Safeguarding Policy

All staff have a duty to safeguard children.

The Centre staff have DBS clearance.

Adult’s without DBS clearance accompanying schools will be expected to stay within close supervision of the school and centre’s staff.

Parents accompanying their children during holiday club should not be left alone with other children.

Adults working within Forest School need to appreciate that when children feel comfortable and content, when their instinct to trust and risk take is encouraged, they may be moved to disclose information which they might have otherwise kept to themselves. Any volunteer, or member of staff, who finds that a child is telling them something that concerns them should follow the course of action set out below in simple steps:

Always:

· Listen to the child but ask no leading questions.

· Keep calm and offer reassurance.

· Record information verbatim using the actual words of the child and noting any questions the child raises.

· Report on as soon as you have a concern.

· Note dates, times, who was present, anything factual about the child’s appearance. 

· Contact the school’s DSL directly. Pass any notes to the school’s DSL via the teacher in charge.

Never:

• Ask leading questions.

• Make promises. You cannot ‘keep a secret’.

• Ask the child to write down their account.

• Investigate with, or without, others.

• Take photographs of marks.

• Attempt any medical judgement

• Arrange a medical examination

• Recordan interview

• Ask a child to remove any clothing.

Staff should always be aware of themselves whilst supporting the child.

Photos and video

Photos & Video Permission will be requested by Stocks Wood Outdoor Centre staff to take photographs of participants for monitoring and evaluation purposes and suitable use in publications for leaflets/materials/website. Where permission is refused, we will aim to avoid photographing and videoing that child and blur out faces wherever they do appear in recorded material.