Safeguarding

Key Safeguarding Information

Prevent Strategy

What is Prevent?

Prevent is part of CONTEST, the Government’s strategy to address terrorism. The main aim of Prevent is to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Prevent focuses on all forms of terrorist threats.  E.g. international terrorism, far right extremists (among others).

The Government’s Prevent strategy can be found at the following address: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Three Key Themes

The police, Local Authorities, and our partner organisations are working together to help strengthen and empower our communities to reject those who want to cause harm. We work together and focus on three key themes:

  • Safeguarding vulnerable individuals through the provision of advice and support and intervention projects.
  • Working closely with institutions such as Universities, Schools, Prisons, Health, Charities and faith establishments.
  • Challenging terrorist ideology by working closely with other local and national agencies, partners and our communities.
Prevent Team

The Prevent Engagement Team of officers and police staff aim to encourage discussion ensuring that terrorism is prevented from taking root in our communities.

They support the wider engagement activities already taking place in schools, places of worship and community groups.

Through this work they aim to strengthen communities in order to challenge the ideologies and messages of hate which lead to terrorism.

How you can help?

It is important that we all work together, so that we can protect our communities. There are many ways you can help:

 

  • You can get in touch with your local neighbourhood or Prevent team for advice and support, if you are worried about someone you know who you believe may be vulnerable to radicalisation
  • You can speak to your local officers or Prevent contact about helping run community events to bring people from different communities together
  • You can provide facilities that could help us and our partners hold community engagement events.
Operation Encompass

Our school participates in a Police led initiative called Operation Encompass. This is a partnership between schools and the Police that helps schools to better support any child where a domestic incident has been reported to Police from their home.

 

Following a domestic incident, the Police will make contact with the child’s school via secure email (usually the next day) and will communicate relevant information to a nominated, fully-trained member of school staff. This will ensure that as a school, we are made aware early enough, to support children and young people in a way that means they feel safe, supported and listened to. It will also provide an opportunity for school to offer support to the whole family.

 

Each school has members of staff called Key Adults who are trained to liaise with the Police, when required, whilst ensuring support is available to the child. Part of the school response may be to speak with the child to ensure appropriate support is offered.

The initiative was launched force-wide at the beginning of 2015. It is active in all Merseyside schools.  You can find out more about Operation Encompass via the following site: www.operationencompass.org

Volunteers/Visitors Responsibility

All those who come into contact with children through their everyday work whether paid or voluntary are responsible for their own actions and behaviour. You should avoid any contact which would lead any reasonable person to question your motivation and intention. At St Nicholas we all have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all our children. Please follow our code of behaviour:

  • Act as an appropriate role model.
  • Treat everyone with respect.
  • Provide an example you wish others to follow.
  • Remember that someone else might misinterpret your actions, no matter how well intended.
  • Plan activities so that they may involve more than one person or at least are in sight or hearing of others.
  • Respect a child’s right personal privacy
  • Don’t jump to conclusions without checking facts.
  • Don’t permit abusive activities e.g. bullying or ridiculing
  • Don’t play physical contact games, make inappropriate comments or have inappropriate verbal banter with the   children.
  • Don’t make suggestive remarks, gestures or tell sexist/homophobic jokes.
  • Don’t rely on your good name to protect you. It may not be enough!
  • Don’t believe it couldn’t happen to you—It Could!

Upon arrival you will be issued with a copy of our Safeguarding Advice for Visitors and Volunteers document. We expect you to read this document.

DBS Checks

The Disclosure and Barring Service was established under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and merges the functions previously carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

The Disclosure and Barring Service searches police records and, in relevant cases, barred list information, and then issues a Disclosure and Barring Service certificate to the applicant.

Screening Documents

Infrequent visitors will be asked to sign our Screening Document available at the Reception Desk.

By signing the document you agree to comply with Child Protection procedures within St Nicholas, follow the Code of Behaviour and agree to disclose all criminal convictions spent or not.

Identity Badges/ Visitor Stickers

All visitors to St Nicholas must wear either their visitor’s sticker received from reception or their agency/school ID badge. Any adults without a badge will be challenged.

Worried about a child?

Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional) or neglect can have a damaging effect on a child’s health, education and emotional well-being. Some changes in a child’s behaviour may not necessarily indicate that a child is suffering abuse or neglect. In some cases those changes may be symptoms of a hidden disability, undiagnosed medical condition or changes in medication.

If staff become concerned about comments made by a child, marks or bruises on a child or changes in a child’s behaviour they report these concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Officer who shares them with other agencies if necessary.

What happens if a child makes a disclosure?
  • Listen to what is being said without  displaying shock or disbelief. Accept what is being said.
  • Allow the child to talk freely, listen rather than ask direct questions.
  • Reassure the child, but do not make promises that might not be kept.
  • Not promise confidentiality but explain that we have to tell their teacher or Headteacher in order to help them.
  • Not interrogate the child or ask leading questions.
  • Reassure the child that it is not their fault.
  • Stress that it was right to tell.
  • Make them aware that their disclosure will only be reported to those who need to know and can help.
  • Record details of the disclosure immediately, including (if possible) the exact words or phrases used by the child. Sign & date the record.
  • Report your concerns and give a written record to the Safeguarding Coordinator.
  • Be aware of our own feelings and find someone to talk to once the procedures have been completed. Remember that the child’s name and details must remain confidential and any discussion should not allow the child to be identified by anyone else.
Safe Working Within St Nicholas

We expect all staff and visitors to;

  •  Provide a good example and be a positive role model by being  respectful, fair and considerate to all.
  • Treat all children equally—never build a ‘special relationship’ or favour a  particular child above all others.
  • Ensure that when working with individual children, the door is left open, or that they are visible to others.
  • Not photograph children (unless requested by the school staff), exchange emails, text messages, phone numbers, social networking or give out own personal details.
  • Not give or receive gifts unless  arranged through school.
  • Only touch children for professional reasons and when this is necessary and appropriate for the child’s well-being or safety.
Allegations

Any allegation should be reported to the Headteacher.

If the concerns are about the Headteacher, please inform the Chair of  Governors and Designated Safeguarding Lead

Everyone has a responsibility to make sure that children within St Nicholas Catholic Primary School are safe as ‘Every Child Matters’

Please do not do nothing, tell some one your concerns.

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