Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Avana Retreat is aware and responsible for actively safeguarding children from any form of abuse which may include neglect, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, hunger, mistreatment, or exploitation in any form. Our responsibility is to protect children from all of the above as they have the same rights as adults. In implementing this child protection policy our retreat (all staff or anyone working on behalf of the retreat) will:

• Ensure all staff within our retreat understand the child protection and safeguarding responsibilities.
• Recognize the importance of the safety of children and young people who come into contact with our services.
• Our service is committed to safeguarding the children who take part in any of our aforementioned services and to providing a safe environment.
• Work within current legislation to safeguard children and review our child safeguarding statement and accompanying child safeguarding policies and procedures regularly.
• Act appropriately to any allegations, reports, or suspicions of abuse. This may involve sharing concerns with agencies who need to know and involving parents and children appropriately.
• Recognize that some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs, or other issues.
• Recognize that all children have equal protection rights, regardless of age, ability, culture, language, gender, race, religion, or sexual identity.
• Ensure there is a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
• Ensure appropriate training, advice and guidance are in place

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Ms. Luong Thi To Uyen, our Human Resources & Admin Manager.

If such a case were to arise, procedures are in place to manage any situation whereby a child’s well-being may be at risk. DSL will be the final point of contact who in collaboration with our team will manage such a case, notifying local law enforcement, authority, and child protection to act accordingly and prohibiting their enforcement on premises.

The role and responsibilities of the DSL:

• To provide advice and support to staff and volunteers who have concerns a child is at risk of, or is suffering from abuse.
• Ensure all staff are aware of what they should do and who they should go to if they are concerned a child/young person is subject to abuse or neglect.
• Ensure any concerns about a child/young person are acted on immediately and recorded.
• The DSL will decide as to whether to make a referral to the authorities.
• Ensure the referral is acted upon and issues are addressed promptly.
• The Designated Safeguarding Lead will record any reported incidents about a child/young person or breach of child protection policies and procedures. This will be stored in the safeguarding file and its contents will be kept confidential and secure.
• Refer any cases to the authorities about any child protection concerns relating to a staff member.
• Refer persons dismissed/left due to risk or harm to a child to the authorities.
• Refer concerns about radicalization to authorities.
• Refer to cases where a crime may have been committed to the authorities (Police) as required.
• Contribute to the assessment of children by working with all appropriate agencies and the authorities, including attendance at strategy discussions and multi-agency meetings.
• Ensure safeguarding policies are known, understood, and used appropriately by staff and parents/carers where relevant, reviewed annually with the senior managers/owners.
• Ensure policies are available publicly

Avana Retreat will ensure all staff, especially staff working with children, undertake safeguarding training regularly.

Avana Retreat will ensure all staff aware of, for example:

• A child or young person alleges abuse has taken place or they feel unsafe.
• A third-party or anonymous allegation is received.
• A child or young person’s appearance, behavior, play, drawing, or statements cause suspicion of abuse and/or neglect.
• A child or young person reports an incident(s) of alleged abuse that occurred some time ago.
• A report is made regarding the serious misconduct of a worker towards a child or young person.

Once information that a child may be at risk of, or experiencing harm staff will:

Stage 1
RECEIVE: Listen to the child/young person and accept what they are telling you. Encourage the child/young person to allow another person to be present. It is okay to ask questions e.g. ‘I notice you don’t appear to be yourself today’, Can you tell me how you are feeling? and you can ask them to clarify what they have said. You can ask questions such as: ‘Tell me a bit more…’, ‘Can you explain that…’ or ‘Can you describe’ … (TED – Tell, Explain and Describe).

NEVER ask leading (investigative) questions e.g. ‘Was his hair brown? What was her name?’ (This conversation could be deemed as the ‘interview’ and a child can only be ‘interviewed’ once with regards to a disclosure and this should be left to a professionally qualified person).

REASSURE: Stay calm and reassure them they have done the right thing. Do not promise confidentiality. Explain you may need to share what they are saying so you can help them. Reassure them they are not to blame or in trouble for what they have told you.

REACT: Explain what you have to do next. Do not pass judgment or show shock or disquiet.

RECORD: Record what was said as soon as possible after any disclosure (it is important to record the same language/words used by the child). Make a note of any signs or injuries and any behavior. Where possible draw a picture to indicate the location of injuries. The person who receives the allegation or has a concern should complete a report and ensure it is signed and dated on each page. Respect confidentiality and file documents securely.

SUPPORT: Offer support to the child or young person throughout any process that may happen to them. Make sure the child or young person will be safe. Get support for yourself through your line manager or an agreed-upon alternative.

Notify the nominated Designated Safeguarding Lead of the disclosure immediately or contact the Initial Contact Point and/or the police if no one from the retreat is available and you believe the child or young person to be in immediate danger.

Stage 2
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or worker will take immediate action if there is a suspicion a child has been abused or is likely to be abused and report this to the authorities.

Avana Retreat will ensure any allegations made against members or a member of staff will be dealt with swiftly and by these procedures:

The staff will ensure the child is safe and away from the person against whom the allegation is made.

The person to whom an allegation or concern is first reported should treat the matter seriously and give assurance that the information will only be shared on a ‘need to know’ basis.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead for child protection at Avana Retreat should be informed immediately. In the case of an allegation involving the named person, alternative arrangements should be sought to ensure the matter is dealt with by an independent person or refer to the named deputy.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead should contact the authorities, who will advise on how to proceed.
Avana Retreat should seek advice from the authorities or the Police about how much information should be disclosed to the accused person.

Subject to restrictions on the information that can be shared, Avana Retreat should, as soon as possible, inform the person accused about the nature of the allegation; how inquiries will be conducted, and the possible outcome.

Upon receiving or witnessing the concern, the individual should make a full written record of what was seen, heard, and/or told immediately. The report must be accurate, signed, and dated.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead if appropriate, can support the worker during this process, but must not complete the report on their behalf. Police and/or Children's Social Care must be able to provide this report upon request.

Regardless of whether a police and/or Children’s Social Care investigation follows, Avana Retreat will ensure an internal investigation takes place and consideration is given to the operation of disciplinary procedures.

In the event, an allegation is proven to be untrue, or even fabricated, appropriate steps will be taken for follow-up with the person who has been accused, the child, and the person who reported the incident. Efforts will be made to assist an associate accused of abuse with children, including counseling or other appropriate forms of support.

An investigation into child abuse that is not prosecutable by law will result in staff facing disciplinary action within Avana Retreat, including dismissal.

The results of the investigation will be reported to the relevant national police authorities if it is determined that abuse occurred that is subject to criminal prosecution according to national laws.

In the event an associate is discharged for proven child abuse, Avana Retreat will disclose such information as requested by police, a prospective employer, etc. Such disclosures will be made by applicable law.

All personnel are responsible for reporting suspected child abuse or exploitation of any kind. Any person who has knowledge of, suspects, or has witnessed a potential child protection issue, personnel should immediately contact the DSL. A report should be made immediately, within 24 hours to allow for early intervention and a prompt investigation.

A verbal report should be followed with a written statement within a further 48 hours (to note exactly what was said as soon as possible after any disclosure or allegation. It is important to record the same language/ words used by the child or individual. Make a note of any signs or injuries and any behavior). Drawing a picture to indicate the location of injuries and signing and dating each page is recommended. Respect confidentiality and file documents securely.

On receipt of the report, the DSL will begin an internal investigation and where appropriate file a complaint with the relevant Police and/or Authorities. Full cooperation will be afforded them during any external investigation. The internal investigation will be launched within 48 hours of receipt of the complaint and will be carried out by the manager and CPO. In any investigation, the privacy and safety of the child will be respected, and the investigation will be child-friendly.

Following Data Protection Policy, Avana Retreat commits to managing all confidential information safely.

To keep children who come into contact with our service safe from harm, we may need to share information with other professionals, in particular, where the following comes to light:

A child’s health and development, and exposure to possible harm.

A parent/carer who may need help, or may not be able to care for a child adequately and safely; and adults and other children who may pose a risk of harm to a child.

As a general principle, information will only be shared with the consent of the parent/carer and subject of the information, where relevant from the outset, about why, what, how, and with whom the information will, or could be shared, and seek their agreement unless it is unsafe or inappropriate to do so. However, information can still be shared without consent if there is good reason to do so, such as where safety may be at risk.

When sharing confidential information about a member of staff, child, or parent, Avana Retreat has regard to its responsibilities under Data Protection Laws.

Where information is requested by telephone or electronically care must be taken to ensure that the recipient is entitled to receive the information requested. This will be done securely and confidentially. If there is any doubt, the information should not be provided without the approval of a manager.

Regardless of how the information is shared, electrically or in person or in direct person, it should always be carried out securely and recorded in the individual’s record.

All prospective employees will be informed of the retreat's child protection and safeguarding policy.

Screening of applicants will include a personal interview and receipt of a valid form of identification. During the interview process, applicants will be asked about previous work with children.

Where possible and permissible by local law, applicants for positions as staff members are requested to permit a criminal record or police check for any conviction related to child abuse or other relevant offenses. Expatriates will be subject to the same background checks as possible and permissible by law in their home countries.

Avana Retreat reserves the right to terminate a contract if reference checks (and background checks in the future) reveal that the person is not suitable to work with children or for any reason that may put children at risk.

The Child Protection Policy will be reviewed during new staff orientation as well as in regular internal training, and the DSL shall ensure all new personnel acknowledge and understand the policy.

Avana Retreat is committed to implementing this Child Safeguarding Statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while using our services. The information will be displayed on the staff notice board, at the Kids’ Club, and in our website. And to be reviewed regularly.