The Scottish Government

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Services Arranged for Children by Education Authorities and Schools

Education authorities and schools should ensure that partnership arrangements with other services and services provided by contractors ( e.g. taxis and school transport) support a consistent approach to their child protection policies and practices.

For partnership arrangements, schools and education authorities should consider:

• assessing the compatibility of policies and procedures ( e.g. between health, social work and education staff)
• joint training for staff on child protection and other issues ( e.g. promoting positive behaviour)
• ensuring all partners have contact information for the school's CP
  Co-ordinator and the education authority Child Protection in Education Manager
• ensuring that schools are familiar with the supervision and reporting arrangements of staff and have contact details of who they should approach with any concerns about the person's conduct.

These points may also apply to services to children contracted by the school or authority. In addition, it may be helpful to consider:

• assessing the recruitment and background checking procedures of the employing agency or contractor
• assessing the health and safety and child protection procedures of the employing agency or contractor
• developing criteria for new or renewed contracts that includes asking tenderers to provide information on these issues
• providing open and accessible complaints procedures for staff and pupils to report concerns about the staff of contractors; agreeing with contractors what steps will be taken to investigate concerns and what action may be taken
• designating a key member of staff to maintain links and a visible profile with contractor employees and supervisors.

Some contractors in schools do not provide services directly to children, such as repair and maintenance or building programmes. The Scottish Executive has produced a guide to Managing Schools During Construction Projects ( SEED 2004) www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/msdcp-00.asp which provides some pointers on managing contractors.

Social work involvement in child protection investigations is described in detail in the section of this handbook for CP Co-ordinators and Child Protection in Education Managers in education authorities.

Staff generally may benefit from information on the role of social workers and joint training with social work staff, particularly in preparation for effective partnerships in the context of integrated community schools. Staff may often find themselves supporting children who have social work involvement during formal processes (see Supporting Pupils Involved in Child Protection Issues) and may require support themselves (see Supporting Staff Involved in Child Protection Issues).

Collaboration with social workers supervising children

There are a range of circumstances in which it may be necessary for social workers to meet children during school hours. These may include:

• during child protection investigations
• for court appearances
• for Children's Hearings
• reviews for looked after children (although these can often be arranged outwith school hours).

Other meetings with children on a Home Supervision Order may take place during school hours if the pupil, parents and school agree this is in the child's best interests. Staff responsible for pastoral care in the school should liaise with named social workers on timing and frequency of meetings with children and, particularly for older children, should be prepared to negotiate in order to avoid clashes with important opportunities for the child.

All school staff should be prepared to ask for verification that adults presented as professionals, including social workers, are bona fide. Staff may ask for identification or, for callers on the phone, may take their number and call the Social Work Department main switchboard to verify the individual is a social worker, before responding.

At times children may complain to school staff that their relationship with their social worker is not working. Social workers have a statutory responsibility to see children who are under a supervision requirement. However, school staff may agree with the social worker involved or the Social Work Department a way of restoring the relationship or changing the allocation of staff, if the situation is difficult and the child is consistently refusing to participate.

Communication with Social Work Departments

At times, social workers will require information from school in order to fulfil their statutory responsibilities. For example, reports for Children's Hearings and Reviews will often be compiled by social work. It may be helpful for schools to share with social work colleagues their own reports on children compiled for Hearings, as a matter of course.

Schools will generally hear direct from Reporters the outcome of a Children's Hearing and any conditions attached to an order, which should be filed with the child's record, and information passed to the designated teacher for looked after children. Following notification by the Reporter, the Social Work Department will then notify the school of the allocated social worker. Schools should contact this social worker direct with any concerns or information about the child.

Schools may consider approaching the Duty Social Worker when:

• there are child protection concerns (described in more detail in the section of the handbook for CP Co-ordinators)
• there is an order for the child made by a Hearing, but there is not yet an allocated social worker and the school has immediate concerns
• schools wish to verify the name of a child's social worker - Duty Social Work Teams have access to a client index
• known concerns become more pressing and the allocated social worker is not available.

Children may be victims or witnesses to a crime, or they may be a witness in a children's hearing or civil court proceedings. Legal proceedings can be lengthy and complex. As well as having their own worries and concerns, children and young people may not know what to tell their friends and family.

Children may also be victims of crime through the effect of crime on a loved one, or in some cases, through the serious injury or death of a loved one as a result of crime, including murder. In such cases schools should plan to support the child through the shock and bereavement; and be aware that feelings may re-surface at different stages during any police investigations or criminal proceedings. In some cases, this may be a long time after an event has occurred; in some cases there may never be the closure of a court case if crimes remain unsolved or there are no court proceedings for other reasons.

Services

There are a range of initiatives which may help school staff to provide support for pupils who are witnesses in court, or who are victims of crime.

Victim Information and Advice ( VIA) works with the prosecution service and provides information and advice to certain victims and witnesses and next of kin, including children and young people under sixteen. VIA staff deal with cases from the time a crime is reported by the police to the procurator fiscal. VIA can provide general information on court processes and information on the specific case. They may make referrals to other agencies such as Victim Support Scotland. They write to the witnesses and their parents with information about the progress of the case. They provide information about being a witness and can arrange pre-court familiarisation visits.

The Witness Service is based in every Sheriff and High Court in Scotland. It provides information and practical and emotional support to witnesses before and during the trial. Pre-court visits can be arranged and the service can provide a support person for child witnesses during their evidence. This service is managed by Victim Support Scotland ( VSS) which also has a victim service based in every local authority area. Victim Support Services work with anyone who may be affected by a crime. VSS also has a comprehensive website with useful information (that is quite accessible for younger users, with a jargonbuster facility) on court procedures, court layouts, entitlement of witnesses and victims, and comprehensive FAQs. www.victimsupportsco.demon.co.uk

Staff supporting child witnesses should be aware of the need to support pupils and ensure they have the information they need. This can be in the lead-up to a trial or children's hearing court proof, and following the trial, when the outcome of the trial may also have an impact on the child. School staff not directly involved should be sensitive to the child's absence without necessarily breaching the child's confidence.

Children who are victims or witnesses may have been interviewed by police and/or social workers. They may also be interviewed by the procurator fiscal, children's reporter and/or defence lawyer to help with the preparation of a case for court (known as precognition).

The Vulnerable Witnesses Scotland Act 2004 entitled children to a number of special measures, which should be requested by the children's reporter, the procurator fiscal or defence lawyer and is approved by the judge or sheriff, taking account of the child's views:

• young people under 16 may give evidence using screens, CCTV and to have a supporter
• young people under 16 may also use other special measures such as giving evidence from a different location than the court and by using statements as evidence
• children under 12 involved in cases involving violence or sexual offences will not have to give their evidence in court.

Teachers may be asked to help a child choose which of these measures he or she would prefer. Teachers may also be asked for information on a child's additional support needs in order to inform decisions during the court process.

Resources

Explanatory booklets for children and for parents are available from the procurator fiscal or local children's reporter, and at www. ( Vital Voices - Helping Vulnerable Witnesses Give Evidence) Vulnerable Witnesses guidance pack for practitioners at www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/justice/hvws-00.asp

A child witness support guidance pack and website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/criminal/18245/12291

Information for victims and witnesses at www.scottishvictimsofcrime.co.uk

National standards for support and information for victims of crime and a description of each agency that a victim may have to deal with, at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/justice/nsvcl-00.asp

Staff witnesses

Staff who appear as witnesses may be no less affected by their roles in court cases. Schools and education authorities should ensure that staff welfare officers or other staff support systems are offered to staff involved as witnesses or who support child witnesses. Any staff witness may contact the court Witness Service for further advice and assistance. Authorities may wish to consider arrangements to help staff prepare for appearance in court.

Planning for support after an incident

Schools and education authorities should consider a strategy to help it cope in the period following an investigation, allegation or serious incident. It is possible in today's climate that such matters will be the focus of media attention. This in itself will have an impact on pupils, school staff, parents and the wider community. However, some incidents will also have an emotional impact that may be felt for some time.

Schools and authorities should consider:

• A communication strategy - schools and authorities may assess the value of providing accurate information directly to parents and the community, quickly, to prevent or counter any possible sensationalising of information in the media.
• A media handling strategy - local authority press officers, education authorities and schools will require a clear policy on communication with the media by staff, media access to school buildings, and routes of information between schools, authorities and press officers.
• A staff support system - school staff will not only be in the front line of supporting pupils and parents, they may also be personally affected by any incident involving a pupil or colleague. Some may also be required to provide reports, evidence or support investigations, which is also emotionally demanding. Authorities without staff welfare officers should consider how they will support staff through these processes.
• Pupil and parent support - there may be additional demands on schools' pastoral care staff, for which authorities should consider additional support to schools during periods of stress. However, pastoral care staff will have information on pupils and the ability to monitor progress and will provide the most effective leadership of any staff or partners providing support to pupils (the additional burden on them should be recognised, see above). Pupils can also be helped to support each other through existing peer support systems, provided it is recognised that peer supporters may need increased access to staff support.
• Community support - authorities should consider how services such as community education, health, social work and voluntary sector agencies can collaborate effectively to provide community support. Community support should not be overlooked. In some circumstances incidents will lead to court proceedings after a long delay, during which time some young people may have left school but will still be in need of support.
• Information resources - pupils, parents and staff may become involved in investigations and court proceedings. They will require information on how these processes work, what will be required of them, and what support is available ( e.g. for vulnerable witnesses or victim support services).
• Emergency planning procedures within the authority - schools may play a role in these; and schools' own plans may be informed by them.

Schools' Role in Local Troubles

Occasionally communities may be affected by conflict or incidents in ways which put pupils at risk, such as serious disputes between neighbours, racist conflict, gang conflict, etc. Schools may provide pupils with an important stability and safety at these times and, because of their relationship with pupils, may be aware of information about community issues.

"What the pupils thought was a traditional rivalry between neighbourhoods began to get out of hand and they were out of their depth. It was great that we had strong local partnerships to tackle the problems in the community and in the schools. We were able to act fast and I'm sure we prevented serious harm. "
(Headteacher)

Schools should consider:

• developing ongoing relationships with community police officers, so that liaison can be established to ensure the safety of a child or groups of children at school and on the way to and from school
• effective information sharing between the police, local community and youth work staff, and school staff. Where children and young people are at risk of harm, confidentiality is not an option. However, it may be possible for intelligence to be shared without naming individual pupils where they are not directly involved
• working with pupils during personal and social education or through police liaison with schools to counter the culture against 'grassing'. Pupils who feel their personal safety matters and who take pride in their communities may be encouraged to recognise that staying silent can allow harm to others or to the community
• ensuring pupils directly affected by any conflict or difficulty in the community feel they can approach a member of staff for support, and access support available through the school's pastoral care system.

Most sections in this A-Z guide remind staff of the need to anticipate children's support needs when they are experiencing or have experienced traumatic events, or are coping with the processes that follow after a disclosure or allegation, or concerns of staff have led to child protection investigations.

There are a number of further issues a school may wish to consider:

• schools should be willing to support a pupil's own choice of staff to support them. This may not always be the pastoral care staff with most experience in child protection and pupil support. Pastoral care staff should guide and support the chosen teacher (see Supporting Teachers and Staff)
• a pupil may change their mind about who they want to support them, and the level of support they want. This should be respected too - a pupil should feel as much in control as possible about who hears their story in interviews and Hearings
• a pupil may not know how to handle subsequent daily interaction with staff who know intimate details about their experiences. Pupils may be unsure about whether all staff now know these details. These issues could be discussed openly with pupils able to express their feelings about it, to prevent a pupil worrying or having suspicions
• pupils may require time and space to reflect, and will not always appreciate being reminded that staff are there to support them. They may wish to be allowed to forget. Staff should be prepared to let pupils make the move to approach staff for support, and trust that pupils will know the support is there if and when they want it
• pupils may resent 'supportive' approaches by staff, no matter how well meant, when they are with their peers and in the public environment of the classroom, corridors and playgrounds. Communication by staff with pupils can be kept private by using email, for example, or by asking for a 1:1 meeting; these can be agreed with the pupil according to their preferences
• staff can show they care in many indirect ways too. Staff training on emotional intelligence and relationship skills helps staff consider the different ways that they can show caring and understanding.

"She kept me sane at the time. It's in the past now but I can trust her to let me put it behind me, and be there only when I need it."
(pupil)

Many sections in this A-Z guide mention the importance of schools and education authorities systems for supporting staff who may be deeply affected by the facts of children's experiences of abuse or neglect. Staff who become closely involved in child protection procedures contribute to decisions that make a profound impact on the lives of children and whole families. At times, staff may feel a strong emotional response including guilt, anger, frustration, despair and doubting of their suitability for the profession.

Since it is often children who choose which teacher they will disclose information to, schools and education authorities must anticipate that it may be younger and inexperienced staff that children and young people will approach. Child protection training will remain abstract until the reality of a child's experience of abuse or neglect is presented to them in living reality. Staff welfare and support systems must be in place to help staff cope with this.

In addition there are a number of issues schools may wish to consider:

• key staff supporting pupils may feel a strong attachment to the case. The member of staff may later be rejected by the pupil (see Supporting Pupils Involved in Child Protection Issues) or may feel displaced by other professionals who take on a statutory or support role. Good de-briefing for staff involved with children will help this to be discussed
• staff should always be allowed to set their own limits on what support they feel able to provide to children and to set limits on their level of involvement in child protection proceedings. Even where a child has approached them for support, staff should feel confident to defer to other staff, and should never feel under pressure to become involved in situations where they feel out of their depth
• staff may support children to attend Hearings, Reviews or may attend case conferences, in which they may hear information about children and families that they were previously unaware of, and which is traumatic for them. Good de-briefing must be arranged for staff following their involvement
• many adults have experienced abuse in the past, which they have not come to terms with. School staff faced with the experiences of pupils may become overwhelmed by buried emotions for which they require support and counselling themselves. Some staff may be particularly zealous as a result of their own experiences, for which they should also be provided with support and counselling. Some of these issues may not come to light unless there is good de-briefing for staff as a matter of course
• staff who experience health problems following their involvement in cases may have a stress-related illness. Schools and authorities should not wait until this occurs to offer support, but should ensure that following any time off, there is an appropriate back-to-work discussion to consider further support needs.

The formal expectation by the school of an individual de-briefing for staff following involvement in each stage of a child protection case, helps guard against staff perceiving the seeking of support as stigmatising.

Staff de-briefing should:

• take place after each stage of an investigation and subsequent action, and at any time afterwards when staff feel the need for it
• provided by a consistent member of senior staff, ideally trained for this role
• involve discussion and is a separate process from reporting and recording
• allow the member of staff to reflect, express feelings and seek re-assurance
• be provided, if only briefly, even for those members of staff who say they do not need it. If it is a requirement for all staff then it will not be stigmatised as only being for staff who are unduly emotional or weak.

Staff welfare and support systems back up the formal de-briefing, and must be:

• confidential and discreet
• independent of line management or performance appraisal, and only recorded as a means of providing good support and is not part of personnel records
• available for as long as it is required, and may begin some time after involvement in a case if it is not desired immediately
• presented as a service for both experienced and inexperienced staff, male and female. Support must not be associated with personal weakness, personal problems or lack of professional skill. It is an aspect of professional development open to all staff
• it may be beneficial to be outwith school and with neutral and impartial staff.

"I don't think you ever get used to it. Talking through just makes the best sense, personally and professionally. If our wellbeing is cared for, we're fit for supporting another child in another situation, and our own families need us too."
(teacher)

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