LANDKEY PRIMARY SCHOOL Safeguarding Policy This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Introduction This policy has been developed in accordance with the principles established by the Children Acts 1989 and 2004; the Education Act 2002, and in line with government publications: Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006, Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families 2000, What to do if You are Worried a Child is Being Abused 2003. The guidance reflects Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education DfES Jan 2007. The Governing body takes seriously its responsibility under section 1751 of the Education Act 2002 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children; and to work together with other agencies to ensure adequate arrangements within our school to identify, assess, and support those children who are suffering harm. We recognise that all adults, including temporary staff, volunteers and governors, have a full and active part to play in protecting our pupils from harm, and that the child s welfare is our paramount concern. All staff believe that our school should provide a caring, positive safe and stimulating environment that promotes the social, physical and moral development of the individual child. The aims of this policy are: To support the child s development in ways that will foster security, confidence and independence. To provide an environment in which children and young people feel safe, secure, valued and respected, and feel confident, and know how to, approach adults if they are in difficulties, believing they will be effectively listened to. To raise the awareness of all teaching and non-teaching staff of the need to safeguard children and of their responsibilities in identifying and reporting possible cases of abuse. To provide a systematic means of monitoring children known or thought to be at risk of harm, and ensure we, the school, contribute to assessments of need and support packages for those children. To emphasise the need for good levels of communication between all members of staff. To develop a structured procedure within the school which will be followed by all members of the school community in cases of suspected abuse. To develop and promote effective working relationships with other agencies, especially the Police
and Social Care. To ensure that all staff working within our school who have substantial access to children have been checked as to their suitability, including verification of their identity, qualifications, and a satisfactory List 99 or Enhanced CRB check (according to guidance)2, and a single central record is kept for audit. Safe School, Safe Staff We will ensure that: All members of the governing body understand and fulfil their responsibilities. We have a senior designated officer for safeguarding and a deputy, both of whom have undertaken the DSCB Two Day Level 3 Multi-Agency Safeguarding Children Training and who undertake to update their training at least every 2 years. All members of staff are provided with child protection awareness at induction, including in their arrival pack, the school safeguarding statement Safeguarding Children at Landkey Primary School so that they know who to discuss a concern with. The Headteacher, where he/she is not the SDO, and all other staff and governors, have child protection awareness training, to be arranged by the SDO every 3 years, to maintain their understanding of the signs and indicators of abuse. All members of staff, volunteers, and governors know how to respond to a pupil who discloses abuse through delivery of the awareness raising pack What to do if you are worried a child is being abused. All parents/carers are made aware of the responsibilities of staff members with regard to child protection procedures through publication of the schools Safeguarding Policy, and reference to it in our introductory school pack. Our lettings policy will seek to ensure the suitability of adults working with children on school sites at any time. Community users organising activities for children are aware of the school s child protection guidelines and procedures. We will ensure that child protection type concerns or allegations against adults working in school are referred to the LADO4 for advice, and that any member of staff found not suitable to work with children will be notified to the Independent Safeguarding Authority for consideration for barring, following resignation, dismissal, or when we cease to use their service in the case of a volunteer Our procedures will be regularly reviewed and up-dated. The name of the Senior Designated Person for Safeguarding, will be clearly advertised in the school, with a statement explaining the school s role in referring and monitoring cases of suspected abuse. All new members of staff will be given a copy of our safeguarding statement, and safeguarding policy, with the SDO s name clearly displayed, as part of their induction into the school.
Responsibilities The SDO is responsible for: Referring a child if there are concerns about possible abuse, to CYPS and acting as a focal point for staff to discuss concerns. Referrals should be made in writing, following a telephone call. Keeping written records of concerns about a child even if there is no need to make an immediate referral. Ensuring that all such records are kept confidentially and securely, separate from pupil records, until the child s 25th birthday, and are copied on to the child s next school or college. Ensuring that an indication of further record-keeping is marked on the pupil records. Liaising with other agencies and professionals. Ensuring that either they or the class teacher attends case conferences, core groups, or other multiagency planning meetings, contributes to assessments, and provides a report which has been shared with the parents. Ensuring that any pupil currently with a child protection plan who is absent without explanation for two days is referred to their key worker s Social Care Team. Organising child protection induction, and update training every 3 years, for all school staff. Providing, with the Headteacher, an annual report for the governing body, detailing any changes to the policy and procedures; training undertaken by the SDO, and by all staff and governors; number and type of incidents/cases, and number of children with child protection plans (anonymised) Supporting Children We recognise that a child who is abused or witnesses violence may feel helpless and humiliated, may blame themselves, and find it difficult to develop and maintain a sense of self worth. We recognise that the school may provide the only stability in the lives of children who have been abused or who are at risk of harm. We accept that research shows that the behaviour of a child in these circumstances may range from that which is perceived to be normal to aggressive or withdrawn. Our school will support all pupils by: Encouraging self-esteem and self-assertiveness, through the curriculum as well as our relationships, whilst not condoning aggression or bullying. Promoting a caring, safe and positive environment within the school. Liaising and working together with all other support services and those agencies involved in the safeguarding of children. Notifying Social Care as soon as there is a significant concern. Providing continuing support to a pupil about whom there have been concerns who leaves the school by ensuring that appropriate information is copied under confidential cover to the pupil s new school and ensuring the school medical records are forwarded as a matter of priority.
Confidentiality We recognise that all matters relating to safeguarding are confidential. The Headteacher or SDO will disclose any information about a pupil to other members of staff on a need to know basis only. All staff must be aware that they have a professional responsibility to share information with other agencies in order to safeguard children. All staff must be aware that they cannot promise a child to keep secrets which might compromise the child s safety or wellbeing. We will always undertake to share our intention to refer a child to Social Care with their parents /carers unless to do so could put the child at greater risk of harm, or impede a criminal investigation. If in doubt, we will consult with CYPS on this point. Supporting Staff We recognise that staff working in the school who have become involved with a child who has suffered harm, or appears to be likely to suffer harm may find the situation stressful and upsetting. We will support such staff by providing an opportunity to talk through their anxieties with the SDO and to seek further support as appropriate. Allegations against staff All school staff should take care not to place themselves in a vulnerable position with a child. It is always advisable for interviews or work with individual children or parents to be conducted in view of other adults. All Staff should be aware of the school s own Behaviour Management policy. Guidance about conduct and safe practice will be given at induction. We understand that a pupil may make an allegation against a member of staff. If such an allegation is made, or information is received which suggests that a person may be unsuitable to work with children, the member of staff receiving the allegation or aware of the information, will immediately inform the Headteacher. The Headteacher on all such occasions will discuss the content of the allegation with the Duty LADO. If the allegation made to a member of staff concerns the Headteacher, the person receiving the allegation will immediately inform the Chair of Governors who will consult as above, without notifying the Headteacher first. The school will follow the Devon County Council procedures for managing allegations against staff. Under no circumstances will we send a child home, pending such an investigation, unless this advice is given exceptionally, as a result of an Allegations/Senior Strategy Meeting. Suspension of the member of staff, excluding the Headteacher, against whom an allegation has been made, needs careful consideration, and the Headteacher will seek the advice of the LADO and Personnel Consultant in making this decision. In the event of an allegation against the Headteacher, the decision to suspend will be made by the Chair of Governors with advice as above.
We have a procedure for managing the suspension of a contract for a community user in the event of an allegation arising in that context. Whistle-blowing We recognise that children cannot be expected to raise concerns in an environment where staff fail to do so. All staff should be aware of their duty to raise concerns, where they exist, about the management of child protection, which may include the attitude or actions of colleagues. If it becomes necessary to consult outside the school, they should speak in the first instance, to the LADO following the Whistleblowing Policy. Physical Intervention Our policy on physical intervention by staff is set out separately, and acknowledges that staff must only ever use physical intervention as a last resort, when a child is endangering him/herself or others, and that at all times it must be the minimal force necessary to prevent injury to another person. Such events should be recorded and signed by a witness. Staff who are likely to need to use physical intervention will be appropriately trained. We understand that physical intervention of a nature which causes injury or distress to a child may be considered under child protection or disciplinary procedures. We recognise that touch is appropriate in the context of working with children, and all staff have been given Safe Practice guidance (the Safe Touch Policy ) to ensure they are clear about their professional boundary. Bullying Our policy on bullying is set out in a separate document and acknowledges that to allow or condone bullying may lead to consideration under child protection procedures. This includes cyber, racist, homophobic and gender related bullying. Racist Incidents Our policy on racist incidents is set out separately, and acknowledges that repeated racist incidents or a single serious incident may lead to consideration under child protection procedures. Prevention We recognise that the school plays a significant part in the prevention of harm to our pupils by providing pupils with good lines of communication with trusted adults, supportive friends and an ethos of protection.
The school community will therefore: Work to establish and maintain an ethos where children feel secure and are encouraged to talk and are always listened to. Ensure that all children know there is an adult in the school whom they can approach if they are worried or in difficulty. Include across the curriculum, including PSHE, opportunities which equip children with the skills they need to stay safe from harm and to know to whom they should turn for help. Health & Safety Our Health & Safety policy, set out in a separate document, reflects the consideration we give to the protection of our children both physically within the school environment, and for example in relation to internet use, and when away from the school when undertaking school trips and visits Prevent As part of Landkey Primary School's ongoing safeguarding and child protection duties we are fully supportive of the government's Prevent Strategy. From 1 July 2015 all schools are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. This duty is known as the Prevent Duty for Schools (appendix 1) At Landkey, we build pupils resilience to radicalisation by promoting fundamental British values and enabling our pupils to challenge extremist views. The statutory guidance refers to the importance of Prevent awareness training to equip staff to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism and to challenge extremist ideas. The Home Office has developed a core training product for this purpose Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent (WRAP).
APPENDIX 1 The Prevent duty: what it means for schools and childcare providers In order for schools and childcare providers to fulfil the Prevent duty, it is essential that staff are able to identify children who may be vulnerable to radicalisation, and know what to do when they are identified. Protecting children from the risk of radicalisation should be seen as part of schools and childcare providers wider safeguarding duties, and is similar in nature to protecting children from other harms (e.g. drugs, gangs, neglect, sexual exploitation), whether these come from within their family or are the product of outside influences. Schools and childcare providers can also build pupils resilience to radicalisation by promoting fundamental British values and enabling them to challenge extremist5 views. It is important to emphasise that the Prevent duty is not intended to stop pupils debating controversial issues. On the contrary, schools should provide a safe space in which children, young people and staff can understand the risks associated with terrorism and develop the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge extremist arguments. For early years childcare providers, the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage sets standards for learning, development and care for children from 0-5, thereby assisting their personal, social and emotional development and understanding of the world. Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also include in our definition of extremism calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas. Terrorist groups very often draw on extremist ideas developed by extremist organisations. The Prevent duty is entirely consistent with schools and childcare providers existing responsibilities and should not be burdensome. Ofsted s revised common inspection framework for education, skills and early years, which comes into effect from 1 September 2015, makes specific reference to the need to have safeguarding arrangements to promote pupils welfare and prevent radicalisation and extremism. The associated handbooks for inspectors set out the expectations for different settings. The common inspection framework and handbooks are available on GOV.UK. The statutory guidance on the Prevent duty summarises the requirements on schools and childcare providers in terms of four general themes: risk assessment, working in partnership, staff training and IT policies. This advice focuses on those four themes.
Risk Assessment The statutory guidance makes clear that schools and childcare providers are expected to assess the risk of children being drawn into terrorism, including support for extremist ideas that are part of terrorist ideology. This means being able to demonstrate both a general understanding of the risks affecting children and young people in the area and a specific understanding of how to identify individual children who may be at risk of radicalisation and what to do to support them. The general risks affecting children and young people may vary from area to area, and according to their age. Schools and childcare providers are in an important position to identify risks within a given local context. It is important that schools and childcare providers understand these risks so that they can respond in an appropriate and proportionate way. At the same time schools and childcare providers should be aware of the increased risk of online radicalisation, as terrorist organisations such as ISIL seek to radicalise young people through the use of social media and the internet. The local authority and local police will be able to provide contextual information to help schools and childcare providers understand the risks in their areas. There is no single way of identifying an individual who is likely to be susceptible to a terrorist ideology. As with managing other safeguarding risks, staff should be alert to changes in children s behaviour which could indicate that they may be in need of help or protection. Children at risk of radicalisation may display different signs or seek to hide their views. School staff should use their professional judgement in identifying children who might be at risk of radicalisation and act proportionately. Even very young children may be vulnerable to radicalisation by others, whether in the family or outside, and display concerning behaviour. The Prevent duty does not require teachers or childcare providers to carry out unnecessary intrusion into family life but as with any other safeguarding risk, they must take action when they observe behaviour of concern. Schools and childcare providers should have clear procedures in place for protecting children at risk of radicalisation. These procedures may be set out in existing safeguarding policies. It is not necessary for schools and childcare settings to have distinct policies on implementing the Prevent duty. General safeguarding principles apply to keeping children safe from the risk of radicalisation as set out in the relevant statutory guidance, Working together to safeguard children and Keeping children safe in education. School staff and childcare providers should understand when it is appropriate to make a referral to the Channel programme. Channel is a programme which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. It provides a mechanism for schools to make referrals if they are concerned that an individual might be vulnerable to radicalisation. An individual s engagement with the programme is entirely voluntary at all stages. Detailed guidance on Channel is available. An online general awareness training module on Channel is available. The module is suitable for school staff and other front-line workers. It provides an introduction to the topics covered by this advice, including how to identify factors that can make people vulnerable to radicalisation, and case studies illustrating the types of intervention that may be appropriate, in addition to Channel.
Working in partnership The Prevent duty builds on existing local partnership arrangements. Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) are responsible for co-ordinating what is done by local agencies for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in their local area. Safeguarding arrangements should already take into account the policies and procedures of the LSCB. For example, LSCBs publish threshold guidance indicating when a child or young person might be referred for support. Local authorities are vital to all aspects of Prevent work. In some priority local authority areas, Home Office fund dedicated Prevent co-ordinators to work with communities and organisations, including schools. Other partners, in particular the police and also civil society organisations, may be able to provide advice and support to schools on implementing the duty. Effective engagement with parents / the family is also important as they are in a key position to spot signs of radicalisation. It is important to assist and advise families who raise concerns and be able to point them to the right support mechanisms. Staff training The statutory guidance refers to the importance of Prevent awareness training to equip staff to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism and to challenge extremist ideas. The Home Office has developed a core training product for this purpose Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent (WRAP). There are a number of professionals particularly in safeguarding roles - working within Local Authorities, the Police, Health and Higher and Further Education who are accredited WRAP trained facilitators. We are working to build capacity within the system to deliver training. Individual schools and childcare providers are best placed to assess their training needs in the light of their assessment of the risk. As a minimum, however, schools should ensure that the Designated Safeguarding Lead undertakes Prevent awareness training and is able to provide advice and support to other members of staff on protecting children from the risk of radicalisation. We recognise that it can be more difficult for many childcare providers, such as childminders, to attend training and we are considering other ways in which they can increase their awareness and be able to demonstrate that. This advice is one way of raising childcare providers awareness.
IT policies The statutory guidance makes clear the need for schools to ensure that children are safe from terrorist and extremist material when accessing the internet in schools. Schools should ensure that suitable filtering is in place. More generally, schools have an important role to play in equipping children and young people to stay safe online, both in school and outside. Internet safety will usually be integral to a school s ICT curriculum and can also be embedded in PSHE and SRE. General advice and resources for schools on internet safety are available on the UK Safer Internet Centre website. As with other online risks of harm, every teacher needs to be aware of the risks posed by the online activity of extremist and terrorist groups. Building children s resilience to radicalisation As explained above, schools can build pupils resilience to radicalisation by providing a safe environment for debating controversial issues and helping them to understand how they can influence and participate in decision-making. Schools are already expected to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils and, within this, fundamental British values. Advice on promoting fundamental British values in schools is available. Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) can be an effective way of providing pupils with time to explore sensitive or controversial issues, and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to understand and manage difficult situations. The subject can be used to teach pupils to recognise and manage risk, make safer choices, and recognise when pressure from others threatens their personal safety and wellbeing. They can also develop effective ways of resisting pressures, including knowing when, where and how to get help. Schools can encourage pupils to develop positive character traits through PSHE, such as resilience, determination, self-esteem, and confidence. Citizenship helps to provide pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society. It should equip pupils to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, to debate, and to make reasoned arguments. In Citizenship, pupils learn about democracy, government and how laws are made and upheld. Pupils are also taught about the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding. A number of resources are available to support schools in this work. These include products aimed at giving teachers the confidence to manage debates about contentious issues and to help them develop their pupils critical thinking skills. Local authorities and the local police may be able to advise on the resources which are available. In some cases these resources may be charged for, particularly where they are delivered by external facilitators. As with any other resources for use in the classroom, schools should satisfy themselves that they are suitable for pupils (for example in terms of their age appropriateness) and that staff have the knowledge and confidence to use the resources effectively. For childcare providers our strategic partner, 4Children, have published the following good practice examples demonstrating what promoting fundamental British Values means in the early years. The Department will be providing further advice on resources for schools.
What to do if you have a concern As explained above, if a member of staff in a school has a concern about a particular pupil they should follow the school s normal safeguarding procedures, including discussing with the school s designated safeguarding lead, and where deemed necessary, with children s social care. In Prevent priority areas, the local authority will have a Prevent lead who can also provide support. You can also contact your local police force or dial 101 (the non-emergency number). They can talk to you in confidence about your concerns and help you gain access to support and advice. The Department for Education has dedicated a telephone helpline (020 7340 7264) to enable staff and governors to raise concerns relating to extremism directly. Concerns can also be raised by email to counter.extremism@education.gsi.gov.uk. Please note that the helpline is not intended for use in emergency situations, such as a child being at immediate risk of harm or a security incident, in which case the normal emergency procedures should be followed.
INFORMATION FOR STAFF There are many types of recognised abuse, including: Physical Sexual Emotional Neglect Domestic Violence (can manifest as any of the above) If encountering a disclosure from a child: 1. Listen carefully and stay calm 2. Allow the child to convey all the information they want to 3. Ensure you have understood what you have been told by the child 4. Reassure the child that by telling you, they have done the right thing, but that you will need to pass the information on 5. As soon as possible, record / write down an accurate account of the disclosure using a copy of the disclosure form (using the child s own words) 6. Pass on the information to the Designated Safeguarding Officer as soon as possible DO NOT: Interview the child Ask leading questions Put words into the child s mouth Paraphrase information when recording Promise confidentiality Investigate in any way Situations to avoid if possible: Being alone with a child with the door shut (unless glass panelled) Administering first aid alone (ensure presence of others if sensitive / in an open space) Physical contact and restraint of children (unless within Safe Touch guidelines) Intimate care alone always ensure the presence of another staff member / with an open door (in accordance with Intimate Care Policy and Protocol)
Your responsibility: Familiarise yourself with all relevant policies and procedures Record all information using the correct disclosure forms Pass on ALL information to the Senior Designated Officers The Senior Designated Officers are: KATE FAIRBROTHER LUCY TAYLOR NEIL HOOKWAY (HEADTEACHER) (DEPUTY HEADTEACHER) (CHAIR OF GOVERNORS WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFEGUARDING)