Child Protection Policy

Child Protection Policy

Rationale
Rongoa Tuku Iho Healing’s Child Protection Policy supports children’s workers to identify and respond to vulnerability including abuse and neglect. This policy includes contactors, volunteers and visitors
who work directly with tamariki

Objectives

● To provide a Child Protection Policy that meets the requirements of the Childrens’ Act (2014).

The policy contains provisions for the identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect.

● The policy contains information about how the staff of Rongoa Tuku Iho Healing will keep children safe from abuse and neglect.

● The policy will identify how to respond to suspected child abuse and neglect.

● The policy will be reviewed every two (2) years.

 

Person Responsible for Child Protection in Whare Hauora
The Directors, in the event the Directors are absent, contact any of the directors if
unreachable contact the Administrator/HR Manager. These personnel are responsible for providing advice and support for the Child Protection Policy and Procedures.

 

Definitions of Neglect and Abuse

Physical Abuse
Any acts that may result in the physical harm of a child or young person. It can be, but is not limited to bruising, cutting, smacking, hitting, beating, biting, burning, causing abrasions, strangulation, suffocation, drowning, poisoning and fabricated or induced illness.

Sexual Abuse
1. Any acts that involve forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not they are aware of what is happening.
2. Sexual abuse can be, but is not limited to:
a) Contact abuse; touching breasts, genital/anal fondling, masturbation, oral sex,
penetrative or non-penetrative contact with the anus or genitals, encouraging the child to perform such acts on the perpetrator or another, involvement of the child in activities for the purposes of pornography or prostitution.
b) Non-contact abuse; exhibitionism, voyeurism, exposure to pornographic or sexual imagery, inappropriate photography or depictions of sexual or suggestive behaviours or comments.

Emotional Abuse
● Any act or omission that results in adverse or impaired psychological, social, intellectual and emotional functioning or development. This can include:
a) Patterns of isolation, degradation, constant criticism or negative comparison to
others. Isolating, corrupting, exploiting or terrorising a child can also be emotional
abuse.
b) Exposure to family/whanau or intimate partner violence.

Neglect
● Most common form of abuse, and although the effects may not be as obvious as physical abuse, it is just as serious.

Neglect can be:
a) Physical (not providing the necessities of life, like a warm place, food and
clothing).
b) Emotional (not providing comfort, attention and love).
c) Neglectful supervision (leaving children without someone safe looking after
them).                                                                                                                        d) Medical neglect (not taking care of health needs).
e) Educational neglect (allowing chronic truancy, continual unexplained absences,
failure to enrol in education or inattention to education needs).

As there is a link between family violence, intimate partner violence and child abuse, it is important staff understand the term Family Violence.

A legal definition of family violence is
provided in Section 3 of the Family Violence Act 2018 (Refer p. 17).

 

Key indicators of potential abuse may include:

● Physical signs:
An example unexplained injuries, burns, fractures, unusual or excessive itching, genital injuries, sexually transmitted diseases.
● Developmental delays:
An example small for their age, cognitive delays, falling behind in School, poor speech and social skills.
● Emotional abuse/neglect:
An example: sleep problems, low self-esteem, obsessive behaviour, inability to cope in social situations, sadness/loneliness and evidence of self-harm.
● Behavioural concerns:
An example is age , inappropriate sexual interest or play, fear of a certain person or place, eating disorders/substance abuse, disengagement/neediness, aggression.

 

Key indicators of potential neglect may include:

• Physical signs:

An example looking rough and uncared for, dirty, without appropriate clothing, underweight.

• Developmental delays:

An example is small for their age, cognitive delays, falling behind in school, poor speech and social skills.

• Emotional abuse/neglect:

An example: sleep problems, low self-esteem, obsessive behaviour, inability to cope in social situations, sadness/loneliness and evidence of self-harm.

• Psychological abuse:

An example threats (to harm, to commit suicide, to report to authorities), harassment, stalking, jealous possessiveness, put-downs, isolation from friends and family, intimidation, verbal abuse, mind-games, humiliation, manipulating children.

• Behavioural concerns:

An example is disengagement/neediness, eating disorders/substance abuse, aggression.

• Neglectful supervision:

An example out and about unsupervised, left alone, no safe home to return to.

• Medical neglect:

An example is persistent nappy rash, or skin disorders or other untreated medical issues.

Our whare hauora recognises that every situation is different and the importance of considering all available information about the child and their environment before reaching conclusions. In many cases, the involvement of statutory agencies would be inappropriate and potentially harmful to families/whānau. Both statutory and non-statutory agencies provide a network of mutually supportive services. It is important that our whare hauora work with these agencies to respond to the needs of vulnerable children and families/whānau in a manner proportionate to the level of need and risk.

Relationships with Parents & Whanau
● Parents and whānau are an integral part of our whare hauora and their contribution and participation will be encouraged and valued.

Safer Organisations, Safer Children
Safe and appropriate information sharing will ensure everyone working with children, can collaborate in the best interests of the child through:
Our Recruitment, Screening and Vetting Procedures include safer recruitment
practices such as:
● Identity confirmation.
● Interview of the potential worker.
● Obtaining and considering a work history.
● Obtaining and considering information from at least one referee.
● Seeking information from any relevant professional organisation, licensing authority or registration authority.
● Obtaining and considering information from a New Zealand Police Vetting Agency. g) An evaluation of the above information to assess the risk of the potential children’s worker.
● Searching for information about a staff member or a potential staff member via electronic media will be treated with caution (Privacy Act 2020 and Human Rights Act 1993).

Management reserves the right to exclude any person employed or engaged at the whare hauora from coming into contact with children, if they have reasonable grounds to believe that
the person;
a) Has physically ill-treated or abused a child or committed a crime against children; or

b) In guiding or controlling a child, has subjected the child to solitary confinement,
immobilisation, or deprivation of food, drink, warmth, shelter, or protection,

c) Is in a state of physical or mental health that presents any risk of danger to children; or

d) Has an infectious or contagious disease or condition.

Professional Development
● Staff will be informed about the content of the Child Protection Policy as part of the orientation and induction process, and, likewise will be informed about the content as they collectively work through the Whare Hauora regular policy reviewing process.
● All staff have the right to make contributions to the policy during reviews.
● The Whare Hauora is committed to ensuring staff have access to the training they require.

Training, resources and/or advice will be available to ensure all staff can carry out their roles in terms of this policy:
a) How to reduce the risk of child abuse.
b) Understanding and complying with legal obligations regarding child abuse.
c) Planning of environment and supervision to minimise risk.
d) Dealing with the child/parents/family.
e) The signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect.
f) Roles and responsibilities around record keeping and reporting.
g) Limitations of their role.

 

Guidelines for Reporting and Responding to Child Abuse/Neglect

● The child’s safety is always the paramount consideration in the notification process.

● No decisions or actions in respect of suspected or actual abuse are made by any staff member in isolation unless there are concerns for the immediate safety of the child.

● A consultative approach is to be used to ensure the safety of the child and the staff member.

● Staff may report the matter to the relevant agency (Oranga Tamariki or NZ Police) if the child is in immediate danger. The Directors are available to discuss concerns if appropriate. Where applicable follow the Child Protection Policy.

● The Staff Member is to advise the Directors within 24 hours.

● Decisions about informing parents or caregivers is made upon advice after consultation between the Whare Hauora, Oranga Tamariki and/or the Police.
● Protecting staff who report concerns about the conduct of a colleague.

Confidentiality and Information Sharing
● The Privacy Act 2020 and Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 allow information to be shared to keep children safe when abuse or suspected abuse is reported or investigated.
● Advice will be sought by the service’s Manager from Oranga Tamariki and/or Police before identifying information about an allegation is shared with anyone. (Refer section 49 of the Privacy Act 2020).
● Staff are made aware that:
a) Under Sections 15 and 16 of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, any person who believes that a child has been or is likely to be, harmed physically, emotionally or sexually or ill-treated, abused, neglected or deprived may report the matter to Oranga Tamariki or the Police and provided the report is made in good faith, no civil, criminal or disciplinary proceedings may be brought against them.
b) When collecting personal information about individuals, it is important to be aware of the Information Privacy Principles – (part 3, Privacy Act 2020), that is, the need to collect the information directly from the individual concerned and when doing so, to be transparent about the purposes for collecting information and how it will be used;

who can see the information;

where it is held;

what is compulsory/voluntary information;

and that people have a right to request access to and correction of their information (Refer The Privacy Act 2020).

c) However, staff may disclose information under the Privacy Act 2020, Health Information Privacy Code, where there is good reason to do so – such as, where there is serious risk to individual health and safety (Privacy principle 11). Disclosures about ill-treatment or neglect of a child/young person may also be made to the Police or Oranga Tamariki (Refer The Privacy Act 2020).

Documentation
All reporting documentation (recordings and observations), will be written up in the ‘NOTES’ section on Power Diary (OMS) as an individual case entry, which is handed over to Management for filing. In the event documentation relates to management, documentation will be handed over to the Directors for filing.

Storing documentation
● All reporting documentation and associated documents will be filed in Management’s office in a lockable file cabinet.
● Information will be shared with any person of authority or right to the disclosure of information.
Management will seek the advice of Oranga Tamariki and/or Police in the event requests for information has been initiated.

 

July 2022 - Child Protection Policy - Rongoā Tuku Iho Healing Aotearoa Limited