Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding means:
Child Protection is part of Safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.
From 31 October 2015 it is mandatory for teachers, health and social workers to report to the police if they find, or are told, someone under 18 has undergone FGM.
Wrotham Road Primary School recognises the benefits and opportunities which new technologies offer to teaching and learning. We encourage the use of technology in order to enhance skills and promote achievement. However, the accessible and global nature of the internet and variety of technologies available mean that we are also aware of potential risks and challenges associated with such use. To find out more please read our Online Safety policy.
If you would like further information and advice regarding online safety, please take a look at the link: E-Safety | Wrotham Road Primary School
Please click here to access the statutory guidance from the Department for Education.
It is imperative that all staff (including volunteers) read this guidance and provide consent that they have done so (a register exists to determine this) Schools must have regard to the guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This document contains information on what schools should do and sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply.
Please click below to access departmental advice for schools on the Prevent Duty (DFE).
Alternatively, you can also refer to ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ above for further information. Staff have been completing a series of online training modules. A register exists to determine which staff have completed the training.
Referrals to Social Services are undertaken by schools in response to information regarding children who are thought to be at significant risk of harm. It is the schools duty to report to Social Services in these instances.
In the first instance, the school will look to contact parents/ carers and emergency contact numbers provided to the school on the data collection information.
If there is no contact by 4.30pm, the school will contact Children’s Social Services 03000 411111. Please note that if a school has not made contact with the Referral and Assessment Service by 5pm, calls may be handled by the Emergency Duty Team.
This may result in considerable delay to action being taken by Social Care. If Social Services are unable to deal with this issue immediately, a call will be made to the local Police. The school will continue to try to make contact with family.
At Wrotham Road Primary School we are working in partnership with the Kent Police and Children’s Services to identify and provide appropriate support to pupils who have experienced domestic violence in their household; this scheme is called Operation Encompass.
The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in or witness to a domestic abuse incident. Domestic abuse impacts on children in a number of ways. Children are at increased risk of physical injury during an incident, either by accident or because they attempt to intervene. Even when not directly injured, children are greatly distressed by witnessing the physical and emotional suffering of a parent.
Encompass has been created to highlight this situation. It is the implementation of key partnership working between the police and schools. The aim of sharing information with local schools is to allow ‘Key Adults’ the opportunity of engaging with the child and to provide access to support that allows them to remain in a safe but secure familiar environment.
In order to achieve this, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub will share police information of all domestic incidents where one of our pupils has been present, with the Designated Safeguarding Lead(s) (DSL). On receipt of any information, the DSL will decide on the appropriate support the child requires, this should be covert dependent on the needs and wishes of the child. All information sharing and resulting actions will be undertaken in accordance with the Kent Police and Encompass Protocol Data Sharing Agreement. We will record this information and store this information in accordance with the record keeping procedures outlined in this policy.
The purpose and procedures in Operation Encompass have been shared with all parents and governors. Further information can be found by clicking on the following link: https://www.operationencompass.org
At Wrotham Road Primary School our Key Adults are Miss Galinis and Mrs Evans.
