Whole School Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

 

Named staff/personnel with specific responsibility for Child Protection

Academic Year	2022-2023
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Deputy Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) Cared for Children Lead Senior DSL	Charlotte Gaskell Danielle Taylor Sharon Pearson – School Family Link Worker Charlotte Proffit - Associate Assistant Headteacher - Safeguarding Louise Pottinger - Deputy Headteacher - Behaviour and inclusion
Nominated Governor Chair of Governors	Vacant David Roberts - DRoberts@kingswaypark.org

Training for Designated Staff in School (DSL’s) should refresh their multi-agency training every 2 years).

Name of Staff Member / Governor	Date when last attended Safeguarding Training	Provided by Whom (e.g. RBSCB, Governor Support Services, Fair Access Team)
Charlotte Gaskell	July 2022	RBSCP
Danielle Taylor	June 2021	RBSCP
Charlotte Proffit	November 2022	RBSCP

Whole School Staff Safeguarding Children Training (all staff should receive induction and a training update at regular intervals).

Who attended (e.g. all teaching and welfare/support staff,  Governors and volunteers)	Date	Training Delivered by
All Staff	September 2022	Charlotte Gaskell

Annual Review date for this policy

Review Date	Changes made	By whom
September 2023	Inclusion of all new legislation	Charlotte Proffit

Introduction

Specific guidance given by the secretary of state uncle. Section 157 and Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 places a duty on Local Authorities to exercise their functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children who are students at a school, or who are students under 18 years of age attending further education institutions. This policy is based on legislation and statutory guidance as follows:

Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM government July 2018).  Keeping Children Safe in Education DfE (Statutory guidance revised September 2021). Governance Handbook.

What to do if you are worried a child is being abused – Advice for practitioners (DfE 2015).

Legislation and Statutory Guidance

We comply with this guidance and the arrangements agreed and published by our 3 local safeguarding partners, the Local Authority, Clinical Commissioning Group for an area within the LA and the Chief Officer of Police for a Police area in the LA area, including the Greater Manchester multi-agency safeguarding procedures and the Rochdale Children’s Needs and Responses Framework revised 2021.

The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009 which set out what must be recorded on the single central record and the requirement for at least one person conducting an interview to be trained in safer recruitment techniques.

The Children Act 1989 (and 2004 amendment), which provides a framework for the care and protection of children.

Section 5B(11) of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, as inserted by section 74 of the Serious Crime Act 2015, which places a statutory duty on teachers to report to the police where they discover that female genital mutilation (FGM) appears to have been carried out on a girl under 18.

Multi-agency statutory guidance on FGM 2016 (revised guidance 2020) which sets out responsibilities for schools with regards to safeguarding and supporting girls affected by FGM.

Storing and processing of personal information is governed by the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, which outlines when people with criminal convictions can work with children.

Statutory guidance on the Prevent duty 2015 (revised guidance 2021), which explains schools’ duties under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 with respect to protecting people from the risk of radicalisation and extremism.

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Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means:

• Protecting the children from maltreatment.
• Preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development.
• Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

This policy is a statement of the aims, principles and strategies relating to Safeguarding children. Our policy applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working in Kingsway Park High School. It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure our students are safe. Visitors to the school are expected to follow the guidelines in our visitor’s leaflet.

All staff will be provided with and read part 1 of the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education 2015 (revised guidance September 2021).

Staff who do not work directly with children will be provided with a condensed version of this document during their annual training event. Annex A.

Our Statement of Purpose

Kingsway Park High School is committed to providing a secure and supportive learning environment where children can develop and grow into mature, responsible and successful members of adult society. Our school fully recognises the contribution it can make to protect children and support students in school. To provide clear direction to staff and others about expected codes of behaviour in dealing with safeguarding issues. Staff should ensure all safeguarding concerns are handled sensitively and professionally. At all times the needs of the child should be prioritised.

All Staff are aware of their statutory responsibility in relation to safeguarding.

Staff are properly trained in recognising and reporting safeguarding issues.

There are 3 main elements to our Safeguarding policy:

Prevention

Provision of positive school atmosphere, teaching and pastoral support to students.

Protection

By following agreed procedures, ensuring staff are trained and supported to respond appropriately and sensitively to Child Protection concerns/disclosures.

Support

To students and school staff to maintain their welfare and well-being.

This Policy applies to students, staff and volunteers in the school.

At Kingsway Park we recognise that high self-esteem, confidence, peer support and clear lines of communication with trusted adults helps all children, and especially those at risk of or who are suffering significant harm.

Our school will therefore:

• Establish and maintain an ethos where children feel secure and are encouraged to talk and are listened to.
• Ensure that children know that there are adults in the school who they can approach if they are worried or are in difficulty.
• Equip children with the skills they need to stay safe and/or communicate their fears or concerns about abuse.

Kingsway Park are committed to:

• Providing a curriculum which will enable all children to develop to their full potential.
• Creating an environment whereby high standards of work, effort and behaviour are expected and rewarded.
• Developing an inclusive school community whereby everyone feels valued and secure, understands expectations and procedures, shows understanding of others, respect for diversity, promotes equality of opportunity and fosters a sense of pride in our school.

Included in the curriculum is material that will help children develop realistic attitudes to the responsibilities of adult life.

A continuous effort towards creating and developing positive working relationships between Kingsway Park, staff, parents and other agencies will be maintained.

Aims of the Policy

• To ensure all staff, volunteers and visitors are aware of their roles and/or responsibility to safeguard the welfare of children.
• Staff are expected to continuously demonstrate high standards of personal and professional conduct, in and out of the workplace.
• To provide a clear process and framework to enable the reporting of anything that might indicate that a child is at risk or of suffering significant harm.
• To inform staff, volunteers and visitors of the named Designated Safeguarding Person for Kingsway Park High School and other key staff with specific related responsibilities.
• To make all staff aware of relevant Government documents and Rochdale Safeguarding Children Partnership Policies and Procedures.
• To provide information to parents of our roles and responsibilities, what they can expect from the school and what is expected of them.
• To provide a safe, secure positive environment to enable students to disclose any kind of abuse, maltreatment or significant harm.

Structure of the Policy

In order to do this, this policy will consider:

1. Protection. Support.
2. Roles and Responsibilities.
3. Named people.
4. Procedures
5. Recording Monitoring and Review.

Appendices: Related Policies, Guidance and Documentation

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Prevention

Safer Recruitment and Retention

Kingsway Park High School is committed to adopting recruitment and selection procedures and other human resources management process that help deter, reject or identify people who might pose a risk to children or are otherwise unsuited to work with them.

Two of the most important features of safer recruitment are deterrence and prevention.

In order to deter unsuitable applicants, the School will ensure that the rigour of the process and the determination of the selectors, to do all in their power to avoid the appointment of unsafe people are so clear that unsuitable applicants will not apply for posts.

In order to prevent selection of unsuitable applicants, as much information as possible will be gleaned about individuals before the final selection decision is made to prevent those unsafe people, should they apply, from gaining access to children.

Guidance for Safer Working Practices for staff and volunteers who work with children and young people

The document brings together the Government Office North West Guidance for Safer Working Practice for Adults who Work with Children and Young People and the Safer Recruitment Consortium Guidance for Safer Working Practice for Adults who work with Children and Young People in Education Settings. (Both documents were originally published in 2009 were later archived by the government. Safer Working Practice for Adults who work with Children and Young People in Education Settings has since been updated and was revised in 2019 and revised again in 2020 by the UK Safer Recruitment Consortium, to account for online learning during the Coronavirus outbreak in the UK.

Guidance for safe working practice for those working with children in education and early years settings code of conduct (revised April 2020).

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 refers to avoiding harm or risk of harm by preventing people who are deemed unsuitable to work with children and vulnerable adults from getting to them through their work. Part 3 of the Keeping Children Safe in Education September 2021 refers to the safer recruitment process.

Dress and appearance of staff should adopt a presentation appropriate to their professional role. Staff should be dressed decently, safely and appropriately to avoid being vulnerable to criticism and/or allegation.

Staff need to be aware that gifts given or received could be interpreted ad a bribe. It is permissible for gifts of appreciation to be given and accepted, but regular occurrences may be perceived as favouritism.

We will record all information on the checks carried out in the school’s single central record (SCR). Copies of these checks, where appropriate, will be held in individuals’ personnel files. We follow requirements and best practice in retaining copies of these checks.

New staff

When appointing new staff, we will:

• Verify their identity.
• Obtain (via the applicant) an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate, including barred list information for those who will be engaging in regulated activity (see definition below). We will not keep a copy of this for longer than 6 months.
• Obtain a separate barred list check if they will start work in regulated activity before the DBS certificate is available.
• Verify their mental and physical fitness to carry out their work responsibilities.
• Verify their right to work in the UK. We will keep a copy of this verification for the duration of the member of staff’s employment and for 2 years afterwards.
• Verify their professional qualifications, as appropriate.
• Ensure they are not subject to a prohibition order if they are employed to be a Teacher.
• Carry out further additional checks, as appropriate, on candidates who have lived or worked outside of the UK, including (where relevant) any teacher sanctions or restrictions imposed by a European Economic Area professional regulating authority, and criminal records checks or their equivalent.

We will ask for written information about previous employment history and check that information is not contradictory or incomplete.

We will seek references on all short-listed candidates, including internal candidates, before interview. We will scrutinise these and resolve any concerns before confirming appointments. The references requested will ask specific questions about the suitability of the applicant to work with children.

We will always have at least one senior member of staff on any interview panel who has undertaken safer recruitment training.

Regulated activity definition is set out in schedule of the Safeguarding and Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 as amended to Protections of Freedoms Act 2012.

Regulated activity means a person who will be:

• Responsible, on a regular basis in a school or college, for teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children.
• Carrying out paid, or unsupervised unpaid, work regularly in a school or college where that work provides an opportunity for contact with children.
• Engaging in intimate or personal care or overnight activity, even if this happens only once and regardless of whether they are supervised or not.

Existing staff

If we have concerns about an existing member of staff’s suitability to work with children, we will carry out all the relevant checks as if the individual was a new member of staff. We will also do this if an individual decides to move from a post that is not regulated activity to one that is.

We will refer to the DBS anyone who has harmed, or poses a risk of harm, to a child or vulnerable adult where:

• The individual has received a caution or conviction for a relevant offence, or there is reason to believe the individual has committed a listed relevant offence, under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Prescribed Criteria and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2009.
• The individual has been removed from working in regulated activity (paid or unpaid) or would have been removed if they had not left.

Agency and third-party staff

We will obtain written notification from any agency or third-party organisation that it has carried out the necessary safer recruitment checks that we would otherwise perform. We will also check that the person presenting themselves for work is the same person on whom the checks have been made.

Contractors

We will ensure that any contractor, or any employee of the contractor, who is to work at the school has had the appropriate level of DBS check (this includes contractors who are provided through a PFI or similar contract). This will be:

• An enhanced DBS check with barred list information for contractors engaging in regulated activity.
• An enhanced DBS check, not including barred list information, for all other contractors who are not in regulated activity but whose work provides them with an opportunity for regular contact with children.

We will obtain the DBS check for self-employed contractors.

We will not keep copies of such checks for longer than 6 months.

Contractors who have not had any checks will not be allowed to work unsupervised or engage in regulated activity under any circumstances.

We will check the identity of all contractors and their staff on arrival at the school.

Trainee/student teachers

Where applicants for initial teacher training are salaried by us, we will ensure that all necessary checks are carried out.

Where trainee teachers are fee-funded, we will obtain written confirmation from the training provider that necessary checks have been carried out and that the trainee has been judged by the provider to be suitable to work with children.

Volunteers

We will:

• Never leave a volunteer unsupervised.
• Carry out a risk assessment if necessary when deciding whether to seek an enhanced DBS check without barred list information for any volunteers not engaging in regulated activity. We will retain a record of this risk assessment.

Governors

All Governors will have an enhanced DBS check without barred list information.

They will have an enhanced DBS check with barred list information if working in regulated activity.

All governors will also have a section 128 check. A section 128 direction disqualifies an individual from being a maintained school governor.

Staff working in alternative provision settings

Where we place a student with an alternative provision provider, we obtain written confirmation from the provider that they have carried out the appropriate safeguarding checks on individuals working there that we would otherwise perform.

Adults who supervise students on work experience

When organising work experience, we will ensure that policies and procedures are in place to protect children from harm.

Where individuals have the responsibility of supervising a student, we always verify that individual’s identity in addition to them being supervised at all times.

We will also consider whether it is necessary for barred list checks to be carried out on the individuals who supervise a student under 16 on work experience. This will depend on the specific circumstances of the work experience, including the nature of the supervision, the frequency of the activity being supervised, and whether the work is regulated activity.

Duty of Care

All adults who work with and on behalf of children are accountable for the way in which they exercise authority; manage risk; use resources; and safeguard children and young people.

Staff should work in an open and transparent way whether working in a paid or voluntary capacity adults should:

• Understand the responsibilities, which are part of their employment or voluntary role. They should always act and be seen to act in the child’s best interests.
• Avoid any conduct which would lead any reasonable person to question their motivation and intentions. They should take responsibility for their own actions and behaviour.
• Not use their position to gain access to information for their own or others’ advantage, use their position to intimidate, bully, humiliate, threaten, coerce or undermine children or young people or use their status and standing, to form or promote relationships which are of a sexual nature, or which may become so. This includes creating, developing or participating in communication by social media methods.
• Not behave in or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.

Kingsway Park ensure that appropriate safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures are adopted, implemented and monitored. We ensure that codes of conduct/practice are continually monitored and reviewed. We foster a culture of openness and support and ensure that systems are in place for concerns to be raised.

Any person in charge of/or working with children and young people in any capacity is considered both legally and morally to offer them a duty of care.

Kingsway Park High School will implement the statutory guidance as set out) in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ DfE (Statutory guidance revised September 2021) plus any updates as they arise.

Protection

Environment, Expectations & Curriculum

Kingsway Park High School will provide and promote a safe working environment by:

• Ensuring the physical environment meets legal Health and Safety requirements.
• Ensuring access to the building and grounds is restricted and monitored.
• Providing clear guidelines about safe working practices in specialised subjects/areas such as science labs, technology rooms and P.E.
• The e-safety policy is a separate document to the safeguarding policy providing clear guidelines about the safe use of ICT and the internet. The Designated Safeguarding Lead holds responsibility including safeguarding and child protection in relation to online safety.
• Providing clear and consistent expectations of behaviour, work ethos and care for others.

Ensuring staff are familiar with and follow the RBSCP Multi Agency Safeguarding Procedures and KPHS safeguarding procedures.

Kingsway Park High School will provide opportunities through the curriculum and ethos to promote a positive, supportive and secure environment to ensure that students and staff recognise when they are at risk and how to get help when they need it. Opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills that will help them to stay safe and be healthy will be thread throughout the curriculum, for example:

• Healthy Lifestyles – P.E, Food Science and Nutrition, Relationships and Sex Education, human biology, Mental Health and Mindfulness
• Staying safe - anti-bullying, personal safety, community awareness and cohesion, drugs, alcohol awareness, online safety, and awareness of criminal and sexual exploitation.
• Social, moral, spiritual, and cultural aspects.
• British Values – democracy, rule of law, tolerance of different cultures and religions, mutual respect, and individual liberty.
• Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning.

External agencies may be used to support content and delivery of a range of different areas covered in the curriculum to support students and staff where necessary to provide expertise.

Protecting children from radicalisation is promoted through the Prevent Duty (revised guidance 2021) and this will be covered in the Social Science curriculum.

Discovery or disclosure of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is managed by the mandatory reporting duty introduced in October 2015 and Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance April 2016 (revised guidance 2020). FGM is included in the Serious Crime Act 2015.

Where appropriate, additional personalised curriculum opportunities will be used to target specific needs for potentially vulnerable young people, for example to raise levels of self-esteem. Opportunities both within the curriculum and extra-curricular events underpin the development of confidence, self-management and independence which helps develop personal, social, and physical and emotional well-being.

Specific work is provided in response to events that have occurred in order to minimise repetition therefore reducing future risk. For example, children missing from home or school, child sexual exploitation (CSE), child criminal exploitation (CCE) or unplanned sexual activity. The weapons protocol and sexually harmful behaviours protocol have been adopted and introduced as part of managing risk.

We continuously ensure that any form of abuse or harmful behaviour is dealt with immediately and consistently, to reduce the extent of harm to the young person with full consideration to the impact on that individual child’s emotional needs, mental health needs and their well-being.

Children with Special Educational Needs are at a higher risk from abuse and/or neglect. Early identification and support by the SENDCo, pastoral team and teaching staff is effective due to continuous training.

Social contact outside of the workplace with students is not acceptable. Staff may have friendships with families of Kingsway Park High School students out of school. In this case staff must be mindful of their professional responsibilities both inside and out of their working hours.

We are committed to anti-discriminatory practice and recognise children’s diverse circumstances. We ensure that all children have the same protection, regardless of any barriers they may face.

We give special consideration to children who:

• Have special educational needs (SEND) and/or disabilities.
• Are young carers.
• May experience discrimination due to their race, ethnicity, religion, gender identification or sexuality.
• Have English as an additional language.
• Are known to be living in difficult situations – for example, temporary accommodation or where there are issues such as substance abuse or domestic violence.
• Are at risk of FGM, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, or radicalisation and hate crimes.
• Are asylum seekers.
• Are at risk due to either their own or a family member’s mental health needs.
• Are looked after or previously looked after.
• Have a Social Worker.

Support

Kingsway Park High School will provide appropriate support for students to place them in the best possible position to stay safe and be healthy. We offer:

• Appropriately differentiated learning opportunities within lessons.
• Personalised/bespoke learning support/intervention as appropriate including alternative/off site provision.
• Kingsway Avenue includes 3 foundation families and a nurture room. This provision provides exclusive support for our most vulnerable students.
• Implement a clear, consistent and positive behaviour policy and provide details of key expectations within their student planners.
• Implement a clear anti-bullying policy and provide key related information for students within their student planners indicating where they can seek advice/help in relation to safeguarding concerns.
• Ensure that staff who deal with specific disabilities such as sensory impairment and/or emotional and behavioural problems are particularly sensitive to signs of abuse – recognising that statistically these children are potentially more vulnerable than others.
• Regular contact with the Personal Tutor and dedicated non-teaching and teaching Head of Year’s, providing the opportunity to raise any concerns.
• Specific work within the Kingsway Avenue provision to address ESBD, mental health difficulties raising self-esteem, developing friendships, restorative justice, organisation, and managing workload. This includes support in relation to anxiety and stress caused by grade reviews and exams. Counselling and crises response is also offered.
• Effective links with agencies such as Macmillan Nurses, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Healthy Young Minds (HYM), #Thrive, Educational Psychology and Clinical Psychology Services, Children’s Social Care (CSC) Sexual Health teams, Drug and Alcohol misuse services, School Health practitioners and Education Welfare to provide timely and appropriate support as required.
• Confidential online support system in place ‘Kooth’ and ‘chat health’ which is also accessible out of school hours (NHS helpline).
• Referrals into the Early Help and Safeguarding hub (EHASH) to request external support for families.
• Clear procedures for dealing with sick children, including appropriately trained staff and provision for managing conditions such as diabetes. Kingsway Park have a dedicated medical lead in place.
• Appropriately trained first aiders on duty throughout the school day, and clear procedures relating to first aid and medicines.
• Home visits by the Safeguarding Team, Head of Years, Mentors, School Family Link Worker, the Attendance Officers and/or EWO (Educational Welfare) as appropriate.
• Attendance and punctuality clinics.
• Consideration of the completion of an Early Help Assessment (EHA) to establish quickly which other practitioners are working with a child and engage other services thereby addressing issues or problems early. Early help is offered to minimise the chance of escalation, a collaboration between school, agencies and families is sought in the first instance.
• School representation at Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings, Child in Need (CIN) meetings, Child Protection Conferences and Core Groups or any other meetings relating to Safeguarding or Looked After Children (LAC) known as Cared for Children (CfC) or on behalf of any student presenting as vulnerable.

Talking and Listening to Children

If a child wants to confide in you, you SHOULD:

• Be accessible and receptive.
• Listen carefully and uncritically, at the child’s pace.
• Be ‘professionally curious’.
• Take what is said seriously.
• Reassure children that they are right to tell.
• Tell the child that you must share the information.
• Make sure that the child is ok. It is important to understand the resilience or lack of for the individual child.
• Make a careful record of what was said using KPHS templates. The record must reflect the views of the child.

You should NEVER:

• Investigate or seek to prove or disprove possible abuse.
• Investigate, suggest or probe for information.
• Ask leading questions of children/young people.
• Confront another person (adult or child) allegedly involved.
• Speculate or accuse anybody.
• Make promises about confidentiality or keeping ‘secrets’.
• Assume that someone else will take the necessary action.
• Jump to conclusions, be dismissive or react with shock, anger, horror, etc.
• Offer opinions about what is being said or the persons allegedly involved.
• Forget to record what you have been told.
• Fail to share the information with the correct person (the Designated Safeguarding Lead).
• Examine a child – first aid protocols and safeguarding procedures MUST be followed.

 Children with communication difficulties, or who use alternative communication systems:

• While extra care may be needed to ensure that signs of abuse and neglect are interpreted correctly, any suspicions should be reported in exactly the same manner as for other children.
• Opinion and interpretation will be crucial (be prepared to be asked about the basis for it and to possibly have its validity questioned if the matter goes to court).
• Supporting students at risk.

Kingsway Park recognises that children who are abused or who witness violence may find it difficult to develop a sense of self-worth and to view the world in a positive way. Our school may be the only stable, secure and predictable element in the lives of children at risk. Whilst at school their behavior may still be challenging and defiant, it is also recognised that some children who have experienced abuse may in turn abuse others. This requires a considered sensitive approach in order that the child can be supported appropriately.

Children who have been subject to adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s) will demonstrate behaviours indicating impact.

What information do you need to obtain?

• Schools have no investigative role in Child Protection (Police and Children's Social Care will investigate possible abuse.
• Never prompt or probe for information, your job is to listen, record and share information.
• Ideally, you should be clear about what is being said in terms of who, what, where and when.
• The question which you should be able to answer at the end of the listening process is ‘might this be a Child Protection matter?’.
• If the answer is yes, or if you’re not sure, record and share immediately with the Designated Safeguarding Lead / Headteacher / Line Manager.
• Report all concerns using the online safeguarding reporting system in school.

If you do need to ask questions, what is and isn't OK?

• Never asked closed questions i.e. ones which children can answer yes or no to e.g. did he touch you?
• Never make suggestions about who, how or where someone is alleged to have touched, hit, etc. e.g. top or bottom, front or back?
• If we must, use only ‘minimal prompts’ such as ‘go on … tell me more about that … tell me everything that you remember about that … … ‘.
• Timescales are very important: ‘When was the last time this happened?’ is an important question.

What else should we think about in relation to disclosure?

• Is there a place in school which is particularly suitable for listening to children e.g. not too isolated, easily supervised, quiet etc.?
• We need to think carefully about our own body language – how we present will dictate how comfortable a child feels in telling us about something which may be extremely frightening, difficult and personal.
• Be prepared to answer the ‘what happens next’ question.
• We should never make face-value judgments or assumptions about individual children. For example, we ‘know that [child…………] tells lies.
• Think about how you might react if a child DID approach you in school. We need to be prepared to offer a child in this position exactly what they need in terms of protection, reassurance, calmness and objectivity.

Think about what support you could access if faced with this kind of situation in school. Speak to your line manager, Designated Safeguarding Lead or any member of SLT who will support you. Your own well-being is important.

Our school recognises that timely information sharing is essential to effective safeguarding and staff are informed that having worries about appropriate sharing of information must never stand in the way of the need to promote the welfare and protect the safety of children. Our staff are aware that they can never promise a child that they will not tell anyone about a report of abuse and that they have a professional responsibility to pass on concerns about a child to the DSL.

School handles personal information about children in line with the provisions of the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and GDPR however, we are clear that this legislation does not prevent or limit the sharing of information for the purposes of keeping children safe.

School follows the DfE’s Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners (July 2018)

If staff are in any doubt about sharing information, they should speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Raising Awareness

The School will raise student awareness about how and where to seek help/advice if required through:

• Information in personal planner.
• Information such as leaflets/posters in various locations around school (e.g. Childline, Early Break etc).
• Specific lessons and Assemblies.
• Tutor time. Personal tutors. Pastoral team.
• School website.
• Focused assemblies prior to special events.
• Kingsnet

The School will raise staff awareness about all matters relating to Safeguarding through:

• Information contained in this policy.
• Reference card for all staff details of Designated Child Protection officers within KPHS and ‘What to do if you have child-protection concerns or a child makes a disclosure’ procedure, displayed around school premises.
• ‘What to do to keep children safe from harm’ staff information document – reviewed annually.
• ‘Quick notes’ on Student SIMS records.
• Related school training programme.
• Handbook for new staff and volunteers – updated annually.
• Mandatory reading of Keeping Children Safe in Education Part 1 reviewed annually.
• Kingsnet
• Online safeguarding reporting system.
• Regular safeguarding training and briefings.
• School website.

The School will raise parent and carer awareness through:

• Making this policy accessible which will inform parents that we will take action if suspicions are raised.
• Parent’s evenings.
• Individual communications and meetings between home, school and other agencies as appropriate.
• Helping parents access appropriate agencies and courses such as Parenting Courses.
• Home visits by School Family Link Worker/Attendance Team/Pastoral Team/Safeguarding Team.
• Information on school website.
• Kingsnet
• School website.

Specific Training

Kingsway Park High School is committed to ensuring its staff have appropriate and current training in Safeguarding matters.

The Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead (SDSL), Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Deputy Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) have attended appropriate training and will update additional training as appropriate. The commitment towards Safeguarding refresher training will be actioned every 2 years for SLT and pastoral team. Designated Safeguarding Lead training by the Authority is offered and accessed annually.

The Designated Safeguarding Team attends termly network meetings in relation to Safeguarding.

Students may need a social worker due to safeguarding or welfare needs. We recognise that a child’s experiences of adversity and trauma can leave them vulnerable to further harm as well as potentially creating barriers to attendance, learning, behaviour and mental health.

The DSL and all members of staff will work with and support social workers to help protect vulnerable children.

Where we are aware that a student has a social worker, the DSL will always consider this fact to ensure any decisions are made in the best interests of the student’s safety, welfare and educational outcomes. For example, it will inform decisions about:

• Responding to unauthorised absence or missing education where there are known safeguarding risks.
• The provision of pastoral and/or academic support.

The Designated LAC Lead attends termly network meetings in relation to Cared for Children. The Designated Safeguarding Team have an overview of the LAC processes.

We will ensure that staff have the skills, knowledge and understanding to keep looked-after children and previously looked-after children safe. In particular, we will ensure that:

• Appropriate staff have relevant information about children’s looked after legal status, contact arrangements with birth parents or those with parental responsibility, and care arrangements.
• The DSL has details of children’s social workers and relevant virtual school heads.

We have appointed a designated person who is responsible for promoting the educational achievement of looked-after children and previously looked-after children in line with statutory guidance.

The designated person is appropriately trained and has the relevant qualifications and experience to perform the role.

As part of their role, the designated person will:

• Work closely with the DSL to ensure that any safeguarding concerns regarding looked-after and previously looked-after children are quickly and effectively responded to.
• Work with virtual school heads to promote the educational achievement of looked-after and previously looked-after children, including discussing how pupil premium plus funding can be best used to support looked-after children and meet the needs identified in their personal education plans.

Other Designated Safeguarding Officers have attended appropriate training and will attend Safeguarding refresher training every 2 years as a compulsory action.

All staff have annual, additional special inset/twilight sessions arranged when required, for changes in legislation to be delivered. Safeguarding express briefings are communicated by email regularly.

All teaching, support, site and admin staff have been provided with:

• Information which provides guidance about basic Safeguarding procedures in case of disclosure or concern.

All visitors are provided with:

• Essential information relating to Safeguarding procedures.

In addition, teaching, support and admin staff receive:

• Regular guidance relating to Safeguarding through inset programmes.
• The School induction programme will ensure that all new members of staff receive appropriate training in the first instance. A briefing on the first day highlights KPHS procedures. A specific staff handbook ‘What to do to keep children safe from harm’ is provided offering guidance in spotting signs which may cause concern.
• Information in every room in school including toilets, highlighting safeguarding procedures and designated staff.

The Headteacher, Director of Resources and Chair of Governors including other persons deemed appropriate by the Headteacher have attended appropriate Safer Recruitment training and safeguarding training.

The Kingsway Avenue staff team in particular attend a range of related training programmes as required to maintain relevant current practice for a needs led service provision.

Key front-line staff who have contact with children and families are provided with supervision every half-term by an external provider. This ensures appropriate support, coaching and training are in place, to promote the interests of children and ensure staff welfare needs are met.

Roles and Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of all adults within the school community to actively promote safe working practices and the Safeguarding of children.

Parents/Carers are responsible for keeping school up to date with emergency contact, parental responsibility details, information relating to absence and any other matters relating to the safety/well-being of their child. Contact details of two appropriate adults are requested.

Students who need medication administered during the school date must have a health care plan. Staff medication must be securely stored out of reach of children at all times.

Every member of staff is responsible for reporting any concerns relating to child protection immediately following the school’s agreed procedures.

Is responsible for reading and applying the content of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (DfE Statutory guidance revised September 2021).

Is responsible for being familiar with other relevant documentation which applies to their particular role within the school.

Is responsible for accurate completion of attendance registers.

Every member of teaching and support staff is issued with and responsible for wearing a photo ID card at all times.

The Safeguarding Team are identified by purple lanyards.

Other members of KPHS staff wear a recognisable and KPHS branded uniform.

All qualified First Aiders within the KPHS rota are responsible for ensuring incidents are dealt with and recorded correctly according to KPHS First Aid Procedures and Practice and logged on the online recording system. Under no circumstances are images of injuries to be taken.

All temporary/supply staff will be provided with the basic information they require regarding their safeguarding responsibilities whilst working within the school. They will wear ‘visiting teacher ID badges.

All visitors who enter the main body of the school are always issued with visitor’s badges to be worn. A visitor’s leaflet relating to safeguarding procedures is also issued on arrival.

Faculty and Department Leaders are responsible for ensuring safe working practices within their areas. Highlighting the need for first day safeguarding briefings for any new staff or volunteers within their department.

Any member of staff leading an off-site activity is responsible for ensuring the correct checks and procedures are followed well-in advance of the planned activity.

The Designated Lead for attendance in conjunction with the Attendance Officers and EWO is responsible for ensuring attendance policy and practice takes all due account of relevant safeguarding issues and legislation. This includes informing CSC/EWS if the school excludes a student who is subject to Child Protection Plan (CPP), or if a child with a CPP has an unexplained absence of more than 2 days or 1 day following a weekend.                            Referral to Child Missing Education (CME) Service if a child leaves school without providing appropriate destination details.

The Designated Lead for Work-related placements is responsible for ensuring that related school policy and practice takes all due account of relevant safeguarding issues and legislation.

The Designated Senior Person for Safeguarding is responsible for the management and co-ordination of the school’s response to all matters related to child protection. Additional responsibilities include whole staff training and supervision for front line staff.

The Director of Resources is responsible for ensuring that only approved contractors work within the school and grounds, and that appropriate levels of supervision are maintained. The Director is responsible for ensuring regular Health and Safety checks are made and is also responsible for ensuring the Single Central Record is maintained accurately.

The Headteacher is responsible for managing allegations against staff and complaints or concerns raised against the school.

The Headteacher, Director of Resources and Chair of Governors are responsible for ensuring that Safer Recruitment practices are employed including appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and other checks – and updating of these as appropriate.

The Governing Body is responsible for ‘ensuring that their functions relating to the conduct of the school are exercised with a view to Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children who are students at the school’ section 175 of the Education Act 2002.

The Chair of Governors is responsible for managing allegations against the Headteacher.

Complaints against staff that are likely to require a child protection investigation will be handled in accordance with our procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse made against staff.

If parents, carers or other individuals wish to raise a complaint with school, they will be directed to do so via the school complaints procedure. The school will deal with all complaints seriously.

Whistleblowing all staff are aware of their professional duty to raise concerns in relation to safeguarding which may include the attitude or actions of colleagues. We operate a ‘protected disclosure’ protocol to protect staff from being treated unfairly.

Staff are required to inform the Headteacher of any cautions, convictions or criminal offences and if there have been charges brought.

Any situations relating to staff behaviour that raises concerns should be reported immediately.

Confidentiality between professionals within school confidentiality is an issue which needs to be understood by all those working with children particularly in the context of Child Protection.

Professionals can only work together to safeguard children if there is an exchange of relevant information between them.

Whenever possible consent should be obtained before sharing personal information with third parties.

In some cases, consent may not be possible or desirable, but the safety and welfare of a child dictate that the information should be shared. The law permits the disclosure of confidential information necessary to safeguard a child.

Staff should be conscious of having discussions about sensitive matters in communal areas.

Mobile Phones and Cameras staff are allowed to bring their personal phones to school for their own use but will limit such use to non-contact time when students are not present. Staff members’ personal phones are to remain in their bags or cupboards during contact time with students and care must be taken to secure personal devices so that children are unable to access them.

Staff will not take pictures or recordings of students on their personal phones or cameras.

We will follow the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 when taking and storing photos and recordings for use in the school.

Under no circumstances must staff take, accept or store images on their personal equipment. Phones are used by specific staff to alert a crises situation needing an immediate collaborative response.

Named People in School

Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead (SDSL): Leanne Clarke (Assistant Headteacher)

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Margaret Barbour

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL): Emma Barnes

Other Designated Safeguarding Staff: Jenny Langley (Headteacher),  Christina Eaton-Casswell (SENDCo)

School Family Link Worker and LAC Lead: Sharon Pearson

SENDCo Christina Eaton – Casswell. Assistant SENDCo Emily Cooling.

Health and Safety including offsite activities: Chris Kolbuck (Deputy Headteacher)

Allegations/concerns relating to staff: Jenny Langley (Headteacher)

Attendance Officer: Joanne Eaton

Key Stage Manager: Paul Burns

KS4 Personalised Learning Co-Ordinator: Danny Collins

Head of Year’s:

Year Group	Teaching	Non-Teaching
7	Ann Saville	Joshua Cunliffe
8	Lauren Parker	Jill Gansler
9	Mark Brocklehurst	Alex Keeley
10	Susan Suthers-Latif	Lee Kern
11	Jenny Reilly	Olivia Worth

Education Welfare Officer (EWO): Yvonne O’Hara

Named Governor for Safeguarding: Vacant

Local Authority Support

Rochdale Local Authority	Main Switchboard	01706 647474
School Health Practitioner	Stephanie Davies	01706 261955
Senior Education Welfare Officer	Janet Entwistle	01706 925115
Senior Safeguarding Officer for Education	Claire Heap	01706 925179
Safeguarding Unit	01706 927700		Rbsb.admin@rochdale.gov.uk
Complex Early Help Safeguarding Hub (EHASH) – previously (MASS)	0300 303 0440
Out of Hours Duty Social Team Local Authority Equality and Community Cohesion Officer	0300 303 8875 Muhammed Abdul Aleem		EDT.emergency@rochdale.gov.uk 01706 926437
Encompass Helpline	0204 5139990
Forced Marriage Unit	02070 080151		fmu@fco.gov.uk
Non-emergency dedicated helpline to raise concerns about extremism	02073 407264		Counter.extremism@education.gov.uk
Emergency anti-terrorist hotline	0800 789 321
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)	0300 303 0350
NSPCC Whistleblowing Helpline Number	0800 0280285
PPUI Public Protection and Investigation Unit	0161 856 8067/4559/4558
Police	0161 8725050 or 101 / GMP Website also allows reporting of a crime/concern online.
Police Emergency	999

Procedures

Always report all concerns using the online safeguarding reporting system.

Stay calm and seek advice and support for yourself as soon as you are able.

Always make a written record using Kingsway Park recording / disclosure template. Write the day and date, and wherever possible record the time on all records. This includes when you obtained the information and when you write the report (there is sometimes a gap between the two events). Sign the report. It is not appropriate to send sensitive/confidential information by e-mail, but you may send as an attachment if absolutely necessary. The Pastoral Team are best places to take statements and/or disclosures.

If this is about a concern or suspicion you have about a child, include the nature of your concerns; what gave rise to them, where, when and how.

All recording must be factual. Distinguish between fact and opinion.

If a child makes a disclosure to you, you must thoroughly record the context and content of your involvement. Record details including what the child said to you, in their own words.

Ensure that interactions with children are child-centred, appropriate and professional.

Be honest and clear about confidentiality boundaries. Children need to know that staff may not always be able to uphold confidentiality where there are child welfare concerns and will need to share them with someone who is responsible for child protection.

Listen, believe and take seriously what the child is saying to you.

Allow children time and space to talk to you, but avoid interrogating, investigating or examining children in your care.

If you see a child with an injury, always ask them how they sustained the injury. Do not ask a child to remove clothing to show you an injury. Report all injuries/burns etc to the Designated Safeguarding Lead/First Aid Lead and enter on CPOMS reporting system.

Seriously consider if you are dealing with a concern or an immediate risk of harm. If an immediate risk of harm, report verbally to the Designated Safeguarding Lead without delay.

Kingsway Park High School will follow the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Partnership Child Protection Procedures, which are regularly updated and available by accessing www.rbscp.org

Always refer to a Designated Safeguarding Lead and agree what action, if any, is to be taken. Jenny Langley (Headteacher), Leanne Clarke (SDSL) – Assistant Headteacher/Inclusion Lead, Margaret Barbour (DSL), Emma Barnes (DDSL) and Christina Eaton-Casswell (SENDCo).

If you have a concern about a member of staff or adult within the school you MUST refer your concern to the Headteacher. If the Headteacher is not available, speak to another member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

Note: The Chair of Governors is responsible for managing concerns regarding the Headteacher.

The following additional procedures are for Designated Child Safeguarding Officers Only

The Designated Safeguarding Officer should always speak with the parent/carer unless you consider, that to do so, would pose additional risk to the child (in the case of suspected sexual abuse or fabricated/induced illness) or that an injury is so serious as to warrant immediate medical treatment and/or referral to Childrens Social Care.

The Designated Safeguarding Officer should always, in all cases follow the Rochdale Partnership Safeguarding Children Board multi Agency Child Protection Procedures.

These can be accessed via www.rbscp.org to guarantee updated information.

All concerns, actions, statements and contact must be recorded, dated and kept even if it is determined that no action should be taken – occasional minor incidents/injuries can form a pattern over time which can only be detected through careful logging and may then lead to more serious concerns and the need for action.

The DSL should be kept informed of all Safeguarding concerns and kept up to date with progression or otherwise of all cases.

All Safeguarding records are kept centrally in the secure the online safeguarding reporting system in school. Archived files are kept in a secure, restricted access area of KPHS pastoral care folder. Paper files are stored securely in a locked room within the school building. Key holders are restricted to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Business Manager and Safeguarding Administrator.

 Remember – the Safeguarding of the children in our care is the responsibility of ALL OF US -   Not referring a concern may jeopardise the safety of a child.       

Where it is believed that a child is suffering from or is at risk of significant harm, we will follow the Rochdale Multi-Agency Safeguarding Children procedures located at www.rbscp.org

Recording, Monitoring and Review

Well-kept records are essential to good Child Protection practice. Our school is clear about the need to record any concerns held about a child or children within our school, the status of such records and when these records, or parts thereof, should be shared with other agencies.

There is also a need to share important education and CP information at the point of a child’s transition to another education establishment. The RBSCP protocol on sharing information has been adopted by KPHS.

• All safeguarding concerns must be submitted to the Designated Safeguarding Lead using the online safeguarding reporting system.
• The formal templates for recording all Safeguarding concerns/reports must be used at all times to ensure that a standardisation of accurate records are maintained. These may be attached to the online safeguarding reporting system as evidence (templates can be located in Kingsnet – Safeguarding). Year Manager’s retain a stock of templates.
• All documents relating to Safeguarding must be sent to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Dated and accurate records of all reported concerns and referrals for current students are stored securely in a restricted area within the online safeguarding reporting system and archived files are located in the pastoral care folder or locked room within school.
• If a student leaves the school, a copy of any relevant records is sent to the appropriate person at the receiving school. Standard school records will be retained until the student reaches the age of 25 years. Safeguarding records will be retained until the child reaches the age of 36 Years. The RBSCP protocol for transferring information has been adopted by KPHS.
• The Senior DSL/Assistant Headteacher and DSL records all racist/homophobic incidents and extremism concerns and reports these termly regularly to the Local Authority.
• In any instance where a member of the First Aid Team is required to attend, a detailed school log is kept using the online safeguarding reporting system. If the child is sent to A&E, a SIRF form must be completed and sent to Jane Nelis (SEN Team/Medical Lead) and Maggie Dooley (SLT) it will then be sent onto the Local Authority. Accident at Work forms are completed by relevant professionals and administrated by the Director of Resources.
• A record is held centrally of all relevant training accessed by whole school staff. Gail Candy (SLT) leads on training and development.
• The Safeguarding Team log all training accessed on the Safeguarding Matrix.
• The SLT staff with responsibility for all Key Stages monitor incidents of (for example) harassment, discrimination, racial abuse and gang activities. The inclusion team and related agencies deal with these and develop strategies to reduce their occurrence.
• The progress of students in identified vulnerable groups for example LAC (CfC) and SEN, is monitored and interventions applied as appropriate – this includes the monitoring of academic progress, attendance and punctuality, fixed period exclusions.
• Student Voice has been created and developed within the school and is used to ascertain student perception regarding matters relating to their safety and well-being.
• The Headteacher reports regularly to the Governing body and the SDSL reports to the Governing body annually.
• The Designated Safeguarding Lead maintains appropriate training and development to ensure practice remains current. In addition, the DSL ensures other Safeguarding staff are appropriately trained in order to maintain their commitment to their specialist role.
• Handling students – handling plans are in place for specific students therefore, these should be adhered to in all cases. The exception would be if it is believed they are a risk to themselves or others.
• This policy and related procedures will be reviewed every academic year – and more often as necessary (for example in the light of new legislation), action as necessary will be taken to ensure the procedures are rigorously applied.
• Safeguarding procedures and responsibilities will be re-visited by all staff at the start of each year.
• The Governing Body will undertake an annual review of child protection and Safeguarding activities within the school, including allegations against staff.
• The Designated safeguarding lead will collaborate with SLT on a rolling quality assurance programme to ensure procedures are robust and fit for purpose.
• The Designated safeguarding lead will complete RBSCP Bi- annual safeguarding audit for submission on an annual basis to ensure standards are met.

Appendices

Appendix 1 – Protecting children from radicalisation: the prevent duty.

Appendix 2 – Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and the mandatory reporting duty.

Appendix 3 – Children Missing Education (DfE statutory guidance) and homelessness.

Appendix 4 – Forced Marriage and Honour Based Abuse.

Appendix 5 – Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE).

Appendix 6 – Child on child abuse/Sexual harassment/Sexual violence.

Appendix 7 – Cybercrime.

Appendix 8 – Private Fostering.

Appendix 9 – Allegations of abuse made against staff.

Appendix 10 – Domestic Abuse

Appendix 11 – Additional advice and support

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Appendix 1

Protecting children from radicalisation

Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies associated with terrorist groups

Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, such as democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. This also includes calling for the death of members of the armed forces

Terrorism is an action that:

• Endangers or causes serious violence to a person/people.
• Causes serious damage to property.
• Seriously interferes or disrupts an electronic system.

 The use or threat of terrorism must be designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public and is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause.

Schools have a duty to prevent children from being drawn into terrorism under section 26 of The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015. The DSL will undertake Prevent awareness training and make sure that staff have access to appropriate training to equip them to identify children at risk. The local authority Equality and Community Cohesion Officer, Muhammad Abdul Aleem can assist schools in providing appropriate training.

We will assess the risk of children in our school being drawn into terrorism. This assessment will be based on an understanding of the potential risk in our local area, in collaboration with our local safeguarding partners and local police force.

We will ensure that suitable internet filtering is in place and equip our students to stay safe online at school and at home.

There is no single way of identifying an individual who is likely to be susceptible to an extremist ideology. Radicalisation can occur quickly or over a long period.

Staff will be alert to changes in student’s behaviour.

The government website Educate Against Hate and charity NSPCC say that signs that a student is being radicalised can include:

• Refusal to engage with, or becoming abusive to, peers who are different from themselves.
• Becoming susceptible to conspiracy theories and feelings of persecution.
• Changes in friendship groups and appearance.
• Rejecting activities, they used to enjoy.
• Converting to a new religion.
• Isolating themselves from family and friends.
• Talking as if from a scripted speech.
• An unwillingness or inability to discuss their views.
• A sudden disrespectful attitude towards others.
• Increased levels of anger.
• Increased secretiveness, especially around internet use.
• Expressions of sympathy for extremist ideologies and groups, or justification of their actions.
• Accessing extremist material online, including on Facebook or Twitter.
• Possessing extremist literature.
• Being in contact with extremist recruiters and joining, or seeking to join, extremist organisations.

Children who are at risk of radicalisation may have low self-esteem or be victims of bullying or discrimination. It is important to note that these signs can also be part of normal teenage behaviour – staff should have confidence in their instincts and seek advice if something feels wrong.

If staff are concerned about a student, they will follow KPHS Safeguarding procedures including discussing their concerns with the DSL.

Staff should always act if they are worried.

Channel is a voluntary, confidential support programme which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. Prevent referrals may be passed to a multi-agency Channel panel, which will discuss the individual referred to determine whether they are vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism and consider the appropriate support required. The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) from the school or college may be asked to attend the Channel panel to help with this assessment. An individual’s engagement with the programme is entirely voluntary at all stages. The DSL should consider if it would be appropriate to share any information with the new school or college in advance of a child leaving. For example, information that would allow the new school or college to continue supporting victims of abuse or those who are currently receiving support through the ‘Channel’ programme, and have that support in place for when the child arrives.

Statutory guidance on Channel is available at channel guidance.

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Appendix 2

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and the mandatory reporting duty

The DSL will make sure that staff have access to appropriate training to equip them to be alert to children affected by FGM or at risk of FGM.

This policy sets out the procedures to be followed if a staff member discovers that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out or suspects that a student is at risk of FGM. Section 5b of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 places a statutory duty on teachers personally to report to the Police all concerns relating to FGM.

Indicators that FGM has already occurred include:

• A student confiding in a professional that FGM has taken place.
• A mother/family member disclosing that FGM has been carried out.
• A family/student already being known to social services in relation to other safeguarding issues.

A girl:

• Having difficulty walking, sitting or standing or looking uncomfortable.
• Finding it hard to sit still for long periods of time (where this was not a problem previously).
• Spending longer than normal in the bathroom or toilet due to difficulties urinating.
• Having frequent urinary, menstrual or stomach problems.
• Avoiding physical exercise or missing P.E.
• Being repeatedly absent from school or absent for a prolonged period.
• Demonstrating increased emotional and psychological needs – for example, withdrawal or depression, or significant change in behavior.
• Being reluctant to undergo any medical examinations.
• Asking for help, but not being explicit about the problem.
• Talking about pain or discomfort between her legs.

Potential signs that a student may be at risk of FGM include:

• The girl’s family having a history of practicing FGM (this is the biggest risk factor to consider).
• FGM being known to be practiced in the girl’s community or country of origin.
• A parent or family member expressing concern that FGM may be carried out.
• A family not engaging with professionals (health, education or other) or already being known to social care in relation to other safeguarding issues.

A girl:

• Having a mother, older sibling or cousin who has undergone FGM.
• Having limited level of integration within UK society.
• Confiding to a professional that she is to have a ‘special procedure’ or to attend a special occasion to ‘become a woman’.
• Talking about a long holiday to her country of origin or another country where the practice is prevalent, or parents stating that they or a relative will take the girl out of the country for a prolonged period.
• Requesting help from a teacher or another adult because she is aware or suspects that she is at immediate risk of FGM.
• Talking about FGM in conversation – for example, a girl may tell other children about it (although it is important to consider the context of the discussion).
• Being unexpectedly absent from school.
• Having sections missing from her ‘red book’ (child health record) and/or attending a travel clinic or equivalent for vaccinations/anti-malarial medication.

These indicators and risk factors are not intended to be exhaustive.

Forced Marriage

Forcing a person into marriage is a crime. A forced marriage is someone entered into without the full and free consent of one or both parties and where violence, threats, or any other form of coercion is used to cause a person to enter into a marriage. Threats can be physical or emotional and psychological.

Staff will receive training around forced marriage and the presenting symptoms. We are aware of the ‘one chance’ rule i.e. we may only have one chance to speak to the potential victim and only one chance to save them.

If a member of staff suspects that a student is being forced into marriage, they will speak to the student about their concerns in a secure and private place. They will then report this to the DSL.

The DSL will:

• Speak to the student about the concerns in a secure and private place.
• Activate the local safeguarding procedures and refer the case to the Local Authority’s designated officer.
• Seek advice from the Forced Marriage Unit on 020 7008 0151 or fmu@fco.gov.uk

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Appendix 3

Children Missing Education (DfE statutory guidance)

A child going missing from education, particularly repeatedly, can be a warning sign of a range of safeguarding issues. This might include abuse or neglect, such as sexual abuse or exploitation or child criminal exploitation, or issues such as mental health problems, substance abuse, radicalisation, FGM or forced marriage.

There are many circumstances where a child may become missing from education, but some children are particularly at risk. These include children who:

• Are at risk of harm or neglect.
• Are at risk of forced marriage or FGM.
• Come from Gypsy, Roma or Traveller families. Come from new migrant families.
• Come from the families of service personnel.
• Go missing or run away from home or care.
• Are supervised by the youth justice system.
• Cease to attend a school.

We will follow local procedures for unauthorised absence and for dealing with children who go missing from education, particularly on repeat occasions, to help identify the risk of abuse and neglect, including sexual exploitation, and to help prevent the risks of going missing in future.

This includes informing the Local Authority if a child leaves the school without a new school being named and adhering to requirements with respect to sharing information with the Local Authority, when applicable, when removing a child’s name from the admission register at non-standard transition points. As part of this process, school investigates unexplained absences and reports attendance to the Local Authority.

Staff will be trained in signs to look out for and the individual triggers to be aware of when considering the risks of potential safeguarding concerns which may be related to being missing, such as travelling to conflict zones, FGM and forced marriage.

If a staff member suspects that a child is suffering from harm or neglect, we will follow local child protection procedures, including with respect to making reasonable enquiries. We will make an immediate referral to the Local Authority children’s social care team, and the police, if the child is suffering or likely to suffer from harm, or in immediate danger.

The school will make every reasonable effort to obtain multiple emergency contact numbers for all children and will follow Rochdale Council CME guidance which outlines Rochdale Borough Council’s systems for identifying and maintaining contact with children missing from education and the steps taken to identify those at risk.

Homelessness

Being homeless or being at risk of becoming homeless presents a real risk to a child’s welfare.

The DSL and Family Worker will be aware of contact details and referral routes in to the local housing authority so they can raise/progress concerns at the earliest opportunity (where appropriate and in accordance with local procedures). Indicators that a family may be at risk of homelessness include household debt, rent arrears, domestic abuse and anti-social behaviour, as well as the family being asked to leave a property. Whilst referrals and/or discussion with the Local Housing Authority should be progressed as appropriate, and in accordance with local procedures, this does not, and should not, replace a referral into children’s social care where a child has been harmed or is at risk of harm

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Appendix 4

Forced Marriage

Forcing a person into a marriage is a crime in England and Wales. It can constitute both child abuse and sexual abuse. The United Nations considers it a form of trafficking, sexual slavery, and exploitation. Some, however, still see it as a private, personal, domestic, family, religious, or cultural issue.

A clear distinction must be made between a forced marriage and an arranged marriage. The tradition of arranged marriages has operated successfully within many communities and many countries for a very long time. In arranged marriages, the families of both spouses take a leading role in arranging the marriage but the choice of whether or not to accept the arrangement remains with the child/young person.

Forced marriage, whether a religious or civil ceremony, cannot be justified on religious grounds. Every major faith condemns it and freely given consent is a prerequisite of Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh marriages.

In forced marriage, one or both spouses do not consent to the marriage and some element of duress is involved. Duress includes both physical and emotional pressure, abuse, violence  threats or coercion. A lack of full and free consent can be where a person does not consent or cannot consent for example, has additional needs.

Forced marriage is primarily, but not exclusively, an issue of violence against females. The school follows Rochdale Multi-Agency Safeguarding Children procedures for cases of dealing with forced marriage for a child/young person under 18 years of age and any individual in school who receives information, or has reason to believe that a child/young person is at risk of or subject to a forced marriage, should speak with the DSL in school who should then make a CP referral to EHASH in line with the procedures.  Seek advice from the forced marriage unit 020 70080151 or https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage.

Honour Based Abuse

So-called ‘honour-based’ abuse (HBA) encompasses incidents or crimes committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or community, including FGM, forced marriage and practices such as breast ironing.

Abuse committed in this context often involves a wider network of family or community pressure and can include multiple perpetrators.

All forms of HBA are abuse and will be handled and escalated as such. All staff will be alert to the possibility of a child being at risk of HBA or already having suffered it. If staff have a concern, they will speak to the DSL, who will activate local safeguarding procedures.

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Appendix 5

Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

We know that different forms of harm often overlap and that perpetrators may subject children and young people to multiple forms of abuse, such as criminal exploitation (including county lines) and sexual exploitation.

In some cases the exploitation or abuse will be in exchange for something the victim needs or wants (for example, money, gifts or affection), and/or will be to the financial benefit or other advantage, such as increased status, of the perpetrator or facilitator.

Children can be exploited by adult males or females, as individuals or in groups. They may also be exploited by other children, who themselves may be experiencing exploitation – where this is the case, it is important that the child perpetrator is also recognised as a victim.

Whilst the age of the child may be a contributing factor for an imbalance of power, there are a range of other factors that could make a child more vulnerable to exploitation, including, sexual identity, cognitive ability, learning difficulties, communication ability, physical strength, status, and access to economic or other resources.

Some of the following can be indicators of both child criminal and sexual exploitation where children:

• Appear with unexplained gifts, money or new possessions.
• Associate with other children involved in exploitation.
• Suffer from changes in emotional well-being.
• Misuse drugs and alcohol.
• Go missing for periods of time or regularly come home late.
• Regularly miss school or education or do not take part in education.

Children who have been exploited will need additional support to help maintain them in education. CSE can be a one-off occurrence or a series of incidents over time and range from opportunistic to complex organised abuse. It can involve force and/or enticement-based methods of compliance and may, or may not be accompanied by violence or threats of violence.

Some additional specific indicators that may be present in CSE are children who:

• Have older boyfriends or girlfriends.
• Suffer from sexually transmitted infections.
• Display sexual behaviours beyond expected sexual development or become pregnant.

Further information on signs of a child’s involvement in sexual exploitation is available in Home Office guidance: Child sexual exploitation guide for practitioners

Gangs Initiation/Hazing

Hazing is a form of initiation ceremony which is used to induct newcomers into an organisation such as a private school, sports team or gang etc. There are a number of different forms, from relatively mild rituals to severe and sometimes violent ceremonies.

The idea behind this practice is that it welcomes newcomers by subjecting them to a series of trials which promote a bond between them. After the hazing is over, the newcomers also have something in common with older members of the organisation because they all experienced it as part of a rite of passage. Many rituals involve humiliation, embarrassment, abuse and harassment.

County Lines

County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of ‘deal line’. This activity can happen locally as well as across the UK - no specified distance of travel is required. Children and vulnerable adults are exploited to move, store and sell drugs and money. Offenders will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons to ensure compliance of victims.

Children can be targeted and recruited into county lines in a number of locations including schools (mainstream and special), further and higher educational institutions, pupil referral units, children’s homes and care homes.

Children are also increasingly being targeted and recruited online using social media. Children can easily become trapped by this type of exploitation as county lines gangs can manufacture drug debts which need to be worked off or threaten serious violence and kidnap towards victims (and their families) if they attempt to leave the county lines network.

A number of the indicators for CSE and CCE as detailed above may be applicable to where children are involved in county lines. Some additional specific indicators that may be present where a child is criminally exploited through involvement in county lines are children who:

• Go missing and are subsequently found in areas away from their home.
• Have been the victim or perpetrator of serious violence (e.g. knife crime).
• Are involved in receiving requests for drugs via a phone line, moving drugs, handing over and collecting money for drugs.
• Are exposed to techniques such as ‘plugging’, where drugs are concealed internally to avoid detection.
• Are found in accommodation that they have no connection with, often called a ‘trap house or cuckooing’ or hotel room where there is drug activity.
• Owe a ‘debt bond’ to their exploiters.
• Have their bank accounts used to facilitate drug dealing.

Further information on the signs of a child’s involvement in county lines is available in guidance published by the Home Office.

Modern Slavery and the National Referral Mechanism

Modern slavery encompasses human trafficking and slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. Exploitation can take many forms, including: sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery, servitude, forced criminality and the removal of organs.

Further information on the signs that someone may be a victim of modern slavery, the support available to victims and how to refer them to the NRM is available in the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance. Modern slavery: how to identify and support victims (www.gov.uk).

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Appendix 6

Peer on Peer / Child on Child Abuse

Children can abuse other children (often referred to as peer on peer abuse) and it can take many forms. It can happen both inside and outside of school/college and online. It is important that all staff recognise the indicators and signs of peer on peer abuse and know how to identify it and respond to reports. This can include (but is not limited to): bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying); abuse within intimate partner relationships; physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm; sexual violence and sexual harassment; consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi-nudes images and/or videos; causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party; upskirting and initiation/hazing type violence and rituals. Addressing inappropriate behaviour (even if it appears to be relatively innocuous) can be an important intervention that helps prevent problematic, abusive and/or violent behaviour in the future.

Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges

Sexual violence and sexual harassment can occur between two children of any age and sex from primary to secondary stage and into colleges. It can also occur online. It can also occur through a group of children sexually assaulting or sexually harassing a single child or group of children.

Children who are victims of sexual violence and sexual harassment will likely find the experience stressful and distressing. This will, in all likelihood, adversely affect their educational attainment and will be exacerbated if the alleged perpetrator(s) attends the same school or college. Sexual violence and sexual harassment exist on a continuum and may overlap, they can occur online and face to face (both physically and verbally) and are never acceptable.

It is essential that all victims are reassured that they are being taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe. A victim should never be given the impression that they are creating a problem by reporting sexual violence or sexual harassment. Nor should a victim ever be made to feel ashamed for making a report.

Staff should be aware that some groups are potentially more at risk. Evidence shows girls, children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and LGBTQ children are at greater risk.

Staff should be aware of the importance of:

• Challenging inappropriate behaviours.
• Making clear that sexual violence and sexual harassment is not acceptable, will never be tolerated and is not an inevitable part of growing up.
• Not tolerating or dismissing sexual violence or sexual harassment as ‘banter’, ‘part of growing up’, ‘just having a laugh’ or ‘boys being boys’.
• Challenging physical behaviours (potentially criminal in nature), such as grabbing bottoms, breasts and genitalia, pulling down trousers, flicking bras and lifting up skirts. Dismissing or tolerating such behaviours risks normalising them.

What is sexual violence and sexual harassment

Sexual violence It is important that school and college staff are aware of sexual violence and the fact children can, and sometimes do, abuse their peers in this way and that it can happen both inside and outside of school/college. When referring to sexual violence we are referring to sexual violence offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as described below:

Rape: A person (A) commits an offence of rape if: he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person (B) with his penis, B does not consent to the penetration and A does not reasonably believe that B consents.

Assault by Penetration: A person (A) commits an offence if: s/he intentionally penetrates the vagina or anus of another person (B) with a part of her/his body or anything else, the penetration is sexual, B does not consent to the penetration and A does not reasonably believe that B consents.

Sexual Assault: A person (A) commits an offence of sexual assault if: s/he intentionally touches another person (B), the touching is sexual, B does not consent to the touching and A does not reasonably believe that B consents. (Schools should be aware that sexual assault covers a very wide range of behaviour so a single act of kissing someone without consent, or touching someone’s bottom/breasts/genitalia without consent, can still constitute sexual assault).

Causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent: A person (A) commits an offence if: s/he intentionally causes another person (B) to engage in an activity, the activity is sexual, B does not consent to engaging in the activity, and A does not reasonably believe that B consents. (This could include forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party.)

What is consent?

Consent is about having the freedom and capacity to choose. Consent to sexual activity may be given to one sort of sexual activity but not another, e.g.to vaginal but not anal sex or penetration with conditions, such as wearing a condom. Consent can be withdrawn at any time during sexual activity and each time activity occurs. Someone consents to vaginal, anal or oral penetration only if s/he agrees by choice to that penetration and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice.

• A child under the age of 13 can never consent to any sexual activity.
• The age of consent is 16.
• Sexual intercourse without consent is rape.

Further information about consent can be found here: Rape Crisis England & Wales - Sexual consent

Sexual harassment

When referring to sexual harassment we mean ‘unwanted conduct of a sexual nature’ that can occur online and offline and both inside and outside of school/college. When we reference sexual harassment, we do so in the context of child on child sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is likely to violate a child’s dignity and/or make them feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated and/or create a hostile, offensive or sexualised environment.

Whilst not intended to be an exhaustive list, sexual harassment can include:

• Sexual comments such as, telling sexual stories, making lewd comments, making sexual remarks about clothes and appearance and calling someone sexualised names.
• Sexual ‘jokes’ or taunting.
• Physical behaviour such as, deliberately brushing against someone, interfering with someone’s clothes (schools and colleges should be considering when any of this crosses a line into sexual violence - it is important to talk to and consider the experience of the victim) and displaying pictures, photos or drawings of a sexual nature.
• Online sexual harassment. This may be standalone, or part of a wider pattern of sexual harassment and/or sexual violence. It may include:
• Consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi-nudes images and/or videos as set out in UKCIS sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people (which provides detailed advice for schools and colleges) taking and sharing nude photographs of under 18s is a criminal offence.
• Sharing of unwanted explicit content.
• Upskirting (is a criminal offence).
• Sexualised online bullying.
• Unwanted sexual comments and messages including on social media.
• Sexual exploitation, coercion and threats.

Upskirting

The Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019, which is commonly known as the Upskirting Act, came into force on 12 April 2019. ‘Upskirting’ is where someone takes a picture under a person’s clothing (not necessarily a skirt) without their permission and/or knowledge, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks (with or without underwear) to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm. It is a criminal offence. Anyone of any sex, can be a victim.

The response to a report of sexual violence or sexual harassment

The initial response to a report from a child is incredibly important. How the school or college responds to a report can encourage or undermine the confidence of future victims of sexual violence and sexual harassment to report or come forward. Schools and colleges not recognising, acknowledging or understanding the scale of harassment and abuse and/or downplaying of some behaviours can actually lead to a culture of unacceptable behaviour.

It is essential that all victims are reassured that they are being taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe. A victim should never be given the impression that they are creating a problem by reporting sexual violence or sexual harassment. Nor should a victim ever be made to feel ashamed for making a report.

Bullying for example physical, name calling, homophobic etc:

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behaviour among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behaviour is repeated or has the potential to be repeated over time. Both young people who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.

In order to be considered bullying, the behaviour must be aggressive and include:

• An imbalance of power – young people who bully, use their power such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information or popularity to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations even if they involve the same people.
• Repetition – bullying behaviours happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.

Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumours, attacking someone physically, verbally or for a particular reason e.g. size, hair colour, gender, sexual orientations and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying is the use of phones, instant messaging, e-mail, chat rooms or social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to harass, threaten or intimidate someone for the same reasons as above.

It is important to state that cyber bullying can very easily fall into criminal behaviour under the Malicious Communications Act 1988 (section 1), which states that electronic communications which are indecent or grossly offensive, convey a threat or false information or demonstrate that there is an intention to cause distress or anxiety to the victim would be deemed to be criminal. This is also supported by the Communications Act 2003 (section 127) which states that electronic communications which are grossly offensive or indecent, obscene or menacing or false, used again for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, could also be deemed to be criminal behaviour.

If the behaviour involves the use of taking or distributing indecent images of young people under the age of 18 then this is also a criminal offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Outside of the immediate support young people may require in these instances, the school will have no choice but to involve the police to investigate these situations.

Sexting

Sexting is when someone sends or receives a sexually explicit text, image or video. This includes sending ‘nude pics’, ‘rude pics’ or ‘nude selfies. Pressuring someone into sending a nude picture can happen in any relationship and to anyone, whatever their age, gender or sexual preference. However, once the image is taken and sent, the sender has lost control of the image and these images could end up anywhere. By having in their possession or distributing indecent images of a person under 18 onto someone else, young people are not

even aware that they could be breaking the law as stated, as these are offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

If you are made aware of an incident involving sexting (also known as ‘youth produced sexual imagery’) you must report it to the DSL immediately.

You must not:

• View, download or share the imagery yourself, or ask a student to share or download it. If you have already viewed the imagery by accident, you must report this to the DSL.
• Delete the imagery or ask the student to delete it.
• Ask the student(s) who are involved in the incident to disclose information regarding the imagery (this is the DSL’s responsibility).
• Share information about the incident with other members of staff, the students it involves or their, or other parents and/or carers.
• Say or do anything to blame or shame any young people involved.

You should explain that you need to report the incident and reassure the student(s) that they will receive support and help from the DSL.

Initial review meeting

Following a report of an incident, the DSL will hold an initial review meeting with appropriate school staff. This meeting will consider the initial evidence and aim to determine:

• Whether there is an immediate risk to students.
• If a referral needs to be made to the police and/or children’s social care.
• If it is necessary to view the imagery in order to safeguard the young person (in most cases, imagery should not be viewed).
• What further information is required to decide on the best response?
• Whether the imagery has been shared widely and via what services and/or platforms (this may be unknown).
• Whether immediate action should be taken to delete or remove images from devices or online services.
• Any relevant facts about the students involved which would influence risk assessment.
• If there is a need to contact another school, college, setting or individual.
• Whether to contact parents or carers of the students involved (in most cases parents should be involved).

The DSL will make an immediate referral to police and/or children’s social care if:

• The incident involves an adult.
• There is reason to believe that a young person has been coerced, blackmailed or groomed, or if there are concerns about their capacity to consent (for example owing to special educational needs).
• What the DSL knows about the imagery suggests the content depicts sexual acts which are unusual for the young person’s developmental stage or are violent.
• The imagery involves sexual acts and any student in the imagery is under 13.
• The DSL has reason to believe a student is at immediate risk of harm owing to the sharing of the imagery (for example, the young person is presenting as suicidal or self-harming).

If none of the above apply then the DSL, in consultation with the headteacher and other members of staff as appropriate, may decide to respond to the incident without involving the police or children’s social care.

Further review by the DSL

If at the initial review stage, a decision has been made not to refer to police and/or children’s social care, the DSL will conduct a further review.

They will hold interviews with the students involved (if appropriate) to establish the facts and assess the risks.

If at any point in the process there is a concern that a student has been harmed or is at risk of harm, a referral will be made to children’s social care and/or the police immediately.

Informing parents

The DSL will inform parents at an early stage and keep them involved in the process, unless there is a good reason to believe that involving them would put the student at risk of harm.

 Referring to the police

If it is necessary to refer an incident to the police, this will be done via referral to EHASH, or through contacting Police directly via 101.

We recognise that students with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities can face additional safeguarding challenges. Additional barriers can exist when recognising abuse and neglect in this group, including:

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

We offer extra pastoral support for students with SEN and disabilities.

Recording incidents

All sexting incidents and the decisions made in responding to them will be recorded.

Curriculum coverage

Students are taught about the issues surrounding sexting as part of our PSHE education and computing programmes. Teaching covers the following in relation to sexting:

• What it is.
• How it is most likely to be encountered.
• The consequences of requesting, forwarding or providing such images, including when it is and is not abusive.
• Issues of legality.
• The risk of damage to people’s feelings and reputation.

Students also learn the strategies and skills needed to manage:

• Specific requests or pressure to provide (or forward) such images.
• The receipt of such images.

Prejudiced Behaviour

The term prejudice-related bullying refers to a range of hurtful behaviour, physical or emotional or both, which causes someone to feel powerless, worthless, excluded or marginalised and which is connected with prejudices around belonging, identity and equality in wider society, in particular, prejudices to do with disabilities and special educational needs, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, gender, home life (for example in relation to issues of care, parental occupation, poverty and social class) and sexual identity (homosexual, bisexual, transsexual).

 Teenage Relationship Abuse

Teenage relationship abuse is defined as a pattern of actual or threatened acts of physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse perpetrated by an adolescent (between the ages of 13 and 18) against a current or former partner. Abuse may include insults, coercion, social sabotage, sexual harassment, threats and/or acts of physical or sexual abuse. The abusive teen uses this pattern of violent and coercive behaviour in a heterosexual or same gender relationship in order to gain power and maintain control over the partner.

It is vital for professionals to understand that the child who is perpetrating the abuse may also be at risk of harm. Professionals should make every effort to ensure that the perpetrator is also treated as a victim and undertake assessments to conclude this.

Sensitive work must be undertaken with the child who is perpetrating, by helping them to understand the nature of their behaviour and the effect it has on others which may prevent the abuse as a whole.

Professionals should make every effort to understand the environmental context of the child’s life when accessing the risk posed to the child or young person. Individual experiences do not necessarily cause the abuse the victim is experiencing, but this may be used by perpetrators who have power and control over them. Staff must use their professional judgement in identifying when what may be perceived as ‘normal developmental childhood behaviour’ becomes abusive, dangerous and harmful to others.

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Appendix 7

Cybercrime

Cybercrime is criminal activity committed using computers and/or the internet. It is broadly categorised as either ‘cyber-enabled’ (crimes that can happen off-line but are enabled at scale and at speed on-line) or ‘cyber dependent’ (crimes that can be committed only by using a computer).

Cyber-dependent crimes include:

• Unauthorised access to computers (illegal ‘hacking’), for example accessing a school’s computer network to look for test paper answers or change grades awarded.
• Denial of Service (Dos or DDoS) attacks or ‘booting’. These are attempts to make a computer, network or website unavailable by overwhelming it with internet traffic from multiple sources.
• Making, supplying or obtaining malware (malicious software) such as viruses, spyware, ransomware, botnets and Remote Access Trojans with the intent to commit further offence, including those above.

Children with particular skill and interest in computing and technology may inadvertently or deliberately stray into cyber-dependent crime.

If there are concerns about a child in this area, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (or a deputy), should consider referring into the Cyber Choices programme. This is a nationwide police programme supported by the Home Office and led by the National Crime Agency, working with regional and local policing. It aims to intervene where young people are at risk of committing, or being drawn into, low level cyber-dependent offences and divert them to a more positive use of their skills and interests.

Note that Cyber Choices does not currently cover ‘cyber-enabled’ crime such as fraud, purchasing of illegal drugs on-line and child sexual abuse and exploitation, nor other areas of concern such as on-line bullying or general on-line safety. Additional advice can be found at: Cyber Choices, ‘NPCC- When to call the Police’ and National Cyber Security Centre - NCSC.GOV.UK

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Appendix 8

Private Fostering

A private fostering arrangement is one that is made without the involvement of a Local Authority for the care of a child under the age of 16 years (under 18, if disabled) by someone other than a parent or close relative, in their own home, with the intention that it should last for 28 days or more. The legislation governing private fostering is the ‘Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regulations 2005’

Most frequently, young people are in private foster care for the following reasons:

• Children from other countries sent to live in the UK with extended family.
• Host families for language schools.
• Parental ill-health.
• Where parents who have moved away, but the child stays behind (e.g. to stay at the same school to finish exams).
• Teenagers estranged from their families.

There may also be private foster care arrangements for the following reasons:

• Children brought from outside the UK with a view to adoption.
• Children at independent boarding schools who do not return home for holidays and are placed with host families.
• Trafficked children.

Current arrangements for the regulation of private fostering originate from concern following the death of Victoria Climbié in 2000. Victoria was privately fostered by her great aunt. Arrangements were codified in the Children Act 2004. Following this, the Children (Private Arrangement for Fostering) Regulations 2005 set out the duties of local authorities in their arrangements for private fostering, and national minimum standards for local authorities were published in 2005.

Given the ‘hidden’ nature of much private fostering, local authorities have a duty to raise awareness of the need to notify the local Children’s Services department and

schools have a vital role within this, as the people who see children and families on a day to day basis.

Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/274414/Children_Act_1989_private_fostering.pdf

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Appendix 9

Allegations of abuse made against staff

This section of this policy applies to all cases in which it is alleged that a current member of staff or volunteer has:

• Behaved in or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.
• Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child.
• Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she would pose a risk of harm to children.

Staff must inform the Headteacher if anything in their life could impact on their ability to safeguard or the school’s reputation. It applies regardless of whether the alleged abuse took place in the school. Allegations against a teacher who is no longer teaching and historical allegations of abuse will be referred to the police.

We will deal with any allegation of abuse against a member of staff or volunteer very quickly, in a fair and consistent way that provides effective child protection while also supporting the individual who is the subject of the allegation.

Our procedures for dealing with allegations will be applied with common sense and judgement.

Suspension

Suspension will not be the default position and will only be considered in cases where there is reason to suspect that a child or other children is/are at risk of harm, or the case is so serious that it might be grounds for dismissal. In such cases, we will only suspend an individual if we have considered all other options available and there is no reasonable alternative.

Based on an assessment of risk, we will consider alternatives such as:

• Redeployment within the school so that the individual does not have direct contact with the child or children concerned.
• Providing an assistant to be present when the individual has contact with children.
• Redeploying the individual to alternative work in the school so that they do not have unsupervised access to children.
• Moving the child or children to classes where they will not come into contact with the individual, making it clear that this is not a punishment and parents have been consulted.
• Temporarily redeploying the individual to another role in a different location, for example to an alternative school or other work.

Definitions for outcomes of allegation investigations

• Substantiated: there is sufficient evidence to prove the allegation.
• Malicious: there is sufficient evidence to disprove the allegation and there has been a deliberate act to deceive.
• False: there is sufficient evidence to disprove the allegation.
• Unsubstantiated: there is insufficient evidence to either prove or disprove the allegation (this does not imply guilt or innocence).
• Unfounded: to reflect cases where there is no evidence or proper basis which supports the allegation being made.

Procedure for dealing with allegations

In the event of an allegation that meets the criteria above, the headteacher (or chair of governors where the headteacher is the subject of the allegation) – the ‘case manager’ – will take the following steps:

• Immediately discuss the allegation with the designated officer at the Local Authority. This is to consider the nature, content and context of the allegation and agree a course of action, including whether further enquiries are necessary to enable a decision on how to proceed, and whether it is necessary to involve the police and/or children’s social care services. (The case manager may, on occasion, consider it necessary to involve the police before consulting the designated officer – for example, if the accused individual is deemed to be an immediate risk to children or there is evidence of a possible criminal offence. In such cases, the case manager will notify the designated officer as soon as practicably possible after contacting the police).

• Inform the accused individual of the concerns or allegations and likely course of action as soon as possible after speaking to the designated officer (and the police or children’s social care services, where necessary). Where the police and/or children’s social care services are involved, the case manager will only share such information with the individual as has been agreed with those agencies.
• Where appropriate (in the circumstances described above), carefully consider whether suspension of the individual from contact with children at the school is justified or whether alternative arrangements such as those outlined above can be put in place. Advice will be sought from the designated officer, police and/or children’s social care services, as appropriate.
• If immediate suspension is considered necessary, agree and record the rationale for this with the designated officer. The record will include information about the alternatives to suspension that have been considered, and why they were rejected.
• Written confirmation of the suspension will be provided to the individual facing the allegation or concern within 1 working day, and the individual will be given a named contact at the school and their contact details.
• If it is decided that no further action is to be taken in regard to the subject of the allegation or concern, record this decision and the justification for it and agree with the designated officer what information should be put in writing to the individual and by whom, as well as what action should follow both in respect of the individual and those who made the initial allegation.
• If it is decided that further action is needed take steps as agreed with the designated officer to initiate the appropriate action in school and/or liaise with the police and/or children’s social care services as appropriate.
• Provide effective support for the individual facing the allegation or concern, including appointing a named representative to keep them informed of the progress of the case and considering what other support is appropriate. DSL, Headteacher and/or line manager will offer support.
• Inform the parents or carers of the child/children involved about the allegation as soon as possible if they do not already know (following agreement with children’s social care services and/or the police, if applicable). The case manager will also inform the parents or carers of the requirement to maintain confidentiality about any allegations made against teachers (where this applies) while investigations are ongoing. Any parent or carer who wishes to have the confidentiality restrictions removed in respect of a teacher will be advised to seek legal advice.
• Keep the parents or carers of the child/children involved informed of the progress of the case and the outcome, where there is not a criminal prosecution, including the outcome of any disciplinary process (in confidence).
• Make a referral to the DBS where it is thought that the individual facing the allegation or concern has engaged in conduct that harmed or is likely to harm a child, or if the individual otherwise poses a risk of harm to a child.

If the school is made aware that the secretary of state has made an interim prohibition order in respect of an individual, we will immediately suspend that individual from teaching, pending the findings of the investigation by the Teaching Regulation Agency

Where the police are involved, wherever possible the Governing board/Local Authority will ask the police at the start of the investigation to obtain consent from the individuals involved to share their statements and evidence for use in the school’s disciplinary process, should this be required at a later point.

Timescales

• Any cases where it is clear immediately that the allegation is unsubstantiated or malicious will be resolved within 1 week.
• If the nature of an allegation does not require formal disciplinary action, we will institute appropriate action within 3 working days.
• If a disciplinary hearing is required and can be held without further investigation, we will hold this within 15 working days.

Specific actions

Action following a criminal investigation or prosecution

The case manager will discuss with the Local Authority’s designated officer whether any further action, including disciplinary action, is appropriate and, if so, how to proceed, taking into account information provided by the police and/or children’s social care services.

Conclusion of a case where the allegation is substantiated

If the allegation is substantiated and the individual is dismissed or the school ceases to use their services, or the individual resigns or otherwise ceases to provide their services, the case manager and the school’s personnel adviser will discuss with the designated officer whether to make a referral to the DBS for consideration of whether inclusion on the barred lists is required.

If the individual concerned is a member of teaching staff, the case manager and personnel adviser will discuss with the designated officer whether to refer the matter to the Teaching Regulation Agency to consider prohibiting the individual from teaching.

Individuals returning to work after suspension

If it is decided on the conclusion of a case that an individual who has been suspended can return to work, the case manager will consider how best to facilitate this.

The case manager will also consider how best to manage the individual’s contact with the child or children who made the allegation, if they are still attending the school.

Unsubstantiated or malicious allegations

If an allegation is shown to be deliberately invented, or malicious, the headteacher, or other appropriate person in the case of an allegation against the headteacher, will consider whether any disciplinary action is appropriate against the student(s) who made it, or whether the police should be asked to consider whether action against those who made the allegation might be appropriate, even if they are not a student.

Confidentiality

The school will make every effort to maintain confidentiality and guard against unwanted publicity while an allegation is being investigated or considered.

The case manager will take advice from the Local Authority’s designated officer, police and children’s social care services, as appropriate, to agree:

• Who needs to know about the allegation and what information can be shared.
• How to manage speculation, leaks and gossip, including how to make parents or carers of a child or children involved aware of their obligations with respect to confidentiality.
• What, if any, information can be reasonably given to the wider community to reduce speculation.
• How to manage press interest if, and when, it arises.

Record-keeping

The case manager will maintain clear records about any case where the allegation or concern meets the criteria above and store them on the individual’s confidential personnel file for the duration of the case. Such records will include:

• A clear and comprehensive summary of the allegation.
• Details of how the allegation was followed up and resolved.
• Notes of any action taken, and decisions reached (and justification for these, as stated above).

If an allegation or concern is not found to have been malicious, the school will retain the records of the case on the individual’s confidential personnel file and provide a copy to the individual.

Where records contain information about allegations of sexual abuse, we will preserve these for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), for the term of the inquiry. We will retain all other records at least until the individual has reached normal pension age, or for 10 years from the date of the allegation if that is longer.

The records of any allegation that is found to be malicious will be deleted from the individual’s personnel file.

References

When providing employer references, we will not refer to any allegation that has been proven to be false, unsubstantiated or malicious, or any history of allegations where all such allegations have been proven to be false, unsubstantiated or malicious.

Learning lessons

After any cases where the allegations are substantiated, we will review the circumstances of the case with the Local Authority’s designated officer to determine whether there are any improvements that we can make to the school’s procedures or practice to help prevent similar events in the future.

This will include consideration of (as applicable):

• Issues arising from the decision to suspend the member of staff.
• The duration of the suspension.
• Whether or not the suspension was justified.
• The use of suspension when the individual is subsequently reinstated. We will consider how future investigations of a similar nature could be carried out without suspending the individual.

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Appendix 10

Domestic Abuse

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2021. The Act introduces the first ever statutory definition of domestic abuse and recognises the impact of domestic abuse on children, as victims in their own right, if they see, hear or experience the effects of abuse. The statutory definition of domestic abuse, based on the previous cross-government definition, ensures that different types of relationships are captured, including ex-partners and family members. The definition captures a range of different abusive behaviours, including physical, emotional and economic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour. Both the person who is carrying out the behaviour and the person to whom the behaviour is directed towards must be aged 16 or over and they must be ‘personally connected’ (as defined in section 2 of the 2021 Act).

Types of domestic abuse include intimate partner violence, abuse by family members, teenage relationship abuse and child/adolescent to parent violence and abuse. Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of sexual identity, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexuality or background and domestic abuse can take place inside or outside of the home. The government will issue statutory guidance to provide further information for those working with domestic abuse victims and perpetrators, including the impact on children.

All children can witness and be adversely affected by domestic abuse in the context of their home life where domestic abuse occurs between family members. Experiencing domestic abuse and/or violence can have a serious, long lasting emotional and psychological impact on children. In some cases, a child may blame themselves for the abuse or may have had to leave the family home as a result.

Young people can also experience domestic abuse within their own intimate relationships. This form of peer on peer abuse is sometimes referred to as ‘teenage relationship abuse’. Depending on the age of the young people, this may not be recognised in law under the statutory definition of ‘domestic abuse’ (if one or both parties are under 16). However, as with any child under 18, where there are concerns about safety or welfare, child safeguarding procedures should be followed and both young victims and young perpetrators should be offered support. The Act’s provisions, including the new definition, will be commenced over the coming months.7

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass operates in all police forces across England. It helps police and schools work together to provide emotional and practical help to children. The system ensures that when police are called to an incident of domestic abuse, where there are children in the household who have experienced the domestic incident, the police will inform the key adult (usually the designated safeguarding lead) in school before the child or children arrive at school the following day. This ensures that the school has up to date relevant information about the child’s circumstances and can enable immediate support to be put in place, according to the child’s needs. Operation Encompass does not replace statutory safeguarding procedures. Where appropriate, the police and/or schools should make a referral to children’s social care if they are concerned about a child’s welfare. More information about the scheme and how schools can become involved is available on the Operation Encompass website.

National Domestic Abuse Helpline

Refuge runs the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, which can be called free of charge and in confidence, 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247. Its website provides guidance and support for potential victims, as well as those who are worried about friends and loved ones. It also has a form through which a safe time from the team for a call can be booked. Additional advice on identifying children who are affected by domestic abuse and how they can be helped is available at:

• NSPCC- UK domestic-abuse Signs Symptoms Effects.
• Refuge what is domestic violence/effects of domestic violence on children.
• Safelives: young people and domestic abuse.
• Domestic abuse: specialist sources of support (includes information for adult victims, young people facing abuse in their own relationships and parents experiencing child to parent violence/abuse).
• Home: Operation Encompass (includes information for schools on the impact of domestic abuse on children).

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Appendix 11

Additional advice and support

Abuse:

• What to do if you're worried a child is being abused - DfE advice.
• Domestic abuse: Various Information/Guidance - Home Office.
• Faith based abuse: National Action Plan - DfE advice.
• Relationship abuse: disrespect nobody - Home Office website.
• Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy - Home Office policy paper.
• Together we can stop child sexual abuse - HM Government campaign.

Bullying:

• Preventing bullying including cyberbullying - DfE advice.

Children missing from education, home or care:

• Children missing education - DfE statutory guidance.
• Child missing from home or care - DfE statutory guidance.
• Children and adults missing strategy - Home Office strategy.

Children with family members in prison:

• National Information Centre on Children of Offenders - Barnardo’s in partnership with HM Prison and Probation Service.

 Child Exploitation:

• Trafficking: safeguarding children - DfE and HO guidance.
• Care of unaccompanied and trafficked children - DfE statutory guidance.
• Modern slavery: how to identify and support victims - HO statutory guidance.

Drugs:

• Drug strategy 2017 - Home Office strategy.
• Information and advice on drugs - Talk to Frank website.
• Drug and Alcohol education - teacher guidance & evidence review – PSHE Association website

Honour Based Abuse including FGM and forced marriage:

• Female genital mutilation: information and resources - Home Office guidance.
• Female genital mutilation: multi agency statutory guidance - DfE, DH, and HO statutory guidance.
• Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) - statutory guidance.
• FGM resource pack - HM Government guidance.

Health and Well-being:

• Fabricated or induced illness: safeguarding children - DfE, DH, HO.
• Rise Above: Free PSHE resources on health, wellbeing and resilience - Public Health England.
• Medical-conditions: supporting pupils at school - DfE statutory guidance.
• Mental health and behaviour - DfE advice Homelessness.

Homelessness:

•  How local authorities should exercise their functions - Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government guidance.

Private Fostering:

• Private fostering: local authorities - DfE statutory guidance

Radicalisation:

• Prevent duty guidance - Home Office guidance.
• Prevent duty: additional advice for schools and childcare providers - DfE advice.
• Educate Against Hate website - DfE and Home Office advice.
• Prevent for FE and Training - Education and Training Foundation.

Violence:

• Serious violence strategy - Home Office Strategy.
• Factors linked to serious violence and how these factors can be used to identify individuals for intervention - Home Office.
• Youth Endowment Fund - Home Office.
• Gangs and youth violence: for schools and colleges - Home Office advice.
• Ending violence against women and girls 2016-2020 strategy - Home Office strategy.
• Violence against women and girls: national statement of expectations for victims - Home Office guidance.
• Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges - DfE advice.