Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

Key Safeguarding Contacts

In an emergency, act first and inform the DSL as soon as possible afterwards. Use the routes below whenever a concern cannot wait for the DSL, or where the concern is about the DSL.

Section 1 — Our Commitment

Quill Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child in our care, whether in a Quill Academy session, at a partner school, or in any other setting in which we operate. A child’s safety and wellbeing always come first, and this is never compromised for any other priority.

In line with the law, a child is defined as anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means:

• Protecting children from maltreatment;
• Preventing impairment of children’s health or development;
• Ensuring children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Child protection is the specific activity undertaken to protect a child who is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.

Harm is not limited to physical injury. It includes the impact of witnessing the ill-treatment of another — for example, a child’s exposure to domestic abuse in the home — and safeguarding incidents can be linked to factors and relationships outside of a session, not only within one.

This policy applies to:

• All Quill Academy tutors and teaching assistants;
• The Curriculum & Academic Lead, and any future staff in a similar role;
• The management team and any volunteer working with children on behalf of Quill Academy;
• All Quill Academy sessions, and sessions delivered inside partner schools (see Section 14).

This policy is built with reference to:

• Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), most recent statutory guidance;
• Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government);
• The Children Act 1989 and 2004;
• The Childcare Act 2006;
• The Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2009;
• The Sexual Offences Act 2003;
• The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (the Prevent Duty).

Section 2 — Roles and Responsibilities

2.1 The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Quill Academy’s Designated Safeguarding Lead has overall responsibility for child protection and safeguarding across the organisation. The DSL’s responsibility cannot be delegated. Where the DSL is unavailable, any safeguarding concern is raised without delay with the Calderdale Multi Agency Screening Team (MAST) on 01422 393336, or with the emergency services where a child is in immediate danger.

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Sheraz Fazal — 01422 756781 — hello@quillacademy.co.uk

The DSL will:

• Act as the first point of contact for any safeguarding concern raised by a tutor, teaching assistant, parent, or child;
• Refer concerns to children’s social care, the police, or other agencies as appropriate;
• Keep clear, accurate, secure written records of all concerns and referrals;
• Ensure every tutor and teaching assistant receives safeguarding training before starting work, and refresher training at least annually;
• Liaise with the Designated Safeguarding Lead of any partner school when Quill Academy delivers sessions on school premises;
• Review and update this policy at least annually, or sooner if guidance changes;
• Be contactable at all times during which Quill Academy sessions are running, and ensure staff know the external routes to use if the DSL cannot be reached;
• Refer any individual who has caused harm, or poses a risk of harm, to a child to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), and to the Teaching Regulation Agency where relevant.

2.2 All Tutors, Teaching Assistants and Volunteers

Everyone working with children on behalf of Quill Academy has a responsibility to:

• Read, understand and sign this policy, and Quill Academy’s Code of Conduct, before starting work;
• Know who the DSL is and how to contact them, and know the external safeguarding contacts to use if the DSL is unavailable;
• Recognise the signs and indicators of abuse and neglect;
• Report any concern about a child’s welfare to the DSL immediately — never investigate a concern yourself;
• Maintain professional boundaries with children at all times;
• Treat every concern seriously, however small it may seem, and understand that the threshold for raising a concern should never be regarded as high.

Section 3 — Safer Recruitment

Quill Academy is committed to ensuring that no unsuitable person gains access to children through our organisation. Before any tutor, teaching assistant or volunteer begins working with children, Quill Academy will complete the following checks:

• An enhanced DBS certificate, dated within the last 3 years or registered on the DBS Update Service;
• Verification of identity and right to work in the UK;
• At least one interview exploring the candidate’s attitude and approach to safeguarding;
• Two satisfactory references, at least one from a previous role working with children where applicable;
• Verification of any relevant professional qualifications (e.g. QTS).

Quill Academy will not permit any individual to work unsupervised with children until all checks above are complete.

3.1 The Single Central Record

Quill Academy maintains a Single Central Record (SCR) — a master log covering every person who works with, or is regularly in contact with, children on our behalf. The SCR records which checks have been completed for each individual, the dates they were completed, and who completed them.

The SCR is kept up to date by the DSL and is reviewed regularly to confirm that no individual is working with children while any required check is outstanding or has lapsed.

All new starters sign this policy, the Code of Conduct, and an intellectual property / confidentiality agreement as part of their induction, before their first session.

Section 4 — Safe Working Practice

All adults working with children for Quill Academy are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Never being alone with a single child in circumstances where you cannot be observed — sessions should always be held in view of, or within earshot of, a parent, responsible adult, or another member of staff;
• Never transporting a child in a personal vehicle, or arranging transport, without explicit written agreement from a parent and the DSL;
• Never sharing personal contact details with a child directly — all communication with a child under 18 should go via their parent/carer, or via Quill Academy’s official channels;
• Never making promises of confidentiality to a child;
• Using language and conduct that is always appropriate, respectful and professional;
• Not accepting or giving personal gifts to or from a child;
• Reporting immediately to the DSL any instance where a parent or responsible adult leaves a child alone with a tutor for any period during a session.

Full detail on expected and prohibited conduct is set out in Quill Academy’s Code of Conduct, which every tutor and teaching assistant signs as a condition of working with us.

Section 5 — Low-Level Concerns

A low-level concern is any concern — however small — that an adult working with children may have behaved in a way that is inconsistent with Quill Academy’s Code of Conduct, but does not meet the threshold of a safeguarding allegation or a referral to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

Any concern that causes a sense of unease, or a “nagging doubt”, should be reported — it does not need to be serious or certain to be worth raising.

Examples include:

• Being overly familiar with a child;
• Having favourites;
• Taking photographs of a child on a personal device without prior arrangement;
• Engaging with a child one-to-one in a secluded area or behind a closed door;
• Using language that is inappropriate, sexualised, intimidating or offensive.

The DSL will record all low-level concerns and review them together over time, so that any pattern of concerning behaviour is identified even where no single incident meets the threshold for a formal allegation. Where a pattern is identified, or where a concern is later found to meet the harm threshold, it will be escalated and referred to the LADO.

Section 6 — Recognising Abuse and Neglect

All adults working with children must be able to recognise the four main categories of abuse, as defined in statutory guidance. No single sign confirms abuse — there may be an innocent explanation for any one indicator — but a pattern of signs, considered in context, should always be reported.

6.1 Physical Abuse

Hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. This includes fabricating or inducing illness in a child.

6.2 Emotional Abuse

Persistent emotional maltreatment causing severe, adverse effects on a child’s emotional development — for example, conveying to a child that they are worthless, imposing developmentally inappropriate expectations, or exposing a child to the ill-treatment of another person. Some level of emotional abuse is present in all other forms of abuse, though it may also occur alone.

6.3 Sexual Abuse

Forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening, including both contact and non-contact activity such as exposure to sexual images or grooming. Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males — women and other children can also commit acts of sexual abuse.

6.4 Neglect

The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or psychological needs, likely to result in serious impairment of health or development — including failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, supervision, or access to medical care.

6.5 Additional Vulnerabilities

Some children may be more vulnerable to harm, or face additional barriers to disclosing abuse. Tutors should be especially alert where a child:

• Has a special educational need or disability;
• Is a young carer;
• Is a looked-after child, or has recently returned home from care;
• Is showing signs of being drawn into anti-social, criminal, or gang-related behaviour;
• Is in a family circumstance involving domestic abuse, substance misuse, or parental mental health difficulty;
• Is at risk of, or may have experienced, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, or radicalisation.

This is not an exhaustive list. Children with SEND can face particular barriers, including behaviour or mood being wrongly attributed to their condition rather than explored further — tutors should not make this assumption and should raise any concern regardless.

Section 7 — Child-on-Child Abuse

Safeguarding issues are not confined to harm caused by adults. Children are capable of abusing their peers, and this can occur both inside and outside of sessions, and online. It is never dismissed as “banter”, “part of growing up”, or ordinary conflict between children.

Child-on-child abuse can include bullying (including cyberbullying), physical abuse, sexual violence, sexual harassment, and the non-consensual sharing of images.

7.1 Sexual violence and sexual harassment

Sexual violence and sexual harassment can occur between children of any age or sex, and can happen both online and offline. All victims are taken seriously and offered support — a victim is never given the impression that they are creating a problem by reporting, and evidence shows that girls, children with SEND, and LGBT children can be at greater risk.

Consent is about having the freedom and capacity to choose, and can be withdrawn at any time. A child cannot be considered to have consented simply because they did not object.

7.2 Responding to a report of child-on-child abuse

• Do not promise confidentiality;
• Be supportive, respectful and non-judgemental;
• Listen carefully, without asking leading questions;
• Record the facts as the child presents them, without adding personal interpretation;
• Inform the DSL as soon as practically possible;
• Consider the wishes of the victim as far as reasonably possible in deciding how to proceed.

The DSL will carry out an immediate risk and needs assessment, considering the victim, the child alleged to be responsible, and any other children who may need protecting, and will refer to the police or children’s social care where appropriate.

Section 8 — Child Sexual and Criminal Exploitation

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) occur where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into sexual or criminal activity. Both can occur even where the activity appears consensual, and neither always involves physical contact — both can happen wholly or partly online.

County lines refers to gangs and organised criminal networks that use children to move drugs and money, often via a dedicated mobile phone line. A child going missing, particularly repeatedly, can be a vital warning sign of county lines involvement.

Possible indicators of CSE or CCE include:

• Unexplained gifts, money, or new possessions;
• Going missing for periods of time, or regularly returning home late;
• Association with other young people known to be involved in exploitation;
• Sudden changes in emotional wellbeing, or in friendships and relationships with older individuals;
• Repeated absence from sessions or school;
• Signs of drug or alcohol misuse.

This is not an exhaustive list, and indicators can differ between boys and girls. Any concern should be reported to the DSL regardless of how the activity appears to the child themselves.

Section 9 — Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

FGM involves procedures that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is a violation of human rights and has been illegal in the UK since 2003.

There is a specific legal duty on teachers — a term that includes anyone undertaking teaching work, such as tutors — under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003: if, during the course of their work, a tutor discovers that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl under the age of 18, they must report this to the police directly. This duty cannot be delegated or discharged simply by informing the DSL.

Possible indicators include:

• A child talking about a special ceremony or “becoming a woman”;
• A family taking a long trip abroad, particularly to a country where FGM is practised;
• A child’s sibling having previously undergone FGM;
• Prolonged absence, followed by a marked change in behaviour on return;
• Difficulty sitting still, or discomfort walking or sitting.

Any suspicion of intended or actual FGM must also be referred to children’s social care. Staff should approach the subject with sensitivity, as a child at risk may not yet be aware of what is planned for them.

Section 10 — Serious Violence

Tutors should be aware of indicators which may signal a child is at risk from, or involved in, serious violent crime, including gang involvement. These may include increased absence, a change in friendships or relationships with older individuals or groups, a significant decline in performance, signs of self-harm, or unexplained injuries. Unexplained new possessions can also indicate a child has been approached by, or is involved with, a criminal network.

Section 11 — Mental and Physical Health

Mental health problems can, in some cases, be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Tutors are not expected to diagnose a mental health condition, but should raise any concern with the DSL where a child’s presentation — for example, signs of an eating disorder, self-harm, or a sudden deterioration in wellbeing — is also a safeguarding concern.

Tutors should also report to the DSL any observed deterioration in a child’s physical health, including known medical conditions, so that this can be considered alongside any wider pattern of concern.

Section 12 — Reporting a Concern: Quill Academy Sessions

This section covers how to respond to and report a concern arising during a Quill Academy session. For concerns arising while delivering a session inside a partner school, see Section 14.

12.1 If a child discloses something to you

• Stay calm — do not show shock, disbelief or strong emotion;
• Listen carefully. Let the child speak freely, in their own words — do not ask leading questions, only open ones if clarification is genuinely needed;
• Reassure the child they have done the right thing by telling you, and that whatever has happened is not their fault;
• Never promise to keep what they’ve told you a secret — explain gently that you need to share it with someone who can help;
• Do not investigate, question further, or confront anyone yourself;
• As soon as possible afterwards, write down what was said, using the child’s own words as closely as possible, noting the date, time, location and who else was present;
• Contact the DSL immediately. If the DSL is unavailable, contact MAST directly on 01422 393336 — or 999 if a child is in immediate danger.

12.2 If you have any other concern

A concern doesn’t need to come from a direct disclosure. If something a child says, an injury you notice, a change in behaviour, or anything else causes concern — including a “nagging doubt” that something isn’t right — report it to the DSL. It is not your role to decide whether a concern is significant enough to act on; that is the DSL’s responsibility once informed.

12.3 What the DSL will do

• Record the concern formally in writing, following Quill Academy’s standard recording process;
• Determine whether a referral to children’s social care, the police, or another agency is required;
• Make any necessary referral without delay, and keep a written record of all actions and decisions taken;
• Inform the reporting tutor of the outcome only where appropriate to do so.

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999 first, then inform the DSL as soon as possible afterwards.

Section 13 — Allegations Against a Tutor or Member of Staff

An allegation against a tutor, teaching assistant or volunteer can be made by a child, a parent, or another adult. All such allegations are taken seriously, whatever the source, and handled with fairness to everyone involved.

• Any allegation should be reported to the DSL immediately. If the allegation concerns the DSL, it should be reported directly to the LADO on 01422 394055 (ladoadmin@calderdale.gov.uk) instead;
• The individual concerned will have their working arrangements reviewed while the matter is looked into, which may include suspension from sessions where there is any risk to a child;
• Where an allegation may involve a criminal matter, the police will be informed and Quill Academy will fully cooperate with any investigation;
• Where appropriate, a referral will be made to the LADO;
• The person raising a concern in good faith will not suffer any detriment as a result, even where the concern is not ultimately upheld.

Following any case where an allegation is substantiated, the DSL will review the circumstances to identify whether any improvement to Quill Academy’s procedures or practice could help prevent a similar event in future.

Section 14 — Working in Schools

Some of our work is delivered at or for schools. It is essential that tutors follow the specific safeguarding protocol at any school they are working with, in addition to this policy. Tutors are introduced to the school’s own Designated Safeguarding Lead and receive their contact details before working at that school.

It is vital that tutors remain vigilant in their safeguarding practice when working at schools, and recognise that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Any safeguarding concern arising while working at a school must be reported to both the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead and Quill Academy’s own DSL — neither report replaces the other.

Quill Academy’s policy continues to apply at all times, but a host school’s own site procedures — including sign-in, identification and reporting protocols — take precedence while on their premises.

Section 15 — Online Safety, Photography and Social Media

• No child may be photographed or filmed for marketing, social media, or any other public use without prior parental consent, sought separately from consent to attend sessions;
• Children are never identified by full name alongside a photograph on any public-facing channel;
• Any online tutoring, should Quill Academy offer it, will take place on a secure platform agreed with the parent and DSL in advance, with a parent or responsible adult present or available throughout;
• Full guidance is set out in Quill Academy’s Online Safety Policy.

Section 16 — Missing Child and Late Collection

16.1 If a child cannot be found

• Immediately alert the most senior member of staff present and begin a calm, thorough search of the immediate area;
• If the child is not found within a few minutes, contact the DSL and the child’s parent/carer without delay;
• If there is any reason to believe the child may be at risk, contact the police immediately;
• Record the full details of the incident and the actions taken, and review the incident with the DSL afterwards to prevent recurrence.

16.2 Late collection

• A child will never be left without appropriate adult supervision, however late a collection;
• If a parent/carer has not arrived within a reasonable time and cannot be contacted, the DSL will be informed and alternative emergency contacts collected at registration will be tried;
• Quill Academy will keep a written record of any late collection.

Section 17 — Whistleblowing

Quill Academy wants every tutor, teaching assistant and volunteer to feel able to raise a concern about the conduct of a colleague, or about safeguarding practice within the organisation, without fear of it affecting their position with us.

• Concerns should be raised with the DSL in the first instance; where the concern involves the DSL, it can be raised directly with the LADO (01422 394055) or the NSPCC Whistleblowing Helpline;
• Anyone raising a concern in good faith will be supported, regardless of whether the concern is ultimately upheld;
• If a concern cannot be raised internally, the NSPCC Whistleblowing Helpline (0800 028 0285) is available as an external route.

Section 18 — The Prevent Duty

Quill Academy has due regard to the need to prevent people, including children, from being drawn into terrorism or extremist ideology. Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies, and can happen in many different ways and settings — the internet and social media are a significant factor in the radicalisation of young people.

If the DSL has a concern that a child may be at risk of radicalisation, they will seek advice from the relevant Prevent Coordinator and consider whether a referral to the Channel programme is appropriate. Channel is a voluntary, confidential, early-support programme, and engagement with it is voluntary at every stage. Parental consent is not required for a referral where there are reasonable grounds to believe a child is at risk of significant harm.

Section 19 — Information Sharing and Record Keeping

All safeguarding concerns, discussions and decisions are recorded in writing and stored securely, accessible only to the DSL.

When deciding whether and how to share information, Quill Academy follows these principles:

• Data protection and human rights law are not barriers to justified information sharing where a child’s safety is at risk — they provide a framework for sharing appropriately, not a reason to withhold information;
• Wherever possible, be open with the family about what will be shared and why, and seek their agreement — unless doing so would itself increase risk to the child;
• Where in doubt, seek advice without necessarily disclosing the identity of the child;
• Share only what is necessary, relevant, accurate, and with those who genuinely need it;
• Always base the decision to share, or not to share, on the safety and wellbeing of the child;
• Keep a record of what was shared, with whom, when, and why — or, if information was not shared, the reasons for that decision.

Section 20 — Training

• All tutors, teaching assistants and volunteers receive a safeguarding briefing and a copy of this policy before their first session, and sign to confirm they have read and understood it;
• The DSL completes formal designated safeguarding lead training before Quill Academy delivers its first session, refreshed at least every two years;
• All staff complete refresher safeguarding training at least annually;
• The DSL will issue updates to all staff whenever safeguarding guidance changes materially.

Section 21 — Linked Policies

This policy should be read alongside:

• Quill Academy Code of Conduct
• Quill Academy Whistleblowing Policy
• Quill Academy Online Safety Policy
• Quill Academy Safer Recruitment Policy
• Quill Academy Data Protection Policy