Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

Rahma Academy is an out-of-school setting providing supplementary Islamic studies to children. The welfare of every child is our paramount concern. This policy follows the Department for Education guidance After-school clubs, community activities and tuition: safeguarding guidance for providers, and has regard to Working Together to Safeguard Children and Keeping Children Safe in Education.

This policy applies to all teachers, volunteers, trustees and anyone else working at or on behalf of the maktab. It is reviewed annually and after any significant incident.

Our commitments

• We treat the welfare of the child as the highest priority in every decision we make.
• All staff and volunteers are recruited safely and hold an appropriate enhanced DBS check.
• All staff and volunteers complete safeguarding training before working with children, refreshed at least every two years.
• Children are listened to, taken seriously, and told how to raise a worry.
• We share information with children’s social care and the police where a child may be at risk of harm.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Abid (Abdur Rahman Abid)
Deputy DSL: [TO CONFIRM]
Contact: 07943 821496

The DSL holds lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, is trained to the appropriate level, and is available whenever children are on site. The DSL is responsible for making referrals, keeping records, liaising with Walsall children’s social care, and ensuring all staff know the procedures.

Reporting a concern

1. Any adult who is worried about a child reports it to the DSL the same day — no exceptions and no delay.
2. The concern is recorded in writing on our safeguarding concern form, using the child’s own words where possible, with date, time and the name of the person recording it.
3. The DSL decides on the action: monitor and support, refer to early help, or refer to children’s social care.
4. Where a child is at risk of significant harm, the DSL contacts Walsall MASH on 0300 555 2866. If a child is in immediate danger we call 999 first.
5. Records are kept securely, separately from general records, and retained in line with our privacy notice.

Staff must never assume that someone else will raise the concern, and must never investigate or interview the child themselves.

If a child discloses abuse or harm

• Listen calmly and give the child your full attention. Do not stop a child who is freely recalling events.
• Do not ask leading questions; use open prompts such as “tell me”, “explain”, “describe”.
• Never promise confidentiality. Explain that you must tell someone whose job it is to keep them safe.
• Reassure the child that they were right to tell you.
• Record what was said as soon as possible afterwards and pass it to the DSL immediately.

Types of abuse we are alert to

• Physical abuse — hitting, shaking, burning, or otherwise causing physical harm.
• Emotional abuse — persistent ill-treatment causing severe adverse effects on emotional development.
• Sexual abuse — including online sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Neglect — persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or psychological needs.

Specific safeguarding issues

Staff are made aware of, and alert to, the signs of:

• Child-on-child abuse, including bullying, sexual harassment and initiation rituals — see our Behaviour Policy.
• Child sexual and criminal exploitation, including county lines.
• Domestic abuse in the home.
• So-called honour-based abuse, forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM). Staff know that teachers have a personal duty to report known cases of FGM in under-18s to the police.
• Radicalisation and extremism — see our Prevent Policy.
• Online harm — see our Online Safety Policy.
• Mental health and self-harm. We recognise mental health concerns can be an indicator of abuse, and we support without attempting to diagnose.
• Children with special educational needs and disabilities, who may face additional barriers to being recognised as at risk — see our SEND & Inclusion Policy.

Physical intervention and safe practice

Corporal punishment is never used at Rahma Academy under any circumstances. Physical intervention is only ever used to prevent immediate harm to a child or others, is the minimum necessary, and is recorded and reported to the DSL and parents the same day.

Working alone with children

We avoid staff working one-to-one with a child out of sight of others. Where one-to-one work is necessary, it takes place in a room with a clear window or open door, another adult is aware, and the arrangement is risk-assessed and recorded.

Allegations against staff or volunteers

Any allegation that an adult has harmed a child, or may pose a risk to children, is reported immediately to the maktab leadership, who contact the Walsall Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) within one working day. The adult concerned does not work with children while the matter is being considered. Where a person is removed from work with children because they posed a risk of harm, a referral is made to the Disclosure and Barring Service. Low-level concerns about adult conduct are also recorded and reviewed for patterns — see our Staff Behaviour & Code of Conduct.

Information sharing and confidentiality

Safeguarding information is shared on a strict need-to-know basis. Data protection law is never a barrier to sharing information to keep a child safe. Records are stored securely and access is restricted to the DSL and leadership.

Concerns about our safeguarding practice

Anyone can raise a concern with us directly, through our Complaints Policy, or with Walsall MASH on 0300 555 2866. Staff may also use our Whistleblowing Policy. You do not need our permission to contact the local authority or the police.