Please see below ALWA Play Scheme's Policies
ABUNDANT LIVING WITH AUTISM (ALWA) PLAY SCHEME
SAFEGUARDING POLICY
The Abundant Living With Autism (ALWA) Play Scheme is committed to building a ‘culture of safety’ in which the children who attend the play scheme are protected from abuse, harm and radicalisation.
The ALWA Play Scheme will respond promptly and appropriately to all incidents or concerns regarding the safety of a child that may occur. The Play scheme’s child protection procedures comply with all relevant legislation and with guidance written in line with National guidance, Regional guidance, (all London Child Protection procedures) and the Enfield Safeguarding Children’s Partnership (ESCP) procedures and Protocols www.new.enfield.gov.uk/safeguardingenfield/
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, supports practitioners with safeguarding concerns and liaises with external agencies (eg MASH and Ofsted).
The Play Scheme’s DSL is Play Scheme Manager Miss Tiuidane Richards.
The ALWA Play Scheme has detailed procedures for suitability checking for new recruits. These procedures are detailed in our Safe Recruitment policy and all staff responsible for recruitment ensure safe and robust recruitment practice is followed at all times.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:
- Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
- Protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
- Preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health and development
- Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Child abuse, neglect and exploitation
Child abuse, neglect and exploitation is any form of physical, emotional or sexual mistreatment or lack of care that leads to injury or harm. An individual may abuse, neglect or exploit a child directly, or by failing to protect them from harm. Some forms of child abuse, neglect and exploitation 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 be also 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.
· Domestic Abuse: Psychological, physical, sexual, financial, and emotional.
Signs of child abuse, neglect and exploitation
Signs of possible abuse, neglect and exploitation 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 or be living with 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 Play Scheme is obliged to and the incident will be logged accordingly.
All staff recognise that children may not verbally be able to, feel ready, and know how to tell someone that they are being abused, exploited or neglected and/or they may not recognise their experiences as harmful. This could be due to their vulnerability, disability or language barriers. They may also feel embarrassed, humiliated or are being threatened. Our staff recognise this and where they have any concerns about a child they will raise these with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) without unreasonable delay.
Female genital mutilation (FGM)
FGM is an illegal, extremely harmful practice and a form of child abuse and violence against women and girls. FGM 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 and will make a report to Children’s Social Care directly and in line with existing safeguarding procedures and in line with our mandatory reporting duty. We will make a report to the police by calling 101, the single non-emergency number, if it has been disclosed that either:
• a girl under 18 that an act of FGM has been carried out on her; or
• observe physical signs which appear to show that an act of FGM has been carried out on a girl under 18 and they have no reason to believe that the act was necessary for the girl’s physical or mental health or for purposes connected with labour or birth. We will use guidance on this from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/multi-agency-statutory-guidance-on-female-genital-mutilation
Child-on-Child abuse
Children are vulnerable to abuse by their peers. Child-on-Child 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 technology and the internet 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 child-on-child abuse is suspected or disclosed
We will follow the same procedures as set out above for responding to child abuse.
Extremism and radicalisation
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.
At the ALWA Play scheme, all staff are aware that abuse, neglect, exploitation and safeguarding issues are rarely standalone issues and events. In most cases multiple issues will overlap. Staff recognise that children might be at risk of harm inside and outside of their time in our club/setting, inside and outside of their home and whilst online. Our team exercise professional curiosity to help identify early signs of abuse, neglect and exploitation and act early in cases where children might need our help or protection.
All staff at the ALWA Play Scheme are aware of the indicators of abuse, neglect and understand that children can be at risk of harm inside and outside of the school/college, inside and outside of home, and online.
Staff exercising professional curiosity and knowing what to look for is vital for the early identification of abuse and neglect so that staff are able to identify cases of children who may be in need of help or protection.
All staff, but especially the designated safeguarding lead (and deputies) should consider whether children are at risk of abuse or exploitation in situations outside their families. Extra familial harms take a variety of different forms and children can be vulnerable to multiple harms including (but not limited to) sexual abuse (including harassment and exploitation), domestic abuse in their own intimate relationships (teenage relationship abuse), criminal exploitation, serious youth violence, county lines and radicalisation.
All staff at the ALWA Play Scheme are aware that technology is a significant component in many safeguarding and wellbeing issues. Children are at risk of abuse and other risks online as well as face to face. In many cases abuse and other risks will take place concurrently both online and offline. Children can also abuse other children online, this can take the form of abusive, harassing, and misogynistic/misandrist messages, the non-consensual sharing of indecent images, especially around chat groups, and the sharing of abusive images and pornography to those who do not want to receive such content. In all cases, if staff are unsure, they always speak to the designated safeguarding lead or a deputy.
Logging a concern
All information about the suspected abuse, disclosure or concern, 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 play scheme’s DSL who will decide on the appropriate course of action.
For concerns about child abuse, the DSL will contact MASH immediately in line with the local reporting procedures. The DSL will follow up all referrals to MASH in writing within 48 hours.
If a member of staff thinks that the incident has not been dealt with properly, they may contact MASH directly.
For minor concerns regarding radicalisation, the DSL will contact Enfield Safeguarding Partnership (comprised of Enfield Council, NHS Enfield and Met Police) Tel: 0208 379 2767/ website: www.enfield.gov.uk/safeguardingenfield
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 form. 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) immediately and to Ofsted. The LADO will advise if other agencies (eg police) should be informed, and the Play Scheme 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 full investigation of the allegation.
· If appropriate, the Play Scheme will make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Promoting awareness among staff
The Play Scheme 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
· DSL receives Level 3 training every 2 years, with regular updates throughout this period
· all staff receive safeguarding training meeting the requirements of EYFS Annex C, which is refreshed at a maximum of 2 year intervals.
· refresher training will be offered to all staff in through accredited providers via online courses and or through local authority training where available to help maintain basic skills. Staff are supported to implement learning through team meetings/trainings and discussions.
· procedures to ensure only suitable individuals are recruited, including obtaining references before employment commences, conducting identity and qualification checks, and recording all vetting information as part of safer recruitment processes are understood and followed by all responsible for recruitment, in line with our Safe Recruitment Policy
· all staff have a copy of this Safeguarding Policy, confirm their understanding of its contents and are vigilant to signs of abuse, neglect or radicalisation
· all staff are aware of how to respond in a timely way at the earliest opportunity
· all staff are aware of their statutory duties with regard to the disclosure or discovery of child abuse, and concerns about radicalisation
· safeguarding is a permanent agenda item at all staff meetings ensuring the whole team communicates well and are kept up to date
· all staff receive basic training in the Prevent Duty
· staff are supported to understand how to keep themselves safe and how to blow the whistle should they be concerned about another adults behaviour or practise
· staff are familiar with the Safeguarding File which is kept in Policies Folder each day of Play Scheme
· the Play Scheme’s procedures are in line with the guidance in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)’ and staff have read and are familiar with ‘What To Do If You’re Worried A Child Is Being Abused (2015)’.
· The DSL will provide support, advice and guidance to all practitioners on an ongoing basis, and on any specific safeguarding issue as required.
Use of mobile phones and cameras
Photographs will only be taken of children with their parents’ permission. Only the play scheme camera phone will be used to take photographs of children at the Play Scheme, except with the express permission of the manager. Neither staff nor children nor visitors may use their mobile phones or wearable technology such as smart watches to take photographs at the Play scheme.
Contact numbers
Enfield Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH): 0208 379 5555
Emergency Duty Team (MASH after hours) : 2028 379 1000
LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer): Bruno Capela: 0208 379 2746
Enfield Safeguarding Partnership (comprised of Enfield Council, NHS Enfield and Met Police) Tel: 0208 379 2767/ website: www.enfield.gov.uk/safeguardingenfield
If Unavailable: Duty Independent Reviewing Officer: 0208 379 2850
Enfield Prevent Contact details: prevent@enfield.gov.uk
Police: 101 (non-emergency) or 999 (emergency)
Anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789 321
NSPCC: 0808 800 500
Ofsted: 0300 123 1231
This policy was adopted by: Abundant Living With Autism Play Scheme
Date: July 2025
To be reviewed: July 2028
Signed: Miss Tiuidane Richards
Written in accordance with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2025): Safeguarding and Welfare requirements: Safeguarding policies and procedures [3.4-3.6] and Suitable People [3.13-3.19] Safeguarding training [3.30- 3.32].
Abundant Living With Autism (ALWA) Play Scheme
Intimate Care Policy
When providing intimate care we will ensure that the child’s safety, dignity and privacy are maintained at all times. ‘Intimate care’ covers any task that involves the washing, touching or carrying out a procedure to intimate personal areas and is associated with bodily functions and personal hygiene, including, toileting, washing, dressing, and menstrual care.
Staff at the ALWA Play scheme who provide intimate care will do so in a professional manner. Staff are aware of safeguarding issues and will have relevant training (eg: health and safety, child protection, manual handling) before providing intimate care. No child should suffer distress or pain as a result of receiving intimate care. Staff will work in partnership with parents or carers to provide care appropriate to the needs of the individual child and together will produce a care plan. The care plan will set out:
· What care is required
· Number of staff needed to carry out the task (if more than one person is required, reasons will be documented)
· Additional equipment required
· Child’s preferred means of communication (eg verbal, visual)
· Child’s level of ability – what tasks they are able to carry out by themselves
Best practice
When intimate care is given, the member of staff will explain to the child (where appropriate) each task that is carried out, and the reasons for it. Staff will encourage children to do as much for themselves as they can.
If a child requires intimate care on a regular basis, it is good practice for two members of staff to share the care between them. In this way the child is less likely to become overly dependent on a single member of staff, and to become distressed if their usual carer is occasionally unavailable. However, parents’ views on the number of staff providing personal care to their child must also be taken into consideration - some children may simply be unable to cope with more than one carer.
We have policies in place that promote safe recruitment, as well as having sound staff supervision, safeguarding and intimate care procedures; together these ensure that, should a child need consistent care from one member of staff, the child’s safety and wellbeing will not be compromised.
Protecting children
Staff are familiar with guidance from the Local Safeguarding Partnership (formerly the LSCB)The Play scheme’s procedures reflect the guidance in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) and staff are familiar with the What To Do If You’re Worried A Child Is Being Abused (2015) flowchart from this guidance.
If a member of staff is concerned about any physical changes to a child, such as marks, bruises, soreness etc, they will inform the manager or the Play Scheme’s designated child protection officer immediately. The procedures set out in the Safeguarding Children policy will be implemented. Should a child become unhappy about being cared for by a particular member of staff, the
manager will investigate and record any findings. These will be discussed with the child’s parents or carers in order to resolve the issue. If necessary, the manager will seek advice from outside agencies.
If a child makes an allegation against a member of staff, the procedure set out in the Safeguarding Children policy will be followed.
Dealing with blood and body fluids
Blood, vomit, urine and faeces will be cleaned up immediately and disposed of safely by double bagging the waste and removing it from the premises. When they are dealing with body fluids, staff will wear personal protective clothing (disposable plastic gloves and aprons) and will wash themselves thoroughly afterwards.
Soiled children’s clothing will be bagged to go home – staff will not rinse it. Children will be kept away from the affected area until the incident has been dealt with fully.
Staff at the ALWA Play Scheme will maintain high standards of personal hygiene, and will take all practicable steps to prevent and control the spread of infection.
This policy was adopted by: Abundant Living With Autism Play Scheme
Date: July 2025
To be reviewed: July 2028
Signed: Tiuidane Richards
Written in accordance with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2025):
Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements: Concerns about children’s safety and welfare [3.9] and Toilets and intimate hygiene [3.86]
Abundant Living With Autism (ALWA) Play Scheme
Health and Safety Policy
The Abundant Living With Autism Play Scheme (ALWA) 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 Play Scheme has appropriate insurance cover, including employer’s liability insurance and public liability insurance.
Each member of staff follows the Play Scheme’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 Play Scheme
· 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, Miss Tiuidane Richards holds ultimate responsibility and liability for the safe operation of the Play Scheme. 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 Play Scheme’s health and safety responsibilities including evacuation, fire detection and control and suitable resourcing.
· 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 Play Scheme’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 Play Scheme during opening hours
· All the Play Scheme’s equipment is safely and securely stored
· Children are only allowed in the kitchen (food technology room) if properly supervised (eg for a cooking activity)
· A working ALWA Mobile telephone is available and charged 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
Security
Children are not allowed to leave the Play Scheme premises during the session.
During Play Scheme sessions all external doors are kept locked, with the exception of fire doors which are alarmed. Staff monitor the entrances and exits to the premises throughout the session.
All visitors to the Play Scheme 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 ALWA Play Scheme 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.
· Play Scheme Manager is 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. A minimum of two members of staff are on duty at any time.
Related policies
See also our related policies: Illness and Accidents, Emergency Evacuation, Healthy Eating, Safeguarding, Administering Medication, Risk Assessment, Manual Handling, Fire Safety, and Intimate Care, Visitor.
This policy was adopted by: Abundant Living With Autism Play Scheme
Date: July 2025
To be reviewed: July 2028
Signed: Tiuidane Richards
Written in accordance with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2025): Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements: Safety and suitability of premises, environment and equipment [3.77 – 3.86]
Abundant Living With Autism Play Scheme
Behaviour Management Policy
The ALWA Play scheme uses effective behaviour management strategies to promote the welfare and enjoyment of children attending the play scheme. Working in partnership with parents, we aim to manage behaviour using clear, consistent and positive strategies.
Whilst at ALWA Play Scheme we expect children to:
· Respect one another, accepting differences of race, gender, ability, age and religion
· Develop their independence
· Choose and participate in a variety of activities on offer to them
· Enjoy their time at the play scheme
Encouraging positive behaviour
At the ALWA Play scheme positive behaviour is encouraged by:
· Staff acting as positive role models
· Praising appropriate behaviour
· Sticker rewards (where applicable)
· Informing parents about individual achievements
· Offering a variety of play opportunities to meet the needs of children attending the play scheme.
It is inevitable that as children develop and learn, there are times when they may need support and guidance to understand certain behaviours. Staff at ALWA will try to determine the cause or triggers of the behaviour if not known or specified by parent/carer to prevent the situation from recurring.
Dealing with challenging behaviour
· Before all children attend the ALWA Play Scheme, parents will have previously informed us * of any challenging behaviour or triggers their child may have and the strategies used to help prevent or manage that behaviour. (*on the Child Application Form)
· Challenging behaviour will be addressed in a calm, firm and positive manner with child.
· Staff will encourage and facilitate mediation between children to try to resolve conflicts through discussion and negotiation (where applicable).
· If the behaviour appears to be as a result of boredom, staff will find activities that will more fully engage them.
· Staff will consult with parents to formulate clear strategies for dealing with the behaviour should it persist or increase in occurrence or duration.
· We will never 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 challenging behaviour, the play scheme may need to discuss with parents what the next best course for action is. If possible another provision could be offered if deemed necessary.
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. This will only be done by staff who have been specifically trained in how to do this appropriately and safely.
If a member of staff must physically restrain a child, Play Scheme manager (Tee Richards) 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.
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment or the threat of corporal punishment will never be used at the ALWA Play scheme.
We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that no child who attends our play scheme receives corporal punishment from any person who cares for or is in regular contact with the child, or from any other person on our premises.
This policy was adopted by: Abundant Living With Autism Play Scheme
Date: July 2025
To be reviewed: July 2028
Signed: Tiuidane Richards
