Protecting yourself against allegations
Guidance for Safer working Practice for adults who work with children and young people in education has been revised for 2019. The document seeks to ensure that “the responsibilities for senior leaders of educational settings towards children and staff are discharged by raising awareness of illegal, unsafe, unprofessional and unwise behaviour” (Safer recruitment 2019). https://www.saferrecruitmentconsortium.org/GSWP%20Sept%202019.pdf
This document is non statutory however it is extremely useful and worth a read for all staff working in childcare settings as it gives clear advice about what constitutes illegal behaviour and what might be considered as misconduct. The document gives practical guidance about which behaviours should be avoided and assists staff to monitor their own standards and practice to reduce the risk of allegations being made against them.
Whilst some allegations will be genuine as there are people who seek out to harm children, it is recognised that the vast majority of adults who work with children act professionally and aim to provide a safe and supportive environment.
Chapters in the document include; standards of behaviour, dress and appearance, physical contact, behaviour management and the use of control and physical intervention.
Childcare staff themselves have expressed concern about their vulnerability due to the nature of the job which entails undertaking roles such as establishing professional close relationships with children, comforting an upset child, supporting challenging behaviour and even teaching a child a new skill. Therefore it is important for all staff working with children to take steps to minimise allegations. Below are some top tips to consider;
- Making professional judgements – make sure that you consider whether your actions are warranted, proportionate, safe and applied equitably
- Working in childcare can at times be stressful. The pressure on maintaining high standards and getting tasks completed can be a contributing factor of stress as people strive to provide high standards. Busy, hectic times in the routine can sometimes cause strain on the staff team. Make sure that you are not projecting your stress onto others by identifying your stress signals. Counteract stressful situations by taking deep breaths and find someone whose judgment you trust who can listen and provide counsel. Consider requesting a supervision meeting.
- If you are faced with an unrealistic request or unachievable targets, take a deep breath and let the emotion calm. An emotional response is seldom a good idea especially when caring for children. Instead, make a list of the causes of stress in the workplace and share this with the manager; this will allow the manager to identify the causes and put strategies in place to minimise these.
- Children should be encouraged to act as independently as possible and to undertake as much of their own personal care as is possible and practicable. This means encouraging them to do things for themselves. By doing this, it minimises unadvisable actions such as picking up a child when they can walk somewhere.
- Always seek to defuse situations and avoid the use of physical intervention wherever possible.
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