SAFEGAURDING POLICY

Introduction

This policy sets out the priorities and processes for safeguarding and promoting the welfare and security of students and lists procedures to adhere to when dealing with allegations of abuse and maltreatment at Diyafah International School.

Purpose

• Set out Diyafah International School’s Safeguarding provision and policy, with regard to Federal regulations and ADEK's requirements in relation to safeguarding (ADEK – Student Protection), and the promotion of student welfare.

• Define a clear line of accountability to ensure safeguarding protocols are fully implemented, clearly defining procedures for identifying and reporting cases or suspected cases of student maltreatment.

• Ensuring that the Safeguarding and protection of students meets the vision of Sheik Zayed, with an emphasis on the rights of the child, respect, compassion and the contribution of student safety to global awareness

• Outline the security requirements for schools to ensure effective supervision and duties of security guards, visitors and departure procedures, and an established system for managing security breaches.

• Define training requirements to ensure all staff carry out duties responsibly, effectively, and appropriately to facilitate a safe environment for students to grow and learn

Policy statement

Diyafah International School believes that it is always unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse of any kind. The school recognises its responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. Diyafah International School is committed to practices that protect children and young people. This policy is set in the context of our host country, the United Arab Emirates, and is guided by federal and local regulations with the aim of fulfilling Sheik Zayed’s vision for the country, based upon Respect, Compassion and Global Understanding.

Safeguarding Context

Context 1: Federal - UAE

Diyafah International School is situated in the United Arab Emirates and is governed by Federal (UAE) and regional (Abu Dhabi). Federal Law is framed by: Federal Law No. 3 of 2016

Issued on 08/03/2016 Corresponding to 28 Jumada Al-Awwal 1437 H. ON CHILD RIGHTS (WADEEMA'S LAW)

Context 2: Local – Abu Dhabi

Diyafah International School is regulated by the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s “Private Schools Policy and Guidance Manual 2014-15”, which is currently being renewed. In particular, Policy 3: Students Protection governs local regulations.

Context 3: National Curriculum of England

Diyafah International School is a British Curriculum school delivering the National Curriculum of England. UK and, in particular, Safeguarding legislation from England, play an important part in the delivery of the education programme and frame our Safeguarding context.

Context 4: COBIS

Diyafah International School is in the process of attaining membership of the Council of British International Schools and, therefore, is required to meet the Standards set out in the COBIS Compliance and Accreditation School Handbook (2023-24 Edition, Revised July 2023). Standard 1: Safeguarding, and Standard 2: Student Welfare, are particularly important in sharping the nature of this Safeguarding Policy and our Safeguarding practices.

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is the action taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.

A child/young person is classified as any student under the age of 18 years.

Safeguarding consists of:

• protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
• preventing harm to children’s health or development
• ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.

Child Protection

Child Protection is a sub-set of Safeguarding, and is concerned with keeping students safe from abuse.

Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.

There are three main elements to Diyafah International School’s approach to Child Protection:

1. Prevention: inclusive of a positive school atmosphere, a school culture where staff refer to any concern at an early stage, effective PSHE, E- safety and pastoral support available to pupils and associated policies. Diyafah International School’s aim is to help pupils to adjust their behaviour in order to reduce risks, including the safe use of electronic equipment and access to the internet. The School regularly informs its students about associated issues through curriculum experiences and assemblies.

2. Protection: including by following agreed published procedures; by ensuring that staff are trained and supported appropriately and sensitively in associated matters; and by ensuring that the school has robust recruitment procedures.

3. Support: to pupils and staff, inclusive of provision of counselling by a trained member of staff.

Child Protection: Types of Abuse

Types of abuse include:

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is when someone hurts or harms a child or young person on purpose. It includes:

• hitting with hands or objects
• slapping and punching
• kicking
• shaking
• throwing
• poisoning
• burning and scalding
• biting and scratching
• breaking bones
• drowning.

Physical abuse is any way of intentionally causing physical harm to a child or young person. It also includes making up the symptoms of an illness or causing a child to become unwell

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is any type of abuse that involves the continual emotional mistreatment of a child. It's sometimes called psychological abuse. Emotional abuse can involve deliberately trying to scare, humiliate, isolate or ignore a child. Emotional abuse is often a part of other kinds of abuse, which means it can be difficult to spot the signs or tell the difference, though it can also happen on its own.

Emotional abuse can include:

• humiliating or constantly criticising a child
• threatening, shouting at a child or calling them names
• making the child the subject of jokes, or using sarcasm to hurt a child
• blaming and scapegoating
• making a child perform degrading acts
• not recognising a child's own individuality or trying to control their lives
• pushing a child too hard or not recognising their limitations
• exposing a child to upsetting events or situations, like domestic abuse or drug taking
• failing to promote a child's social development
• not allowing them to have friends
• persistently ignoring them
• being absent
• manipulating a child
• never saying anything kind, expressing positive feelings or congratulating a child on successes
• never showing any emotions in interactions with a child, also known as emotional neglect

Sexual Abuse

When a child or young person is sexually abused, they're forced or tricked into sexual activities. They might not understand that what's happening is abuse or that it's wrong. And they might be afraid to tell someone. Sexual abuse can happen anywhere – and it can happen in person or online.

It's never a child's fault they were sexually abused – it's important to make sure children know this.

There are two types of sexual abuse – contact and non-contact abuse. Sexual abuse can happen in person, or online.

Contact abuse is where an abuser makes physical contact with a child. This includes:

• sexual touching of any part of a child's body, whether they're clothed or not
• using a body part or object to rape or penetrate a child
• forcing a child to take part in sexual activities
• making a child undress or touch someone else.
• Contact abuse can include touching, kissing and oral sex – sexual abuse isn't just penetrative.

Non-contact abuse is where a child is abused without being touched by the abuser. This can be in person or online and includes:

• exposing or flashing
• showing pornography
• exposing a child to sexual acts
• making them masturbate
• forcing a child to make, view or share child abuse images or videos
• making, viewing or distributing child abuse images or videos
• forcing a child to take part in sexual activities or conversations online or through a smartphone

Neglect

Neglect is the ongoing failure to meet a child's basic needs and the most common form of child abuse. A child might be left hungry or dirty, or without proper clothing, shelter, supervision or health care. This can put children and young people in danger. And it can also have long term effects on their physical and mental wellbeing. Neglect can be a lot of different things, which can make it hard to spot. But broadly speaking, there are 4 types of neglect.

Physical neglect

A child's basic needs, such as food, clothing or shelter, are not met or they aren't properly supervised or kept safe.

Educational neglect

A parent doesn't ensure their child is given an education.

Emotional neglect

A child doesn't get the nurture and stimulation they need. This could be through ignoring, humiliating, intimidating or isolating them.

Medical neglect

A child isn't given proper health care. This includes dental care and refusing or ignoring medical recommendations.

Key personnel

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL):

Wendy Simpson

Assistant Safeguarding Leads (ADSL):

Joanne Bounedjar – EYFS Coordinator

Lois Conley – KS1 Coordinator

Donnacha O’Malley – Lower KS2 Coordinator

Deepika Singh – Upper KS2 Coordinator

Paul Livingstone – KS3 Coordinator

Suzan Al Sakkaf – KS5 Coordinator

Designated Safeguarding Governor:

Michelle Menezes

Roles

Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for:

• managing all concerns recorded through student or staff disclosure
• providing advice, guidance and support to staff in child protection matters;
• liaising with the Principal to inform him / her of any issue and ongoing investigations;
• organising child protection training for all school staff;
• providing the School Principal with a termly report for the governing body, detailing:
  • any changes and reviews of relevant policy and procedures;
  • training undertaken by the Designated and/or Assistant Safeguarding Lead(s), and by all staff and governors;
  • number and trends related to incidents/cases

The school, through the Designated Safeguarding Lead, shall:

• Annually monitor and review the effectiveness of the school’s Safeguarding Policy to ensure it is known, understood, and practiced appropriately by the school community.

• Ensure the safeguarding policies and procedures adopted by the school’s Governing Board (Board of Trustees) are fully implemented and observed.

• With the Principal, ensure that all staff, volunteers, and invited visitors are informed of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding procedures.

• Ensure parents have access to the school’s Safeguarding Policy and all supporting documents, through all appropriate means (e.g., the school website).

• Develop an induction and training strategy to ensure all staff and volunteers receive information on the school’s safeguarding arrangements and Code of Conduct.

• Ensure compliance with relevant processes set out in Federal Law (UAE) and local regulations (ADEK Student Protection Policy)

Assistant Designated Safeguarding Leads

The Assistant Designated Safeguarding Leads shall:

• Deputise for the DSL in the DSL’s absence
• Provide Safeguarding support and guidance for staff and students working in their designated area of responsibility
• Act as the conduit through which hard-copy Disclosures are shared with the DSL
• Act ss the reference point for parents with Safeguarding concerns

Designated Safeguarding Governor (DSG)

• The DSG shall represent the Board of Trustees in ensuring that the school’s Safeguarding responsibilities are carried out effectively
• The DSG shall meet with the DSL on a monthly basis to review operational practice

Safeguarding Register

The DSL will keep a record of students causing concern or who are deemed to be at risk. This register will be used to inform the school Principal and the DSG during regular meetings

Record keeping

Concerns and Disclosures are recorded using the school’s secure (hard copy) system for disclosures, with a secure filing system kept in the DSL’s office.

The DSL will keep accurate and up to date records of child protection concerns and ensure the security of information.

Staff training

All staff, including administration and site staff, including externally appointed staff and vendors will have the Safeguarding Policy and the Child Protection Procedure disseminated to them as part of their induction.

All teaching staff will be trained within their teams through a series of workshops, with regular safeguarding briefings throughout the year.

Key personnel will undergo updated Safeguarding & Child Protection training every year, online or face-to-face.

Monitoring of attendance

The school monitors attendance closely and contacts parents where attendance is a cause for

concern. Each case is judged on individual circumstances as there may be a reasonable

explanation for such absence. ADEK’s Policy 54 (Attendance) and 55 (Absence) direct the validity of authorised and unauthorised absences. The school’s Social Worker acts as the Attendance Officer for Diyafah International School and is responsible for monitoring attendance, contacting parents and liaising with the school’s academic team.

E-Safety & Digital Devices

Mobile phones are expressly prohibited for use by students at Diyafah International School and on school transport (to and from school). UAE Federal Law strictly prohibits the taking and sharing of images without another person’s consent (Federal Law

However, students may use tablets and computers at designated times/days, as per Diyafah International School’s “Bring Your Own Device” programme. These devices are a source of communication and learning. Every student has to complete a signed undertaking that they will not abuse access to digital resources.

Identity

All staff (academic and support), parents, carers and approved visitors are required to wear an ID on

a colour coded lanyard while on school promises. All visitors during the school day are required, on

arrival, to wear a visitor’s ID issued to them.

Visiting speakers and volunteers

Any person who is visiting the school to work directly with young people for a ‘one off’ activity (e.g. a

visiting speaker) or on an ongoing voluntary basis should wear a visitor’s ID and may not be left

unsupervised with children. All volunteers are required to undergo training which includes an

overview of safeguarding and child protection procedures at Diyafah International School. ADEK approval is required, and will be sought, for all adults in contact with students.

Safeguarding Supervision

Duty of Care and In Loco Parentis: Schools have the obligation of duty of care towards their students and are responsible for their wellbeing, safety, and protection whilst they are under the school’s supervision. The Principal accepts in loco parentis (in the position of a parent) responsibility for all students whilst under the school’s supervision.

Safeguarding Protocols

ADEK will ensure every parent understands that they are obligated to enrol their child in school between the ages of 6 and 18 (or up to Grade 12, whichever occurs first) as per Article 14 of Ministerial Decree No. 820 of 2014 on Registration Terms for Students, and that sudden unexplained withdrawal of a student from school may be reported as a maltreatment concern, as per the ADEK Student Protection Policy.

Safeguarding and the Curriculum

We will ensure that our applied (National Curriculum of England) curriculum addresses safeguarding measures by:

• Focusing on the development of students’ self-esteem and self-regulation.
• Fostering a sense of respect and civility towards people and other living things.
• Enabling the development and improvement of communication skills and expression of consent.
• Developing understanding of all aspects of risk including online behaviours and usage of social media.
• Assisting students in developing strategies for their self-protection and responses to peer pressure.
• Developing an understanding on how to best be responsible for their own and others safety.

Safeguarding  and the School’s Security System

In our local context, the school’s security system is deemed by ADEK to be a significant Safeguarding feature.

• There is a comprehensive security system to safeguard the school’s assets, data, or people against any risk of harm.
• There is a comprehensive emergency plan, in the event of an unforeseen emergency which necessitates a response

Security Guards

We will ensure that security guards:

• Are present at any given time at all entry points/gates. They shall not leave their posts unless there is someone to replace them temporarily.

• Hold Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) licenses, as per the ADEK Staff Eligibility Policy.
• Remain alert and ensure safety and security on the school premises, supported by the school’s security system, in line with the ADEK Digital Policy.
• Maintain a visitors log by recording the visitor’s name, ID, signature, telephone number, purpose of visit, time of arrival, and time of departure.
• Issue visitors access passes only upon collection of a form of photo ID from the visitor and verifying that they match the identity of the physical person.
• We will issue permanent access passes to registered visitors involved in the routine pick-up and drop-off of students i.e., parents, nannies, drivers, etc. Security guards shall verify that the access passes match the identity of the physical person and ensure that anyone whose permanent access cards have been cancelled/revoked cannot access the school with the invalid access card (they would need to sign in as would a general visitor).
• We will maintain a communication link between the security guard at the entry gate and the school reception/administration to authorize the entry of unknown persons.
• Are provided with the appropriate handover procedures to facilitate transition in the event of the school changing security providers.

Visitors Procedure

The school's Principal shall have the right to deny or allow visitors in their school with good cause. The school’s procedure for visitors shall include the following as a minimum:

• All visitors to the school shall sign in at the security gate and obtain a visitor’s access pass in exchange for a valid form of ID.
• Visitors shall display their access passes, which is to be visibly worn at all times whilst on the school premises. Visitors are not authorized to enter classrooms unless invited.
• Invited visitors shall remain under the supervision of a designated member of staff whilst on the school premises.

• Upon completion of the school visit, all visitors must sign out at the security gate and return their visitor access passes upon leaving the school premises.

Granting Access to Authorized Personnel

• We shall provide authorized personnel with access to their premises and relevant resources (e.g., school reports and records). Where required, we shall enable such personnel to monitor and interact with staff, students, and parents.
• We shall verify the identity of the personnel and ensure they have a valid purpose for their requests, prior to providing access to the school’s premises or resources.
• We shall ensure that any access granted is in line with the requirements and purpose of the personnel’s visit.
• Where access is provided to any school reports and records, the school principal shall keep a record of the personnel to whom the access is provided, the reports and records accessed by them, and the purpose for providing access. Schools shall preserve these records in line with the requirements for administrative records, in line with the ADEK Records Policy.

School Departure Procedures

There is an established school departure procedure to verify that student departures follow the parent-authorized methods for transitioning student supervision from the school to the home, such as ensuring that:

• Only parent-authorized persons are picking up students.
• For persons who are not pre-registered, parents shall inform the school in advance in writing and provide the ID of the nominated person.
• In sudden emergencies or late notice change of plans, parents shall call to inform the school of the name of the person picking up their child and the school shall log the conversation including the name of the authorized person and forward the names to the security guards and teachers/individual(s) supervising the concerned student.
• We shall check the identity of the nominated person at the gate (via presentation of a form of ID) and when handing over the student from the school’s supervision.
  • IDs are not required if the person is already a member of the school community (e.g., another parent), and the school already has their ID on record.

School Arrival and Departure Notification for Unaccompanied Cycle 3 Students

Students in Cycle 3 are authorized to arrive at and depart from school unaccompanied upon written consent by their parents.

With the development of SchoolVoice communication app, we will, by the start of the 2024/25 academic year, establish a system to record and notify parents of their arrival and departure times.

Parents are authorized to request notification of arrival and departure times for students in any grade below Cycle 3, and schools shall provide such notifications.

Safeguarding at Special Events

We shall ensure that there are increased security measures in place for safeguarding the school during special events, such as Family Fun Fair and International Day. We shall ensure that:

• Events are only open to the immediate family (parents and siblings of the student). Parents who wish to invite other guests must pre-register them with the school by providing a copy of a valid ID. Guests who are not pre-registered are required to register on arrival at the school gate and subsequently provide a copy of a valid ID.
• Signages indicating accessible areas for visitors within the school premises are clearly displayed.
• Increased security is present when larger number of visitors are expected.
• All outside service providers and their employees are pre-approved, and contracts stipulates that they have undergone security checks. Service providers shall submit their trade license and a valid work permit for each employee.

Safeguarding the Privacy of the School Community

There are measures to safeguard the privacy and identities of the school community in physical spaces (e.g., the reception area) and in digital spaces, (e.g., email lists, WhatsApp groups) as per the ADEK Digital Policy.

We will keep reception areas free of individually identifiable elements such as displaying timetables/ class schedules, or photographs and names of members of the school community.

We will avoid sharing personal details i.e., emails and mobile numbers of students, parents, or teachers without consent.

Managing Security Breaches

We are working on plans to establish systems by the start of the academic year 2024/25, for managing security breaches to prevent the occurrence of a dangerous/harmful event, including intruders from gaining unauthorized access to the school grounds or confidential information, with a view to implementing the following, minimum measures:

• establish a system to lock down the school (manually or automatically) which includes a security breach procedure and a response plan, led by the Safeguarding Lead, with appropriate reporting mechanisms in place.
• Ensure all school staff are aware of and have received training on the security breach procedure.
• In line with the ADEK Digital Policy, respond to security breaches by backing up important data from the school IT system and to activate their business continuity plan.
• Conduct school emergency planning and subsequent drills, in line with the ADEK Health and Safety Policy.
• Comply with local regulatory requirements and report any eligible security breaches to the authorities.

Training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

We shall provide the following training and CPD to staff, at a minimum:

• Safeguarding training at induction, including for all Governing Board members, staff, and volunteers. The staff training should include the following:
• Identification of signs of student maltreatment or other safeguarding issues including what to do if the staff or volunteer or someone else is worried about a student.

• Alerting staff to be vigilant to the specific requirements of students at risk of harm, including students with additional learning needs.
• Understand the importance of not disregarding certain behaviours (e.g., banter, practical jokes), which can lead to a culture of unacceptable behaviours in an unsafe environment, preventing students coming forward to report them.
• Detailing written records of events in a secure and accurate matter and respect confidentiality as per the ADEK Digital Policy.
• Taking necessary actions in emergency situations, to prevent harm and danger.
• Sharing information on a need-to-know basis only and not discuss the issue with colleagues or the parent community.
• Availing support for individual staff members who may feel distressed and in need of debriefs.
• Understanding of the school’s security system and security breach protocol.
• While training is not required for invited visitors, schools shall ensure that they have read and signed the school’s Safeguarding Policy.

Whistleblowing

Whistleblowing Mechanism:

We shall implement a whistleblowing mechanism to enable any individual to raise concerns or allegations of organizational malpractice in confidence.

For anyone who raises a concern, we shall protect their identity and ensure that they should not be made to feel ashamed for reporting the concern.

In case their identify becomes known, schools shall take measures to protect the individual from any negative repercussions such as harassment, reprisal, and stigmatization.

For anyone who has a concern raised against them, the school shall, to the best of their ability, protect their identity where possible and protect them from any negative repercussions until any investigation process is completed.

Inclusion

Inclusive Provision: Schools shall ensure that the Safeguarding Lead works closely with the Wellbeing Committee, Head of Inclusion, School Counsellor, Health & Safety Officer as well as other relevant stakeholders (e.g., teachers, parents) to promote the safeguarding and security of all students. We shall ensure that the safeguarding practices and associated policies and initiatives take into account the individual needs, communication and behaviour styles, and engagement of students with additional learning needs, in line with the ADEK Inclusion Policy.

Compliance

This policy shall be effective as of 02 January 2024

Failure to comply with this policy shall be subject to legal accountability and the penalties stipulated in accordance with the ADEK’s regulations, policies, and requirements, notwithstanding any other penalties imposed by Federal Decree Law No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law or any other relevant law. ADEK reserves the right to intervene if the school is found to be in violation of its obligations.

Appendix 1

Federal Law No. 3 of 2016

Issued on 08/03/2016 Corresponding to 28 Jumada Al-Awwal 1437 H. ON CHILD RIGHTS (WADEEMA'S LAW)

Diyafah International School: Wadeema’s Law – Key Points

1. Definitions: Outlines key terms including the State (UAE), Ministry of Social Affairs, child (anyone under 18 years), custodian, foster family, child protection specialist, child abuse, neglect, and violence against children.

2. Child Rights and Protection: Emphasizes the child's right to life, development, and protection from neglect, abuse, and exploitation.

3. Cultural and Religious Upbringing: Stresses the importance of raising the child in accordance with Islamic faith, national identity, and human brotherhood culture.

4. Best Interests of the Child: Prioritizes the child's best interests in all circumstances, including in legal and familial decisions.

5. Privacy Rights: Guarantees the child's right to privacy in accordance with public morals and legal custodian rights.

6. Fundamental Rights: Includes the right to life, security, a dignified name, birth registration, nationality, parentage, free expression, and protection from arbitrary interference and illegal conduct.

7. Family Rights: Ensures the child's right to family safety, care, and development, and the right to maintain relationships with natural parents and family.

8. Health Rights: Provides for the child's right to health services, prevention and treatment of diseases, psychological care, and protection from harmful substances.

9. Educational and Cultural Rights: Ensures the right to education, prohibits violence in educational institutions, and promotes cultural and artistic development.

10. Protection Mechanisms and Measures: Establishes child protection units and specialists, mandates reporting of threats to child's well-being, and sets forth measures for child's protection, including in cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

These points summarize the comprehensive approach of the law towards safeguarding children's rights and welfare in various aspects of their lives across the UAE.

Appendix 2 – Contacts

ADEK Child Abuse Reporting Hotline contact number: 116111

ADEK will provide answers to questions about child abuse and neglect, how to report and if a reporter wishes to make an anonymous report.

Ministry of Interior (MoI) – Child Protection Centre 02 333 3999

The Ministry will provide answers to questions about child abuse and neglect, how to report and if a reporter wishes to make an anonymous report. Ministry of Interior (MoI) – Social Support Centre 02 657 3666 For answers to questions about child abuse and neglect, how to report and accessing support for families.