Safeguarding

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all practitioners should make sure their approach is child-centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is:

• providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
• preventing impairment of children’s 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

Keeping Children Safe in Education – September 2024

Everyone who comes into contact with children has a duty to safeguard and protect their welfare. If you have any concerns about a child, you must refer those concerns to the school’s designated person with responsibility for Child Protection listed below.

Our Safeguarding Team

Katie Shilliam	Headteacher	Designated Safeguarding Lead
Dorothee Holcombe	SENCO	Deputy DDSL
Richard Fletcher	SLT	DSL trained
Jo Martin	Pastoral Teaching Assistant	DSL trained

If you have a concern about any member of our school community please speak to one of the Designated Safeguarding Leads. We understand that people are sometimes unsure whether they should report something or not. Our advice would always be that if something makes you feel uncomfortable then speak to a DSL and record your observations on one of our forms. It is the role of the DSL to decide if any action is needed but we cannot make that decision if you do not tell us.

DSL Information

dsl team.pdf

 The role of the Designated Safeguarding Person was specified in the Children Act 2004 and ensured that every organisation had a "named person" for safeguarding children and young people. Prior to that, the role had frequently been known as the Child Protection Officer. The Designated Safeguarding Person has a responsibility at both a strategic level within the organisation and on a day to day basis.

Key Aspects of the Designated Person role includes:

• Making sure all staff are aware how to raise safeguarding concerns
• Ensuring all staff understand the symptoms of child abuse and neglect
• Referring any concerns to social care
• Monitoring children who are the subject of child protection plans
• Maintaining accurate and secure child protection records

Role of The Designated Safeguarding Person

Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure that the school or college designates an appropriate senior member of staff to take lead responsibility for child protection. This person should have the status and authority within the school to carry out the duties of the post including committing resources and where appropriate, supporting and directing other staff.

What to do if you have concerns about a child or family

Speak with one the safeguarding leads at school.

Contact Northamptonshire Children's Trust Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0300 126 7000 or report a concern online.

If it is an emergency and you think that a child may be in immediate danger, please contact the emergency services directly by calling 999. If you need to contact MASH urgently during the evening, at night or at the weekend, please phone the MASH out-of-hours team on 01604 626 938. 

What to do if you have concerns about an adult

If you have a concern about a member of staff in school, please contact the Headteacher, Katie Shilliam, on head@guilsborough.pdet.org.uk 

If your concern is about the Headteacher, please contact the Chair of Governors, Graham Leah, on g.leah@guilsborough.pdet.org.uk 

If you have concerns in relation to an adult's behaviour, contact the West Northamptonshire Designated Officer.

We have a policy on Safeguarding concerns or allegations made against adults which you can find on our Policies page. 

Safeguarding themes and further information for parents / carers

Childline

Childline is a free 24-hour counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday in the United Kingdom provided by the NSPCC. Childline deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, mental illness parental separation or divorce, pregnancy, substance misuse, neglect and psychological abuse.

Childline is yours - a free, private and confidential service where you can be you. Whatever your worry, whenever you need help, however you want to get in touch. They are there for you online, on the phone, anytime.

A childline counsellor:

• Will listen to you
• Knows it takes courage to contact us
• Is genuine, open and friendly
• Knows about the problems young people can face
• Wont judge you or put you down
• Isn't easily shocked
• Will let you take your time

6 Facts about Childline:

• They were started in1986 by Esther Rantzen
• They help any young person in the UK
• You can talk to them in English or Welsh
• They can help with anything - from abuse and bullying to exam stress and relationships
• Calling Childline is free and doesn't show up on the phone bill
• In 2006 they joined the NSPCC to help even more young people

CONTACTING CHILDLINE

You can talk to them about anything. No problem is too big or too small.

Call them on 0800 1111 or get in touch online. However you choose to contact them, you're in control. It's confidential and you don't have to give your name if you don't want to.

OUR CONFIDENTIALITY PROMISE

Confidentiality means not telling anyone else about what you've said. So whatever you say will be just between you and Childline and you can feel safe talking to them, knowing that no one else will find out. But sometimes, if they are worried about your safety, they may need to get you help.

Identification of Child Abuse

Identification of child abuse is very difficult. Individual factors or indicators of abuse may not be particularly worrying, but in combination they can suggest that there is a serious cause for concern. There are four main areas of abuse, all of which have many indicators. These areas of abuse are

• PHYSICAL
• NEGLECT
• SEXUAL
• EMOTIONAL

Other factors may also potentially impact on children’s well-being, these include acute family stress, domestic violence, homelessness, racism or other discrimination. Sadly, child abuse happens to children of both sexes, at all ages, of all cultures, religions and social classes, and both to children with and without disabilities.

If you are worried or concerned about a child, then please speak to a designated member of staff.

  Online Safety

If you need help with Internet Safety, or if you wish to report a problem to CEOP, click the button below:

Our pupils use the Internet on a regular basis as part of their learning. In school, we have regular 'e-safety' activities to remind children of the importance of keeping themselves safe online.

Click here to access our E-safety, Internet Access and Acceptable Use policy.

Click here to access our 2018-2019 PowerPoint presentation from our Online Safety Parent drop-in. Please note, this presentation is still valid, the only new information is about WhatsApp now being age rated 16+ with no age verification. Visit Net Aware to found out more.

You can also read and download the NSPCC parents' guides from the 2019-2020 NSPCC Parent Online Safety Workshop by clicking on each name:

NSPCC Staying Safe Online Across the Ages - 4 and Under

NSPCC Staying Safe Online Across the Ages - 5 and 7

NSPCC Staying Safe Online Across the Ages - 8 and 11

Minecraft Parental Advice 

Whatsapp Parental Advice 

TikTok Parental Advice

Roblox Parental Advice 

Snapchat Parents' Guide 

Instagram Parents' Guide 

Net Aware is an excellent website with up to date bite size information and advice on the latest apps, games and social media sites. https://www.net-aware.org.uk/ 

 

 

 

 Useful Links:

• Think U Know - containing internet safety advice for those aged from 5 to 16, along with parents and teachers, this site is produced by CEOP (the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre).
• Online Safety NSPCC - Let's keep kids safe online
• Pitda - Parenting in the Digital Age
• Childnet - "If you were looking for Know IT All for Parents, you have come to the right place".
• BBC Stay Safe - The BBC have set us this great site to help you stay safe online. There are video, games and interactive activities to try!
• Vodafone Parents - You can read their informative ‘How to’ guides
• Kidsmart - An award-winning internet safety programme for children.
• Know IT All - lots of useful advice for keeping yourselves and your children safe on the Internet.
• Bullying UK - Information and advice about bullying for children, parents and schools.
• Kidscape - An organisation which helps to prevent bullying and child abuse.

Prevent Strategy

Prevent Duty - Preventing Radicalisation in school

Building resilience in our young people and the promotion of fundamental British values is at the heart of preventing radicalisation. We do this by providing a safe place in which children can discuss issues, and we aim to give them the knowledge and confidence to challenge extremist beliefs and ideologies.

Our new prevent duty, is carried out under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, which legally requires us to take steps to prevent pupils from being drawn into terrorism. We take this duty seriously and carry out the four main actions responsibly, namely: risk assessment, working in partnership, staff training and IT policies. If we assess a child as at risk, we will refer to the Channel Programme, which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism.

In terms of training, staff have received training to familiarise them with the Prevent Duty. In terms of internet safety, we ensure suitable filters are in place to keep children away from extremist materials, in keeping with Northamptonshire guidelines.

We recognise that we play a vital role in keeping children safe from harm, including from the risks of extremism and radicalisation, and in promoting the welfare of children in our care.

Click here to access our Preventing Radicalisation Policy

What we do if there is a concern

If we have a concern about a particular pupil we will follow the school’s normal safeguarding procedures, including discussing with the school’s designated safeguarding lead, and where deemed necessary, with children’s social care. In Prevent priority areas, the local authority will have a Prevent lead who can also provide support.

We may also contact the local police force or dial 101 (the non-emergency number). They can talk to us in confidence about concerns and help us gain access to support and advice.

The Department for Education has dedicated a telephone helpline (020 7340 7264) to enable staff and governors to raise concerns relating to extremism directly. Concerns can also be raised by email to counter.extremism@education.gsi.gov.uk. Please note that the helpline is not intended for use in emergency situations, such as a child being at immediate risk of harm or a security incident In an emergency situation we will follow the recommended emergency procedures. 

Useful Links

Click on the links below for more information!

 

Wellbeing

Pastoral events for happier children and staff...

Wellbeing at Guilsborough Primary School is very important to us. We are very lucky to have a Pastoral Support Teaching Assistant who has been highly trained in supporting our children’s spiritual, moral, social, cultural and emotional wellbeing.

We pride ourselves on supporting children through their concerns, often helping with school/home life stress, emotional wellbeing, mental health, developing resilience, techniques to improve academic performance, or simply with day to day life.

Included in the list below are some of the workshops and meetings that take place during the school year to provide support to our pupils:

• Meet and greet mornings
• Nurture group
• Art therapy
• Drop in break time ‘TALK’ sessions
• Meditation workshops
• Weekly Yoga
• Self-esteem workshops
• Anxiety and worries workshops
• Anger management workshops
• Healthy mind and body cooking sessions
• Transition support
• Parental support

Please take a look at our Magnificent Minds Champions Article

mmc article.pdf