A school’s first and foremost responsibility is to provide a safe environment. As an institution committed to the welfare of our entire learning community, our policies are in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Taskforce on Child Protection (ITFCP).
ENKA Istanbul Schools Child Protection Policy is in alignement with the Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, the Child Protection Law of Türkiye, the Ministry of National Education Regulation on Preschool Education and Primary Education Institutions, the Regulation on Secondary Education Institutions, and the Ministry of National Education’s Directive on Psychosocial Protection, Prevention and Crisis Intervention Services.
ENKA Istanbul Schools Child Protection Policy applies to all stakeholders of our learning community (students, parents, staff, and third party providers, and all guests and volunteers taking part in school activities).
The Child Protection Team is comprised of the deputy head, school principals, and the pyschological counseling staff. The principals are the designated Child Protection Officers for their respective school disivion.
As an educational organization, ENKA Istanbul Schools is committed to and promotes respect for human rights and dignity. ENKA Istanbul Schools believes that every child who participates in its activities and resides in its boarding facilities has the right to benefit from a safe environment and to be protected from harm.
This policy applies to all staff, parents/guardians, visitors, third-party providers, interns, assistant teachers, support teachers, volunteers, and any person (adult or individual under the age of 18) interacting with the school. This procedure covers the Preschool, Primary, Middle, and High School divisions of ENKA Istanbul Schools.
In accordance with the laws and procedures established by the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Family and Social Policies of the Republic of Turkey, the purpose of this school policy is to;
– Prioritizing the welfare and protection of students;
– Identify the responsibility of all adults to protect children;
– Providing clear expectations about child safety, responses to concerns and reporting of allegations of harm;
– Determine the responsibilities of staff and Board members towards this policy;
– Ensure that the school has a designated person for child protection who has received appropriate training and support for this role;
– Ensure that every member of staff (including temporary and supply staff, as well as residential staff and volunteers) and the governing board knows the name and role of the designated person responsible for child protection;
– Provide mandatory continuous professional development on abuse prevention for staff;
– Ensure that all staff and volunteers understand their responsibility to be alert to signs of abuse and to raise concerns with the person responsible for safeguarding children;
– Keeping written records of concerns about children, even if the matter does not need to be raised immediately;
– Establish clear recruitment and hiring practices to ensure rigorous screening and selection of staff, faculty, volunteers and other trusted adults identified by the school;
– Develop and follow procedures when an allegation is made against a staff member or volunteer;
– Creating and maintaining an environment where children feel safe, encouraged to talk and listened to;
– Let children know that there are adults at school they can turn to if they are worried;
– Include opportunities in social-emotional learning (SEL), online safety, and guidance and counseling curricula for children to develop the skills they need to recognize and protect themselves from abuse;
– Outline parental/guardian support in child protection; preventing harm and responding to harm if it occurs;
– Ensure that parents understand the responsibility placed on the school and staff for child protection by setting out their obligations in the school prospectus;
– Specify where this policy will be accessible to staff and the public.
All staff are required to adhere to ENKA’s Code of Ethics and Conduct, which provides guidelines for our behavior and our responsibilities to our students, profession, colleagues, and employer.
All staff are given specific training every year about child safeguarding. All staff members joining mid-year are given mandatory child protection training when they start work. Training is also mandatory for the third party providers on campus, like the cafeteria staff and service bus drivers.
Each grade level is aware of their allocated grade level counselor for student support.
In addition to mandatory trainings, the school maintains a TES subscription to EduCare’s Safeguarding courses to make 40 internationally recognized courses on safeguarding available to all staff year round.
-School departments have a student code of conduct and teach students responsible use of the internet and online safety. Students’ responsibility for the use of technology extends to the use of cell phones and at the beginning of each year students are provided with guidelines and training.
-Students are offered bullying awareness and prevention activities that support the school’s Anti-Bullying Policy.
-Our school has a comprehensive sexuality education program facilitated by a sexual health educator/counselor to develop students’ self-awareness, body awareness, and physical and emotional awareness of their relationship to gender. This awareness raising is also a way to help students understand the difference between safe and unsafe behaviors.
-Guidance lessons are planned to support students’ social-emotional skills and include topics such as maintaining personal boundaries, saying no, safe and risky behaviors.
-Within the scope of child protection, the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Program is implemented. In this program, the school psychological counselors identify areas where children need support, create group work, and informs families. Classroom teachers also conduct planned activities in classrooms within the framework of the SEL program.
-Each year, students are provided with an overview of the Child Protection Program and their role in ensuring a healthy and safe learning environment and school culture.
During each academic year, the Guidance and Psychological Counseling Department organizes parenting seminars to improve parenting skills at all grade levels. These seminars include issues relating to child protection, online safety, bullying, and how to protect children from becoming victims of sexual abuse.
Each year, partents are provided with an overview of the Child Protection Program and their role in ensuring a healthy and safe learning environment and school culture.
Reporting suspicion or knowledge of harm
If there is any suspicion or information that a child has been harmed, the person with this information should complete, sign, and date the Incident/Suspicion Reporting Form in Annex 4 and submit it directly to the relevant headteacher who is the safeguarding lead for their school division. Matters to be reported include, but are not limited to, the following:
– A suspicion that a child has been injured, marked or bruised in a way that is not easily attributable to normal blows or abrasions received during play, or an explanation that seems inconsistent with the injury;
– Witnessing behaviors or actions that raise suspicion that a child may have been abused (may include drawings or games that cause concern);
– Concern that a child may be suffering from lack of care, maltreatment or emotional maltreatment;
– Being concerned that a child is showing any signs or symptoms consistent with the suspicion of child abuse or neglect or bullying;
– Witnessing significant changes in the care of a child that cannot otherwise be explained; or
– Receiving tips or disclosures of abuse from the child, another student, parent or member of the public.
Documentation of suspicion or knowledge of harm
Documentation of the case will take place along the referral pathway.
– The Child Protection Officer (school principal) will keep a confidential secured written record of any disclosure or suspicion brought to his/her attention.
– The Child Protection Officer (school principal) (with the support of the staff involved in the intervention) will specifically record the assessment of the case, any actions taken, and recommendations made.
– This record should be kept up to date, including notes taken and observations made during case monitoring.
– This written report should describe the incident, any visible or behavioral signs of harm, any changes noticed in the student’s behavior, and anything the student or the person reporting the alleged abuse has said or disclosed.
– The Child Protection Officer (school principal) is responsible for ensuring that the hard copy and/or electronic copy of the report is stored securely (if hard copy, it should be placed in a locked drawer, and if electronic copy, the document should be password protected) so that confidentiality is fully maintained.
– Incident logs cannot be destroyed.
Safeguarding policies are regularly reviewed using both internal committees and external organizations that are able to provide appropriate support and advice on current matters.
