[3] *introduced in Section 5B of the FGM Act 2003, as inserted by section 74 of the Serious Crime Act 2015

 

 

 

 

5.13 To raise concerns about children, members of staff should contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) by telephone to discuss the referral. They should then complete the online Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF) and submit this to the MASH. The school will follow up referrals if we do not receive feedback from social care.

 

MASH Telephone number: 02476 788 555

MASH online referral form: http://www.coventry.gov.uk/safeguardingchildren

Out of hours Emergency Duty Team: 02476 832 222

Prevent/Channel Referrals: Refer to MASH and to CTU_GATEWAY@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk

 

5.14 If a child’s situation does not appear to be improving following a referral, the school may re-refer the child. We will also consider using the LSCB’s Escalation Policy. to ensure that our concerns have been addressed and that the situation improves for the child.

 

6. Record Keeping

 

6.1 A written record of all safeguarding and/or child protection concerns, discussions and decisions made will be kept in individual children’s files. This will be separate from the main school file and will only be accessed by the relevant safeguarding staff.

 

6.2 Stoke Primary keeps all safeguarding files electronically, using a system called CPOMs.

 

6.3 Staff will submit all concerns in writing to the DSL at the earliest opportunity. This may be after having a verbal conversation, but conversations will also be followed up in writing.

 

6.4 In the event that a child moves school, the safeguarding file will be transferred to the new setting securely and separately from the main school file. Once received by the new school, this school will not retain the information.

 

6.5 The school will seek at least two emergency contacts for every child.

 

6.6 All data processed by Stoke Primary is done so in line with the General Data Protection Guidelines. Please see the GDPR Policy for additional information;

 

7.   Photography and Images

 

7.1 Consent from parents to photograph children at school events for promotional reasons will be sought when the child joins the school, at whatever point in the year, and will last for the duration the child is on roll.  

 

7.2 Parents can withdraw consent at any time and must notify the school if they do not wish their child’s photographs to be used.

 

7.3 Photographs of children used publicly will not be displayed with their name or other personal information.

 

7.4 Photographs of children will be processed in line with the General Data Protection Regulation.

 

8. Early Help

 

8.1 Stoke Primary is committed to supporting families as soon as a possible problem arises. It is more effective to support a family through early help than reacting to a problem later. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers have a role to play in safeguarding children. The school works closely with a neighbourhood family hub to work with families in the community to improve outcomes for children.  The schools hub is as follows:

 

Harmony Hub

Clifford Street

Coventry

CV1 5GR

Tel: 024 76787474

 

8.2 Stoke Primary works within the LSCB ‘Right Help, Right Time’ framework, available on the LSCB website.

 

9. Staff training

 

9.1 In order for staff to be able to understand and discharge their safeguarding and child protection duties, Stoke Primary has committed to training staff throughout the academic year. All staff members will be made aware of the school’s safeguarding processes and structures and will receive training on these as part of their induction. As part of this training and their annual refresher, they will also receive;

 

• This ‘Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy’;
• The staff Code of Conduct
• Copies of Part 1 and Annex A of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2019)
• School procedures for Children Missing Education
• The school Behaviour Policy

 

9.2 Staff at Stoke Primary will engage in a variety of relevant training throughout the year which will include mental health, team teach, right help, right time, DSL briefings etc, e-bulletins etc. Where available and/or appropriate, governors and volunteers will be included.   

 

9.3 Stoke Primary recognise that children may engage in risky behaviours that may put them at additional risk of danger. These can include drug taking, alcohol abuse, truanting and ‘sexting’[1]. Staff will be training in these areas in order to be able to further recognise if a child is at risk of harm.

 

10. Safer Recruitment

 

10.1 Stoke Primary is committed to providing children with a safe environment, in which they can learn. We take safer recruitment seriously and all staff are subject to the following checks;

 

• Identity check;
• DBS clearance;
• Prohibition from teaching checks (where required);
• Barred List check;
• Section 128 checks (as required - leadership and management);
• Reference check (two references required);
• Professional qualifications check ;
• Right to work in the UK check;
• Further checks for those who have lived outside the UK;
• Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 checks (as required).

 

10.2 A record of all checks on members of staff will be held on the Single Central Record.

 

10.3 All new members of staff will be required to obtain DBS clearance. The school reserves the right to re-check DBS clearance for any member of staff where information is received that indicates that they may pose a risk to children.

 

10.4 At least one member of every interview panel will have undergone Safer Recruitment training.

 

10.5 We take proportionate decisions on whether to check individuals beyond what is required.

 

10.6 Any visitor to the school who has not been subject to the necessary checks will be supervised at all times.

 

10.7 All safer recruitment practices at the school comply with Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2019). See Part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2019) for further information.

 

11 Allegations of abuse against staff

 

11.1 The school takes all allegations against staff seriously and will manage them in line with this policy, Part Four of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2019) and the LSCB Guidance, ‘Managing Allegations against Staff and Persons in a Position of Trust’.

 

11.2 If a concern or allegation of abuse arises against the Headteacher, it must be reported to the Chair of Governors without delay.

 

11.3 If a concern or allegation of abuse arises against any member of staff other that the Headteacher, it must be reported to the Headteacher without delay.

 

11.4 Allegations of abuse against staff must be reported to the Headteacher or Chair of Governors as appropriate and not discussed directly with the person involved.

 

11.5 The Headteacher or Chair of Governors should consider if the allegation meets the threshold for Designated Officer intervention. The Local Authority designated officer details can be found of the front of this policy.

 

11.6 Concerns relating to a position of trust issue will be referred to the Local Authority designated officer within 24 hours.

 

11.7 If a child has suffered abuse or harm, a MASH referral will also be made.

 

11.8 In the instances where an allegation is dealt with internally, the Local Authority designated officer will provide information and support to the school in managing the allegation.

 

11.9 A referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service will be made if a member of staff is dismissed or removed from their post as a result of safeguarding concerns, or would have been removed if they had not have resigned.

 

11.10  Whistleblowing

 

11.10.1 The school operates a culture of safeguarding and all staff should report any concerns about poor or unsafe practice, or the school’s safeguarding processes to the senior leadership team.

 

11.9.2 The senior leadership team will take all concerns seriously.

 

11.9.3 In the event that a member of staff is unable to raise an issue with senior leadership in school, they should refer to Part 1 of Keeping Children Safe in Education for additional guidance on whistleblowing procedures.

 

12 Promoting safeguarding and welfare in the curriculum

 

12.1 The school recognises the importance of teaching children how to stay safe and look after their mental health and are committed to equipping children with the skills and knowledge to have successful and happy lives.

 

12.2 The school will teach children about safeguarding, including online safety. As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, the school will cover relevant issues in line with government guidance on Relationships and Sex Education.

 

12.3 Children at the school will receive the following as part of our promotion of safeguarding across the curriculum:

 

• Anti Bullying week
• Anti Bullying performance (as part of above)
• E-Safety week
• Go Givers
• Protected Behaviours
• SRE

 

13 Chlidren looked after

 

13.1 The most common reason for children to be looked-after is because they have experienced abuse and/or neglect. The school recognises that children looked after may have additional vulnerabilities. The Designated Lead for Looked-After and Previously Looked-After Children is the Deputy Headteacher.

 

13.2 Staff will receive training on how to best safeguard children who are Looked-After and Previously Looked-After.

 

13.3 The school will work with Personal Advisors when children leave care (where applicable).

 

13.4 Stoke Primary is committed to working with other agencies to ensure the best outcomes for Looked-After and Previously Looked-After children.

 

14 Children with Special Educational Needs

 

14.1 As outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2019), the school is aware that children with additional needs or disabilities may be more vulnerable to abuse and additional barriers may exist when recognising abuse and neglect.

 

This could be because;

 

• assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the child’s disability without further exploration;
• being more prone to peer group isolation than other children;
• the potential for children with SEN and disabilities being disproportionally impacted by behaviours such as bullying, without outwardly showing any signs; and
• communication barriers and difficulties in overcoming these barriers.[2]

14.2 Staff will be trained in recognising signs of abuse in children with SEN and disabilities.

 

14.3 Staff will take into account the needs of a child when responding to concerns of abuse or when taking a disclosure. We recognise that some children require specialist intervention to communicate and advice from the SENCO will be sought in these circumstances.

 

14.4 Safeguarding learning opportunities within the curriculum will be appropriately differentiated to ensure all children can access it.

 

15 Use of reasonable force

15.1 There may be occasions when it will be necessary for staff use reasonable force to safeguard children. We will not use any more force than is necessary. The school follows Team Teach practice.

 

16 Summary

16.1 The school is committed to safeguarding children and will always make safeguarding decisions that are in the best interests of each child. For further information or if you have any queries about this policy, please contact the school.

 

Appendix A

 

The school adheres to Coventry Local Safeguarding Children Board’s Policies, which can be found here: http://www.proceduresonline.com/covandwarksscb/contents.html

 

The school’s safeguarding policy is intended to be used in conjunction with the policies listed below:

 

• Allegations Against Staff or Persons in a Position of Trust Policy (LSCB)
• Anti – Bullying Policy
• Behaviour Policy
• Complaints Policy
• Curriculum/Teaching & Learning Policy
• Drug Education Policy
• Educational Visits Policy
• E-Safety & Acceptable Use Policy
• Escalation and Resolution of Professional Disagreements (LSCB)
• GDPR Policy
• Health & Safety Policy
• Intimate Care Policy
• Inclusion Policy
• Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs Policy
• PSHE Policy
• Safer Recruitment Policy
• SRE Policy
• Single Equality Scheme
• Site Security Policy
• Staff Code of Conduct
• Whistleblowing Policy

 

 

Appendix B – Further Safeguarding Information

 

Types of Abuse

 

As outlined in paragraph 4.6, the school will take action if we believe a child is at risk of or is suffering from abuse. Abuse is not limited to physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. For further information on the definitions of the types of abuse below, please refer to Keeping Children Safe in Education 2018, Annex A.

 

See below for policy information relating to other key safeguarding issues. All decisions taken in responding to concerns of abuse will be taken in the best interests of the child.

 

Stoke Primary takes all issues and types of abuse seriously, including, but not exclusive to; Bullying, including cyber- or online-bullying, Criminal exploitation (including involvement in county lines), Domestic abuse (where we work closely with other agencies to share information confidentially and support families), Fabricated or induced illness, Faith-based abuse, Female genital mutilation, Forced marriage, Gangs or youth violence, Gender-based violence, Hate, Homelessness, (So-called) ‘Honour-based’ violence, Radicalisation and Extremism (please see policy), Relationship abuse, Sexual violence or sexual harassment (including peer-on-peer abuse), Sexting, Trafficking and modern slavery.

 

We follow all statutory guidance with regards to the reporting of any of the above and will endeavour to support families who experience these types of abuse. We will seek advice from appropriate agencies to support our pastoral team, where needed. We will continue to work with the community and understand that these types of abuse can take many forms. We teach children to be respectful and considerate but also to share any concerns. The above will be reviewed regularly as part of the safeguarding meetings.

 

Children missing from education, home or care

 

The school will also take action to protect;

• Children missing education

• Children missing from home or care

 

Children Missing Education

 

Children Missing Education Statutory Guidance

We follow all statutory guidance when reporting children missing from education.

 

Children Missing from home or care

 

Children Missing Education Statutory Guidance

We follow all statutory guidance when reporting children missing from home or care

 

Private Fostering

 

The school have a duty to refer any children who are living in a private fostering arrangement to the local authority.

We will do this through a MASH referral. It is important that parents/carers inform us if a child is going to be staying at an alternative address to that of their primary care-givers for more than 28 days.

 

Indicators of abuse

 

See below for possible indicators of abuse. (Taken from What to do if you are worried a child is being abused, 2015)

• Children whose behaviour changes – they may become aggressive, challenging,
• disruptive, withdrawn or clingy, or they might have difficulty sleeping or start
• wetting the bed;
• Children with clothes which are ill-fitting and/or dirty;
• Children with consistently poor hygiene;
• Children who make strong efforts to avoid specific family members or friends,
• without an obvious reason;
• Children who don’t want to change clothes in front of others or participate in
• physical activities;
• Children who are having problems at school, for example, a sudden lack of
• concentration and learning or they appear to be tired and hungry;
• Children who talk about being left home alone, with inappropriate carers or with
• strangers;
• Children who reach developmental milestones, such as learning to speak or walk,
• late, with no medical reason;
• Children who are regularly missing from school or education;
• Children who are reluctant to go home after school;
• Children with poor school attendance and punctuality, or who are consistently late
• being picked up;
• Parents who are dismissive and non-responsive to practitioners’ concerns;
• Parents who collect their children from school when drunk, or under the influence
• of drugs;
• Children who drink alcohol regularly from an early age;
• Children who are concerned for younger siblings without explaining why;
• Children who talk about running away; and
• Children who shy away from being touched or flinch at sudden movements.

The school recognises that the above list of indicators is not exhaustive and staff will receive training on indicators of abuse.