Safeguarding Policy
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Safeguarding

POLICY

This policy recognizes the right of every member of our school community to feel safe at all times. Our school is responsible, with parents and guardians, for protecting the physical and emotional welfare of every child.

1. Definitions

  • Under the Singapore Children and Young Persons Act (amended 2001), a child is below the age of 14 years, and a young person is aged 14 - 16 years. However, this OFS policy applies to all students in our care, regardless of age.
  • This policy is in place to safeguard our students from physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse and neglect.
    • Physical: physical injury by non-accidental means e.g. forceful shaking, slapping, excessive physical punishment
    • Sexual: exploitation or any sexual activity between an adult and a child, including exposure to sexual acts or pornography
    • Emotional/Psychological: significant impairment of social, emotional, cognitive and intellectual development through behaviors such as persistent hostility, ignoring, blaming and rejection
    • Neglect: the denial of basic needs such as adult supervision, medical care, food, clothing and shelter

2. Safeguarding Roles

  • OFS has a flowchart of responsibility including all management, staff, parent volunteers, contractors and visitors. Flowchart
  • OFS has designated the Head of School and School Principals to ensure all aspects of this policy are enacted. The responsibilities of these lead safeguarding personnel are documented. Safeguarding Responsibilities
  • Students under guardianship will be monitored and supported by designated personnel reporting to the Head of School and General Manager. (OFS Guardian Form - refer to OFS Registration Office)

3. Supporting Students

  • Every adult who learns of safeguarding issues, through disclosure by a student or through observation, must treat the matter seriously and follow the reporting and recording process.
  • Staff are required to report any concerns relating to abuse.

4. Training and Recognition

All faculty members in contact with students will receive training in both recognizing a student who is at risk and responding to a student's disclosure of abuse or neglect. (Training: Faculty Response to Detection/Disclosure - refer to individual schools)

5. Processes, Recording and Reporting

  • A system is in place for recording initial concerns and reporting to the Principal.

    OFS Staff Safeguarding Recording Form

  • Safeguarding Records will be maintained by the Principal both in hard copy and on Student Notes online.
  • Principals will ensure the flowchart of responsibilities is adhered to in escalating the matter to the Head of School.
  • The Head of School will inform the Singapore Child Protection and Welfare Service and liaise with their officers.

6. Safeguarding Education for Students

  • Students receive instruction in their Homebase regarding complaint procedures against either peers or adults. (Student Safeguarding Reporting Form - refer to individual schools)
  • Cyber safety is taught in Homebase and through Physical and Health Education classes and other age-appropriate course content.

7. Allegations Against an Adult in our Community

  • Safeguarding our students begins with hiring safe teaching and nonteaching staff. Principals will ensure that background checks are thorough and confidential references obtained from school-based referees. Specific attention must be paid to previous employers' responses to any cause for concern when working with children.
  • All staff are responsible for bringing to the attention of the Head of School any concern regarding a colleague or manager who is seen to be adversely affecting the welfare or safety of any student.
  • The Head of School will examine the evidence provided and act accordingly and in relation to the published OFS Teachers: Professional Conduct and provisions for dismissal in the staff contract, should that be warranted. OFS Teachers: Professional Conduct

8. Interactions with non-OFS Personnel

  • All visitors to OFS must be approved by the Principal, who will provide details to the Head of Security. The visitor must be chaperoned by an OFS staff member at all times.
  • All third party providers will sign a Code of Conduct. (External Providers' Code of Conduct - refer to General Manager)

9. Security at School

Our master policy prioritizes safety at school. A range of procedures are well established to ensure the physical safety of all our community including:

  • Security and Traffic control team under the supervision of an OFS Director
  • CCTV monitoring of key areas especially perimeter fences and lift lobbies
  • A well-equipped Nurses' station with three fulltime trained nurses
  • Staff training in the use of AED equipment
  • Regular CPR and lifesaving training for all PE and Elementary School staff
  • Twice yearly evacuation drills and reviews of efficiency and effectiveness

10. Security Off-Site

All trips off campus such as clubs, service, sports, competitions and subject related field trips must follow established procedures to ensure the safety of all those attending. Procedures for trips are detailed in Faculty Handbooks and must be adhered to by all staff, in compliance with

  • staff ratio and gender balance
  • risk assessment
  • parental permission
  • participants' medical information and first aid supplies
  • no unauthorized change to approved destination(s) (Faculty Handbooks/Fieldtrips online requisition)

Safeguarding Responsibilities

  1. All teaching and non-teaching staff are responsible for students' safety. Staff are required to attend annual training and refresher sessions in safeguarding procedures, in order to
    • recognize emerging problems
    • respond reassuringly to disclosure
    • understand the flowchart of responsibilities in their school
    • report to the appropriate person
  2. Staff will use the Safeguarding Recording Form to document concerns and pass this directly and promptly to the designated school administrator.
  3. The initial Safeguarding Recording Form is not an investigation by the staff member. It documents observations and information from empathetic listening to the child.
  4. The Principal is responsible for documenting all subsequent actions within his/her school.
  5. The Principal will keep the Head of School informed of the immediate concern and proposed response.
  6. The Principal will review the information with a selected team of senior administrators and decide upon the approaches best suited to the child, their family and culture.
  7. The Head of School will be informed of the outcomes and will escalate the matter to relevant authorities, as required.

OFS Teachers: Professional Conduct In Person and Online

All staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and responsible manner, in their personal, work and online presence.

A. Teacher - Student

Teachers are expected to maintain a professional relationship with students at all times, including when building vital rapport with students. Every teacher must:

  • avoid the use of materials or language that may be offensive or biased
  • take responsibility for maintaining teacher-student boundaries
  • ensure the teacher-student relationship does not move to a personal level, e.g. revealing personal problems to the student or inviting them to social events (either in person or online)
  • never attempt to establish an inappropriate relationship with a student
  • never share personal contact details;  use only school approved platforms: Zoom for teleconferencing, OFS email and Learning Portal
  • one-to-one online/phone teaching or counselling sessions may be arranged, with the knowledge of a parent; formally schedule any individual online/phone session via OFS email and copy a parent and an administrator
  • if recording any audio or video conference, all participants must be informed beforehand that they are being recorded

Reporting

When a teacher has concerns about a student's academic progress, they should email the parents with their concerns and seek to collaborate in support of the child. The teacher must copy a designated senior administrator in these emails. If the communication is by phone, the teacher must write a follow-up email to a senior administrator, as a record of key points discussed.

When a teacher has concerns about a student's welfare, the teacher must use OFS email to inform their school's designated administrator.

When a teacher has safeguarding concerns for a student, the teacher must use the OFS Reporting Form (available online and in staff lounges) to inform their school's designated administrator.

All staff are responsible for bringing to the attention of the Head of School any concern regarding a colleague or administrator who is seen to be adversely affecting the welfare or safety of any student.

B. Teacher - Colleague - Administrator

  • All staff are expected to maintain a professional working relationship with colleagues and administrators at all times.
  • In person and online communications must remain courteous and constructive.
  • Online communications/social media profiles must be managed carefully in order to maintain the confidence and respect of the school community.
  • If recording any audio or video conference, all participants must be informed beforehand that they are being recorded.
  • Work-related matters should be conducted via OFS email, wherever possible, to protect the sender and recipient(s).
  • Use of other platforms for work-related matters should be limited to matters requiring rapid or urgent response and confined to working hours, out of respect for others' privacy and work-life balance. Timing may be more flexible between Administrators and SALs/Team Leaders, when required.

Reporting

A staff member may raise a concern about inappropriate behaviour, language, harassment or bullying by a colleague by contacting the Principal. If the concern is against an administrator, the staff member may contact the Head of School.

C. Teacher - Parent

A staff member who is also an OFS parent must avoid any conflict of interests, by maintaining professional conduct and confidentiality in all exchanges with other parents.

All staff members must maintain professional conduct and ensure that all school, staff and student matters remain confidential when in contact with parents. This includes contact through OFS email, phone, online or in a social situation.

Forms

OFS Staff Safeguarding Recording Form
Word Doc (941 KB)
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