Addendum -March 2020 Updated 19th June 2020 This addendum has been created following DfE Guidance on Safeguarding in Schools and other Providers issued by GOV.UK on 27 March 2020 and updated on 20 May 2020 and applies to all schools. This guidance is to be read alongside the School Child Protection and Safeguarding policy and the Keeping Children Safe in Education 2019 -Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment. COVID-19 school closure arrangements for Safeguarding and Child Protection at Litherland High School School Name: Litherland High School Policy owner: David Yates/Carmel Murphy Date: 19th June 2020 Date shared with Governors: 22nd June 2020 Date shared with staff: 29th June 2020 1. Context From week commencing 1 June 2020, the Government is asking schools and colleges to plan to welcome back more children, as part of the response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Children will be able to return to early years settings, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, children will be back in school in smaller sizes, from this point. Secondary Schools and Colleges are expected to begin some face to face contact with Year 10 and 12 pupils. The way Litherland High School is currently operating in response to Coronavirus continues to be different, however, as more children return, our safeguarding principles in accordance with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (KCSIE) 2019, remain the same: o the best interests of children will always come first o if anyone has a safeguarding concern about any child they should continue to act and act immediately o a DSL or deputy DSL is available in school o unsuitable people are not allowed to enter the children’s workforce and/or gain access to children o children should continue to be protected when they are online. Any wider opening risk assessments (as set out in ) action or education and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June) and related Health and Safety risk assessments will be appropriately linked into our safeguarding approach and child protection policy. For information on health and safety and advice linked to Coronavirus see managing school premises during the coronavirus outbreak and coronavirus information and advice from Health and Safety Executive. This addendum of Litherland High Child Protection Policy contains details of any amendments to our existing safeguarding arrangements and should be read alongside our current policies and procedures. All staff and volunteers will be aware of the policy addendum and any revisions; the addendum will be made available publicly. This updated addendum of Litherland High Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy contains details of our individual safeguarding arrangements in the following areas: 1. Context 2. Vulnerable Children 3. Children open to Early Help 4. Children not currently known to Early Help or Children’s Social Care 5. Attendance Monitoring 6. Designated Safeguarding Leads 7. Reporting a concern 8. Safeguarding Training and Induction 9. Safer recruitment/volunteers and movement of staff 10. Supporting Wellbeing 11. Online safety in schools and colleges 2 12. Children and online safety away from school and college 13. Supporting Children not in school 14. FSM Children 15. Supporting Children in School 16. First Aid-Impact Staff Absence 17. Children who attend or transfer to another setting 18. Peer on Peer Abuse 19. Domestic Abuse - Coronavirus (COVID-19): support for victims of domestic abuse 20. Mental Health 21. Working in Partnership with Merseyside Police 22. Support from LA/Multi Academy Trust 23. Useful Contacts 24. Review of the Policy 25. Further sources of support 3 Key contacts Role Name Contact number Email Designated Carmel Murphy 0151 214 3434 [email protected] Safeguarding Lead Deputy Designated Claire Gaudie 0151 214 3434 [email protected] Safeguarding Leads Headteacher David Yates 0151 214 3434 [email protected] Trust Safeguarding Liz Rowling 0151 214 3445 [email protected] Manager Chair of Governors Ian Mitchell 0151 214 3434 [email protected] Safeguarding Frank MacFarlane 0151 214 3434 [email protected] Governor / Trustee LA Designated Tracy McKeating 07837863075 [email protected] Lead Education Safeguarding 2. Vulnerable children Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those children and young people up to the age of 25 with Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans. Those who have a social worker include children who have a Child Protection Plan and those who are looked after by the Local Authority. A child may also be deemed to be vulnerable if they have been assessed as being in need or otherwise meet the definition in section 17 of the Children Act 1989. (Child in Need). Those with an EHC Plan will be risk-assessed in consultation with the Local Authority and Parents, to decide whether they need to continue to be offered a school or college place, in order to meet their needs, or whether they can safely have their needs met at home. This could include, if necessary, carers, therapists or clinicians visiting the home to provide any essential services. Many children and young people with EHC Plans can safely remain at home. Eligibility for free school meals, in and of itself should not be the determining factor in assessing vulnerability. 4 Senior leaders, especially the Designated Safeguarding Lead (and deputy) know who our most vulnerable children are. They have the flexibility to offer a place to those on the edge of receiving children’s social care support. Litherland High School will continue to work with and support children’s social workers to help protect vulnerable children. This includes working with and supporting children’s social workers and the Local Authority Virtual School Head (VSH) for looked-after and previously looked-after children. The lead person for this will be: Carmel Murphy There is an expectation that vulnerable children who have a social worker will attend an education setting, so long as they do not have underlying health conditions that put them at increased risk. In circumstances where a parent does not want to bring their child to an education setting, and their child is considered vulnerable, the social worker and Litherland High School will explore the reasons for this directly with the parent. Where parents are concerned about the risk of the child contracting COVID19, Litherland High School or the social worker will talk through these anxieties with the parent/carer following the advice set out by Public Health England. Litherland High School will encourage our vulnerable children and young people to attend a school, including remotely if needed. 3. Children currently open to Early Help Children currently being supported by Early Help will largely not attend school during this period, however, if our school have any specific concerns regarding a child open to Early Help in the first instance schools should discuss any concerns they have with Tracy McKeating, LA DSL, Education Safeguarding, who can be contacted on 07837863075 or at [email protected] Support for Early Help can also be accessed from the Family Wellbeing Centres in Sefton. There are 3 currently operating across North, Central and South Sefton. North Locality Talbot Street Family Well Being Centre 01704 534975 St Andrew Place PR8 1HR Central Locality Netherton Family Well Being Centre 0151 282 1405 Magdalen Square, Bootle L30 5QH South Locality Marie Clark Family Well Being Centre Linacre 0151 330 5260 Lane Bootle L20 5A 4. Children not currently known to Early Help or Children’s Social Care. In the event a school has concerns about a child not currently known to either Early Help or CSC a referral can be made into the MASH in the usual way. If a school/professional has concerns about a child that relate specifically to Covid19, at this time CSC would encourage professionals to ring the MASH for a conversation about the individual case before completing a referral. 5 5. Attendance monitoring Department for Education (DfE) advice is from the 22nd June, children in specified year groups and vulnerable children will be returning to school as agreed. • No one with symptoms should attend Litherland High for any reason. • Vulnerable children’s attendance is expected, where there are no shielding concerns for the child or their household, and/or following a risk assessment for children with an EHC Plan. • Parents and carers will not be penalised if their child is not attending educational provision whilst current Covid-19 restrictions are in place. • For children agreed to be in school, we will resume our usual day-to-day attendance registers and processes in accordance with existing policies. Litherland High School will complete the Educational Setting Status form to keep a record, which gives the DfE daily updates on how many children and staff are attending. We will be regularly reviewing the guidance. In addition, the Local Authority also require their data collection form to be completed on a Friday. Litherland High School will: • Continue to notify social workers where children with a social worker do not attend. Litherland High School will also follow up directly with their parent/carer. • Continue to follow up with any parent/carer whose child has been expected to attend and doesn’t. • Litherland High School will ensure that regular contact is maintained with children (and their families) who are not yet returning to school, with support from the DSL, teaching and/or pastoral staff who are encouraged to make contact directly with children, where possible and appropriate. • Staff can make calls from the school site and/or via school phones and devices, whenever possible. • Staff will record the date, time and attendance of calls. • Staff can also make contact directly with students using their school email address.