Definitions:

1. CHILD for the purposes of this document - A‘child’ is defined as anyone under the age of 18, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
2. CHILD ABUSE according to the World Health Organisation – ‘Child abuse’ or ‘maltreatment’ constitutes ‘all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, 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.’
3. CHILD PROTECTION - Abroad term to describe philosophies, policies, standards, guidelines and procedures to protect children from both intentional and unintentional harm. In the current context, it applies particularly to the duty of organisationsand individuals associated with those organisations towards children in their care.
4. DIRECT CONTACT WITH CHILDREN - Being in the physical presence of a child or children in the context of the organisation’s work, whether contact is occasional or regular, short or long term.
5. INDIRECT CONTACT WITH CHILDREN -Having access to information on children in the context of the organisation’s work, such as children’s names, locations (addresses of individuals or projects), photographs and case studies.

Responsibilities of Staff: Aspee Nutan Academy Group of Schools expects all adults who work with children to have a responsibility to safeguard and promote their welfare. The public, employers, parents have the right to expect professionals who work with children to behave in a certain standard, and to always maintain and protect children.

Aspee Nutan Academy School requires staff to:

1. Always act and to be seen to act in best interest of the child.
2. Avoid any conduct which would lead to any person to question their conduct, motivation and intentions.

The Principal of each school of Aspee Nutan Academy School, holds the responsibility for child protection. He / She is referred to as the designated person for child protection or the child protection coordinator.

Safe Recruitment of staff: Aspee Nutan Academy School recognizes that the single most effective time at which an organisation can minimize the possibility of abuse to children in its care, is the appointment of new staff. Aspee Nutan Academy School ensures that all staff working with children, coming in direct or indirect contact with children, paid, contractual and voluntary, have been appropriately vetted and screened.

Staff Awareness: Aspee Nutan Academy School recognizes that it is critical for each employee to be aware of school’s policy on Child Abuse, Child Protection and the POCSO act.

1. All staff including the new recruits attend a session that requires them to read and understand specific material and information about child abuse and protection policy. This session is conducted in the first week of June or in the first week after the academic year begins.
2. The child abuse and protection policy has been translated in Hindi and the Principal designates a teacher from the Hindi department to explain the policies to the Class IV employees, bus drivers, conductors and lady attendants. This session is conducted in the first week of June or in the first week after the academic year begins.
3. The Child Protection Policy is a part of Teachers Manual for easy reference. Reference to the policies is made on a regular basis in staff meetings and training sessions, so that staff remains familiar with and up-to-date with the policy statements and procedures.
4. At the end of the session, staff is expected to respond to children affected by child abuse and family violence.
5. Aspee Nutan Academy School will ensure that such knowledge is kept up-to-date and relevant

Educating Children: Aspee Nutan Academy School recognizes that it is critical for each employee to be aware of school’s policy on Child Abuse, Child Protection and the POCSO act.

1. Aspee Nutan Academy School recognizes that it’s very important for the children to be educated about prevention of abuse through life skill programme.
2. This programme starts from Kindergarten and continues till Grade X.It is delivered by experts and counselors.
3. The Life skill programme is aimed at improving self-esteem and interpersonal skills.
4. The school informs parents and encourages the participation of parents in such training programmes.

 

Role of counselors: Aspee Nutan Academy School recognizes that it is critical for each employee to be aware of school’s policy on Child Abuse, Child Protection and the POCSO act.

1. Aspee Nutan Academy School understands the important role played by counselors in schools.
2. The counselors of Children’s Academy help to facilitate the training of staff in identifying abuse as well as helps in educating children of various age groups through training programmes of Life skill development.
3. Counselors of Children’s Academy Group of Schools are instrumental in early detection of abuse as well as counseling children, post detection of abuse.

 

Safe working practices:Aspee Nutan Academy School believes that as far as possible, staff working with children and families should keep their personal and professional lives separate, and does not encourage close personal relationships outside the work environment.

1. All members of staff, whether paid, voluntary or contractual, are expected to follow guidelines that clarify appropriate behavior. Children’s Academy Group of Schoolswill review these regularly with staff to ensure that the guidelines meet the needs arising from ever-changing environments and situations.
2. All staff members are to have a clear understanding of, and to agree to Children’s Academy Group of Schools Code of Ethics. 

Confidentiality: Aspee Nutan Academy School expects its staff to maintain full confidentiality in information which they have about a child. This information may be highly sensitive and private information about the child or about the family. Care and responsibility must be taken with the sharing of the information. It is important that if a child is at risk of, or suffering abuse then that information is passed to the appropriate person to take action.

 

Dealing with allegations against Staff: Any allegation that a member of staff has behaved in an inappropriate or unsafe way is taken seriously and handled in an appropriate manner that ensures the child’s safety.

1. Aspee Nutan Academy School will respond to suspicions and allegations of child abuse by a member of staff in a manner which best ensures children’s’ or young persons’ immediate and long-term safety and will treat suspicions or allegations against a staff member with the same seriousness as suspicions or allegations made against any other person.
2. Aspee Nutan Academy School will not act alone, and will refer all suspected situations of child abuse to Police. The safety of the child will be the primary consideration, and no person in this organization will collude to protect an adult or an organization.
3. When abuse is suspected, staff will follow the process for Responding to Suspected Child Abuse included in Aspee Nutan Academy School SOP on Dealing with Disclosure of Child Abuse.

Sharing of information: Aspee Nutan Academy School recognizes that all staff members must act within the POCSO ACT 2012 and the IPC ACT. The acts have provisions within each of these acts for sharing information needed to protect children and enable other people to carry out their legitimate functions. In general, staff will not share information if they believe that by doing so this will endanger the child.

 

Transmission of images: Aspee Nutan Academy School shall ensure that;

1. Children are not exposed to unsuitable material on internet
2. The movies, films or material shown to children are age appropriate

 

One-to-One Situations:  Aspee Nutan Academy School understands that it is not realistic to expect that one-to-one situations should never take place. It recognizes that working in one-to-one situation with children may also be more vulnerable to unjust or unfounded allegations being made against them. When one-to-one situations are unavoidable, reasonable and sensible precautions are taken.If any such situation rises the employee is expected to inform the Principal or Supervisor and ensure that the meeting is not in a secluded part of the school. If it is an unscheduled meeting then the employee is expected to be aware of the policy of the school and move immediately to a public area or an area covered by the Closed Circuit Cameras.   Physical Interaction with Children:  Aspee Nutan Academy School advocate a NO –TOUCH policy. When physical contact is made with a child this should be in response to their needs at the time, of limited duration and appropriate to their age, stage of development and gender.   Sexual Contact: All staff members of Aspee Nutan Academy School clearly understand the need to maintain appropriate boundaries in their contacts with children. Intimate or sexual relationships between children and the adults who work with them will be regarded as a grave breach of trust. Allowing or encouraging a relationship to develop in a way which might lead to a sexual relationship is also unacceptable. Any sexual activity between an adult and the child or young person with whom they work will be regarded as a criminal offence and will always be a matter for disciplinary action.   Working with children off-site: There are occasions when work with children takes place outside of the normal work environment. This can be due to field trips, camps, educational tours or any number of reasons. Special care is taken to ensure that safe practices are maintained. This is a controlled document. Unauthorized access, copying and replication is prohibited. This Document must not be copied wholly or partially without the written authorisation of the C.E.O of Aspee Nutan Academy School.