Model Safeguarding Policy for Derby Schools
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Safeguarding Policy Name of school: West Park School Date of policy publication: October 2019 Author/s of policy: Deborah Sheffield Date of last review: July 2019 Date of next review: July 2020 Policy review dates and changes Date Review date By whom Summary of changes made implemented October Deborah Updates according to the new October 2019 2019 Sheffield DDSCP procedures DDSCP FINAL October 2019 Page 1 of 60 Contents (Check this when your content is finalised) Page 1. Introduction 3 Policy aims Context Principles 2. Safeguarding Roles and Responsibilities of School/College Staff 7 Roles and responsibilities of Governors/trustees Roles and responsibilities of the Head teacher The Roles and responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Roles and responsibilities of other School Staff Named West Park School staff with specific safeguarding responsibilities Other key local and national safeguarding contacts 3. Environment – children are safe and feel safe 15 Safeguarding as part of the curriculum Vulnerable children Working with parents and carers 4. Taking Action on Concerns 19 Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures If you suspect a child has emerging needs, complex/serous needs or there are child protection concerns If information is disclosed to you Role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) following identification of needs or concerns Notifying parents Getting early help for the child Referral to Children's Social Care Action following referral Confidentiality, sharing information and record keeping Support for those involved in a safeguarding/child protection issue 5. Peer on Peer/Child on Child Abuse/Allegations of Abuse made against 27 other Children What is peer on peer/child on child abuse? Actions the school/college will take Action on concerns 6. Safer Recruitment and Selection of Staff 31 'Extended school' and off site arrangements School/college visitors 7. What staff should do when they have concerns about another staff 32 member (including volunteers) If you have concerns about a colleague Initial actions following an allegation Appendices 1. Types of abuse and possible indicators 34 2. Concerns form 38 3. Actions where there are concerns about a child flowchart 40 4. Body maps 41 5. What is Domestic Abuse, so called ‘Honour Based Violence’ (HBV) Female Genital 46 Mutilation (FGM) and Forced Marriage? 6. Privately Fostered Children or Young People and flowchart 51 7. Radicalisation and Extremism 53 8. Criminal Child Exploitation; county lines 55 9. The Seven Golden Rules to Sharing Information 57 10. Role of Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and deputy 60 11. Guidance and further information 56 DDSCP FINAL October 2019 Page 2 of 60 1. Introduction West Park School recognises that we have an important role to play in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. We are committed to safeguarding children and young people and expect everyone in our school/college to share this commitment. This document outlines West Park School safeguarding policy. It applies to all adults, including volunteers working in or on behalf of the setting. Child protection is defined as safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children by: Protecting children from maltreatment; Preventing impairment of children’s health or development; Protecting children from the risk of radicalisation, exploitation and other harms e.g. drugs, alcohol, gangs, neglect, serious violent crime, sexual or criminal (including county lines) exploitation; Ensuring children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes. Everyone working in, or for our school, takes all welfare concerns seriously and encourages children and young people to talk to us about anything that worries them. We share an objective to help keep children and young people safe by contributing to; Providing a safe environment for children and young people to learn in education settings; Creating a culture of vigilance where we always act in the best interests of the child; Identifying children who may be at risk of radicalisation, in need of extra help, or are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, and taking the appropriate action, working with other services as needed. We will ensure that parents and our partner agencies are aware of our child protection/ safeguarding policy by ensuring that it is displayed in reception area/s, by raising awareness at initial meetings with parents of new pupils/students and at parent teacher meetings and ensuring that it is on the school/college website. The school/college website will also have information about how parents/children/other agencies can contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and their deputy and include their availability in school holidays. Policy Aims The aim of this policy is to outline how the school will: Promote a positive school/college ethos where children can learn, feel secure and be safe. Prevent unsuitable people working with children and young people. Promote safe practice and challenge poor and unsafe practice. Identify instances in which there are grounds for concern about a child's welfare, and initiate or take appropriate action to keep them safe. Contribute to effective partnership working between parents and all those involved with providing services for children and young people. The policy will be reviewed annually as a minimum, unless an incident or new legislation or guidance suggests the need for an earlier date of review. DDSCP FINAL October 2019 Page 3 of 60 Context This policy enables West Park School to carry out our functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children under sections 175 and 157 of the Education Act (2002). Staff are trained to notice signs and symptoms of the different types of abuse and they are aware of and follow the procedures for reporting any concerns they have to the school’s safeguarding team. Pupils are aware that they can talk to relevant members of staff at any time about any concerns or if they feel the need to disclose information pertaining to them or their peers. Pupils are regularly involved in PSHE lessons, assemblies and workshops from outside providers that cover and include advice about dealing with issues associated with safeguarding themselves and their peers in school, at home and in the community. Issues that may arise in school are reviewed and monitored regularly by the relevant staff and training of both staff and pupils is regular and ongoing. As well as this, in order to protect our pupils we have a Prevent action plan/risk assessment and are part of the Stopping Domestic Abuse Together initiative. The policy is in line with the following legislation and guidance: Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) The Children Act (1989) and Children Act (1989) Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sept 2019) Information Sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers (2018) Protection of Freedoms Act (2012) Data Protection Act (2018) The Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales (2015) The Prevent Duty: departmental advice for schools and childcare providers (2015) Prevent Duty Guidance: for further education institutions in England and Wales (2015) Mandatory reporting of Female Genital Mutilation – procedural information (2015) Sexual Offences Act (2003) and Serious Crime Act (2015) Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges (2018) Children Missing Education; statutory guidance for local authorities (2016) Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools (2018) Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education (2019) Teaching Online Safety in Schools (2019) Serious Violence Strategy (2018) Promoting the education of looked-after children and previously-looked after children; Statutory guidance for local authorities (2018) Designated teacher for looked-after and previously looked-after children (2018) The policy is consistent with Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership web- based procedures, including the local criteria for action (thresholds document) and local protocol for assessment. These can be found via Firefly and is also located on the Policy and Procedures page of www.ddscp.org.uk. The school/college will adhere to the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures. Multi-agency working The safeguarding partners in Derby and Derbyshire have a shared and equal duty to make arrangements to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in a local area. The local area safeguarding partners are Derby City Council, Derbyshire County DDSCP FINAL October 2019 Page 4 of 60 Council, Derbyshire Constabulary, Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning group and Tameside and Glossop Clinical Commissioning group. The partners will agree on ways to co- ordinate their safeguarding services, acting as a strategic leadership group in supporting and engaging others and implementing local and national learning including from serious child safeguarding incidents. The school/college will work in partnership with the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (DDSCP) and follow relevant local arrangements as published. See Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership plan for new arrangements. Local schools and colleges are named as relevant