SPASH Child Protection Policy:
SPASH promotes the values of respect, integrity, compassion, and responsibility and seeks to foster wellness throughout our school community. The SPASH Child Protection Policy seeks to protect the student, the family, and the SPASH community. It ensures that the right to protection and access to confidential support systems is available to all community members.
SPASH Duty of Care:
Code of Conduct:
At SPASH we put the well-being, development, and progress of children and young people first. Therefore, all staff at SPASH:
1 of 3 – Theory of Action:
2 of 3 – Child Protection Committee:
Child Protection Officer #1 (CPO1) to ensure that all of the child protection procedures are followed within the school.
Child Protection Officer #2 (CPO2) will act in the CPO1’s absence.
It is the role of the CPO to ensure that all staff employed, including temporary staff and volunteers within the school, are aware of the school’s internal procedures, to advise staff and to offer support wherever necessary.
The Child Protection Committee is convened on a bi-annual basis to:
SPASH Child Protection Committee:
CPO1 Elementary – Kimberly Marantos
CPO1 Secondary – John North, TJ Shiers
CPO2 Elementary – Alex Alvarez
CPO2 Secondary – Corey Gagne, Annie Cadwell
CPO3 – Nurse Tam
Nurse Hotline – 0964 783 166
3 of 3 – Reporting Protocol:
Reporting: Important Considerations:
Concerns or alerts may be as a result of:
– Observed student behavior (e.g. physical, emotional, change in behavior)
– Hearsay (i.e. third party disclosure)
– Disclosure (i.e. specific report made by a student directly or via a trusted adult)
– Observed adult behavior (e.g. breach of Code of Conduct)
Any adult to whom a student makes a disclosure, must:
– Listen carefully to what is said. Don’t interrupt or prompt. Let the child tell the story in their own words. Use TED prompts:
– TELL me what happened
– EXPLAIN what happened
– DESCRIBE what happened.
– Reassure the child that they are right to speak up. Be calm, attentive, non-judgmental – don’t show any emotion other than sympathy.
– Confidentiality – make it clear that this cannot be kept a secret and that you have a duty to report it to a CPO / Counselor who is properly trained to help students in this situation.
– Question the child only if necessary to clarify something that is unclear such as when and where. Do not ask leading questions.
– Action – contact the child’s Counselor or Administrator immediately and complete a Report of Concern form (ROC).
– Write it down – use the child’s words as far as possible and record anything else that concerns you.
Confidentiality can be a delicate issue, which needs to be discussed and fully understood by all those working with students, particularly in the context of child protection.
– When talking with a student about a sensitive issue, it’s important to be clear that everything you discuss is confidential UNLESS the individual is at risk of harming themselves or others or the individual is being harmed or at risk of being harmed in some way by another person
– Where there is a child protection concern, this must be reported to the Counselor or the CPO immediately.
Types and Signs of Abuse:
– Physical Abuse
– Emotional Abuse
– Neglect and negligent treatment
– Sexual Abuse
There are occasions when it is entirely appropriate and proper for staff to have physical contact with pupils, but it is crucial that they only do so in ways appropriate to their professional role.
This means that adults should:
This means that adults should:
In the event that you find yourself alone in a room with a student, please do your best to do the following:
– Leave the door open. Get up to open the door if the student closes it on their way in
– Tell a nearby colleague that you are having a brief meeting with a student in your room
– Invite other students to attend if possible
– Ensure the interior of each room is visible from the outside