Safeguarding
Safeguarding including the PREVENT Duty
St Elisabeth's CE Primary School is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for children, staff and visitors and promoting a climate where children and adults will feel confident about sharing any concerns which they may have about their own safety or the well-being of others.
Our Designated Members of staff for Safeguarding are:
- Amanda Lancashire (Head of School)
- Pippa Charlesworth (SENDCo)
- The Safeguarding designated Governor is Lee Jamieson
The specific duties of the child protection designated teachers include:
- Liaison with other staff who have pastoral responsibilities with children.
- Liaison with the Stockport Children's Services, Stockport Social Services Department and other agencies concerning individual cases of actual or suspected child abuse.
- Oversight of the planning of curricular provision concerning child protection.
- Ensuring appropriate staff training and updating
Our school policies have been designed to ensure that all adults at St Elisabeth's are working together to safeguard and promote the well being of all our young people and adults in school. Our policy describes the systems and arrangements in place to create and maintain a safe learning environment. It identifies any actions which should be taken to address any welfare concerns about young people and adults in school. Please take the time to read through our policy.
Please access our Safeguarding Policy and other linked policies/documents below. This is the first policy on the page entitled: Policies to keep children safe.
We have also produced a safeguarding information sheet for parents to explain what Safeguarding Children means. This leaflet has been distributed to all our families and is available from our school office as well.
Please feel free to download our leaflet from the bottom of the page, where you will find downloadable safeguarding information and all our school safeguarding policies.
Early Help Strategy
As part of our support for all children in school we have regular opportunities to consult with support services and health agencies through a multi-agency approach which sometimes includes completing the Early Help Form which supports families as well as pupils. Mrs Charlesworth are our 'Early Help Co-ordinators and available through appointment. Our school nurse is Carrie Ogden Smith. She also works with our pupils on drugs education, sex and relationships and staying healthy.
PREVENT Duty
The Prevent Duty came into effect from 1 July 2015 and as a public body we are subject to the duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of our functions, to have ‘due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’.
St Elisabeth's CE Primary School seeks to protect children and young people against the messages of all violent extremism including, but not restricted to, those linked to Islamist ideology, or to Far Right / Neo Nazi / White Supremacist ideology, Irish Nationalist and Loyalist paramilitary groups, and extremist Animal Rights movements. The current threat from terrorism in the United Kingdom may include the exploitation of vulnerable people, to involve them in terrorism or in activity in support of terrorism. The normalisation of extreme views may also make children and young people vulnerable to future manipulation and exploitation. St Elisabeth's CE Primary School is clear that this exploitation and radicalisation should be viewed as a safeguarding concern. Prevention work and reductions of risks will include the RE curriculum, SEND policy, worship time policy, the use of school premises by external agencies, integration of pupils by gender and SEN, anti-bullying policy and other issues specific to the school’s profile, community and philosophy.
If you have a concern linked to Prevent it is helpful in the first instance to speak to the Safeguarding lead (Mrs Burrows, Mrs Lancashire or Mrs Charleworth ).
Below are the Greater Manchester Police contact details linked to Prevent
0161 856 9305 or visit the GMP site for PREVENT
E-Safety
The Internet can be a wonderful resource for children. They can use it for research, to communicate with friends and family, and play interactive games. However with the rise in access to the internet, through the wide range of gaming, mobile devices and Smartphones, comes the increase in the potential for harm from inappropriate use. That's why it's vitally important to be aware of what your children see and hear on the Internet, who they meet, and what they share about themselves online.
Internet or E-safety covers a wide range of topics and devices which comprise the 'online' experience. As parents and carers please do talk to your children about how they use the internet and keep themselves safe online. I hope the links below will help you to find relevant information which will not only inform you but help you to engage your children in the importance of internet safety.
The older children in school have been learning how to be 'S.M.A.R.T' when online and the following poster will act as a reminder to them. Kidsmart SMART pdf.
There are a wide range of technologies available now which have access to online resources and the following documents give specific information on some of these.
Top tips for iPad Top tips for Nintendo
Top tips for iPhone Top tips for Playstation 3 & PSP
Top tips for iPod Touch Top tips for Playstation 4 and PS Vita
Top tips for Blackberry Top tips for Xbox 360+
Links for further information - for more detailed advice on technologies and information on how to support your children with their online experience please visit the following links:
http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers or
http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers
http://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
Parental Controls (PC) do help to control the online experience of your children though they should not replace parental oversight of your children whilst online. They can allow filtered access to online sites and material so inappropriate access is denied. You can perform a 'Google'search for 'parental controls and internet safety' for more information though it is important to understand that even the best PC software may not be perfect. However with the move away from an easily supervised computer in the lounge to a mobile device in the bedroom it is a valuable step to providing protection for your children. Net Nanny (.com) is one award winning example and OpenDNS is another. These are inexpensive options which now cover a number of online devices in one household.
So what are the risks? The risks depend on the access your child has to unrestricted online sites and the way your child uses the internet. I have put together a number of documents below, the first giving general online advice with the remaining documents giving more detailed information on specific risks your child may be exposed to.
Online tips for parents Personal information tips
Blocking tips Children meeting strangers
Online gaming tips Online friends
Online reputation tips Social networking tips
What to do if something goes wrong? The CEOP website has links for reporting inappropriate online behaviour. Look out for the following symbol on websites or on the CEOP's own site which take you directly to their own page for reporting abuse: https://www.ceop.police.uk/Ceop-Report/
Cyberbullying
This is bullying but using technology to harass, threaten, embarrass or target another person. A comprehensive leaflet has been published by Childnet International on the subject of cyberbullying which can be accessed through the following link: Cyberbullying leaflet (pages 6 and 7 show how technology can be used to bully with advise on contacting service providers if necessary).
If you suspect your child is being bullied in anyway, including cyberbullying, please inform us by speaking to Bev Burrows (Headteacher), Amanda Lancashire (Deputy Headteacher), Pip Charlesworth (SENDCo) or Alexa Tweedale (Computing Co-ordinator).
Social Networking Sites (including Facebook)
Many children now have online contact with other children through a wide variety of games and social networking sites, including Facebook. Children should not have a Facebook account until they are 13 years old, however we realise that some children may have an account below this age, particularly when they leave primary school to go to high school. If your child does have a Facebook account or uses other social networking sites please talk to your child about the following:
- Insist that you know your child's login details.
- Insist that you and other family members are 'friends' on Facebook or other social sites (then any inappropriate content can be monitered.)
- Make sure your child 'locks down' their profile to ensure only friends can access their page, pictures etc.
- Make sure any photos or videos are appropriate and don't reveal personal information, such as school uniform details.
- Be aware that it is recommended that school staff are NOT 'friends' with pupils, or ex pupils, so don't be offended if any requests are not accepted.
Older Children and Sexting
Sexting (sending sexually explicit photographs or messages via mobile phone) is becoming one of the most prevalent issues for young people today. Again I have attached a few links to documents to give you more information and advice to help you prevent your child(ren) getting involved and to help you if you find they have.
Sexting and how to keep your child safe online
Information for young people who are worried about being involved in sexting
If you have any worries about a child's safety or welfare, in the first instance speak to a Contact Officer at the Stockport Contact Centre/MASSH on 0161 217 6028. They will then deal with your concerns. If you think a child is at risk of immediate harm, please contact the police by calling 999. In addition, you can call the NSPCC Child Protection helpline on 0808 800 5000 to discuss your concerns.
Please also visit the NSPCC Net Aware Site, which provides parents with a guide to social networks, children are using. The advice will keep you up to date and will keep your child safe in this digital world.