Policy and Procedures Handbook
*Adapted with Permission from The International School of Nanshan Shenzhen’s Safeguarding
Policy and Procedures Handbook 2023-2024 in combination with CISH’s Safeguarding Policy 2023-2024.
CISH Child Protection Policy
The CISH Child Protection Policy has been created to ensure that all of our stakeholders in our CISH school community are fully aware and understand our commitment to ensuring that we provide a safe learning environment within our school community. The policy has been adopted by the CISH Board of Directors. Child abuse and neglect are serious violations of children’s human rights and impede their intellectual, physical, social and emotional development.
CISH promotes the values of respect, integrity, compassion and responsibility and seeks to “foster wellness”. The CISH Child Protection Policy seeks to protect the student, the family, and the CISH community. It ensures that the right to protection and access to confidential support systems is available to all students.
Duty of Care
Child abuse and neglect are of growing concern in schools throughout the world. Child abuse and neglect are violations of a child’s human rights and are obstacles to a child’s education as well as to his/her physical, emotional, and social development. The Canadian International School of Hefei (CISH), has an institutional responsibility to protect children. In this role we need to ensure that all children in our care are afforded a safe and secure environment in which to grow and develop, no matter from what cultural background they come. As educators, we have the opportunity to observe and interact with children over time on a daily basis and are in a unique position to identify children who need help and protection. As such, we have a professional and ethical obligation to identify children who are in need of protection and to take steps to ensure that the child and family avail themselves of the services needed to remedy any situation that constitutes child abuse or neglect.
All faculty and staff at The Canadian International School of Hefei are mandated to report their concerns about the well-being of any student. Reporting and follow up of all suspected incidences of child abuse or neglect will proceed in accordance with Framework linked to this policy. Furthermore, cases of suspected child abuse or neglect may be reported to the appropriate employer, to the respective consulate in China, to the appropriate child protection agency in the home country, and/or to local authorities.
The Canadian International School of Hefei endorses the Convention on the Rights of the Child (of which our host country, China, is a signatory and seeks to be a safe haven for students who may be experiencing abuse or neglect in any aspect of their lives) as well as the Domestic Violence Law of China. The Canadian International School of Hefei will distribute this policy annually to all parents and applicants, will communicate this policy annually to students, will provide annual training for all faculty and staff, and will make every effort to implement hiring practices to ensure the safety of children. In the case of a staff member reported as an alleged offender, The Canadian International School of Hefei will conduct a full investigation following a carefully designed course of due process.
Definition of Child Abuse and Neglect
The Canadian International School of Hefei has a rich and diverse community with multiple cultural beliefs, values, and practices. To respect the global nature of the community, for the purposes of our child safeguarding policy, we have chosen to follow the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of abuse and neglect.
The WHO declares:
“Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.”
For the purposes of this document a CHILD is defined as being any person under the age of 18 or any person enrolled at CISH as a full-time student, even if that person has reached his/her 18 birthday.
A detailed explanation of the different types of child abuse and possible symptoms is given below.
Forms of Abuse
Physical abuse
Physical abuse of a child is a form of abuse, which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or caregiver fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.
Emotional abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Emotional Neglect is a dimension of Emotional Abuse.
Neglect and negligent treatment
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical, educational and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or caregiver failing to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
Sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is the involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, for which the child is not developmentally prepared and cannot give consent, or that violate the laws or social taboos of society. Child sexual abuse is evidenced by this activity between a child and an adult or another child who by age or development is in a relationship of responsibility, trust or power, the activity being intended to gratify or satisfy the needs of the other person.
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non- penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
Indicators that a child may be suffering abuse
The following physical and emotional/behavioral indicators may suggest that a child is in need of support and potentially at risk of/or suffering from some form of abuse. They may also be an indication of something else such as bereavement or other temporary trauma. It is important to report anything seen or observed so that trained counselors can meet with the student to assess what support the student needs, whatever the reason.
Possible Physical indicators:
Injuries (bruises, welts, cuts, burns, bite marks, fractures, etc.) that are not consistent with the explanation offered (e.g. extensive bruising to one area)
Presence of several injuries (3+) that are in various stages of healing
Repeated injuries over a period of time
Injuries that form a shape or pattern that may look like the object used to make the injury (e.g. buckle, hand, iron, teeth, cigarette burns)
Facial injuries in infants and preschool children (e.g. cuts, bruises, sores, etc.)
Injuries not consistent with the child's age and development
Bald patches on child's head where hair may have been torn out
Repeated poisonings and/or accidents
Frequent psychosomatic complaints, headaches, nausea, abdominal pains
Child is unwashed or hungry
Unattended medical and dental needs
Ingestion of cleaning fluids, medicines, etc.
Consistent hunger
Nutritional deficiencies
Inappropriate dress for weather conditions
Poor hygiene persistent (untreated) conditions (e.g. Scabies, head lice, diaper rash, or other skin disorders)
Sexual drawings or language
Bedwetting
Eating problems such as overeating or anorexia
Self harm or mutilation, sometimes leading to suicide attempts
Substance or drug abuse
Venereal disease in a child of any age
Frequent urinary tract infections for young children both male and female
Evidence of physical trauma or bleeding to the oral, genital, or anal areas
Difficulty in walking or sitting
Not wanting to be alone with an individual
Pregnancy, especially at a young age
Possible Behavioral indicators:
Refusing to change into PE clothes, fear of bathrooms
Child running away from home and not giving any specific complaint
Saying they have secrets they cannot tell anyone about
Parents are uninterested in child’s academic performance
Suddenly having unexplained sexual knowledge, behavior, or use of language not appropriate to age level
Unusual interpersonal relationship patterns
Depression
Poor impulse control
Constant demand for attention and affection
Lack of parental participation and interest
Delinquency
Regularly displays fatigue or listlessness, falls asleep in class
Steals food, or begs for food from classmate(s)
Reports that no caregiver is at home
Frequently absent or tardy
Self destructive
Drops out of school (adolescent)
Takes over adult caring role (of parent)
Lacks trust in others, unpredictable
Plans only for the moment
Runaway attempts and fear of going home
Stilted conversation, vacant stares or frozen watchfulness, no attempt to seek comfort when hurt
Describes self as bad and deserving to be punished
Cannot recall how injuries occurred or offers an inconsistent explanation
Wary of adults or reluctant to go home
May flinch if touched unexpectedly
Extremely aggressive or withdrawn
Displays indiscriminate affection seeking behavior
Abusive behavior and language in play
Poor sleeping patterns, fear of the dark, frequent nightmares
Sad, cries frequently
Drug/alcohol misuse
Depression
Abandonment
Consistent lack of supervision
Poor memory and concentration
Mental or emotional development lags
Behaviors inappropriate for age
Fear of failure, overly high standards, reluctance to play
Fears consequences of actions, often leading to lying
Extreme withdrawal or aggressiveness, mood swings
Overly compliant, too well mannered
Excessive neatness and cleanliness
Extreme attention seeking behaviors
Poor peer relationships
Violence is a subject for art or writing
Complains of social isolation
Forbidden contact with other children
Repeated communications from the school unheeded
Both parents or legal guardian are absent from China for any period of 24 hours or greater
Parents cannot be reached in the case of emergency
Lack of appropriate supervision—this would include failure to provide proper adult guardianship* such as leaving children unsupervised at home for any extended period of time.
*Note: CISH policy requires that one parent be a full time resident in China. Should parents/ guardian leave the country for any reason, the responsibility for informing the school of all appropriate contact details lies with the parent or guardian. CISH defines Caretaker as follows: An adult designated to make any and all legal, financial, social and medical decisions for the child in the parent’s or guardian’s absence.
Physical Touch Guidelines
A strong part of the CISH culture is the warmth and openness of relationships between staff and students. CISH believes that this should be preserved while ensuring that all students remain safe and comfortable while at school.
In general, it is not appropriate for teachers and staff to have physical contact of any kind with a student who is above the age of eight or nine. There are occasions when it is entirely appropriate and proper for staff to have physical contact with pupils, but it is crucial that they only do so in ways appropriate to their professional role and with the permission of the child.
When physical contact is made with pupils this should be in response to their needs at the time, of limited duration, and appropriate given their age, stage of development, gender, ethnicity and background. Appropriate physical contact in schools may occur most often with younger pupils and should not happen out of public view.
It is not possible to be specific about the appropriateness of each physical contact, since an action that is appropriate with one child in one set of circumstances may be inappropriate in another, or with a different child. Staff should therefore limit their physical contact in most instances.
Physical contact should never be secretive, for the gratification of the adult, of a sexual nature, or represent a misuse of authority.
If a member of staff believes that an action could be misinterpreted, the incident and circumstances should be reported and documented.
This means that adults should:
Always approve any planned social contact with senior colleagues, for example when it is part of a reward scheme or pastoral care program
Advise administration of any regular social contact they have with a pupil which may give rise to concern
Report and record any situation which they feel might compromise the school or their own professional standing
Report any indications (verbal, written or physical) that suggest a pupil may be infatuated with a member of staff
Be aware that even well-intentioned physical contact may be misconstrued by the child, an observer, or anyone to whom this action is described
Never touch a child in a way which may be considered indecent
Always be prepared to explain actions and accept that all physical contact be open to scrutiny
Never indulge in horseplay, tickling, or fun fights
Physical contact which occurs regularly with an individual child or young person is likely to raise questions unless the justification for this is part of a formally agreed plan (for example in relation to pupils with SEN or physical disabilities). Any such contact should be the subject of an agreed and open school policy and subject to review. Where feasible, staff should seek the child's permission before initiating contact. Staff should listen, observe, and take note of the child's reaction or feelings and – so far as is possible - use a level of contact which is acceptable to the child for the minimum time necessary.
Extra caution may be required where it is known that a child has suffered previous abuse or neglect. In the child's view, physical contact might be associated with such experiences and lead to staff being vulnerable to allegations of abuse. It is recognized that many such children are extremely needy and seek out inappropriate physical contact. In such circumstances staff should deter the child sensitively by helping them to understand the importance of personal boundaries.
Overall, the general rule of 'no or limited touch' should be followed in most instances.
Physical Contact Between Students
Teachers should educate, monitor and provide adequate supervision of students so that physical contact between students is always appropriate and not of an abusive, violent or sexual nature.
Hitting, kicking, pinching, fighting and other violent physical contact should be stopped immediately by any adult who witnesses it happen. Adults should intervene in such cases in a non-physical manner if possible by verbally asking the students to stop the violent contact. If physical intervention is required in order to stop violent contact between students, it should be done in with as much care as possible so as not to injure or harm the students. Standing between the two students as a barrier to prevent them from having contact with one another is likely to be the most effective means of prevention. Students should not be physically restrained by an adult unless that is the only option available to prevent serious harm from happening. Students who engage in violent physical contact should be referred to the principal for follow up intervention. A written record of any incidents of physical violence on the part of students must be kept.
Ordinary contact between students during play or athletics is acceptable.
Public displays of affection between students beyond a friendly hug are discouraged on campus. Any display of affection should be age-appropriate. Students should be educated and encouraged to conduct themselves in a professional manner in the school setting in order to prepare them for later professional working environments. Students should understand that public displays of intimate affection are not appropriate in a professional environment.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
There are three main elements to our child safeguarding policy and procedures:
Prevention through the creation of a positive school atmosphere and the teaching and pastoral support offered to students.
Protection by following agreed procedures, ensuring all staff are trained and supported to respond appropriately and sensitively to child safeguarding concerns.
Support for students who may have been abused.
Organizational Framework
Child Protection is the responsibility of all adults in the school, but especially those working directly with students. All adults have a “Duty of Care” responsibility to report concerns to the Senior Leadership Team (Head of School and Principals). Additionally, there are key people within the school organization who have specific responsibilities to assess and evaluate those concerns in accordance with child safeguarding procedures. These people are designated as the CISH Safeguarding Response Team.
The CISH Safeguarding Response Team will be comprised of the Child Protection Officers. The names of the Safeguarding Response Team for the current year are listed in Annex 1, “Key Contacts” of this policy. They will meet independently as needed.
The role of the Head of School is to review all cases referred to him/her, to consult with the Safeguarding Response Team, and to ensure that adequate resources and support are provided in order to respond and deal with all cases in an appropriate and effective manner.
The development of appropriate procedures and the monitoring of good practice are the responsibilities of the Safeguarding Response Team. Improving policies or practices based on lessons learned from specific incidents should occur as needed. It is the role of the Safeguarding Response Team to ensure that all staff employed, including temporary staff and volunteers within the school, are aware of the school’s child protection policies and procedures, and to advise staff as to how these policies and procedures should be implemented. The Safeguarding Response Team is responsible for ensuring that child protection policies and procedures are followed within the school.
All incidents of suspected abuse, neglect or misconduct which appear to violate child safety and well-being must be reported to a member of the Safeguarding Response Team. If for some reason none of the Safeguarding Response Team members are available, the Counsellors or Senior Leaders are authorized to act in their absence.
On an annual basis, the Safeguarding Response Team are responsible for:
Reviewing the Child Protection Policy and Procedures Manual.
Training staff on the Child Protection Policy and Procedures.
Reviewing the number and nature of concerns or incidents logged across the school with the goal of preventing future incidents.
The Safeguarding Response Team’s ultimate aim is to ensure that every child’s interests are protected.
Safe Environment
The CISH campus is a fenced and gated area that is protected by 24-hour security personnel.
All visitors to the campus must present an acceptable form of identification at the guard station and receive a visitor’s badge before being granted permission to enter.
Students in the primary school (K3-Grade 5) are not permitted to leave campus at the end of the day without a parent or guardian being present. If they ride the bus, they are required to have a parent or guardian present at the drop-off site.
Any student who leaves campus during the school day must have prior parent permission.
Students are only permitted to enter and exit through the main gate.
All classrooms, offices, and venues where students are permitted to enter must have a clear line of sight into them at all times. Teachers and staff are not permitted to obstruct the view into their classroom or office. However, EY nap rooms may be darkened to ensure proper sleeping conditions, provided that visibility into the room is maintained through windows, viewing panels, or other supervisory measures.
All areas of the school are under surveillance by CCTV cameras which are recording 24 hours per day. Restrooms do not have CCTV cameras in them but have cameras covering the entrance way so that a record of entries and exits can be kept.
Separate bathrooms are designated on campus for students and for adults. If it is necessary for an adult to enter a students’ restroom, they must do so with at least one other adult present. Students are not permitted to enter the adult restrooms at any time. Cleaning of student restrooms must be completed when students are not present. However, in EY, staff use the student bathrooms, always locking the main door to prevent access from students while they are in the bathroom.
All teachers must keep a record of when students leave their classroom to use the restroom or go on an errand outside of the room. To reduce the number of students who may come into contact with one another, no more than one student is permitted to leave the classroom at a time to use the restroom.
Adults should never be alone with a student in an area that is not fully visible to others.
A supervision schedule is in place so that all areas are adequately supervised while students are on campus.
Safe Recruitment
It is the school’s responsibility to ensure, as far as is practicable, that its employees are suitable people to work with children. CISH implements a number of checks during its recruitment process with the aim of ensuring that:
Candidates with a tendency towards child molestation are deterred from applying to the school.
Candidates who have a criminal record or about whom there have been some concerns regarding their suitability to work with children are not offered a position.
Successful candidates fully understand their responsibilities towards Child Protection while employed at the school.
CISH maintains appropriate records that might be required in a possible future investigation or inquiry.
CISH will work with the Recruitment Agencies (ISS, Search Associates, etc.) to ensure that the reference checks and background screening undertaken by such agencies complements CISH’s own recruitment protocols.
Additional background checks will be carried out for all staff if there are concerns about the reliability of any police background check certificates.
Employment Records
The following records will be maintained by CISH in respect to every employee, either in hard copy or digital format.
Full CV (any gaps in employment accounted for)
Two signed verified letters of reference that cover at minimum the last two years of employment
A confidential phone or e-mail reference check from the most recent immediate supervisor
Police criminal background check report from home of record and/or most recent place of residence and employment
Additional background checks, including a social media search and sex offender registry report (if a need arises to obtain such documents)
Medical report
Certified copies of degrees and education certificates
Signed “Acknowledgement of Child Protection Code of Conduct”
Record of attendance for Child Protection Training.
CISH’s Safe Recruitment Protocols are summarized below.
Application: Candidates must provide a copy of their resume and references.
Interview: At least one member of the interview process will have been trained in the Safe Recruitment protocols stated in this policy and will be tasked with asking candidates about their child safeguarding experiences.
Screening: Job offer will be made conditional on: Satisfactory references from at least three previous supervisors or appropriate professionals, a full medical screening, a police criminal record certificate from home of record and/or most recent place of residence.
Contractual: Employees are required to undergo a Child Protection training as part of their orientation and every year thereafter. They must sign an acknowledgement that they have read the Child Protection Policy and will abide by the Code of Conduct.
HR Records: CISH will maintain records to ensure compliance in respect of the above for every employee.
The Head of School, Principals, HR Team and any others involved in recruiting will review these “safe recruitment” practices on an annual basis.
Training
All adults who are regularly on CISH’s campus will be expected to undergo appropriate training on a regular basis depending on their level of engagement with students and their roles with regard to Child Protection. Initial training will be delivered in-house, normally during the orientation process. Thereafter, staff will be expected to undergo a refresher training every year. A record of training that has taken place will be filed with the HR department. When possible, training will also be given to parents, volunteers and coaches who regularly interact with students on campus.
These groups will be trained in the elements of the Child Protection policy listed:
All Adults who are regularly on campus will be trained regarding:
Teaching Faculty will be trained in the areas listed above and:
Understanding Child Safeguarding
Types and symptoms of abuse
How to handle disclosures
Counsellors and Designated Safeguarding Officers (DSO) and others with designated roles will be trained in the areas listed above and:
Serious case reviews
Information on sharing and documentation
Framework for assessment
Specific types of abuse
Working with students and families
How to follow up with a reported concern
When to make referrals
Understanding the role of a Safeguarding Lead
Students will be trained through delivery of the counselling curriculum.
CISH has adopted age-appropriate curriculum developed and implemented by the Guidance Counselling Department for each division: Lower PYP (K4 to Grade 2), Upper PYP (Grades 3 to 5), MYP (Grades 6 to 9), DP (Grades 10 to 12). This curriculum is based on empowering students with three ways to protect themselves:
Recognize unsafe behavior
Report by telling a trusted adult
Refuse by learning how to say “No”
Child Protection Code of Conduct
CISH is committed to the safety and protection of children. This Code of Conduct applies to all faculty, staff, employees, volunteers, and students who represent the school and who interact with children or young people in both a direct and/or unsupervised capacity.
The public and private conduct of faculty, staff, employees, students, and volunteers acting on behalf of CISH can inspire and motivate those with whom they interact, or can cause great harm if inappropriate. We must, at all times, be aware of the responsibilities that accompany our work.
We should be aware of our own and other persons’ vulnerability, especially when working alone with children, and be particularly aware that we are responsible for maintaining physical, emotional, and sexual boundaries in such interactions. We must avoid any covert or overt sexual behaviors with those for whom we have responsibility. This includes seductive speech or gestures as well as physical contact that exploits, abuses, or harasses. We are to provide safe environments for children at CISH.
We must show prudent discretion before touching another person, especially children, and be aware of how physical touch will be perceived or received, and whether it would be an appropriate expression of greeting, care, concern, or celebration. CISH personnel and volunteers are prohibited at all times from physically disciplining a child. Teachers who have children are also expected to refrain from physical forms of discipline at home in order set a positive example for the community. Spanking and other forms of physical discipline can easily be misconstrued or seen as a form of abuse when children talk with one another.
Physical contact with children can be misconstrued both by the recipient and by those who observe it, and should occur only when completely nonsexual and otherwise appropriate, and never in private. One-on-one meetings with a child or young person are best held in a public area; in a room where the interaction can be (or is being) observed (classrooms are covered by CCTV); or in a room with the door left open and another staff member or supervisor is notified about the meeting.
On occasion, an adult may need to assist a young child who needs help with dressing, etc. This should be treated normally, with the child’s permission. If the adult feels that the circumstances or child’s response were unusual, then this should be reported using a Record of Concern so that the incident is logged in case it is referred to later.
We must intervene when there is evidence of, or there is reasonable cause to suspect, that children are being abused in any way. Suspected abuse, neglect, or observed inappropriate behavior by another person towards a child must be reported as described in the Child Protection Policy of the school. If an employee is observed to be acting inappropriately towards, or in the presence of, a student, then this must be reported to the Senior Leadership Team and will be dealt with confidentially according to due process.
Faculty, staff, employees, and volunteers should refrain from the illegal possession and/or illegal use of drugs and/or alcohol at all times, and from the use of tobacco products, alcohol and/or drugs when working with children. Adults should never buy alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, videos, or reading material that is inappropriate and give it to young people. Staff members and volunteers should not accept gifts from, or give gifts to, children without the knowledge of their parents or guardians.
Communication with children is governed by the key safety concept of transparency. The following steps will reduce the risk of private or otherwise inappropriate communication between CISH parents, administration, teachers, personnel, volunteers, and minors:
Communication between CISH (including volunteers) and minors that is outside the role of the professional or volunteer relationship (teacher, coach, host, etc.) is prohibited.
Where possible, email exchanges between a minor and a person acting on behalf of the school are to be made using a school email address. Electronic communication that takes place over a school network or platform may be subject to periodic monitoring.
Faculty, staff, and volunteers who use any form of online communications including social media (Facebook, WeChat, etc.) and text messaging to communicate with minors may only do so for activities involving school business.
Every employee will be expected to sign an Acknowledgement of the Code of Conduct with each contract renewal. A copy of the Code of Conduct and form are given in Annex 5.
Reporting Concerns
“Doing nothing is not an option.”
All adults have a duty to act if they have a concern about a child’s welfare. Abuse can take many forms. Frequently both victims and perpetrators work hard to conceal that abuse is taking place. A concern may just be a “gut reaction” to something heard or observed which doesn’t feel right. It may be more specific by way of a witnessed event or disclosure.
Concerns or alerts may be as a result of:
Observed student behavior (physical, emotional, change in behavior)
Hearsay (third party disclosure)
Disclosure (specific report made by a student directly or via a trusted adult)
Observed adult behavior (breach of Code of Conduct)
Whatever the nature of the concern, adults will be expected to:
Recognize the concern.
Speak to a DSO.
Log a Report of Concern Form which can be found here: https://forms.office.com/r/h8L4bWAnt4
Email the relevant DSO stating the form has been submitted.
If the concern comes from a specific disclosure by a student, it must be reported before the close of the school day.
Certain students may be the subject of discussion at team meetings. If the consensus of the team is that there is evidence that some of a child’s learning or behavioral issues may be due to some form of abuse, then a Record of Concern should be completed and submitted to the Principal responsible for that student at the conclusion of the meeting.
Hierarchy of Reporting
Under normal circumstances, a Record of Concern should be notified to the direct DSO from the same division as the student about whom there is a concern. The DSO is responsible to communicate the concern to the Head of School at an appropriate time. Under certain circumstances, however, the report must be made to a person with the appropriate level of authority as follows:
If the Concern involves a member of the faculty or host country staff, the Report of Concern should be made to the Head of School since this may become a disciplinary matter. Unless it is absolutely necessary to reveal the identity of the person making a report about another member of staff, the identity of the reporting individual will remain confidential.
If the Concern involves a visiting student (Community Sports or Service programs etc.), then the Report of Concern should go immediately to the Head of School.
If the Concern involves a contractor, then the Report of Concern must be made to the Head of School.
If the Concern involves the Head of School then the report should be made to the Executive Director of the school.
Handling a Disclosure
Any adult to whom a student makes a disclosure must:
Listen carefully to what is said.
Avoid interrupting or prompting. Let the child tell the story in his/her own words.
Use TED questions:
TELL me what happened
EXPLAIN what happened
DESCRIBE what happened
Reassure the child that they are right to speak up. Be calm, attentive, non-judgmental – don’t show any emotion other than sympathy.
Confidentiality – Make it clear that this cannot be kept a secret and that you have a duty to report it to a Principal or Counsellor who is properly trained to help students in this situation.
Question the child only if necessary to clarify something that is unclear such as when and where. Do not ask leading questions.
Action – Contact the child’s Counselor and complete a Report of Concern form (ROC) before you leave school that day.
Write it down – Use the child’s words as far as possible and record anything else that concerned you.
Handling Concerns
The individual who has noticed the concern or to whom the concern has been disclosed should submit a Report of Concern to the relevant DSO. The DSO may discuss the Report with other members of the Safeguarding Response Team to see if there is reasonable cause to be concerned. If there appears to be reasonable cause to be concerned, relevant members the Safeguarding Response Team, usually led by the Counsellor who normally works with the student, will undertake an initial assessment to establish whether the student is in need of support.
In order to make an initial assessment, it may be necessary to collect additional information:
If there is missing information (date, time, location etc.), go back to the original reporter and see if he/she has anything more to add to their report.
If the incident happened on campus, review any CCTV footage and make sure that any relevant footage is stored separately in a safe location since CCTV data is only stored for 30 days. (Head of School will assist with this).
If there are possible signs of physical abuse, a physical exam should be made. A medical record of the examination should be kept by the Nurse’s Office.
If there were other witnesses to an incident, these witnesses should also be asked to make written statements.
Obtain the student’s attendance records and academic records to see whether there are changes in patterns, if appropriate.
Search the database to see if there have been any other Reports of Concern made about the possible victim, his/her family, or the alleged perpetrator.
Talk with teachers who interact with the student on a regular basis.
If the incident suggests that a member of staff, coach or contractor is involved, the Head of School should be alerted. Any disciplinary matters relating to a breach in the Code of Conduct will be dealt with by the Senior Leadership Team.
Based on the data collected, the Safeguarding Response Team will make an assessment as to the level of risk to the child’s well-being and agree on a strategy for working with the student and family. Most cases will be “low level” in terms of providing early intervention and giving a student and/or family counselling support.
If the child appears to be “at risk” i.e having suffered significant abuse that threatens his/her long-term well-being (i.e. a situation that cannot be resolved by parental / student education or intervention), then the Principal and Head of School must be informed of this fact.
It may be necessary to bring in outside agencies such as:
External investigator if there is a possible criminal act.
The Employer or Embassy if the alleged offender is a parent of a student.
Appropriate Chinese authorities or other child protection agencies.
CISH will maintain and regularly review a database of external agencies and other resources that can be called upon to provide additional resources and/or assistance where necessary. Such agencies may include SACAC, Child-Safe, and the Jane Group as well as individual therapists and counselors. CISH will ensure that such agencies are able to provide support and are fully briefed annually, in case they need to be called upon. This will be the responsibility of the Safeguarding Response Team.
The decision to involve outside agencies will be taken by the Head of School in consultation with the Safeguarding Response Team and others as appropriate.
Depending on the nature of the incident, the Crisis Management Protocol will be initiated.
The school will also endeavor to ensure that those staff involved with a case of child abuse receive appropriate counseling and support themselves so that they are able to maintain a highly professional standard of care without undue personal stress.
Record Keeping
Record keeping is essential to the gathering of information, and detailed notes must be kept of all meetings relating to a Child Protection issue. Records will be stored in Microsoft Forms using the Child Protection Tracking Form.
At the end of each academic year, the Safeguarding Response Team will meet and ensure that all cases have been followed up on.
Feedback
Each person who reports a concern should expect to receive feedback from the Designated Safeguarding Officer to whom they reported the concern, that the concern has been dealt with, although specific details as to the outcome will not necessarily be shared. If there is no feedback, and there is on-going cause for concern, then the reporter should follow-up to make sure that action is being taken.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is an issue which needs to be discussed and fully understood by all those working with students, particularly in the context of child safeguarding. The only purpose of confidentiality in this respect is to benefit the student. A member of staff must never guarantee confidentiality to a student nor should they agree with a student to keep a secret, as where there is a child safeguarding concern this must be reported to a member of the Safeguarding Response Team and may require further investigation in line with school procedure. Other staff will be informed of relevant information with respect to individual cases regarding child safeguarding on a “need to know” basis only. Any information shared with a member of staff in this way must be held confidentially to themselves.
In cases where a Report of Concern involves the disclosure of a Breach in the Code of Conduct observed by a colleague, reports must be made direct to the Head of School and confidentiality as to the source of the report will be preserved as far as feasible.
Partnering with Parents
All parents are required to commit to CISH’s Child Wellness Covenant in Annex 7 on admission to CISH. In particular, parents are required to inform the school if they are going to be absent from town and who will be the designated caregiver in their absence. Other information and training sessions will be provided periodically.
Use of CISH Facilities by Community Groups
CISH will endeavor to ensure that all Community groups who use our facilities outside of normal school hours understand CISH’s Child Protection Policies and Procedures. Coaches and other adults who interact regularly with CISH students must sign the Code of Conduct acknowledgement indicating that they have received and read a copy of the Child Protection Policy.
Communications
Posters will be used to provide a summary of key aspects of CISH’s Child Protection procedures for both adults and children and will be prominently displayed in classrooms and offices. The Child Protection Handbook will be available on the CISH_DL_ALL STAFF Teams Safeguarding folder.
Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the CISH Safeguarding Response Team.
Last review date: April 2025.