Guidance for and Advice for going into different schools and settings.

 

Purpose of this guide

When visiting different schools and settings, Flow With Stories practitioners who come into contact with pupils in their work have a duty of care to safeguard and promote their welfare. It is important that all Flow With Stories practitioners working with children understand that the nature of their work and responsibilities related to it, place them in a position of trust.

 

This guidance provides clear advice on appropriate and safe behaviours and aims to:

• Keep children safe by clarifying which behaviours constitutes safe practice and which behaviours should be avoided.

• Minimise risk of misplaced or malicious allegations made against adults who work with pupils.

• Reduce the incidence of positions of trust being abused or misused.

 

Best Practice

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The standards below should always be applied regardless of culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity.

• All Flow With Stories practitioners are responsible for their own actions and behaviour and should avoid any contact which would lead any reasonable person to question their motivation and intentions.

• Do not place self in a situation which could render vulnerability to allegations, for example, do not work alone with a child, do not use any phones or cameras when pupils are around. (Must have written permission from the school and parents)

• Work and be seen to work in an open and transparent way.

• Treat any information received about pupils in a discreet confidential manner.

• Do not intimidate, bully, humiliate, threaten, coerce, undermine or shout at pupils.

• Do not make, or encourage others to make, unprofessional personal comments which scapegoat, demean or humiliate any pupils, or which might be interpreted as such.

• Do not dress in a way that might be viewed as offensive, revealing, distractive, discriminatory.

• Always maintain professional boundaries with children.

• Be aware that even well-intentioned physical contact may be misconstrued by the child, an observer or by anyone to whom this action is described.

• Never use force or physical punishment.

• Personally view all online videos before using in a lesson.

 

What to do if a child protection concern arises

• Take concerns or suspicions to the settings child protection officer.

• If a child makes a disclosure react calmly and take what the child has said seriously

• Reassure the child that they were right to tell.

• Do not promises confidentiality.

• Make a written record of what has been said as soon a possible after the disclosure (settings may have a CP form) and take it to the designated Child Protection Officer.

• Inform the child that you will be sharing the information with a senior member of staff.

 

What to do if there is an allegation against an adult

• Immediately report any allegations to the Flow With Stories Manager to discuss allegations.

• Provide a written report of the allegation.

 

Please note that during investigation, Flow With Stories practitioner’s will not be placed into a setting until the investigation has been resolved.

 

All Flow With Stories practitioners should continually monitor and review their practice and ensure they follow the guidance contained in this document.

Please refer to the DfE document ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ January 2021 for further information. 

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https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2

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