East Suffolk Safeguarding Children, Young People and Adults at Risk of Abuse Policy - Appendix B - Good practice guidelines

Good practice means:

• Always working in an open environment (e.g., avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging an open relationship (e.g., no secrets).
• Treating all children, young people and adults at risk of abuse fairly, and with respect and dignity.
• Always putting the welfare of each child, young person or adult at risk first.
• Maintaining a safe and appropriate distance with children, young people and adults at risk of abuse you come into contact with.
• Building balanced relationships based on mutual trust which empowers children, young people and adults at risk to share in the decision-making process.
• Making activities fun and enjoyable and promoting fair play.
• Ensuring that if any form of physical contact is required, it should be provided openly. The child, young person or adult at risk should always be consulted and their agreement gained.
• Keeping up to date with the technical skills, qualifications and insurance required.
• Involving parents/carers wherever possible (e.g., in decisions about work experience). If parents/carers are not present, staff should always work with at least one co-worker.
• Ensuring that if mixed groups are taken away, a male and female member of staff always accompany them. (NB - however, it is important to recognise that same gender abuse can also occur).
• Being an excellent role model – this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company of children and young people.
• Giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.
• Recognising the developmental needs and capacity of children, young people and adults at risk of abuse.
• Securing written parental consent if staff are required to transport children, young people or adults at risk of abuse in their cars.
• Securing parental consent in writing to act in the parent or carer’s place if the need arises to give permission for the administration of emergency first aid and/or other medical treatment.

Where pictures/photos are taken parental permission must be gained.

Practice to be avoided

The following should be avoided except in emergencies. If cases arise where these situations are unavoidable, they should only occur with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge in the organisation or the child or young person’s parents or the carer of the adult at risk. For example, a child sustains an injury and needs to go to hospital, or a parent fails to arrive to pick a child up at the end of a session:

• Avoid spending excessive amounts of time alone with children, young people or adult at risk, away from others.
• Avoid taking children, young people or adults at risk to your home where they will be alone with you.
• Avoid giving children, young people or adults at risk lifts in your car, especially alone.

Practice never to be sanctioned

The following should never be sanctioned:

• Engagement in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay or those requiring extended physical contact.
• Being alone in a room with a child, young person or adult at risk.
• Allowing or engaging in any form of inappropriate touching.
• Making sexually suggestive comments to a child, young person or adult at risk, even in fun.
• Humiliating, putting down or degrading a child, young person or adult at risk as a form of control.
• Allowing allegations made by a child, young person or adult at risk to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.
• Doing things of a personal nature for children, young people or adults at risk that they can do for themselves.
• Inviting or allowing children, young people or adults at risk to stay with you at your home unsupervised.

Incidents requiring immediate reporting

If any of the following incidents should occur, staff/councillors should report them immediately to another colleague and make a written note of the event. Parents or carers should also be informed of the incident:

• If the staff/councillor accidentally hurts a child, young person or adult at risk.
• If a child, young person or adult at risk in the care of a member of staff or councillor seems distressed in any manner.
• If an individual appears to be sexually aroused by the actions of a member of staff or councillor; or
• If an individual misunderstands or misinterprets something the member of staff or councillor has done.