Anti Bullying and Harassment Policy
SEASHELLS
NURSERY
Community Centre
Albert Road
Eyemouth
TD14 5DE
Tel. 018907 52082
Email: seashellsnursery@hotmail.co.uk
www.seashellsnursery.jimdo.com
|
LAST UPDATED / REVIEWED ON |
SIGNATURE |
|
24th April 2017 |
Miriam Lindsay |
|
1st April 2020 |
Miriam Lindsay |
|
|
|
This policy was adopted at a meeting of:
(Insert name of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Setting) ………………………….………………
On (date) ……………………….…..……………
Signed ………………………….……….. Designation ………………….…………………
Statement of Purpose
Seashells Nursery ELCC setting recognises the problems associated with bullying and harassment of both children and adults and is committed to providing an environment in which all individuals can operate effectively, confidently and competently.
Harassment and/or bullying of children or adults, including members of staff, is not acceptable under any circumstances. The focus of this policy is to promote good relationships and positive behaviours that engender mutual respect and esteem among staff, children and parents.
Throughout this guidance the term parents is used to include all main caregivers.
Definition of Bullying and Harassment
Young children tend to be egocentric by nature and are still learning to appreciate the feelings of others and develop their sense of appropriate behaviours and fairness. It would be wrong to label every incident between children as bullying. The following definitions provide staff with descriptors which can be considered in each situation and will be useful in assessing allegations of bullying in the adult context also. However the impact an incident has had on a child is more important than whether it is classified as bullying and appropriate responses should be made by staff as set out in this policy.
Bullying is the use of aggression with the intention of hurting another person which causes pain and distress for the victim.
Bullying is an unacceptable form of behaviour through which an individual or group of individuals feel threatened, abused or undermined by another individual or group of individuals.
Harassment is defined as any conduct which is unwanted by the recipient, or any such conduct based on the grounds of bias or discrimination
that affects the dignity of any individual, or group of individuals at work.
Harassment may be repetitive, or an isolated occurrence against one or more individuals.
When is it not bullying behaviour?
It is important for children and young people to discuss how they feel and help them develop resilience to manage their relationships. We know that children and young people will fall out and disagree with each other as they form and build relationships. This is a normal part of growing up and most children and young people have the ability to bounce back from this type of behaviour.
Early intervention and prevention are key elements of an approach focused on ensuring we get it right for all of our children and young people. (Respect for All: The National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People.)
Complying with the Law
The Equality Act 2010, and subsequent revisions, makes it illegal to discriminate against a person on the grounds of their race or ethnicity, their disability, their gender or sexual orientation, their age or religion. Behaviour that does not comply with the Act will be challenged and in the case of staff could lead to disciplinary procedures being invoked.
Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Codes of Practice
The codes of practice describe the standards of conduct and practice within which both social services employers and workers should operate. The two codes for employers and workers are complementary and mirror the joint responsibilities of employers and workers in ensuring high standards.
The SSSC Codes of Practice Standard 4 stipulates that:
Forms of Bullying and Harassment
Bullying and harassment can take many forms – it may be emotional, physical, verbal, non-verbal, racist, sexual, homophobic or cyberbullying and staff should be alert to indicators that this may be happening. (See Appendix 1 for descriptors and indicators.)
Expectations
Within the setting we aim to develop an inclusive and positive ethos and climate of respect, responsibility and positive relationships, creating a culture where bullying and discrimination is unacceptable.
All service users will be made aware of this policy and expected to adhere to it.
Children
Through curricular activities and daily routines we will promote and reinforce positive behaviour, ensuring that all children are aware of acceptable codes of behaviour and staff expectations.
Children will be made aware that they can approach any member of staff should an incident occur or if they feel intimidated or threatened in any way. Staff should always respond in a supportive and sensitive manner, trying to establish facts. Children should be enabled to talk about the incident and be confident it will be dealt with promptly and effectively. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable and must be addressed quickly. Bullying should never be seen as a typical part of growing up.
If allegations are found to be true then staff should endeavour to establish why the bullying/harassment took place and encourage the child involved to appreciate how their actions have made the other child feel. They should also be made aware of what the possible consequences of their action might be, both for themselves and for others.
It is not the purpose of this process to humiliate any child and they should be spoken to on their own, outwith the group. The child accused of bullying should also be invited to apologise for their actions but this should not be forced.
Developing respect for others and acceptable behaviours is an integral part of the early years curriculum and parents will not be required to be informed every time a child is reminded of appropriate behaviour. However staff will inform the parents of children involved in any incidences of bullying, informing them of what action has been taken. Their co-operation and support will be sought to prevent future incidences. Incidences of bullying and harassment should be recorded and monitored and will contain the following information:
In serious cases and when bullying persists, the manager will work with the child's parents to try to resolve the situation. This may include agreeing sanctions should incidents continue. In a very small number of children where challenging behaviour persists and gives cause for concern consideration may be given, in consultation with the parents, to referring the child to a specialist such as a child psychologist. We will ensure every child and young person who requires help will know who can help them and what support is available.
Staff
Staff are expected to model behaviour that promotes health and wellbeing and to promote the setting's development of a positive ethos. Their observations of children's behaviour are crucial in determining whether bullying and harassment is taking place and in helping to prevent it. It is our fundamental role to ensure that all of us working with children and young people fulfil our responsibility to support their health and wellbeing. This can be achieved through embedding positive relationships and behaviour approaches to prevent bullying in and across our learning environment. (Respect for All)
Staff are expected to abide by the SSSC's code of practice set out above and have a responsibility to make themselves aware of the contents of this and other related policies (listed below). Management will provide training and awareness raising related to these policies.
Staff also have responsibilities noted within the Whistleblowing Policy to report any concerns of malpractice or wrongdoing by other members of staff and this would include bullying and harassment of colleagues or children.
Any incidences of bullying and harassment of staff by other members of staff, including management, or by parents will be fully investigated. Staff should have confidence that any concerns they bring will be listened to sympathetically and resolution sought. Concerns should be reported directly to the manager but where the accusation involves the manager then the nursery chairperson should be contacted.
Where possible informal resolutions will be sought and agreed between the parties concerned, but if this is not possible due to the seriousness of the incident(s) then staff can raise a grievance or disciplinary action may need to be taken. Where bullying of a child by an adult is proven, disciplinary action will ensue. Any disciplinary action taken against a member of staff requires to be reported to the Care Inspectorate.
Should a member of staff feel that a pattern of bullying or harassment towards them is emerging they should keep a personal record of any incidents that they may need to refer to in a future complaint with details of date, time, place, persons involved and any witnesses.
Parents
Parents will be informed of the setting’s Anti-Bullying and Harassment, and Promoting Positive Behaviour policies, when they enrol their child. Reminders of these policies will be included in newsletters and at parents' evenings throughout the year to reinforce their importance. Parents' support will be sought in promoting the positive ethos of the setting and in dealing with incidents related to their child.
Where a child is displaying continuing behavioural problems we will endeavour to work closely with the parents, involving them in any decisions made and seeking their support for a consistency of approach both within the setting and at home.
Monitoring of this Policy
It will be the responsibility of Miriam Lindsay, Nursery Manager to ensure that all staff, including new or temporary staff, are familiar with this policy and to monitor that it is being implemented. This policy should also be brought to the attention of all parents, visiting professionals and any other individuals accessing the setting. The responsibility of all to adhere to the policy should be highlighted. Monitoring and evaluation of the policy will be achieved through review of any incident records and feedback from parents and staff.
Appendices:
Appendix 1 – Forms and Indicators of Bullying and Harassment
Links to national policy:
Health and Social Care Standards My Support, My Life (Scottish Government 2017)
https://www.gov.scot/Resource/0052/00520693.pdf
http://hub.careinspectorate.com/media/611997/sg-anti-bullying-national-approach.pdf
Respect for All (A National Approach to Anti-bullying for Scotland's Children and Young People, Scottish Government 2010)
www.respectme.org.uk/bullying/what-is-bullying (Scotland's Anti-Bullying Service)
http://www.sssc.uk.com/about-the-sssc/codes-of-practice/what-are-the-codes-of-practice
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents (Equality Act 2010)
https://www.gov.scot/Resource/0042/00423979.pdf
Better relationships, better learning, better behaviour
www.gov.scot/Publications/2013/03/7388
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/earlyyears/prebirthtothree/index.asp
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/earlylearningandchildcare/curriculum/index.asp (Curriculum for Excellence, Scottish Government)
Find out more:
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1864 (Bullying and harassment)
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/search/?strSubmit=true&search_query=anti-bullying+and+harassment&form_submitted= (Education Scotland anti-bullying and harassment information)
Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy - Appendix 1
Forms of Bullying
There are several main forms of bullying:
Emotional - Being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting, ridiculing, humiliation
Physical - Pushing, kicking, hitting, punching, pinching, violence, threats
Verbal - Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
Racist - Racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
Sexual - Unwanted physical contact, sexually abusive comments
Homophobic - Because of, or focusing on the issue of sexuality
Mobile/Internet (Cyberbullying) - Abusive e-mails, telephone calls, text messages.
Forms of Harassment
Physical - Contact, assault or gestures, intimidation, aggressive behaviour
Verbal - Unwelcome remarks, suggestions, and propositions, malicious gossip, jokes and banter
Non-verbal - Offensive literature or pictures, graffiti and computer imagery, isolation or non-cooperation and exclusion from social activities
Bullying - Persistent, offensive, abusive, intimidating or insulting behaviour. Abuse of power or unfair sanctions that:
· make the recipient feel upset, threatened, humiliated or vulnerable
· undermine an individual’s self confidence
· may cause an individual to suffer stress.
Recognition of bullying
The following list highlights some of the indicators of bullying that a child might display if they were a victim although it is important to note that although a child could be displaying some of these signs or behaviours it does not necessarily mean that the child is being bullied. These signs could indicate that the child has other problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility.
Indicators of bullying
Unwillingness to attend group
Withdrawn, isolated behaviour
Refuses to talk about the problem
Easily distressed
Lacking confidence, low self-esteem, anxious
Becomes aggressive, disruptive and unreasonable
Begins to bully other children
Changes in eating and sleeping patterns, stomach upset
Starts stammering
Has unexplained cuts and bruises.
Within pre-school groups the most common forms of bullying are biting, hitting, pushing, kicking, and ridiculing by adults. Biting is often a cry for attention by a child who is feeling abandoned, frustrated or afraid. Children whose language is not yet fluent or finding themselves in a situation where they cannot do things very effectively, may well bite or hit out as they are full of feelings that threaten to overwhelm them.