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Child Protection / Safeguarding Policy

Stoke Primary School

Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy

 

Also refer to additional Policy – Child Protection / Safeguarding through Covid-19 Policy

Date of Last Review

September 2019

Reviewed by

Ann Marrs - Headteacher (up to 20/12/19)

Agreed by Governors

September 2019

Shared with all Staff

September 2019

Frequency of Review

Annually

Date of Next Review

September 2020

Designated Lead Person

for Child Protection

Ann Marrs - Head Teacher

024 7645 1724

Deputy Designated Lead Person

for Child Protection

Caroline Monkton-Bull - Family Support Worker

024 7645 1724

Chair of Governors:

                        

Steve Quarterman

024 7645 1724 (School)

Vice-Chair of Governors:

 

Bill Gallagher

024 7645 1724

Named Governor for

Safeguarding & Child Protection:

Pam Timms

024 7645 1724

Dedicated lead for Looked after children & previously looked after children.

Joe Jennings, Deputy Headteacher

024 7645 1724

 

E-Safety Lead

 

Vicky Noone - Assistant Headteacher

024 7645 1724

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

Layona Brown

024 7683 3343

 
 

 

 

CONTENTS

1. Definitions. 3
2. Introduction 3
3. Roles and Responsibilities

5
4. Types of abuse 8
5. Responding to signs of abuse 11
6. Record-keeping. 16
7. Photography and Images. 16
8. Early Help 16
9. Staff training.. 17
10. Safer Recruitment 17
11. Allegations of abuse against staff 18
12. Promoting safeguarding and welfare in the curriculum 19
13. Children Looked After

19
14. Children with Special Educational Needs. 19
15. Use of reasonable force 20
16. Summary 20
  Appendix A 21
  Appendix B – Further Safeguarding Information 22

 

  1. Definitions

1.1 ‘Safeguarding’ is defined in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2018) as;

 

  • protecting children from maltreatment;
  • preventing impairment of children's health or development;
  • ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
  • taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

 

1.2 ‘Child Protection’ is the intervention that occurs when children have been significantly harmed or are at risk of significant harm.

 

1.3 ‘Child’ refers to everyone under the age of 18.

 

1.4 ‘Parent’ refers to birth parents and other adults in a parenting role for example adoptive parents, step parents and foster carers.

 

1.5 ‘Staff’ or ‘members of staff’ refers to all teaching, non-teaching, support, supply, peripatetic, contract staff, governors, volunteers and trustees working in or on behalf of Stoke Primary.

 

2. Introduction

 

2.1 We recognise that safeguarding and child protection is an essential part of our duty of care to all students and all staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn. We understand that safeguarding, child protection and promoting the welfare of all children is everyone’s responsibility and everyone has a role to play in protecting children. We recognise that our school is part of a wider safeguarding system for children and work closely with other agencies to promote the welfare of children. We maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ and will consider the wishes of, and at all times, what is in the best interests of each child.

 

2.2 The purpose of this policy is to;

 

  • Promote safeguarding and child protection and to demonstrate Stoke Primary school’s commitment to keeping children safe;
  • Provide all members of staff with the information required to meet their safeguarding duty and protect children from harm;
  • Provide stakeholders with clear information relating to Stoke Primary school’s safeguarding and child protection procedures;
  • Ensure that staff understand, can recognise and can respond to the indicators of abuse;
  • Ensure that all staff are aware of their mandatory reporting duty in relation to Section 5B of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003; and
  • Ensure that children are protected from maltreatment or harm.
  •  

2.3 Stoke Primary is committed to the following principles;

 

  • All children have the right to be protected from harm.
  • Children should feel safe and secure and cannot learn unless they do so.
  • All staff are responsible for keeping children safe and have a responsibility to act if they think a child is at risk of harm.
  • Working with other agencies is essential to promote safeguarding and protect children from harm.
  • Early help and providing support to families and/or children as soon as a problem emerges is essential to improving outcomes for children and families.
  •  

2.4 Safeguarding aims

 

2.4.1 The safeguarding aims of Stoke primary, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2018) are to;

 

  • work to identify children who are suffering or likely to suffer harm or abuse and act to protect them;
  • work with relevant services and agencies to ensure that children are protected from harm;
  • provide a learning environment for children which is safe and secure;
  • teach children how to keep themselves safe and provide structures for them to raise concerns if they are worried or at risk of harm;
  • ensure that we adhere to safer recruitment guidance and legislation, deal promptly with allegations of abuse against staff and take bullying and harassment seriously;
  • train staff effectively in all safeguarding issues and in their responsibilities for identifying and protecting children that are or may be at risk of harm;
  • recognise that all children may be vulnerable to abuse, but be aware that some children have increased vulnerabilities due to special educational needs or disabilities;
  • maintain a robust recording system for any safeguarding or child protection information;
  • ensure that everyone in Stoke Primary understands the safeguarding procedures; and to
  • regularly review policies and procedures to ensure that children are protected to the best of our ability.

 

2.5 This policy adheres to the following documents;

 

 

2.6 Please note that there are a number of other documents (statutory and non-statutory) that inform our policy and practice. A list of these can be found in Annex A of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2018).

 

2.7 This policy should be read in conjunction with the policies listed in Appendix A.

 

2.8 Scope

 

2.8.1 This policy applies to all teaching, non-teaching, support, supply, peripatetic, contract staff, governors, volunteers and trustees working in or on behalf of Stoke Primary School. All references in this document to ‘staff’ or ‘members of staff’ should be interpreted as relating to the aforementioned unless otherwise stated.

 

2.8.2 Rather than duplicating content from Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2018) in this policy, it should be understood that the school will always refer to this document as the benchmark for all safeguarding practice.

 

3. Roles and Responsibilities

 

3.1 The Role of the Governing Board:

 

3.1.1 The Governing Board school has a nominated governor to take leadership responsibility for safeguarding. This role is carried out by Pam Timms. Part 2 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2018) sets out the responsibilities of governing bodies. As part of these overarching responsibilities the Governing Body will;

 

  • Ensure that they comply with their duties under legislation;
  • Ensure that policies, procedure and training in Stoke Primary are effective and comply with the law at all times and that they allow concerns to be responded to in a timely manner;
  • Ensure that Stoke primary takes into account local authority and Coventry Local Safeguarding Board policies and supply information as requested by the CSCB;
  • Ensure that Stoke Primary has an effective child protection policy, that it is published on the school website or available by other means and review this annually;
  • Ensure that Stoke Primary has a staff behaviour policy or Code of Conduct;
  • Ensure that all staff undergo safeguarding and child protection training on induction;
  • Put in place appropriate safeguarding responses for children who go missing from education;
  • Appoint an appropriate member of staff from the senior leadership team to the role of designated safeguarding lead;
  • Ensure that appropriate filters and monitoring systems are in place to keep children safe online; and
  • Respond to allegations of abuse against the headteacher.

 

3.2 The Role of the Headteacher

 

3.2.1 The Headteacher will;

 

  • Ensure that this policy is reviewed annually and ratified by the governing body;
  • Ensure that this policy and associated procedures are adhered to by all staff;
  • Ensure that all staff are made aware of the named governor for safeguarding and the designated safeguarding lead;
  • Ensure that the role of ‘Designated Safeguarding Lead’ is explicit in the role-holder’s job description;
  • Decide whether to have one or more deputy safeguarding leads and ensure they are trained to the same standard as the Designated Safeguarding Lead;
  • Organise appropriate cover for the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead for any out of hour/out of term activities;
  • Appoint a ‘Designated Teacher for Looked-After Children’ to promote the educational achievement of children looked after;
  • Appoint a lead for online safety; (ICT consultant but DSL will still retain ultimate responsibility for this)
  • Ensure that all recruitment follows the ‘Safer Recruitment’ guidance and a single, central record is maintained with details of all members of staff who are in contact with children;
  • Respond to allegations of abuse against all other members of staff;
  • Refer cases where a person is dismissed or left due to risk/harm to a child to the Disclosure and Barring Service as required;
  • Safeguard children’s wellbeing and maintain public trust in the teaching profession as part of their professional duties (Teaching Standards, 2012); and
  • Ensure that children’s social care have access to Stoke Primary to conduct, or to consider whether to conduct a section 47 or section 17 assessment, as per Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2018).

 

3.3 The Role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead

 

3.3.1 The Designated Safeguarding Lead for Stoke Primary is the Headteacher, Matthew Ascroft. The Designated Safeguarding Lead will;

 

  • Take overall lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection in the school;
  • Act as a source of support and expertise on matters relating to safeguarding and child protection to ensure that other members of staff can carry out their safeguarding duty;
  • Be best placed to advise on the response to safeguarding concerns;
  • Liaise with the Local Authority and work with other agencies in line with ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015);
  • Identify if children may benefit from early help;
  • Make referrals to Coventry’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) where children are at risk of significant harm.
  • Make referrals to the Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern and/or support staff that make a referral to Channel;
  • Support the school with regards to their responsibilities under the Prevent duty and provide advice and support on protecting children from radicalisation;
  • Refer cases to the police where a crime may have been committed;
  • Be available during school or college hours for staff to discuss any safeguarding concerns. In the event that they are not available, a deputy will be made available;
  • Undertake training to equip them with the skills to carry out the role and update this every two years;
  • Ensure all staff have read and understood Part 1 and Annex A of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2018);
  • Update their knowledge and skills regularly and keep up with any developments relevant to their role;
  • Provide staff in school with the knowledge, skills and support required to safeguard children;
  • Take responsibility for the accurate and timely recording of safeguarding and child protection concerns and take overall responsibility for safeguarding and child protection files;
  • Take responsibility for the transfer of safeguarding files when a child leaves Stoke Primary school;
  • Attend or ensure an appropriate representative attends multi-agency safeguarding or child protection meetings;
  • Work closely with other relevant education professionals (e.g. SENCO, Virtual School Head) to ensure children with additional vulnerabilities are safeguarded;
  • Promote a ‘culture of safeguarding’, in which every member of Stoke Primary community acts in the best interests of the child;
  • Regularly meet with the safeguarding link governor and/or Chair of Governors to review safeguarding in Stoke Primary and
  • Liaise with the identified staff regarding safeguarding cases and issues.

 

3.3.2 Further details on the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead can be found in Annex B of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2018).

 

3.4 The Role & Responsibilities of all Staff within School

 

3.4.1 School staff play a particularly important role because they are in a position to identify concerns early in order to provide help for children. All staff in Stoke Primary School

 

  • Have a responsibility to provide a safe environment, where children can learn;
  • Should know what to do if a child tells them that he/she is being abused or neglected;
  • Will be able to identify indicators of abuse;
  • Will be made aware of; the safeguarding and child protection policy; the school behaviour policy; the staff behaviour policy; information about the safeguarding response to children missing in education; the role of the designated safeguarding lead and systems in the school that support safeguarding and child protection;
  • Will be provided with a copy of Part 1 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2018) annually and receive annually updated training on their safeguarding roles and responsibilities;
  • Should know what to do if a child makes a disclosure of abuse and never promise confidentiality when a child makes a disclosure;
  • Will be made aware of the early help process and understand their role in it;
  • Should be prepared to identify children who may benefit from early help and will discuss early help requirements with the safeguarding lead in the first instance;
  • May be required to support social workers and other agencies following a referral;
  • Will be made aware of the process for making referrals to Children’s Social Care (though the MASH), understand statutory assessments and the role that they may be expected to play in such assessments;
  • Should be prepared to make referrals to the MASH if they have concerns about a child’s welfare and understand the role that they may be expected to play in such assessments;
  • Will receive regularly updated safeguarding and child protection training;
  • Will receive safeguarding updates throughout the year as part of continuous professional development;
  • Should be able to contribute to the development of safeguarding policy and practice.
  • Should always seek advice from the Designated Safeguarding Lead if they are unsure; and
  • All teachers should safeguard children’s wellbeing and maintain public trust in the teaching profession as part of their professional duties (Teaching Standards, 2012).
 

4. Types of abuse

 

4.1 As outlined above, all staff will be trained in indicators of abuse and should be able to recognise signs of abuse. We recognise that abuse, neglect and safeguarding issues are complex and can rarely be covered by one label. Abuse can take many forms and can involve directly inflicting harm on a child, or failing to protect a child from harm. The four main types of abuse that staff are trained to recognise are;

 

  • Physical abuse;
  • Sexual abuse;
  • Emotional abuse;
  • Neglect.

 

4.2 Types of abuse (Taken from Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2018

Type of abuse

Information

Abuse

A form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.

Physical abuse

A form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.

Emotional abuse

The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

Sexual abuse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Child sexual

exploitation (CSE)

Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children. The sexual abuse of children by other children is a specific safeguarding issue in education.

 

CSE is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.

Neglect

The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy, for example, as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

[

4.3 Indicators of abuse can be found in Appendix B.

 

4.4 If a child is in immediate danger or at risk of harm, a referral will be made to children’s social care (through the MASH) and any member of staff can make this referral. A Designated or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead should be available at all times, but in exceptional circumstances the member of staff should speak to a member of the Senior Leadership Team or seek advice directly from social care and then take appropriate action. The Designated Safeguarding Lead should be made aware as soon as possible.

 

4.5 Staff, parents and the wider community should report any concerns that they have about the welfare of children, however minor or seemingly insignificant. Staff should not assume that someone else will report concerns.

 

4.6 The school recognises that any child can be the victim of abuse and may benefit from early help. However, the school will be particularly vigilant to potential need for early help if a child;

 

  • Is disabled and have specific additional needs;
  • has special educational needs (whether or not they have a statutory education, health and care plan);
  • is a young carer;
  • is showing signs of being drawn in to anti-social or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups;
  • is frequently missing/goes missing from care or from home;
  • is misusing drugs or alcohol themselves;
  • Is at risk of modern slavery, trafficking or exploitation;
  • is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as substance abuse, adult mental health problems or domestic abuse;
  • has returned home to their family from care;
  • is showing early signs of abuse and/or neglect;
  • is at risk of being radicalised or exploited;
  • is a privately fostered child.[1]

 

4.7 Stoke Primary School recognises that abuse can take many different forms. Staff will also receive training on the following issues and action will be taken if the school believes that a child is at risk of or is the victim of;

 

  • physical abuse;
  • sexual abuse;
  • child sexual exploitation;
  • emotional abuse;
  • neglect;
  • bullying, including cyber- or online-bullying;
  • criminal exploitation (including involvement in county lines);
  • domestic abuse;
  • fabricated or induced illness;
  • faith-based abuse;
  • female genital mutilation;
  • forced marriage;
  • gangs or youth violence;
  • gender-based violence;
  • hate;
  • honour-based violence;
  • radicalisation;
  • relationship abuse;
  • serious violence
  • sexual violence or sexual harassment (including peer on peer abuse);
  • sexting;
  • so called ’honour based’ violence
  • trafficking and modern slavery.

 

4.8 Stoke primary School will also take action to protect;

 

  • Children missing education;
  • Children missing from home or care.

 

4.9 There are other familial issues that can have a detrimental impact on children.

We work with other agencies in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (2019) to support children and families in the following circumstances;

 

  • Children facing the court procedures and/or children in the court system;
  • Children with family members in prison;
  • Children who are homeless.

 

4.10 Stoke primary have a duty to refer any children who are living in a private fostering  arrangement to the local authority.

 

4.11 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. See Appendix B for further information on the school’s Prevent duty.

 

    1. If any member of staff is unsure about signs of abuse or neglect, they should speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

 

4.12 See Appendix B for further information and guidance on the above issues.[2

5. Responding to signs of abuse

 

5.1 If a member of staff, parent or member of the public is concerned about a child’s welfare, they should report it to the designated safeguarding lead as soon as possible. On occasions when the designated safeguarding lead is not available, it should be reported to the deputy safeguarding lead without delay. Although any member of staff can make a referral to Children’s social care, where possible there should be a conversation with the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

 

5.2 If anyone other than the Designated Safeguarding Lead makes a referral to children’s social care or to the police, they should inform the DSL as soon as possible.

 

5.3 All staff will be alert to indicators of abuse and will report any of the following to the Designated Safeguarding Lead immediately;

 

  • Any concern or suspicion that a child has sustained an injury outside what is reasonably attributable to normal play;
  • Any concerning behaviours exhibited by children that may indicated that they have been harmed or are at risk of harm, including unusual changes in mood or behaviour, concerning use of language and/or concerning drawings or stories.
  • Any significant changes in attendance or punctuality;
  • Any significant changes in a child’s presentation;
  • Any concerns relating to people who may pose a risk of harm to a child; and/or
  • Any disclosures of abuse that children have made;

 

5.4 There will be occasions where a child discloses abuse directly to a member of staff. If this  happens, the member of staff will;

 

  • listen carefully to the child and believe what they are saying;
  • not promise confidentiality, as information may need to be passed on so the child and family can receive additional support;
  • only ask for clarification if something is unclear and will not ask ‘leading’ questions;
  • report disclosure to the designated safeguarding lead as soon as possible, certainly by the end of the day;
  • only discuss the issue with colleagues that need to know about it; and
  • will write up the disclosure and pass it to the designated safeguarding lead. It is likely they will have a discussion with the DSL prior to this.

 

5.5 The designated safeguarding lead will make a decision about the action that needs to be taken following a member of staff raising a concern about a child, or following a direct disclosure. The DSL may;

 

  • Manage support for the child internally;
  • Seek advice from the social worker advice line in the MASH;
  • Instigate single agency intervention and work directly with the family to improve the situation;
  • Offer an Early Help Assessment to provide multi-agency help to a family;
  • In cases where children are deemed to be at significant risk of harm, the DSL will refer cases to the MASH for statutory intervention. Parental consent will be obtained wherever possible before referring cases to the MASH. However, if the school is worried that telling parents will mean the child is at greater risk of harm, we may do this without informing them.
  • If parents do not consent to a referral but the school believes that a child is at significant risk of harm, a referral will still be made to children’s social care.
  •  

5.6    For further information about the Coventry Safeguarding Children Board’s ‘Right Help, Right Time’ guidance, which is used by the school to make decisions about protecting children, please visit http://www.coventry.gov.uk/righthelprighttime.

 

5.7     See page 15 for flowchart of actions that will be taken where there are concerns about a child (taken from Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2019).

 

5.8    In cases where members of staff become aware that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has been carried out on a female below the age of 18, they have a mandatory duty to report this to the police without delay and will do so. Staff should refer this to the DSL, but the legislation requires regulated health and social care professionals and teachers in England and Wales to make a report to the police where, in the course of their professional duties, they either;

 

  • are informed by a girl under 18 that an act of FGM has been carried out on her; or
  • observe physical signs which appear to show that an act of FGM has been carried out on a girl under 18 and they have no reason to believe that the act was necessary for the girl’s physical or mental health or for purposes connected with labour or birth.[3]

5.9 Stoke Primary School understands that both adults and other children can perpetrate abuse, and peer on peer abuse is taken very seriously. Peer on peer abuse can include bullying, cyber-bullying, physical abuse, sexting, sexual violence and/or harassment, upskirting and initiation/hazing ceremonies. The school recognise that safeguarding issues can manifest as peer on peer abuse.

 

5.9.1 All members of staff will be made aware of the school’s policy and procedures with regards to peer on peer abuse. The school will ensure staff understand what is meant by peer on peer abuse from school policies and through staff training.

 

5.9.2 The school will work to prevent peer on peer abuse with the use of the school’s PHSE Scheme and Circle Time.

 

5.9.3   In the event that an allegation of peer on peer abuse is made, the school will investigate this by following the guidance in the Anti Bullying Policy.

 

5.9.4  In the event that an allegation of peer on peer abuse is made, victims and alleged perpetrators will be supported by the pastoral team through the various stages.

 

5.9.5 Stoke Primary will never pass off peer on peer abuse as ‘banter’ or ‘part of growing up’.

 

5.9.6 Stoke Primary will adhere to guidance set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2018) and Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in Schools (May 2018) when responding to incidents of peer on peer abuse.

 

5.10 Youth Produced Sexual Imagery (‘sexting’)

 

5.10.1  ‘Sexting’ refers to any sharing of youth-produced sexual imagery between children. This includes;

 

  • A person under the age of 18 creating and sharing sexual imagery of themselves with a peer under the age of 18;
  • A person under the age of 18 sharing sexual imagery created by another person under the age of 18 with a peer under the age of 18 or an adult;
  • A person under the age of 18 being in possession of sexual imagery created by another person under the age of 18.

 

5.10.2 Stoke Primary has a responsibility to educate children in the risks relating to ‘sexting’ and how to keep themselves safe online and does this with reference to the relevant policies in Appendix A.

 

5.10.3 Any incidents or suspected incidents of ‘sexting’ should be reported to the DSL without delay.

 

5.10.4 Once reported to the DSL, the DSL will decide on the appropriate course of action. This could include;

 

  • Confiscation of mobile phones in line with guidance ‘Searching, Screening and Confiscation, January 2018);
  • Referrals to the police and/or MASH;
  • Sanctions in accordance with behaviour policy;
  • Support for young people involved to prevent reoccurrence;

 

5.10.5 The school recognises that safeguarding incidents can be associated with factors outside the school and may take place outside of school. We will always consider contextual safeguarding factors when responding to safeguarding incidents.

 

5.10.6 Any incidents of ‘sexting’ involving the following will result in a MASH and/or Police referral;

 

  • Adult involvement;
  • Coercion or blackmail; 
  • Children under the age of 13;
  • Extreme, or violent content;
  • Immediate risk of harm.

 

5.10.7 Staff will not view images or videos on pupil devices. Confiscated devices will be stored securely and passed to the relevant agencies.

 

5.10.8  The school will work with parents as necessary if their child is involved in ‘sexting’.

 

5.10.9 We operate a culture of safeguarding and young people should feel confident to disclose if they have sent an inappropriate image of themselves. Children will always be supported to retrieve and delete the images.

 

5.11 Serious Violence

 

5.11.1 All staff will be made aware of indicators which may signal that children are at risk of or are involved with serious violent crime.

 

5.11.2 All staff will be made aware of the risks associated serious violence, criminal networks and gangs and understand the measures in place to prevent these.

 

5.12 Searching, Screening and Confiscation

 

5.12.1 Where necessary, searching, screening and confiscation will be used to safeguard children in Stoke Primary.

 

5.12.2  Stoke Primary will adhere to the ‘Searching, Screening and Confiscation: Advice for Schools (May 2018).

 

[1] Taken from paragraph 18, Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2018)

[2] Please note that definitions of physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect are contained in the main body of the policy. Further information about other safeguarding issues and indicators of abuse can be found in Appendix B.

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

 

[1] Taken from paragraph 18, Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2018)

[2] Please note that definitions of physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect are contained in the main body of the policy. Further information about other safeguarding issues and indicators of abuse can be found in Appendix B.

[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.

 

[1] Also known as ‘youth produced sexual imagery’.

[2] Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2018
 
 

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