Schools and further education colleges should have procedures for dealing with allegations and all staff and volunteers should understand what to do if they receive an allegation or have concerns about another member of staff.
The procedures should make it clear that all allegations should be reported immediately, normally to the head teacher, principal or proprietor if it is an independent school.
The procedures should also identify the person, usually the chair of governors, to whom referrals should be made in their absence; or in cases where the head teacher or principal themselves is the subject of the allegation or concern. For PRUs this person might be a local authority officer rather than the chair of the management committee.
Procedures should also include contact details for the local authority officer with responsibility for providing advice and monitoring professional abuse cases. The Local Authority Officer should be informed of all allegations that come to a school’s attention and appear to meet the criteria set out below.
A member of staff is alleged to have:
- behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;
- possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child; or
- behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she would pose a risk of harm if they work regularly or closely with children.
The above procedures relate to members of staff who are currently working in any school, regardless of whether the school is where the alleged abuse took place.
Allegations against a teacher who is no longer teaching should be referred to the police.