Froggy Manga stands against the abuse of children and vulnerable adults, and of any person for any reason. We will always act in the strongest possible way where we feel an instance of abuse is taking place.
What is child abuse?
There are four main categories of abuse. These are, physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect. Bullying can also be a form of abuse. These are described in more detail below.
The purpose of this policy is:
- Physical Abuse This is deliberately hurting a child causing injuries such as bruises, broken bones, burns or cuts. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child
- Sexual Abuse A child is sexually abused when they are forced or persuaded to take part in sexual activities whether or not they are aware of what is happening. This doesn’t necessarily involve physical contact, but could involve involving children in looking at or producing sexual images online. The process by which children are befriended and gradually prepared for inappropriate sexual activity is called grooming
- Emotional Abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects of the child’s emotional development. It may involve bullying or conveying to the child that they are worthless, unloved or inadequate
- Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development
- Bullying – is the abuse and or intimidation by a person, persons or organisations against others, singly or in groups. It is an abuse of a perceived power relationship. It may include verbal abuse, intimidation and acts of physical or sexual abuse. Among children and young people, a good deal of the bullying involved texting, sexting, filming on mobiles and posting on social media networks
Identifying child abuse
Definitive signs of child abuse are rare. The following are some possible signs that may mean that a child has been abused. They are listed here to assist staff members and volunteers in evaluating any concern they may have about a child or young person.
- Possible signs of Physical Abuse – injuries with inconsistent or improbable explanations, reluctance to discuss injuries, untreated injuries. Withdrawal from physical contact
- Possible signs of Sexual Abuse – acting in a sexual way, inappropriate to age, reluctance to change for an activity, involving other children in sexual activity, self harm, unexplained sources of money or gifts.
- Possible signs of Emotional Abuse – withdrawal, nervousness, aggressive behaviour. This may be difficult to recognise over a short period of time
- Possible signs of Neglect – constant hunger, poor personal hygiene, constant tiredness, poor state of clothing, untreated medical problems
- Possible signs of bullying – reluctance to attend activities previously enjoyed, tearfulness, erratic emotions, frightened of other children, shortage of money, or frequent loss of possessions
Although large numbers of children and young people visit the Froggy Manga, the majority do so for relatively short periods of time i.e. half a day or less. It follows from this that the forms of Child Abuse that become evident over time, such as Emotional Abuse, Neglect or patterns of sustained Bullying will be less likely to be observed by staff and volunteers in their interaction with children at the Froggy Manga.
The two most likely manifestations of Child Abuse are expected to be:
- When staff observe an incident of abuse which takes place at the Froggy Manga – e.g. an adult striking a child or inappropriate sexual interaction between an adult and a child, or between children or
- When a child / young person discloses something to a staff member that leads to a concern that that child is at risk of abuse
Action to be taken if you are concerned about a Child
If you are concerned about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult there is a range of actions that may be taken. In most circumstances it will simply be a question of notifying the adult who is responsible for the child e.g. if a child appears distressed, has become separated from their school group, or has sustained an accident.
If you suspect that a child or vulnerable adult has been abused, then you should report the matter without delay to one of the Company Child Protection leads. These are:
- Keroko James
- Jon Kaneko-James
The company Child Protection Leads will decide if the concerns are sufficient to warrant further action. This includes:
- Informing an adult responsible for the child (who is not themselves in a compromised position) of the child’s concern so that they can follow up and take action. If this crosses over with a child’s school life, it is possible that Froggy Manga may advise parents or guardians to follow up with the relevant school authority.
- Making a referral to the police. If the actions observed or suspected, could constitute a crime, then the police should be informed.
- If there is a suspicion, disclosure or allegation of abuse, then the matter must be reported to the local Social Services Department who will investigate the matter according to the Pan London Procedures. In respect of children this is done by contacting the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub in Haringey:
- Monday to Thursday 0845 to 1700, and Friday 0845 to 1645: 020 8489 4470
- Out of office hours: 020 8489 0000
- This may entail filling out a referral form within 48 hours, and sending it to: mashreferral(atmark)haringey.gov.uk
- If there is no immediate or significant risk of harm, but where you feel early help or support may be needed, you may also send a form to the same address.
Internet use by Students
All students are asked to use the internet only though Froggy Manga’s internet tethering hotspot, using Froggy Manga’s devices. Personal devices and technology are not permitted at Froggy Manga workshops.
Our internet hotspot has restricted app access and settings to prevent the use of instant messaging software, VoiP software, and the access of violent or sexually inappropriate websites.
In addition to this, all our tutors are trained to monitor children’s web activity while they are in the care of the Froggy Manga organisation.
Recruitment of staff and volunteers
All employees, volunteers or freelance contractors must have proof
of an up-to-date Disclosure and Barring Service certificate before they are allowed to work with children, young people or vulnerable adults. We will cover the cost of processing and obtaining DBS certificates for all permanent staff. We will process DBS certificate applications for volunteers and freelance contractors where a DBS certificate is required at the freelance contractor’s cost. DBS checks for volunteers are free of charge.
DBS certificates are reviewed on a two yearly basis.
All staff and volunteers are required to inform the Froggy Manga of anything which happens subsequent to the DBS check which may affect their suitability to work with children.
Staff and volunteers will receive information and basic training in safe conduct and what to do if they have concerns about a child.
Allegations against staff, volunteers or others working with children or vulnerable adults
These are likely to arise in one of these ways:
- Someone is observed behaving inappropriately with a child or vulnerable adult – this may be a staff member, a volunteer, or a visiting professional e.g. a teacher
- A child makes an allegation against a staff member or other professional
- Information comes to light about a staff member’s home life that leads to concerns about their suitability to work with children or vulnerable adults
- It is important to carefully record all observations/
allegations or suspicions of abuse as soon as possible
Allegations or suspicions should be reported without delay to the company Child Protection Lead:
- Jon Kaneko-James (jon(atmark)froggymanga.com)
- Keroko James (support(atmark)froggymanga.com)
The Child Protection Lead will decide whether the staff member in question has harmed, or may have harmed, a child; possibly committed a criminal offence against children or related to children; behaved towards a child in a way that indicates they are unsuitable to work with children.
The CPL will then take the steps laid out above.
This procedure will be reviewed annually to ensure it is up to date.
This procedure was last reviewed on Aug 3rd, 2021, by Jon Kaneko-James