Little Feet Childcare Centre is committed to the protection of all children under their care and aim to prevent any form of abuse and neglect.
Policy Procedures:
Staff Recruitment:
New employees, volunteers, and any other person in regular unsupervised contact with the children will undergo a thorough checking of their credentials as per the guidelines of the Vulnerable Children’s Act 2014.Following procedures will be adhered to in accordance with Ministry of Education and Vulnerable Children’s Act requirements:
- Identity Check (Two forms of identity required)
- Interview with applicant
- Verbal contact with two referees who are not related, or part of the applicants extended family.
- A NZ police vet.
- Information from any relevant professional organization (Education Council) or registration body
- All information gather from the above safety check will be used to assess the risk, the potential applicant would pose to the safety of the children if employed.
- Successful applicants will have to provide their work history and are to be considered to have appropriate skills and attribute which will not compromise the safety and wellbeing of the children at any time.
Prevention:
- During staff induction all staff are made aware of the Centre’s child protection policy. Staff are made aware that abuse could occur to any child by any person, therefore they are encouraged to attend professional development and update themselves with literature from appropriate agencies to develop their awareness.
- A resource file is kept at the Centre for all staff and adults to increase an awareness of how to prevent, recognize and respond to all forms of child abuse (physical, verbal, sexual, emotional and neglect).
- Volunteers and casual staff are to be supervised by permanent staff.
- We ensure that all staff can identify the signs and symptoms of potential abuse and neglect and are able to take appropriate action in response.
- Any suspected abuse must be documented, and the Centre supervisor/manager must be informed immediately.
- Little Feet is committed to supporting all staff to work in accordance with this policy, and to work with partner agencies and organization if need arises.
- Little Feet supports the role of the NZ police and child youth and family(CYFS)in the investigation of any suspected abuse.
- Little Feet Childcare Centre will always comply with relevant legislative responsibilities.
- Little Feet staff will always ensure that no child will be allowed to leave the Centre without a written parental consent except in an emergency. All staff will be informed of any custodial issues as they arise.
- During excursions, staff will always follow the excursion policy and will ensure that children are always supervised.
- Staff regularly review and discuss any concerns regarding any child/children during staff meetings.
- A copy of the child protection policy is displayed in the foyer for parents and visitors.
- All visitors to the Centre must report to the office and sign in the visitor’s book. At no time any visitor will be left unattended with the children. Visitors, student teachers and volunteers are not allowed to change nappies or clothes of any child in an isolated situation.
- Little Feet supports the role of the NZ police and child youth and family(CYFS)in the investigation of any suspected abuse.
Police Vetting of Employees
Police vetting of non-teaching and unregistered employees at Little Feet Childcare centre services:
Little Feet Childcare Centre will obtain a Police vet of every person
- who is appointed, or it intends to appoint, to a position at Little Feet Childcare Centre; and
- who will be working at the service during normal opening hours; and
- who is not a registered teacher or holder of a limited authority to teach.
- Little Feet Childcare Centre will obtain a Police vet of every contractor, or the employee of a contractor, who has, or is likely to have, unsupervised access to children at the service during normal opening hours.
- In this section, contractor means a person who, under contract (other than an employment contract), works at a licensed early childhood service.
Police vet will be obtained by Little Feet Childcare Centre before the person has or is likely to have, unsupervised access to children at the service of the Childcare Centre during normal opening hours and a Police vet of a person will be applied no later than 2 weeks after the person begins work at the Childcare Centre.
Procedures of responding to suspected child abuse
- All staff will ensure that child safety and wellbeing is paramount
- The staff must immediately inform the supervisor/manager any suspected child abuse.
- Maintain confidentiality always.
- All observation and conversation with the child will be documented by the teacher in the child protection folder. (Record accurately in child’s own words). Details of any marks or bruises will be recorded on the body map chart which is stored in the child protection folder in the office cupboard.
- Listen carefully and reassure the child.
- Appropriate agencies will be informed and consulted once all the information has been gathered. Child Youth and Family(CYFS) 0508326459
- All documentation gathered in this process will be strictly confidential.
- If the suspected abuse may have been perpetrated by a family member, or someone close the family, the family members will only be informed by the Centre manager and personnel from CYFS.
- Where suspected abuse may have been perpetrated by a staff member at the Centre, the staff will be suspended from duty while the management will investigate the matter and the staff is informed about their rights. (Refer to the center’s staff’s disciplinary policy and procedure)
- Little Feet will ensure that all those involve in an investigation where child abuse is suspected are supported.
Child Abuse is defined in the Children Young Persons and their Families Act as “the harming (whether physically, emotionally, or sexually), ill-treatment, abuse, neglect or deprivation of any child or young person.”
Physical abuse – any acts that may result in physical harm of a child or young person.
Sexual abuse – any acts that involve forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether they are aware of what is happening.
Emotional abuse – any act or omission that results in adverse or impaired psychological, social, intellectual, and emotional functioning or development.
Family violence may be witnessed/experienced by children and involve physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.
Neglect “is a pattern of behavior which occurs over a period of time and results in impaired functioning or development of a child. It is the failure to provide for a child’s basic needs, the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or psychological needs, leading to adverse or impaired physical or emotional functioning or development.
Neglect may be:
- Physical – failure to provide necessary basic needs of food, shelter, or warmth
- Medical – failure to seek, obtain or follow through with medical care for the child
- Abandonment – leaving a child young person in any situation without arranging necessary care for them and with no intention of returning
- Neglectful supervision – failure to provide developmentally appropriate or legally required supervision
- Refusal to resume parental responsibility – unwillingness or inability to provide appropriate care for a child.”