This Child Safeguarding Policy and Statement is prepared in accordance with the Children First Act 2015, and the Children First National Guidance. For the purposes of this policy a child is defined as anyone under 18 years of age who is not or has not been married.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has a corporate duty to promote the safety and well-being of children with whom it is in contact with in any capacity. This policy document deals with the recognition, reporting and management of child safety concerns and will assist managers and staff in having due regard for the rights and interests of children.
This Child Safeguarding Policy and Statement must be reviewed, under Section 11(7) of the Children First Act 2015, at two-year intervals from the date of publication or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which this policy and statement refers.
The policies and procedures outlined in this Child Safeguarding Policy apply to all CSO staff including field staff, temporary and contract staff. Every staff member has a responsibility and a duty of care to ensure that any child interacting with the CSO is safe and protected from harm. It is the duty of each staff member to familiarise themselves with and adhere to the procedures outlined in the policy. Line managers are responsible for assessing if staff will deal directly with children and will brief them on their responsibilities at the commencement of their assignment to these duties.
All staff who are dealing with children will undertake an annual course on the Child Safeguarding Policy.