Child Protection and Safeguarding
1. Aims & Statement of Intent
We are committed to meeting our responsibilities for safeguarding children and promoting the welfare of all children. This policy outlines clear procedures to support this. It is also to ensure compliance with all relevant legislation in Brunei Darussalam.
Child protection and Safeguarding policy is paramount to protecting children within the school from harm. This policy will represent the school’s vision, mission and values as well as enable a consistent approach to child protection and safeguarding. It will encourage all stakeholders to be mindful of child protection obligations at all times and report any potential incidents of harm to the relevant person.
2. Scope
We acknowledge that children can be harmed physically, emotionally, sexually or by neglect. Every person in the school community must report any concerns that they have of child abuse. If abuse is suspected by another child, child protection procedures will be applied to both children.
3. Unique Definitions
- Child Protection - Activity undertaken to protect children who are suffering or imminently likely to suffer from significant harm.
- Safeguarding - Practices, processes and policies employed to keep children safe and promote their well-being. Safeguarding includes: governance, safer recruitment of staff, environment and e-safety.
- Abuse - A form of maltreatment (physical, emotional, sexual or neglect) of a child by those known to them or by others. The child may be abused by an adult or by another child.
- Physical Abuse - Any intentional act causing injury or trauma to a child by way of bodily contact. Physical abuse may also be caused by the fabrication of symptoms or deliberate inducement of illness in a child.
- Emotional Abuse - The continual emotional mistreatment of a child. It is sometimes called psychological abuse. Emotional abuse can involve deliberately trying to scare, humiliate, isolate or ignore a child. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may also occur alone.
- Sexual Abuse - Sexual abuse involves someone forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities. This may not necessarily involve a high level of violence and the child may or may not be aware of what is happening. It may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children to look at sexual images or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
- Neglect - The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect can be caused intentionally; for example, withholding food or deliberately not providing adequate clothing, or unintentionally, also known as passive neglect.
4. Processes and Practices
4.1 Training
All staff are expected to complete training for child protection and safeguarding to ensure that they are up to date with the most current and relevant knowledge and skills. This will be facilitated by the school in terms of cost and time.
4.2 Reporting a Concern
All concerns relating to child protection and safeguarding should be reported directly to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (details below) accompanied with a completed Safeguarding Concern form (attached below). The Designated Safeguarding Lead will inform the necessary people only.
4.3 Escalating Concerns
In the first instance, all concerns relating to child protection and safeguarding should be reported directly to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Use the table below to identify where to take your concern:
| Who is the concern about? |
Who do I report to concern to? |
| Child |
Designated Safeguarding Lead |
| Adult |
Designated Safeguarding Lead |
| Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Nominated Governor for Safeguarding |
| Principal |
Chair of Governors |
If the concern is related to the process the Designated Safeguarding Lead is following, this can be escalated to the Principal.
| Safeguarding Contact |
Name |
Mobile No. |
| Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Sabiqur Rahman |
+673 8643238 |
| Nominated Governor for Safeguarding |
Hajah Sharifah Khadijah Husein Alkaff |
+673 8780016 |
| Executive Principal |
Bilal Buttar |
+673 8954268 |
| Deputy Chair of Governors Change of role |
Awang Haji Abu Bakar Bin Haji Ibrahim |
+673 8920955 |
4.4 Responding to Concerns and Allegations
All concerns, discussions and decisions made, including the reasons for those decisions should be recorded on or attached to the Safeguarding Concern form. Information should be kept confidential and stored securely.
Records should include:
- Initial completed concerns forms.
- Details on how the concern was followed up.
- A note on the action taken, decision reached and the outcome.
Where possible and appropriate, the school will take into account the wishes of the child and family when determining the actions and decisions.
5. Responsibilities
Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility at all times and everyone should fully recognise their roles and responsibilities towards safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All employees and Governors are expected to have read and understood this policy.
Specific responsibilities include:
The Board of Governors will:
- Read and ratify this policy and ensure that the school complies with all relevant legislation.
- Nominate a Governor for Safeguarding.
The Principal will:
- Create and maintain a culture of vigilance providing a learning environment that is safe and secure.
- Ensure all staff, including themselves, undertake training in child protection and safeguarding as appropriate.
- Ensure all staff involved with children are aware of and comply with aaspects of this policy and other related policies.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead will:
- Facilitate the relevant training for all staff.
- Ensure all staff are aware of the processes of safeguarding and child protection.
- Manage the concerns raised in relation to child protection and safeguarding, informing the relevant parties in accordance to this policy.
6. Associated forms and documents
