to raise safeguarding concerns through confidential pupil voice and reporting mechanisms, which are explained during induction and displayed around the school.
- Log a referral on the confidential safeguarding form, pathway: Staff/BSA-Staff Folder/14-16 Provision/Student Reporting & Recording Information/Confidential Safeguarding Master Document & alert the DSLs (and Tutor)
- Concerns can be high or low level.
- Speak directly with the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Deputy (DSL) as soon as possible (certainly within 24 hours but immediately if you believe the student to be at risk if they leave at the end of the day).
- Inform the School Manager if no DSL/Deputy is available (and consider contacting Children’s Social Care (CSC) directly where there is a serious risk if they are not available)
- Context and history/information available.
- Explanations and contemporaneous life events.
- Uses Lancashire Continuum of Need & Thresholds Guidance.
- Evidence and nature of risk/need.
- Balance of Probabilities.
- What level of need is identified (Managing Support internally via college pastoral processes, early help intervention, referral for statutory services)?
- What is the parent’s/student’s views?
- What services might be accessed:
- · In college; b) via the LA’s early help; c) via direct referral to non-statutory agencies.
- Can these meet the level of need identified? If not refer to CSC.
- Child: 01253 477299 (out of hours)
- Adult: 01253 477592
- Adult: 01253 477600 (out of hours)
- Prevent/Channel Referrals:
- Local authority prevent team – 01254 585260 Police anti-terrorist hotline:
- 0800 789 321
- In an emergency where there is an immediate safeguarding concern, the Police may need to be called on 999 or may need to contact on 101 where a criminal offence has also been committed/is suspected but there is no immediate danger.
Appendix E - Talking and listening to children and adults and recording/ notifying concerns.
- If a child or adult wants to confide in you, you SHOULD:
- Be accessible and receptive and take what is said seriously; reassure victims of abuse that they are being taken seriously, will be supported, and are not creating a problem by reporting abuse of any kind.
- Listen carefully and uncritically, at the child or adult’s pace.
- Reassure children or adults that they are right to tell and make sure that they are OK.
- Tell the child or adult that you must pass this information on and make a careful record of what was said.
You should NEVER
- Investigate or seek to prove or disprove possible abuse, but it is OK to ask for additional information regarding who, what, where and when but never the WHY.
- Make promises about confidentiality or keeping ‘secrets’ to children or adults.
- Assume that someone else will take the necessary action.
- Jump to conclusions, be dismissive or react with shock, anger, horror etc. or offer opinions.
- Speculate or accuse anybody.
- Investigate, suggest, or probe for information.
- Confront another person (adult or child) allegedly involved or forget to record what you have been told.
- Fail to pass this information on to the correct person (the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy).
Children or adults with communication difficulties/ who use alternative or augmented communication.
- While extra care may be needed to ensure that signs of abuse and neglect are interpreted correctly, any suspicions should be reported in the same manner as for other children or adults.
- Opinion and interpretation will be crucial.
Recording should
- State who was present, time, date, and place.
- Be recorded as a clear and comprehensive summary of concern and risk.
- Be passed to a DSL immediately (certainly within 24 hours); wherever possible, there should be a conversation with a DSL to ensure receipt of the referral. If a DSL is not available, the two Deputy DSLs can be contacted.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, the DSL or DDSLs are not available, advice can be sought from the Blackpool Council Social Care Duty Team
- Use the student’s words wherever possible.
- Be factual and state exactly what was said.
- Differentiate clearly between fact, opinion, interpretation, observation and/or allegation.
- Be a chronological account of events.
- Record also on the disclosure report form what the student would like to happen now and how they present.
What information do they need to obtain.
- BSA has NO INVESTIGATIVE ROLE.
- Never prompt or probe for information, your job is to listen, record and pass on.
- Ideally, you should be clear about what is being said in terms of WHO, WHAT, WHERE AND WHEN.
- If you feel this is a safeguarding concern or if you’re not sure, record and pass on immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or DDSL.
DSL: Eloise.crossley@blackpoolskillsacademy.co.uk
DDSL: David.hodge@blackpoolskillsacademy.co.uk
If you need to ask questions, what is and isn’t, OK?
- NEVER ask closed questions, i.e., ones which can be answered yes, or no e.g., did he touch you?
- NEVER make suggestions about who, how or where someone is alleged to have touched, hit etc.
- Use only MINIMAL PROMPTS such as ‘tell me more about that/everything you remember about that.
- Timescales are very important: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED? Is an important question.
What else should we think about in relation to disclosure?
- Is there a suitable place for listening to students e.g. not too isolated, easily supervised, quiet etc.
- Be specific, i.e. Prearranged meetings.
- Think carefully about your own body language - how you present will dictate how comfortable a child feels in telling you about something which may be extremely frightening, difficult, and personal.
- Be prepared to answer the “WHAT HAPPENS NEXT” question.
- You should never make face-value judgements or assumptions about individual students.
- Think about how you might react if a student DID approach you. ALL staff need to be prepared to offer a student in this position what they need in terms of protection, reassurance, calmness, and objectivity.
- Students may disclose information whilst waiting for a prearranged meeting.