Definition of Child Abuse

In law young people are children up to their eighteenth birthday, although in practice sixteen and seventeen year olds are generally treated as adults. Children are abused by direct actions of an adult, such as a physical beating.  Alternatively children are abused because an adult fails to provide a child’s basic needs of nutritious food and warmth etc. Adults within their own family, people they know, or complete strangers can abuse children.

Main forms of Child Abuse

• Physical abuse

When an adult physically hurts or injures a child by hitting, shaking, squeezing, burning and biting.  Giving children alcohol, inappropriate drugs or poison and attempting suffocation or drowning.

• Sexual abuse

When people use children to meet their own sexual gratification.  This might be full sexual intercourse, oral sex, masturbation, and intercourse or fondling, showing children pornographic videos or magazines.

• Emotional abuse

Persistent lack of love and affection, being constantly shouted at, threatened or taunted.  In some families one child may be singled out for this treatment and even siblings may be encouraged to scapegoat their brother or sister.

• Neglect

When an adult fails to meet a child’s basic needs of sufficient nutritious food, love, warmth, care and concern, praise, encouragement and stimulation.  When children are constantly left on their own and unsupervised.

ALL MEMBERS, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS MUST REPORT ANY SUSPICION OF ABUSE TO THE CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER LISTED:

Richard Kemp, 7-9 ST. JAMES STREET, HALIFAX, HX1 5SU (TEL: OFFICE – 01422 323688 / MOBILE –07814 397653)

Parental Information

Members of staff have a responsibility to inform the Calderdale Children and Young People’s Services of any concerns they may have about the children in their care whether by direct observation of the child, information received, or a combination of the two.

Action plan for Child Protection – Check List

The following points are to enable staff members to have a positive attitude and to enable them to report any concerns about child abuse. Our aim is to inform the parents that we provide the following:

1. All staff have DBS Checks and full disclosure certificates
2. Relevant telephone numbers available for our area:

Calderdale Children and Young People’s Services

• Multi-Agency Screening Team (MAST) : 01422 393336
  • Emergency Duty Team (EDT): 01422 288000 (out of hours)

Police:

•  101 (non-emergency)
  • 999 (emergency)
• An Incident Sheet is kept for recording all concerns
• Information is given out to parents/guardians about our responsibility to report any concerns to the statutory agencies
• Children’s family records are updated regularly (i.e. change of address, change of partner, birth of a new baby etc.)
• The Child must always be protected first. Any friendship or relationship with the parents must come second
• Adequate knowledge of who is responsible for dropping off and collecting the child is insisted upon
• A positive role model is presented for parents by dealing with a child’s inappropriate behaviour in the correct way, in line with The Workshop’s behaviour policy
• We warn our children about the dangers of abuse in an appropriate way, in line with the child protection policy
• We take information only, report it to the relevant department and make no judgements on the offender or the victim
• We are aware that the child may try to reflect all they have told you
• We always make a detailed record of any conversation relating to abuse, using the child’s own language, including any questions we may have asked, but not adding comments or opinions. We do this as soon as we can afterwards

AFTERWARDS

This is not a situation we attempt to deal with on our own.  Clear indications or disclosures of abuse must be reported to the Calderdale Children and Young People’s Services immediately, using the procedures which have been explained.

Staff/Volunteer Information

If you are worried and you think a child at The Workshop has been or is being abused, what should you do?

Volunteers, Staff, Members – Talk directly to Richard Kemp, Child Protection Officer

Child Protection Officer – Seek advice directly from the Calderdale Children and Young People’s Services

What information will be needed?

• You will need to identify yourself, give your name, address and telephone number
• Explain briefly why you are telephoning and that the child attends The Workshop
• Give the days and times the child is typically present at The Workshop
• You will need to give details of the child, their name, address, telephone number and date of birth. Any additional medical information that can be provided would also be helpful.
• Explain what you may have observed. Put into context. Describe the child’s behaviour etc
• Explain what the child has said, what explanations have been given. Be specific
• Explain what you know of the family structure, brothers, sisters, others living in the house etc
• Give details of when the child will be collected and where the parents can be contacted if necessary
• Ask if further information is required.  Ask to be kept informed

This Safeguarding Policy has been reviewed and agreed by the Trustees of the Actors Workshop Youth Theatre Company.

Signed (Chairperson)

Robert Lassey 10/08/2022