Explain The Policies And Procedures Regarding The Protection And Safeguarding Of Children

Learning Outcome 3.4
Every setting has a set of policies and procedures regarding the protection and safeguarding of children. These safeguarding policies will give practitioners guidelines about how they should work with children in a way which protects both the children and the practitioner within their everyday practice in the work setting and on off site visits. This is important as the setting will need to be aware of, and pass on to staff, how they should best protect themselves against incidents of alleged abuse or inappropriate working practices. Policies and procedures for safe working include, for example:

• Working in an open and transparent way - It is important that practitioners prevent any situations and protect themselves

A child’s mental health and development is much more important than a friendship with a co-worker. The first step is to talk to our line manager and tell them that we have seen something we do not like. If it is the line manager we are suspicious of, we have to go to the next level, to the head teacher or head governors. It is useful to have a look at the school’s whistle blowing policy to see the exact procedure. When making a complaint like this, practitioners are protected by law against any future disadvantages. The teacher’s union can also provide advice about the relevant policies and the rights of those involved. The children’s safety and healthy development is the paramount concern in a school setting, therefore whether a practitioner is being accused or are suspicious about a co-worker of being abusive, it must be dealt with in a professional way and follow the relevant procedures in order to clear up the

Before a trip can be arranged employers must follow the necessary policies and procedures as follows:

 Age, competence, fitness and the standard behaviour of the pupils.
 Any special educational or medical needs of the children.
 Adult to student ratio.
 In the case of educational visits, professionals should always carry out a full risk assessment of that visit, under the Health and Safety at work regulations Act it requires employers to assess the risks of activities, introduce measures to control these risks and inform employees of these measure. This way there is evidence for any future investigation showing that the teacher did their outmost to eliminate the risks and also to deal with any accidents that occurred.
 The competence and qualifications of the accompanying adults.
 Modes of transport and location of visit.
 Emergency procedures.
 Permission from parents - A written consent from the parents or carers of the child is essential in order to take the children anywhere outside of the setting.
 Relevant medical or dietary needs of