Safeguarding and Social Media

Please be aware of the cautions required when using social media.  This is a rapidly growing area therefore it is important to refresh and update yourself with the precautions you need to take.

 We recognise as do you that you are in a position of trust, therefore it is vital that this position is not abused and further that you do not put yourself in a position where you can be accused of abusing that trust.   We also want to make sure that you do not put yourself in any way in a position that can be misunderstood.  We insist that you do not have any communication whatsoever with pupils on any social networking site such as Facebook, Bebo, Google+ and Myspace, snapchat, Instagram, twitter, or any other form of social media. Furthermore, there should be no personal communication with pupils outside of the normal school day that is not sanctioned in writing by the Head Teacher (this includes communication such as text messaging, mobile phone calls, face to face meetings etc.)

We try to protect our staff and our pupils as much as we can and you are probably fully aware of the above points and there is no need for action, but please keep in mind the above and our guidelines below whilst working in a school which you will have already received a copy during your registration with Mana.

Child Protection Guidelines

It is your responsibility to check with the school you are working in, what their policy is with regards to Child Protection Guidelines. If you have any concerns at all, it is essential that you raise these concerns to the Head Teacher immediately.

If a child discloses to you that he or she has been or is the subject of any form of abuse, it is critically important that you listen to the disclosure and not interview the child or ask the child to repeat the account. You must avoid asking leading questions as they may invalidate yours and the child’s evidence in any later prosecution. Finally, never examine a child. Explain what is going to happen next, and that you are going to have to inform the Head Teacher of your discussion. Do not promise a child confidentiality where an allegation of abuse has been made. The Head Teacher will take the necessary action based on what you have said and will feedback to you what action has been taken. By following the school's policy document, you minimise the risk of being accused of improper conduct towards children.

School Discipline

The Education Act 1997 authorises teachers to use physical contact in the event of an emergency. It emphasises that you must avoid doing anything that might reasonably be expected to cause injury e.g. hitting, forcing limbs, excessive holding, pushing, pulling, or restraining. You must never touch or hold a pupil in a way that might be considered indecent. In any such situation, always communicate clearly and gain support from other staff wherever possible. We have a no physical contact policy and physical contact with pupils must be avoided. Use other strategies to avoid such conflicts as excessive force can result in DFES disciplinary action or criminal charges.

You must ask about the school's discipline procedures upon arrival, which must be adhered to at all times

Please ensure that you explain to pupils what you expect of them and the consequence that will be applied if they do not abide by these rules. Be firm, fair, confident, and consistent.