Policy pack

This pack and the policies within it will be adopted by ComputerXplorers Franchises.

Head Office:

ComputerXplorers:

Clarendon Court

Over Wallop

Stockbridge

So20 8HU

0330 048 7178

Safeguarding Policy

ComputerXplorers is committed to building a ‘culture of safety’ in which the children in our care are protected from abuse, harm and radicalisation.

The Club will respond promptly and appropriately to all incidents or concerns regarding the safety of a child that may occur. The Club’s child protection procedures comply with all relevant legislation and with guidance issued by the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub.

There is a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) available at all times while the Club is in session. The DSL coordinates safeguarding and child protection issues and liaises with external agencies (e.g. Social Care and Ofsted).

The designated Safeguarding Lead: Lucy Donaldson

Child abuse and neglect

Child abuse is any form of physical, emotional or sexual mistreatment or lack of care that leads to injury or harm. An individual may abuse or neglect a child directly, or by failing to protect them from harm. Some forms of child abuse and neglect are listed below.

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child so as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve making the child feel that they are worthless, unloved, or inadequate. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Physical abuse can involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes, ill health to a child.
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. This can involve physical contact, or non-contact activities such as showing children sexual activities or encouraging them to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs. It can involve a failure to provide adequate food, clothing and shelter, to protect a child from physical and emotional harm, to ensure adequate supervision or to allow access to medical treatment.

Signs of child abuse and neglect

Signs of possible abuse and neglect may include:

significant changes in a child’s behaviour
deterioration in a child’s general well-being
unexplained bruising or marks
comments made by a child which give cause for concern
reasons to suspect neglect or abuse outside the setting, eg in the child’s home, or that a girl may have been subjected to (or is at risk of) female genital mutilation (FGM), or that the child may have witnessed domestic abuse
inappropriate behaviour displayed by a member of staff, or any other person. For example, inappropriate sexual comments, excessive one-to-one attention beyond the requirements of their role, or inappropriate sharing of images.

If abuse is suspected or disclosed

When a child makes a disclosure to a member of staff, that member of staff will:

reassure the child that they were not to blame and were right to speak out
listen to the child but not question them
give reassurance that the staff member will take action
record the incident as soon as possible (see Logging an incident below).

If a member of staff witnesses or suspects abuse, they will record the matter straightaway using the Logging a concern form. If a third party expresses concern that a child is being abused, we will encourage them to contact Social Care directly. If they will not do so, we will explain that the Club is obliged to and the incident will be logged accordingly.

Female genital mutilation (FGM)

FGM is an illegal, extremely harmful practice and a form of child abuse, and is therefore dealt with as part of our existing safeguarding procedures. All of our staff receive training in how to recognise when girls are at risk of FGM, or may have been subjected to it.

If FGM is suspected or disclosed

We will follow the same procedures as set out above for responding to child abuse.

Peer-on-peer abuse

Children are vulnerable to abuse by their peers. Peer-on-peer abuse is taken seriously by staff and will be subject to the same child protection procedures as other forms of abuse. Staff are aware of the potential uses of information technology for bullying and abusive behaviour between young people.

Staff will not dismiss abusive behaviour as normal between young people. The presence of one or more of the following in relationships between children should always trigger concern about the possibility of peer-on-peer abuse:

Sexual activity (in primary school-aged children) of any kind, including sexting
One of the children is significantly more dominant than the other (eg much older)
One of the children is significantly more vulnerable than the other (eg in terms of disability, confidence, physical strength)
There has been some use of threats, bribes or coercion to ensure compliance or secrecy.

If peer-on-peer abuse is suspected or disclosed

We will follow the same procedures as set out above for responding to child abuse.

Extremism and radicalization

All childcare settings have a legal duty to protect children from the risk of radicalisation and being drawn into extremism. There are many reasons why a child might be vulnerable to radicalisation, eg:

feeling alienated or alone
seeking a sense of identity or individuality
suffering from mental health issues such as depression
desire for adventure or wanting to be part of a larger cause
associating with others who hold extremist beliefs

Signs of radicalisation

Signs that a child might be at risk of radicalisation include:

changes in behaviour, for example becoming withdrawn or aggressive
claiming that terrorist attacks and violence are justified
viewing violent extremist material online
possessing or sharing violent extremist material

If a member of staff suspects that a child is at risk of becoming radicalised, they will record any relevant information or observations on a Logging a concern form, and refer the matter to the DSL.

Logging a concern

All information about the suspected abuse or disclosure, or concern about radicalisation, will be recorded on the Logging a concern form as soon as possible after the event. The record should include:

date of the disclosure, or the incident, or the observation causing concern
date and time at which the record was made
name and date of birth of the child involved
a factual report of what happened. If recording a disclosure, you must use the child’s own words
name, signature and job title of the person making the record.

The record will be given to the Club’s DSL who will decide on the appropriate course of action.

For concerns about child abuse, the DSL will contact Social Care. The DSL will follow up all referrals to Social Care in writing within 48 hours. If a member of staff thinks that the incident has not been dealt with properly, they may contact Social Care directly.

For minor concerns regarding radicalisation, the DSL will contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub. For more serious concerns the DSL will contact the Police on the non-emergency number (101), or the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321. For urgent concerns the DSL will contact the Police using 999.

Allegations against staff

If anyone makes an allegation of child abuse against a member of staff:

The allegation will be recorded on an Incident record Any witnesses to the incident should sign and date the entry to confirm it.
The allegation must be reported to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and to Ofsted. The LADO will advise if other agencies (eg police) should be informed, and the Club will act upon their advice. Any telephone reports to the LADO will be followed up in writing within 48 hours.
Following advice from the LADO, it may be necessary to suspend the member of staff pending a full investigation of the allegation.
If appropriate, the Club will make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Promoting awareness among staff

ComputerXplorers promotes awareness of child abuse and the risk of radicalisation through its staff training. The Club ensures that:

The designated DSL has relevant experience and receives appropriate training in safeguarding and the Prevent Duty, and is aware of the Channel Programme and how to access it
Designated person training is refreshed every three years
Safe recruitment practices are followed for all new staff
All staff have a copy of this Safeguarding policy, understand its contents and are vigilant to signs of abuse, neglect or radicalisation
All staff are aware of their statutory duties with regard to the disclosure or discovery of child abuse, and concerns about radicalisation
All staff receive basic safeguarding training, and safeguarding is a permanent agenda item at all staff meetings
All staff receive basic training in the Prevent Duty
Staff are familiar with the Safeguarding File which is kept on the staff information portal
The Club’s procedures are in line with the guidance in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children (2020)’ and staff are familiar with ‘What To Do If You’re Worried A Child Is Being Abused (2015)’.

Use of mobile phones and cameras

Photographs will only be taken of children with their parents’ permission. Only the club camera will be used to take photographs of children at the Club, except with the express permission of the manager. Neither staff nor children nor visitors may use their mobile phones to take photographs at the Club.

Safeguarding Contact numbers

Social Care:

Phone 0300 555 1384

Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm

Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm

Email childrens.services@hants.gov.uk

Social Care out of hours contact:

0300 555 1373

LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer):

01962 876364

Local Authority Prevent Co-ordinator:

Hampshire Children’s Services on phone 0300 555 1384

Hampshire Police on 101 or 999

Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321

NSPCC: 0808 800 500

Ofsted: 0300 123 1231

Safer Recruitment Policy

ComputerXplorers uses safe recruitment practices to ensure that all people working with the children in our care are safe and qualified to do so. When recruiting paid staff or volunteers we will follow the procedures set out below.

Advertising the vacancy

We will advertise all vacancies, and any job advertisements will include a statement about our commitment to safeguarding children.

Initial enquiry

Upon enquiring about a vacancy, we will send potential candidates:

a job description
a person specification
an application form
a copy of the Club’s Safeguarding Children

The application form includes:

instructions that the application form must be completed by hand
a declaration that all information is correct
a section under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act that asks if the applicant has been awaiting a verdict, convicted, or cautioned or received a court order or final warning for any offence that may affect their suitability for working with children
a request for the contact details of two referees one of which should be the last employer; (if this is the candidate’s first job, their course tutor is a suitable alternative)

All applicants must submit a hand-written application form by the closing date. We will only accept CVs if they are accompanied by our standard application form completed as required.

Interview procedure

We will notify all candidates selected for the interview by letter. All candidates will be asked to bring to the following items to the interview:

proof of identity, e.g passport, driving licence or birth certificate
proof of address, e.g recent utility bill (not mobile phone) or bank statement
proof of qualifications, i.e the relevant certificates
for non-British nationals, proof of the right to work in the UK (as required by the Asylum and Immigration Act)

The interview will be conducted by at least two interviewers. All candidates will be asked the same set of questions. We will then ask additional questions about any other issues that arise from their application form. For example, the interviewers will follow up on any gaps in the candidate’s employment history rigorously and ensure that they are satisfied with the explanation given, undertaking additional checks if necessary.

All candidates will also be asked to participate in a session with the children for an hour so that they can be observed interacting with the staff and children. When we have interviewed and observed all candidates, we will make our final selection.

Appointing a new member of staff

When we have selected the successful candidate, we will:

send the candidate a written offer, which will clearly state that it is subject to the receipt of suitable references, full sight of a satisfactory enhanced DBS certificate and their written confirmation that they are not disqualified from working with children.
contact both referees for a reference, including asking them if they have any child protection concerns about the candidate.
initiate an enhanced DBS check for the candidate, or if the candidate is subscribed to the DBS Update Service, review their current DBS certificate and check their status online
ask the candidate to complete a health questionnaire
notify any unsuccessful interviewees.

We will also take photocopies of the new member of staff’s qualification certificates and proof of identity and keep these on file.

When a new member of staff starts work at ComputerXplorers we will give them:

our terms and conditions, and get them to sign their contract; a copy of their contract will be kept on file
all our Club policies, and ensure that they sign a policy confirmation form to confirm that they have read and understood them; the signed form will be kept on file.

We will conduct a full induction and orientation programme with all new members of staff as set out in our Staff Induction policy.

Disqualification

The Club cannot employ staff or volunteers who have been convicted of an offence or have been subject to an order that disqualifies them from registration under section 75 of the Childcare Act 2006. All new staff must sign a declaration that they are not disqualified when they commence employment and all existing staff must sign the declaration annually to confirm that their status has not changed. If a member of staff becomes disqualified during their employment with us, we will terminate their employment and notify Ofsted.

DBS checks

We will obtain enhanced DBS disclosures for all staff, students and volunteers who will work unsupervised with the children on a regular basis, or who have access to children’s information. If candidates have subscribed to the DBS Update Service we will carefully review their current DBS certificate and then check their status online. If there has been a change in their status since their last DBS certificate was issued we will obtain a new DBS disclosure for them. Additional criminal records checks will be made for anyone who has lived abroad.

New staff will only be allowed to have unsupervised contact with children when we have had full sight of a satisfactory DBS certificate for them.

If we decide to allow a new member of staff to begin work pending the completion of their DBS check, we will complete a written risk assessment first and they will not be allowed unsupervised access to the children until we have seen and reviewed their DBS certificate.

When we appoint a member of staff we will keep a record of the date and number of their DBS disclosure on our Central DBS Record. We will update the DBS checks for all staff every 3 years.

DBS checks with any recorded information

If the DBS check returns showing criminal records information relating to harm to children or young people, violence, sexual assault, child sexual abuse images, terrorism offences, or anything else that might indicate they are unsuitable to work with children, the Manager will firstly check the list of offences that automatically disqualify a person from working with children under the terms of the Childcare Act 2006. The list is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disqualification-under-the-childcare-act-2006

The Manager may seek further advice from social care or the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) if they are unsure whether the disclosed offence is on the list of disqualifiable offences.

If the candidate’s offences disqualify them from working with children then the offer of employment will be withdrawn.

If the offence shown on the disclosure is not on the list of disqualifying offences but still gives cause for concern, for example offences relating to theft or fraud or anything else that might pose a risk to the integrity of the club, the Manager may choose to seek further advice (eg from UNLOCK or NACRO) to help inform their decision.

Where the offences are more minor and where children are unlikely to be at risk of harm, the Club will decide on a case by case basis whether to confirm the appointment. This decision will be subject to undertaking a risk assessment of the applicant’s criminal record. This will include giving the applicant the opportunity to provide an explanation for the offences, as well as the circumstances at the time. We will assess the applicant’s attitude to their offences, and whether they would act differently now.

In all cases we will discuss any matter revealed on a DBS certificate with the applicant before withdrawing the conditional offer of employment.

Immigration status

The management is aware of Asylum and Immigration Act requirements and will check the eligibility of all new starters to work in the UK. Candidates are expected to provide documents confirming their status, usually a driving licence, passport, and NI number.

Equality Act 2010

At all points during the recruitment process, ComputerXplorers will comply with the Equality Act 2010 to ensure the fair and equal treatment of practitioners of different gender, race, and sexual orientation etc.

Contact information

Social Care:

Phone 0300 555 1384

Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm

Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm

Email childrens.services@hants.gov.uk

Social Care out of hours contact: 0300 555 1373

LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer): 01962 876364

NACRO: https://www.nacro.org.uk/

UNLOCK: http://recruit.unlock.org.uk/

Health and Safety Policy

ComputerXplorers considers health and safety to be of utmost importance. We comply with The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 at all times.

The Club has appropriate insurance cover, including employer’s liability insurance and public liability insurance.

Each member of staff follows the Club’s Health and Safety policy and is responsible for:

Maintaining a safe environment
Taking reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others attending the Club
Reporting all accidents and incidents which have caused injury or damage or may do so in the future
Undertaking relevant health and safety training when required to do so by the manager.

Any member of staff who disregards safety instructions or recognised safe practices will be subject to disciplinary procedures.

Responsibilities of the registered person

The registered person for the setting holds ultimate responsibility and liability for the safe operation of the Club. The registered person will ensure that:

A copy of the current Health and Safety At work poster is displayed (poster is available here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/lawposter.htm )
All staff receive information on health and safety matters, and receive training where necessary
The Health and Safety policy and procedures are reviewed regularly
Staff understand and follow health and safety procedures
Resources are provided to meet the Club’s health and safety responsibilities
All accidents, incidents and dangerous occurrences are properly reported and recorded. This includes informing Ofsted, child protection agencies and the Health and Safety Executive under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995) where appropriate.
All reported accidents, incidents and dangerous occurrences are reviewed, so that preventative measures can be taken.

Responsibilities of the manager

The Club’s manager is responsible for ensuring that at each session:

Premises are clean, well lit, adequately ventilated and maintained at an appropriate temperature
The premises are used by and solely available to the Club during opening hours
All the Club’s equipment is safely and securely stored
Children are only allowed in the kitchen if properly supervised (eg for a cooking activity)
A working telephone is available on the premises at all times
Chemicals and cleaning materials are stored appropriately, and in accordance with COSHH data sheets.
External pathways are cleared in severe weather
Daily environment checks are carried out in accordance with our Risk Assessment

Security

Children are not allowed to leave the Club premises during the session unless prior permission has been given by the parents (for example, to attend other extra-curricular activities).

During Club sessions all external doors are kept locked, with the exception of fire doors which are only functionable from the inside. Staff monitor the entrances and exits to the premises throughout the session.

All visitors to the Club must sign the Visitor Log and give the reason for their visit. Visitors will never be left alone with the children.

Security procedures will be regularly reviewed by the manager, in consultation with staff and parents.

Toys and equipment

All furniture, toys and equipment are kept clean, well maintained and in good repair. We select toys, equipment and resources with care, and we carry out risk assessments before the children are allowed to use them. Broken toys and equipment are disposed of promptly.

We ensure that any flammable equipment is stored safely.

Food and personal hygiene

Staff at ComputerXplorers maintain high standards of personal hygiene, and take all practicable steps to prevent and control the spread of infection.

A generally clean environment is maintained at all times.
Toilets are cleaned daily and soap and hand drying facilities are always available.
Staff are trained in food hygiene and follow appropriate guidelines.
Waste is disposed of safely and all bins are kept covered.
Staff ensure that children wash their hands before handling food or drink and after using the toilet.
Cuts and abrasions (whether on children or staff) are kept covered.

Dealing with body fluids

Spillages of blood, vomit, urine and faeces will be cleaned up immediately in accordance with our Intimate Care policy.

Staffing levels

Staff ratios and levels of supervision are always appropriate to the number, ages and abilities of the children present, and to the risks associated with the activities being undertaken.

Data Protection Policy

At ComputerXplorers we respect the privacy of the children attending the Club and the privacy of their parents or carers, as well as the privacy of our staff. Our aim is to ensure that all those using and working at ComputerXplorers can do so with confidence that their personal data is being kept secure.

Our lead person for data protection is Jack Westmancott & Stuart Harley. The lead person ensures that the Club meets the requirements of the GDPR, liaises with statutory bodies when necessary, and responds to any subject access requests.

Confidentiality

Within the Club we respect confidentiality in the following ways:

We will only ever share information with a parent about their own child.
Information given by parents to Club staff about their child will not be passed on to third parties without permission unless there is a safeguarding issue (as covered in our Safeguarding Policy).
Concerns or evidence relating to a child’s safety, will be kept in a confidential file and will not be shared within the Club, except with the designated Child Protection Officer and the manager.
Staff only discuss individual children for purposes of planning and group management.
Staff are made aware of the importance of confidentiality during their induction process.
Issues relating to the employment of staff, whether paid or voluntary, will remain confidential to those making personnel decisions.
All personal data is stored securely in a lockable file / on a password protected computer / passcode-locked phone.
Students on work placements and volunteers are informed of our Data Protection policy and are required to respect it.

Information that we keep

The items of personal data that we keep about individuals are documented on our personal data matrix. The personal data matrix is reviewed annually to ensure that any new data types are included.

Children and parents: We hold only the information necessary to provide a childcare service for each child. This includes child registration information, medical information, parent contact information, attendance records, incident and accident records and so forth. Our lawful basis for processing this data is fulfilment of our contract with the child’s parents. Our legal condition for processing any health-related information about a child, is so that we can provide appropriate care to the child. Once a child leaves our care we retain only the data required by statutory legislation, insurance requirements and industry best practice, and for the prescribed periods of time. Electronic data that is no longer required is deleted and paper records are disposed of securely or returned to parents.

Staff: We keep information about employees in order to meet HMRC requirements, and to comply with all other areas of employment legislation. Our lawful basis for processing this data is to meet our legal obligations. Our legal condition for processing data relating to an employee’s health is to meet the obligations of employment law. We retain the data after a member of staff has left our employment for the periods required by statutory legislation and industry best practice, then it is deleted or destroyed as necessary.

Sharing information with third parties

We will only share child information with outside agencies on a need-to-know basis and with consent from parents, except in cases relating to safeguarding children, criminal activity, or if required by legally authorised bodies (eg Police, HMRC, etc). If we decide to share information without parental consent, we will record this in the child’s file, clearly stating our reasons.

We will only share relevant information that is accurate and up to date. Our primary commitment is to the safety and well-being of the children in our care.

Where we share relevant information where there are safeguarding concerns, we will do so in line with Government guidance ‘Information Sharing Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners’ (www.gov.uk)

Subject access requests

Parents/carers can ask to see the information and records relating to their child, and/or any information that we keep about themselves.
Staff and volunteers can ask to see any information that we keep about them.
We will make the requested information available as soon as practicable, and will respond to the request within one month at the latest.
If our information is found to be incorrect or out of date, we will update it promptly.
Parents /carers can ask us to delete data, but this may mean that we can no longer provide care to the child as we have a legal obligation to keep certain data. In addition, even after a child has left our care we have to keep some data for specific periods so won’t be able to delete all data immediately.
Staff and volunteers can ask us to delete their data, but this may mean that we can no longer employ them as we have a legal obligation to keep certain data. In addition, even after a staff member has left our employment we have to keep some data for specific periods so won’t be able to delete all data immediately.
If any individual about whom we hold data has a complaint about how we have kept their information secure, or how we have responded to a subject access request, they may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

GDPR

We comply with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), regarding obtaining, storing and using personal data.

Equalities Policy

At ComputerXplorers we will ensure that we provide a safe and caring environment, free from discrimination, for everyone in our community including children with additional needs.

To achieve the Club’s objective of creating an environment free from discrimination and welcoming to all, the Club will:

Respect the different racial origins, religions, cultures and languages in a multi-ethnic society so that each child is valued as an individual without racial or gender stereotyping.
Not discriminate against children on the grounds of disability, sexual orientation, class, family status or HIV/Aids status.
Help all children to celebrate and express their cultural and religious identity by providing a wide range of appropriate resources and activities.
Strive to ensure that children feel good about themselves and others, by celebrating the differences which make us all unique individuals.
Ensure that its services are available to all parents/carers and children in the local community.
Ensure that the Club’s recruitment policies and procedures are open, fair and non-discriminatory.
Work to fulfil all the legal requirements of the Equality Act 2010.
We will monitor and review the effectiveness of our inclusive practice by conducting an Inclusion Audit on an annual basis.

Challenging inappropriate attitudes and practices

We will challenge inappropriate attitudes and practices by engaging children and adults in discussion, by displaying positive images of race and disability, and through our staff modelling anti-discriminatory behaviour at all times.

Racial harassment

The Club will not tolerate any form of racial harassment. The Club will challenge racist and discriminatory remarks, attitudes and behaviour from the children at the Club, from staff and from any other adults on Club premises (eg parents/carers collecting children).

Promoting equal opportunities

The Managing Director is responsible for ensuring that:

Staff receive relevant and appropriate training
The Equalities policy is consistent with current legislation and guidance
Appropriate action is taken wherever discriminatory behaviour, language or attitudes occur.

Children with additional needs

Our Club recognises that some children have additional needs or physical disabilities that require particular support and assistance. We will assess the individual needs of each child in consultation with their parents prior to their attending the Club, and will make reasonable adjustments to ensure that children can access our services and are made to feel welcome.

Where one-to-one support is required we will assist parents in accessing the funding required to provide the additional care.

Special Educational Needs Coordinator

ComputerXplorers’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) are Jack Westmancott, Stuart Harley & Craig Hurle. The SENCO will:

Manage the provision for children with special educational needs or physical disabilities.
Be fully trained and experienced in the care and assessment of such children.

All members of staff will assist the SENCO in caring for children with additional needs or physical disabilities.

Complaints Policy

At ComputerXplorers we aim to work in partnership with parents to deliver a high quality child care service for everyone. If for any reason we fall short of this goal, we would like to be informed in order to amend our practices for the future. Our complaints policy is displayed on the premises at all times. Records of all complaints are kept for at least three years. A summary of complaints is available for parents on request.

The manager is usually responsible for dealing with complaints. If the complaint is about the manager, the registered person or other senior member of staff will investigate the matter. Any complaints received about staff members will be recorded on an Incident log and a Complaints log will be completed. Any complaints made will be dealt with in the following manner:

Stage one

Complaints about aspects of Club activity:

The manager will discuss the matter informally with the parent or carer concerned and aim to reach a satisfactory resolution.

Complaints about an individual staff member:

If appropriate the parent will be encouraged to discuss the matter with staff concerned.
If the parent feels that this is not appropriate, the matter will be discussed with the manager, who will then discuss the complaint with the staff member and try to reach a satisfactory resolution.

Stage two

If it is impossible to reach a satisfactory resolution to the complaint through informal discussion, the parent or carer should put their complaint in writing to the manager. The manager will:

Acknowledge receipt of the letter within 7 days.
Investigate the matter and notify the complainant of the outcome within 28 days.
Send a full response in writing, to all relevant parties, including details of any recommended changes to be made to the Club’s practices or policies as a result of the complaint.
Meet relevant parties to discuss the Club’s response to the complaint, either together or on an individual basis.

If child protection issues are raised, the manager will refer the situation to the Club’s Child Protection Officer, who will then contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and follow the procedures of the Safeguarding Children Policy. If a criminal act may have been committed, the manager will contact the police.

Making a complaint to Ofsted:

Any parent or carer can submit a complaint to Ofsted about ComputerXplorers at any time. Ofsted will consider and investigate all complaints. Ofsted’s address is: Ofsted, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WD

Telephone: 0300 123 1231 (general enquiries)

0300 123 4666 (complaints)

Arrivals and Departures

ComputerXplorers recognises the importance of having robust systems in place to ensure the safe arrival and departure of the children in our care.

The manager will ensure that an accurate record is kept of all children in the Club, and that any arrivals or departures are recorded in the register. The register is kept in an accessible location on the premises at all times. In addition we conduct regular headcounts during the session.

Escorting children to the Club

The Club and school have a clear agreement concerning the transfer of responsibility for children’s safety.
We have risk assessed the route used to escort children to the Club and review it regularly.
The school and the Club keep an identical register of children who require escorting between locations which is updated daily.
Two members of staff will escort the children from school to the Club.
If a child is booked into the Club but is not at the collection point, we will check whether the child was present at school that day. If the whereabouts of the child is not known, staff will immediately inform the designated contact at the school and ask the school to implement its Missing Child

Arrivals

Our staff will greet each child warmly on their arrival at the Club and will record the child’s attendance in the daily register straightaway, including the time of arrival.

Departures

Staff will ensure that parents or carers sign children out before they leave, including the time of collection.
Children are collected by an adult who has been authorised to do so on their registration form.
In exceptional circumstances, if the parent requires another person who is not listed on the registration form to collect their child, the child’s parents or carers must inform the Club in advance and provide a description of the person and a password that they will use. If the manager has any concerns regarding the person collecting he/she will contact the main parent or carer for confirmation.
The parent or carer must notify the Club if they will be late collecting their child. If the Club is not informed, the Uncollected Children policy will be followed.
Children over the age of eight will only be allowed to leave the Club alone at the end of the session if the Club has discussed this with the child’s parents and has received their written consent.
Children below the age of eight will not be allowed to leave the Club unaccompanied.
If a child’s collection is past the advertised collection time – there will be an added fee to the childcare cost. This fee will be £1.00 for each full minute past the pickup time.

Absences

If a child is going to be absent from a session, parents must notify the Club in advance.
If a child is absent without explanation, staff will contact the parents or carers and the school to check where the child should be. If staff still have concerns about the child’s whereabouts after attempts to contact the parents and the school the manager will contact the police.
The Club will try to discover the causes of prolonged and unexplained absences. Regular absences could indicate that a child or their family might need additional support.

Uncollected Children Policy

ComputerXplorers Holiday Camp endeavours to ensure that all children are collected by a parent or carer at the end of each session. If a child is not collected, and the parent or carer has not notified us that they will be delayed, we will follow the procedure set out below:

Up to 15 minutes late

When the parent or carer arrives they will be reminded that they must call the Club to notify us if they are delayed.
The parent or carer will be informed that penalty fees will have to be charged (unless the delay was genuinely unavoidable).

Over 15 minutes late

If a parent or carer is more than 15 minutes late in collecting their child, the manager will try to contact them using the contact details on file.
If there is no response from the parent or carer, messages will be left requesting that they contact the Club immediately. The manager will then try to contact the emergency contacts listed on the child’s registration form.
While waiting to be collected, the child will be supervised by a member of staff.
When the parent or carer arrives they will be reminded that they must call the Club to notify us if they are delayed, and that penalty fees will have to be charged (except in exceptional circumstances).

Over 30 minutes late

If the manager has been unable to contact the child’s parents or carers after 30 minutes, the manager will contact the local Social Care team for advice.
The child will remain in the care of the Club’s staff, on the Club’s premises if possible, until collected by the parent or carer, or until placed in the care of the Social Care team.
If it is not possible for the child to remain at the Club’s premises, a note will be left on the door of the Club informing the child’s parent or carer where the child has been taken (eg to the home of a staff member or into the care of a safeguarding agency) and leaving a contact number. A further message will be left on the parent or carer’s telephone explaining events.

Managing persistent lateness

The manager will record incidents of late collection and will discuss them with the child’s parents or carers. Parents and carers will be reminded that if they persistently collect their child late they may lose their place at the Club.

Useful contacts:

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

Telephone number for members of the public: 023 8083 3336

Telephone number for professionals: 023 8083 2300

Email address: MASH@southampton.gov.uk

Missing Child Procedure

At ComputerXplorers we are always alert to the possibility that children can go missing during sessions. To minimise the risk of this happening staff will carry out periodic head counts, particularly when transporting children between locations (eg walking from the school to the Club).

If a child cannot be located, the following steps will be taken:

All staff will be informed that the child is missing.
Staff will conduct a thorough search of the premises and surrounding area.
After 10 minutes the police will be informed. The manager will then contact the child’s parents or carers.
Staff will continue to search for the child whilst waiting for the police and parents to arrive.
We will maintain as normal a routine as possible for the rest of the children at the Club.
The manager will liaise with the police and the child’s parent or carer.

The incident will be recorded in the Incident Log. A review will be conducted regarding this and any other related incidents along with relevant policies and procedures. We will identify and implement any changes as necessary.

If the police or Social Care were involved in the incident, we will also inform Ofsted.

Useful numbers

Police: 999

Social Care: 0300 555 1384

Ofsted: 0300 123 1231

Behaviour Management Policy

ComputerXplorers uses effective behaviour management strategies to promote the welfare and enjoyment of children attending the Club. Working in partnership with parents, we aim to manage behaviour using clear, consistent and positive strategies, and with adults modelling positive behaviour. The Club rules are clearly displayed at every session and are discussed regularly.

Whilst at ComputerXplorers we expect children to:

Use socially acceptable behaviour
Comply with the Club rules, which are compiled by the children attending the club
Respect one another, accepting differences of race, gender, ability, age and religion
Develop their independence by maintaining self-discipline
Choose and participate in a variety of activities
Ask for help if needed
Enjoy their time at the Club.

Encouraging positive behaviour

At ComputerXplorers positive behaviour is encouraged by:

Staff acting as positive role models
Praising appropriate behaviour
Rewarding good behaviour
Informing parents about individual achievements
Offering a variety of play opportunities to meet the needs of children attending the Club.

It is inevitable that as children develop and learn, there are times when they need support and guidance to understand that their behaviour is not acceptable. Staff at the Club will try to determine the cause or triggers of the inappropriate behaviour to prevent the situation from recurring.

Dealing with inappropriate behaviour

Challenging behaviour will be addressed in a calm, firm and positive manner.
In the first instance, the child will be temporarily removed from the activity.
Staff will discuss why the behaviour displayed is deemed inappropriate.
Staff will give the child an opportunity to explain their behaviour, to help prevent a recurrence.
Staff will encourage and facilitate mediation between children to try to resolve conflicts through discussion and negotiation.
If the inappropriate behaviour appears to be as a result of boredom, staff will consult with the child to find activities that more fully engage them.
Staff will consult with parents to formulate clear strategies for dealing with persistent inappropriate behaviour.
No staff member will ever threaten any punishment that could adversely affect a child’s well-being (eg withdrawal of food or drink).

If after consultation with parents and the implementation of behaviour management strategies, a child continues to display inappropriate behaviour, the Club may decide to exclude the child in accordance with our Suspensions and Exclusions policy. The reasons and processes involved will be clearly explained to the child.

Physical intervention

Physical intervention will only be used as a last resort, when staff believe that action is necessary to prevent injury to the child or others, or to prevent significant damage to equipment or property. If a member of staff has to physically restrain a child, the manager will be notified, and an Incident record will be completed. The incident will be discussed with the parent or carer as soon as possible.

If staff are not confident about their ability to contain a situation, they should call the manager or, in extreme cases, the police.

All serious incidents will be recorded on an Incident record and kept in the child’s file. This may be used to build a pattern of behaviour, which may indicate an underlying cause. If a pattern of incidents indicates possible abuse, we will implement child protection procedures in accordance with our Safeguarding policy.

Social Media Policy

This policy aims to encourage the safe use of social media by ComputerXplorers, its staff and students participating in ComputerXplorers classes.

This policy is designed to ensure that all ComputerXplorers staff use social media responsibly in order to safeguard the students they are working with. It is crucial that children are safeguarded and that parents, students and the public at large have confidence in ComputerXplorers’ services. Responsible use of social media will ensure that the confidentiality and privacy of students are maintained.

The Internet is fast-moving technology and it is impossible to cover all circumstances or emerging media, therefore the principles set out in this policy must be followed, irrespective of the medium or platform.

Where staff have concerns about e-safety, these should be raised with the Designated Senior Person (DSP) (add franchisee name here) as soon as possible.

ComputerXplorers staff have an important role to play in equipping students to stay safe online, both in ComputerXplorers’ classes and outside of them. ComputerXplorers staff therefore need to be aware of the risks associated with the use of social media and, in particular, about the provision and sharing of information in the social media arena.

ComputerXplorers staff must never “follow” or allow themselves to be “followed”,or make a “friend” of or have any contact with a ComputerXplorers student on any social networking site.

The only exception to this rule is where the pupil is a member of the ComputerXplorers staff’s family provided agreed protocols are followed and the family relationship has been identified to and acknowledged by the Designated Senior Person.

Photographs, videos or any other types of images of students and their families must not be published on social media without the express consent of the student’s parents/guardians.

Confidentiality issues must be considered at all times in relation to social networking and the use of social media. All ComputerXplorers staff are bound by a common law duty of fidelity. There are also other laws which protect ComputerXplorers’ confidential information which staff working for ComputerXplorers may have access to during the course of their work. Confidential information includes but is not limited to person identifiable information for example student and employee records, information protected by the Data Protection Act 1998 and information provided by ComputerXplorers in the expectation of confidence including information about the students and the families of students, ComputerXplorers’ staffing or business.

ComputerXplorers staff should also be aware that there are other laws relating to libel, defamation, harassment and copyright which may apply to information, published or posted by them on social media and which could lead to legal action being taken against them.

All concerns about communications, social contact or social media/social networking issues must be raised with the Designated Senior Person immediately.

ComputerXplorers staff must at all times act in the best interests of ComputerXplorers and the students when creating, participating in or contributing to the content of any website created on behalf of ComputerXplorers.

Cyberbullying and Trolling

“Cyberbullying” can be defined as ‘the use of modern communication technologies to embarrass, humiliate, threaten or intimidate an individual in the attempt to gain power and control over them.’

Trolling” can be defined as ‘circumstances where a person sows discord on the internet by starting arguments or upsetting people by posting inflammatory messages in an online community with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response.’

If cyberbullying takes place, ComputerXplorers staff should keep records of the abuse, texts, e-mails, website or instant messages and should not delete the said texts, e-mails or Staff are advised to take screen prints of messages or web pages and to be careful to record the time, date and location of the site.

If trolling occurs, ComputerXplorers staff are advised to take screen prints of messages and should not delete any evidence of trolling.

ComputerXplorers staff must report all incidents of cyberbullying and/or trolling to the Designated Senior Person.

Inclusion Policy

ComputerXplorers is an inclusive organisation where we focus on the well-being and progress of every child and where all members of our community are of equal worth. We do this by taking into account the students’ varied life experiences and needs.

We recognise, respect and value difference and understand that diversity is a strength. We take account of differences and strive to remove barriers and disadvantages which people may face in relation to disability, ethnicity, gender, religion, belief or faith and sexual orientation. We believe that diversity is a strength which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and collaborate with ComputerXplorers.

Aims and objectives

To ensure that individual strengths are recognised and all pupils achieve their potential.
To remove the barriers to learning and participation that can hinder or exclude individual pupils or groups of pupils eg
Girls and boys
Disadvantaged pupils (Pupil Premium)
Ethnic groups
Children who need support to learn English as an additional language
Children with special educational needs
Pupils who are subject to Child Protection or Child in Need plans
Pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties
Children with disabilities or medical needs
Gifted and talented children
Children who are at risk of disaffection or exclusion.
Travellers

Procedures

We achieve educational inclusion by continually reviewing what we do, through asking ourselves these key questions:

Do all our children achieve their best?
Are there differences in the achievement of different groups of children?
What are we doing for those children who we know are not achieving their best?
Are we successful in promoting racial harmony and preparing pupils to live in a diverse society?

All children share a common entitlement to a range of educational and developmental opportunities, which meets their social and learning needs. We recognise that it is our responsibility to meet the needs of all students we work with and ensure that all students:

feel secure and know that their contributions are valued
appreciate and value the differences they see in others
experience success
use materials that reflect a range of social and cultural backgrounds, without stereotyping
have access to a range of different learning styles
have challenging targets that enable them to succeed
participate fully, regardless of disabilities or medical need

SEN/SEND

Children with special educational needs have learning difficulties that call for special provision to be made. All children may have special needs at some time in their lives.

At ComputerXplorers we take the following into consideration in our work:

Differentiated learning objectives and success criteria
Hands on equipment
Extra adult support
Additional visual cues
Learning opportunities which reflect Personalised Learning targets
Mixed ability and homogeneous groupings
Specialised targets
Differentiated activities

Summary

At ComputerXplorers we believe that no student, parent or member of staff should suffer racial, sexist or homophobic harassment or the fear of racial, sexist or homophobic harassment. We value each student as a unique individual. We will strive to meet the needs of all our students and ensure that we meet all statutory requirements related to matters of inclusion.