Safeguarding Staff Policy
Little Crickets Ltd

 

 

January 2024

​

​

What happens if an allegation of abuse is made against a member of Little Crickets Ltd

 

We have introduced this separate policy to remind staff of the measures that can be taken to reduce
the risk of any allegations being made against them or another member of staff. It also contains the
procedure, which will be undertaken if an allegation is made against a member of staff. This complies
with the Early Years Foundation Stage (2012) and Haringey Council.

How we can protect ourselves?

 If a child sustains an injury whilst in our care, we will record it in the accident book as soon as
possible. When the child is collected, we will inform whoever picks the child up about the injury and
ensure that they also sign the accident book.
 If a child arrives with an injury sustained elsewhere we will ask for an explanation and again record
this in the accident book and ask whoever has brought in the child to sign the record.
 We will ensure that all staff undertake regular child protection training.
 We will ensure that all parents understand our role and responsibility in child protection. Within the
nursery this will be to parents in writing within the prospectus before the child begins to attend
Little Crickets.
 Our behavioural management policy states that no physical sanctions will be used and we will
ensure that everyone complies with it in all rooms within the setting.
 We will try to avoid situations where an adult is left alone in a room with a child. If this does occur,
we will make sure that the door is left open and there are other people around.
 We will avoid engaging in rough physical play with children- as this may be misconstrued and could
cause accidental injury to a child.
 We will avoid doing things of a personal nature for children that they can do for themselves.
 We will take up references, including one from the candidate’s last employer, and will always
question any gaps in employment history.
 We will encourage an open door ethos, to enable staff to talk to senior managers if they have
concerns about the conduct of any of their colleagues.

​

​

What happens if an allegation of abuse is made against a member of staff in the Setting?

 If anyone makes an allegation of abuse against a member of our staff or we are informed we will
contact:
(Area Children’s Officer (Safeguarding)) who acts in the role of LADO, or Local Authority Designated
Officer.
They will assess whether the allegation reaches the threshold for referral to Police/Children’s Social
Services and advise accordingly regarding further action to be taken in respect of the child and the
member of staff.
 or will complete the attached or similar form for recording allegations or complaints made against
staff.
or will not discuss the allegation with the member of staff concerned, unless advised to do so by
Children’s Social Services.
 All staff need to be aware that it is a disciplinary offence not to report concerns about the
conduct of a colleague that could place a child at risk. When in doubt – consult.
 If Children’s Social Services and/or the police decide to carry out an investigation, it may be
possible that we will be advised to suspend the member of staff, whilst enquiries are carried out.
The Little Crickets could also invoke their disciplinary procedure.
 We will not carry out an investigation ourselves unless Children’s Social Services and the Police
decide it is not appropriate for them to do so. We understand that Ofsted may wish to undertake
further investigations.

​

​

Always remember; The welfare of the child is Paramount
Guidance for managers completing Checklist for handling and recording allegations or complaints of
abuse made against a member of staff regarding a child/children in their care.

​

1. Record the name and position of member of staff against whom the allegation or complaint has
been made.
2. Verbal complaints should be backed up in writing by the complainant if appropriate; some may
require immediate action that does not allow time for this to happen.
3. It is important to identify who made the complaint and whether it was received first hand or is
a concern that is passed on from somebody else. If this is the case it is better that you receive the information first hand. If a parent, carer or a member of staff at Little Crickets makes a
complaint against you it must be passed immediately to your line manager.

4. Record the full name, age and date of birth of the child.
5. The address recorded should be the address at which the child lives with the main carer.
6. If there are one or more alleged incidents, be specific as possible about dates that they are
alleged to have happened.
7. Check the attendance register/ diary of work to see if the child was present/seen on that day
and the shift patterns of the staff member involved to see if they were working at that time.
This will confirm the likelihood of the incident having taken place.
8. If you have received the complaint in writing attach it to the checklist. You can then summarise
it on the form.

9. Any other information should be factual. It will be helpful if you can confirm things such as the
level of contact that the staff member has with the child and any other minor concerns that
may have been raised previously. Do not attempt to investigate the complaint yourself.
10. Remember that if an allegation of abuse is made against a member of our staff you must inform
the or who will contact the Children’s Safeguards Team for further advice.

11. Ofsted must be informed if an allegation is made against a member of our staff, even if the
Children’s Safeguards Team decides no further action is required. Ofsted may do their own
investigation to ensure that registration requirements are being met.
12. Make a note of any actions the Children’s Safeguards Team or Ofsted advise you to take and the
date or times at which you implemented them.
13. If the allegation is against or then you should speak to the manager who will follow the
procedures above.

​

This policy will be reviewed annually by the Day Care Manager

​

​