Our school’s Safeguarding Policy can be viewed as a document by Clicking HERE
Key Contacts
Executive Headteacher
Mr Daniel Gauld
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Rebecca Clyne
Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Miss Lisa Carney
07572 013 784
Designated Looked After Children Lead
Mrs Rebecca Clyne
0161 921 2260
Designated Mental Health Lead
Mrs Emily Mendham
0161 921 2259
Named Governor for Child Protection
Mr. Joseph Donnelly
via the school office 0161 921 2260
The Bridge Partnership for child protection referrals
0161 603 4500 or via email
worriedaboutachild@salford.gov.uk
GMP Public Protection Investigation Unit (PPIU)
0161 856 5171 or via email
for referrals/consultation about crime-related
Managing allegations against an employee or volunteer
0161 603 4350 / 4445
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
Worried About a Child?
All reports or enquiries concerning the welfare or safety of a child must go straight to The Bridge Partnership on 0161 603 4500 as the first port of call. This applies to reports from council staff, the public, partners and outside agencies. All referrals and request for support concerning the welfare or safety of a child must go through the Bridge Partnership via the online Salford City Council’s portal and information hub for services to Children, Young people and families at https://childrensportalehm.salford.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/home
If a child is in immediate danger of being harmed, or if a child is home alone, the police should be called on 999.
Information on how this policy is updated
Updated information based on previous policy or updated based on KCSIE2021
School’s response to how the school will meet the requirements of KCSIE2021
This policy should be considered alongside school child protection procedures (Appendix 2) and other related policies in school. These are (for example)
- Core Values Policy
- School Pupils with Medical Needs
- School Security
- Staff Behaviour / Code of Conduct Policy
- Anti-bullying (including cyber ,homophobic and gender based bullying)
http://greatermanchesterscb.proceduresonline.com/chapters/g_bullying.html?zoom_highlight=bullying
- Peer on Peer / Child on Child Abuse
- Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
- Special Education Needs
- Health and Safety
- Online Safety and Mobile Technology (including Monitoring and Filtering policy)
- Appropriate use of technology
- DFE Guidance – Harmful online challenges and online hoaxes
- Safer Working Practice
- Educational Visits Policy
- Handling Allegations of Abuse Against Staff
- Whistleblowing
- Safer Recruitment
- PSHE
- Children Missing Education
https://greatermanchesterscb.proceduresonline.com/chapters/p_ch_missing_educ.html
- Child Criminal Exploitation
- Gang Activity/Serious Youth Violence
- Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery
http://greatermanchesterscb.proceduresonline.com/chapters/p_sg_ch_trafficked.html
- Child Sexual Exploitation
- Female Genital Mutilation FGM
http://greatermanchesterscb.proceduresonline.com/chapters/p_fgm.html?zoom_highlight=fgm
- Prevent Duty
- Emotional Well Being/Mental Health / Suicide/ Self Harm policies
https://greatermanchesterscb.proceduresonline.com/chapters/p_suicide_self_harm.html
- Healthy Relationships/SRE
- Self Harm Policy
- Search and Confiscate Policy
- Resolving Professional Disagreements, Effective Challenge and Escalation Policies
NB This list is not exhaustive. A copy of any of these policies is available and can be obtained by contacting the school office.
Appendix 4
You should NEVER
- Investigate or seek to prove or disprove possible abuse;
- Make promises about confidentiality or keeping ‘secrets’ to children;
- Assume that someone else will take the necessary action;
- Jump to conclusions, be dismissive or react with shock, anger, horror etc;
- Speculate or accuse anybody;
- Investigate, suggest or probe for information;
- Confront another person (adult or child) allegedly involved;
- Offer opinions about what is being said or the persons allegedly involved;
- Forget to record what you have been told;
- Fail to pass this information on to the correct person (the Designated Child Protection Person).
- Involve those who do not need to be involved. Only those such as the designated safeguarding lead (or a deputy) and children’s social care need to involved.
Children with communication difficulties, or who use alternative / augmentative communication systems
- While extra care may be needed to ensure that signs of abuse and neglect are interpreted correctly, any suspicions should be reported in exactly the same manner as for other children;
- Opinion and interpretation will be crucial (be prepared to be asked about the basis for it and to possibly have its validity questioned if the matter goes to court).
- Use of signers or interpreters
Recordings should
- State who was present, time, date and place;
- Be written in ink and be signed by the recorder;
- Be passed to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Head Teacher immediately (certainly within 24 hours);
- Use the child’s words wherever possible;
- Be factual/state exactly what was said;
- Differentiate clearly between fact, opinion, interpretation, observation and/or allegation.
What information do you need to obtain?
- Schools have no investigative role in child protection (Police and the Bridge Partnership will investigate possible abuse very thoroughly and in great detail, they will gather evidence and test hypotheses – leave this to them!);
- Never prompt or probe for information, your job is to listen, record and pass on;
- Ideally, you should be clear about what is being said in terms of who, what, where and when;
- The question which you should be able to answer at the end of the listening process is ‘might this be a child protection matter?’;
- If the answer is yes, or if you’re not sure, record and pass on immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead /Head Teacher/line manager or consult directly with the Bridge Partnership.
If you do need to ask questions, what is and isn’t OK?
- Never ask closed questions i.e. ones which children can answer yes or no to e.g. Did he touch you?
- Never make suggestions about who, how or where someone is alleged to have touched, hit etc e.g. top or bottom, front or back?
- If we must, use only ‘minimal prompts’ such as ‘go on … tell me more about that … tell me everything that you remember about that … … ‘
- Timescales are very important: ‘When was the last time this happened?’ is an important question.
What else should we think about in relation to disclosure?
- Is there a place in school which is particularly suitable for listening to children e.g. not too isolated, easily supervised, quiet etc;
- We need to think carefully about our own body language – how we present will dictate how comfortable a child feels in telling us about something which may be extremely frightening, difficult and personal;
- Be prepared to answer the ‘what happens next’ question;
- We should never make face-value judgements or assumptions about individual children. For example, we ‘know that [child…………] tells lies’;
- Think about how you might react if a child DID approach you in school. We need to be prepared to offer a child in this position exactly what they need in terms of protection, reassurance, calmness and objectivity;
- Think about what support you could access if faced with this kind of situation in school.
Appendix 5: What is abuse and neglect?
All school and college staff should be aware that abuse, neglect and safeguarding issues are rarely standalone events that can be covered by one definition or label. In most cases multiple issues will overlap with one another. Abuse is a form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or, more rarely, by others (e.g via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.
Definitions of child abuse
There are four types of child abuse.
- Physical Abuse
- Emotional Abuse
- Sexual Abuse/ Child Sexual Exploitation
- Neglect
Physical abuse
Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
Neglect
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development.
Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment)
- protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
- ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers)
- ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
Signs of abuse
Recognising child abuse is not easy. Sometimes the signs are not obvious and sometimes signs that appear to be indicative of abuse can be due to other causes. Therefore it is very important that you use these signs to help you think about the concerns you have and how you will describe these when making a referral or consulting with the Bridge Partnership team.
These definitions and indicators only serve as a guide to assist you. Remember that children may exhibit some of these indicators at some time, and that the presence of one or more is not necessarily proof that abuse is occurring. There may be other reasons for changes in behaviour such as bereavement, significant changes in family relationships, including the birth of a new baby in the family or problems between parents/carers.
It is not your responsibility to decide whether or not child abuse has taken place or if a child is at significant risk of harm from someone. You do, however, have a responsibility and duty to act in order that the appropriate agencies can investigate and take any necessary action to protect a child. The social worker or police officer will always want to understand your concerns about the child in the context of the child’s development and relationships.
The following information should help you to be more alert to the signs of possible abuse and to provide the necessary information when reporting your concerns.
Physical Abuse
Most children in daily life will collect cuts and bruises. But each child is different and any perceived injuries should be interpreted in light of:
- the child’s medical and social history
- the child’s developmental stage
- the explanation given for the injury
Most accidental bruises are seen over bony parts of the body, e.g. elbows, knees, shins, and often on the front of the body.
Important indicators of physical abuse are bruises or injuries that are either unexplained or inconsistent with the explanation given, or visible on the ‘soft’ parts of the body where accidental injuries are unlikely, e g, cheeks, abdomen, back and buttocks.
The physical signs of abuse may include:
- Bruising, marks or injuries on any part of the body that are unexplained or not consistent with the explanation given for them
- Injuries which occur to the body especially in clusters and in places which are not normally exposed to falls or rough games
- Injuries which have not received medical attention or there has been a delay in getting medical attention (although note that burn injuries are often delayed in presentation due to blistering taking place some time later)
- Cigarette burns
- Human bite marks
- Broken bones
- Scalds
- Multiple burns
Changes in behaviour that can also indicate physical abuse:
- fear of parents being approached for an explanation
- fear of further enquiries being made
- aggressive behaviour or severe temper outbursts
- flinching when approached or touched
- reluctance to get changed, for example in hot weather, or to participate in games or swimming
- depression
- withdrawn behaviour
- running away from home or school
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse can be difficult to identify, as there may be no outward physical signs.
There may be a developmental delay due to a failure to thrive and grow – but this will usually only be evident if the child puts on weight in other circumstances, for example when hospitalised or away from their parents’ care.
Children who appear well-cared for may nevertheless be emotionally abused by being taunted, put down or belittled. They may receive little or no love, affection or attention from their parents or carers.
Emotional Abuse can occur when Domestic Abuse happens in the presence of children. Hearing or seeing domestic abuse can have a traumatic effect on children.
Emotional abuse can also take the form of children not being allowed to mix or play with other children.
Changes in behaviour or presentation which can indicate emotional abuse include:
- Depression, aggression, extreme anxiety, changes or regression in mood or behaviour, particularly where a child withdraws or becomes clingy
- Neurotic behaviour e.g. sulking, hair twisting, rocking
- Obsessions or phobias
- Sudden underachievement or lack of concentration
- Seeking adult attention and not mixing well with other children
- Sleep or speech disorders
- Negative statements about self
- Extreme shyness or passivity
- Running away, stealing and lying
- Being unable to play
- Fear of making mistakes
- Sudden speech disorders
- Self-harm
- Fear of parent being approached regarding their behaviour
- Developmental delay in terms of emotional progress
- Reporting parental violence or discord (i.e. exposure to domestic abuse)
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is known to take place against children and young people of all ages, including infants and toddlers.
Usually, in cases of sexual abuse it is the child’s behaviour that may cause you to become concerned, although physical signs can also be present.
Children who tell about sexual abuse do so because they want it to stop. It is important, therefore, that they are listened to and taken seriously.
Children and Young people are frequently sexually exploited by individuals or groups who ignore the fact that the individual child or young person does not have the legal capacity to consent – either because of age or, with older young people, the cognitive capacity to consent. The young person is groomed into believing a relationship is genuine and then made to believe they have willingly entered into a sexualised relationship. They are then blackmailed and threatened and forced into being sexually exploited against their will.
It is not just adult men who sexually abuse children – there are increasing numbers of allegations of sexual abuse of children against women and sexual abuse can also be perpetrated by other children or young people.
The physical signs of sexual abuse may include:
- pain or itching in the genital area
- bruising or bleeding near genital area
- sexually transmitted disease
- vaginal discharge or infection
- repeated urinary infections
- stomach pains
- discomfort when walking or sitting down
- pregnancy
Changes in behaviour or presentation which can also indicate sexual abuse include:
- any allegation by the child of sexual abuse
- sudden or unexplained changes in behaviour e.g. becoming aggressive or withdrawn
- fear of being left with a specific person or group of people
- having nightmares and severe or persistent sleep disturbance
- running away from home
- sexual knowledge beyond their age or developmental level; preoccupation with sexual matters
- sexual activity through drawings, language or play
- bedwetting
- eating problems such as overeating or anorexia
- self-harm or mutilation, sometimes leading to suicide attempts
- saying they have secrets they cannot tell anyone about
- substance or drug abuse
- suddenly having unexplained sources of money
- not being allowed to have friends (particularly in adolescence)
- acting in a sexually explicit way towards adults
Neglect
Neglect can be a difficult form of abuse to recognise but it has some of the most lasting and damaging effects on children.
The physical signs of neglect may include:
- constant or frequent hunger, sometimes stealing food
- constantly dirty or ‘smelly’
- loss of weight, or constantly underweight
- inappropriate clothing for the conditions.
- Frequent diarrhoea
- Untreated illnesses, injuries or physical complaints
Changes in behaviour or presentation which can also indicate neglect may include:
- frequent tiredness
- overeating
- not requesting medical assistance and/or failing to attend appointments
- having few friends
- mentioning being left alone or unsupervised.
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)
Both CSE and CCE are forms of abuse and both occur where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance in power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into sexual or criminal activity. Whilst age may be the most obvious, this power imbalance can also be due to a range of other factors including gender, sexual identity, cognitive ability, physical strength, status, and access to economic or other resources. In some cases, the abuse will be in exchange for something the victim needs or wants and/or will be to the financial benefit or other advantage (such as increased status) of the perpetrator or facilitator. The abuse can be perpetrated by individuals or groups, males or females, and children or adults. The abuse can be a one-off occurrence or a series of incidents over time, and range from opportunistic to complex organised abuse. It can involve force and/or enticement-based methods of compliance and may, or may not, be accompanied by violence or threats of violence. Victims can be exploited even when activity appears consensual and it should be noted exploitation as well as being physical can be facilitated and/or take place online. More information including definitions and indicators are included in Annex B of Keeping Children Safe in Education.
Indicators of child criminal and sexual exploitation may include:
- Acquisition of money, clothes, mobile phones, etc. without plausible explanation;
- Gang-association and/or isolation from peers/social networks;
- Exclusion or unexplained absences from school, college or work;
- Leaving home/care without explanation and persistently going missing or returning late;
- Excessive receipt of texts/phone calls;
- Returning home under the influence of drugs/alcohol;
- Inappropriate sexualised behaviour for age/sexually transmitted infections;
- Evidence of/suspicions of physical or sexual assault;
- Relationships with controlling or significantly older individuals or groups;
- Multiple callers (unknown adults or peers);
- Frequenting areas known for sex work;
- Concerning use of internet or other social media;
- Increasing secretiveness around behaviours; and
- Self-harm or significant changes in emotional well-being.
- suffering from changes in emotional well-being;
Relating to CSE
- children who suffer from sexually transmitted infections or become pregnant
Potential vulnerabilities include:
Although the following vulnerabilities increase the risk of child sexual exploitation, it must be remembered that not all children with these indicators will be exploited. Child sexual exploitation can occur without any of these issues.
- Having a prior experience of neglect, physical and/or sexual abuse;
- Lack of a safe/stable home environment, now or in the past (domestic abuse or parental substance misuse, mental health issues or criminality, for example);
- Recent bereavement or loss;
- Social isolation or social difficulties;
- Absence of a safe environment to explore sexuality;
- Economic vulnerability;
- Homelessness or insecure accommodation status;
- Connections with other children and young people who are being sexually exploited;
- Family members or other connections involved in adult sex work;
- Having a physical or learning disability;
- Being in care (particularly those in residential care and those with interrupted care histories); and
- Sexual identity.
Serious violence
All staff will be aware of the indicators, which may signal children are at risk
from, or are involved with serious violent crime including:
- increased absence from school
- a change in friendships or relationships with older individuals or groups
- a significant decline in performance
- signs of self-harm or a significant change in wellbeing
- signs of assault or unexplained injuries
Unexplained gifts or new possessions could also indicate that children have been approached by, or are involved with, individuals associated with criminal networks or gangs and may be at risk of criminal exploitation.
All staff will also be aware of the range of risk factors which increase the likelihood of involvement in serious violence, such as:
- being male
- having been frequently absent or permanently excluded from school
- having experienced child maltreatment
- having been involved in offending, such as theft or robbery
Domestic Abuse
In April 2021, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 received Royal Assent and introduced a statutory definition for the first time.
Definition
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Part 1) defines domestic abuse as any of the following behaviours, either as a pattern of behaviour, or as a single incident, between two people over the age of 16, who are ‘personally connected’ to each other:
(a) physical or sexual abuse;
(b) violent or threatening behaviour;
(c) controlling or coercive behaviour;
(d) economic abuse (adverse effect of the victim to acquire, use or maintain money or other property; or obtain goods or services); and
(e) psychological, emotional or other abuse.
People are ‘personally connected’ when they are, or have been, married to each other or civil partners; or have agreed to marry or become civil partners. If the two people have been in an intimate relationship with each other, have shared parental responsibility for the same child, or they are relatives.
The definition of Domestic Abuse applies to children if they see or hear, or experience the effects of, the abuse; and they are related to the abusive person.
(The definition is available: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/17/part/1/enacted )
Types of domestic abuse include intimate partner violence, abuse by family members, teenage relationship abuse and child/adolescent to parent violence and abuse. Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of sexual identity, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality or background and domestic abuse can take place inside or outside of the home.
Annex B of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021’ contains additional information about specific forms of abuse
Appendix 6: Greater Manchester Safeguarding Children Procedures Manual
- Information Sharing and Recording
| 2.1 | Policy for the Secure Handling of Protected Information | Updated |
| 2.3 | Data Protection, Information Sharing and Confidentiality | Updated |
| 2.4 | Retention of Records | Updated |
| 2.5 | Photographing Children | Updated |
| 2.6 | Electronic and Digital Recording of Meetings and Conversations | |
| 2.7 | Use of Social Media Sites by Staff | New |
- Children in Specific Circumstances
6 Managing Individuals who Pose a Risk of Harm to Children
Appendix 7: Operation Encompass- Processes and Procedures
(To be added upon completion and agreement)
Annex 7
Operation Encompass
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Key Adult (if different to the DSL)
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Deputy Key Adult (if different to the Deputy DSL)
Operation Encompass operates in the majority of police forces across England. It helps
police and schools work together to provide emotional and practical help to children. The
system ensures that when police are called to an incident in which a child or young person has been involved in or been exposed to an incident of domestic violence or abuse. the police will inform the key adult (usually the designated safeguarding lead) in school prior to 9.00 am before the child or children arrive at school the following day. This ensures that the school has up to date relevant information about the child’s circumstances and can enable silent or overt support to be given to the child according to their needs.
AIMS
Operation Encompass does not replace or supersede existing safeguarding processes or protocols, rather it seeks to support these operationally. The Protocol will be followed in conjunction with Salford’s Safeguarding Children Board/Salford Safeguarding Partnership.
By sharing information under the Encompass model, children and young people who are experiencing domestic abuse will have access to responsive support after a domestic abuse incident. The school will receive information when:
- Police have been called out to a domestic abuse incident
- The child is present in the household at the time of the incident
- The child is of school age
Sharing this information in a timely manner via Operation Encompass enables the provision of immediate early intervention through silent or overt support, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.
| SILENT SUPPORT EXAMPLES | OVERT SUPPORT EXAMPLES |
| · Flexible application of school rules for example uniform, homework etc.
· Understanding and flexibility in expectations in terms of:- – Behaviour – School Work · Opportunities for one-to-one time with teacher to provide opportunities to talk for example ‘helping with a job’ · Review lesson plans to ensure appropriateness for the child on the day · Systems for spare uniform, lunch etc. · Child knowing who they can talk to · Checking collection arrangements at the end of the school day |
· Using tools to understand child experiences, for example 3 Houses. More resources are available here.
· Talking to parents · Use the Early Help Assessment process to access additional support · Develop safety planning with the child · ‘Healthy Relationships’ class sessions (EG Real Loves Rocks) · Consult with the School Coordinator |
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS – INFORMATION SHARING AND STORAGE
Section 11(2) of the Children Act, 2004 requires Local Authorities and the Police to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children. This enactment provides conditions under the Data Protection Act 2018 by which personal and sensitive personal data may be lawfully shared.
Personal data sharing must be proportionate, necessary but not excessive, and must be balanced with the consideration of privacy rights under the Human Rights Act. It must take into account any duty of confidentiality owed. A public interest in disclosure must outweigh an individual`s right to privacy.
The basis on which sharing of information of this type may be justified by police is section 11(2) Children Act 2004 which requires that policing bodies (together with a number of other specified public bodies) discharge their functions having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
This duty however, will be considered in line with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the right to private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
This protocol has been developed taking into account the duty to safeguard children and the requirements of the most recent Information Sharing – Advice for providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers 2018
It is recognised that the handling of such confidential and sensitive information needs to be dealt with in a way that is proportionate and appropriate to the needs of the child or young person. To address this, the school has identified a Key Adult and a deputy to handle the confidential and sensitive information.
The Encompass information is stored in accordance with the requirements for the storage of safeguarding/child protection files. Where a child already has such a record, Encompass information will be included within the record.
The Key Adult will be the person available each day to receive the details of the incident and assess the type of support needed for the child.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- POLICE
Police officers will attend a domestic incident, manage the immediate risks, and complete the Domestic Abuse Stalking Harassment (DASH) risk assessment at the scene of the incident. The DASH risk assessment will not be shared with the school, rather a short summary will be provided by the police with respect to the child or young person and will include: –
- The name, age, date of birth, home address and school attended of the child.
- The time/ date/location of the incident and details of those involved in the incident, their relationship to the child and the child`s involvement in the incident.
- An overview of what happened during the incident and the outcome.
This information will be disseminated via email to the school by the officer attending the incident, prior to retiring from duty. The officer will then place a line on the DAB (Domestic Abuse) record within IOPS (Integrated Operating Police Operating System) acknowledging that the information has been sent.
Incidents occurring on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday will be reported to the school during these times and will be available on the next working morning for the Key Adult.
Notifications to the Key Adult will continue to be made during the school holiday periods, however, it is recognised that an immediate response cannot be made. This information will be used to understand any significant issues for the child on their return to school.
A disclosure will be made in respect of all children aged between 4 and 17 years who are in full-time education. Police will maintain a record of the log number, and the school to whom it has been disseminated and the date of dissemination.
- SCHOOLS’ RESPONSIBILITY
The School will identify the Key Adult and Deputy responsible for the OE information in the school. (This role is best placed with the Designated Safeguarding Lead and their deputy as both have received training in child safeguarding).
The school’s Key Adult or Deputy will check the notifications each morning.
The Headteacher and Key Adult will ensure that there is a sufficiently trained deputy to receive the information in the Key Adult’s absence.
The School’s Encompass mailbox will be checked every morning and reviewed as needed, as notifications of incidents can be made at any time, dependent on when a domestic abuse incident occurs.
The school will record the information received from the police using the same processes used to store child protection records within the school. The school will also record the outcomes and impact of any actions taken or put in place.
The schools is aware that in the event of any domestic homicide or serious case review the documents may be required for disclosure purposes.
Child Absence Following an Incident
Where a notification is made and a child is not in school, the school will consider the following:
- The school will review the information within the police notification in the context of what is already known about the child, giving consideration to any safety or welfare concerns that have been recorded prior to receiving the police information.
- The schools key adult will call home and follow up as per attendance protocols. Consideration should be given to undertake a home visit, with another member of staff.
- Where the /Key Adult in the school cannot contact the parents or carer, and have not received notification why the child is absent, the next steps will be considered and actions may include: –
- Home Visit – After undertaking a risk assessment, the school may consider, at the discretion of the Head Teacher, carrying out a home visit to see the child. Subsequently, if concerns or risks to the child’s safety are identified during the home visit, referrals to Children’s Social Care and the Police may need to be made.
- Referral to Children’s Social Care – Dependent upon the circumstances of the incident and the parental response to contact, the Key Adult (following discussion with the Designated Safeguarding Lead where required) will make a referral to the Bridge.
When the child returns back to school, the key adult will revisit the offer of parent/child support.
Working with Parents
The school is signed up to the protocol to raise parents’ awareness of Encompass. (See Appendix letter to parents and carers)
Many victims who experience domestic abuse want to tell someone about their experiences and are looking for help. Being involved with Encompass may mean that more parents who are experiencing domestic abuse are likely to contact the Key Adult as a source of support. The majority of support to parents will take the form of a listening ear and signposting to local Domestic Abuse services. There may be occasions however, when the information received by the Key Adult requires immediate direct action; either because the risk to the parent and child is immediate and high, or because the parent is asking for help to leave the violence.
Where there is an immediate risk of harm to the parent and/or the child the police will be contacted, and in an emergency, this will always be 999.
Where a parent is seeking help and support to flee abuse or to take other measures to protect themselves, contact can be made with Victim Support or SIDASS using the following details:
Telephone number: 0300 303 0162 or 0161 200 1950
Email: northwest.vcu@victimsupport.cjsm.net
SIDASS; http://salfordwomensaid.org/sidass/
If there is uncertainty around a referral to Victim Support/SIDASS contact should be made with the Bridge Partnership 0161 603 4500
Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) and Encompass
MARAC is a victim-focused meeting where information is shared on the highest risk cases of domestic abuse between criminal justice, health, children’s services, education, housing practitioners, IDVAs (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) as well as other specialists from the statutory and voluntary sectors. The aim of MARAC is to share information, understand the level of risk to the individual and relevant others (including children) and develop a risk management plan. MARAC meets every week in Salford.
There may be occasions where parents of children notified to schools via the Encompass process have been referred to MARAC. Where the school identifies that they may have additional and relevant information to share with MARAC, the school will contact the Bridge Partnership.
Will the Police refer to Bridge Partnership every time they attend a DA callout where a child is present?
Police agreed referral criteria with Bridge Partnership;
A referral to Children’s Services needs to be actioned by the attending Officer in respect of Domestic Abuse incidents (recorded as a DAB on IOPS – Integrated Operating Police Operating System) when:
A crime has been submitted & a child was present at/normally resides at the address
OR This incident is the 3rd reported incident in last 12 months
OR It is a child caller to Police/Emergency Services
OR When either the victim or perpetrator is known to be pregnant
OR When there is a child abuse marker (CA) on the address
OR The incident involves a perpetrator subject to licence or Community Order
OR If previous incidents were referred to the Bridge Partnership – even if the Police Officer did not consider that any of the above criteria were met.
The remaining DV incidents are DV incidents where no crime is alleged, i.e. verbal argument only and the other listed criteria are not realised. Therefore, once Encompass has become live, Police will only be sending a notification through Encompass and not to the Bridge Partnership social care.
Operation Encompass will notify schools of all incidents and therefore schools will be able to build up a picture of the context a child is living in.
Encompass Parents Awareness Letter (template)
Dear Parent/Carer,
Re: Operation Encompass
The school has been given the opportunity to take part in a project that will run jointly between schools and Greater Manchester Police.
Operation Encompass has been designed to provide early reporting to schools, i.e. prior to 9 .00 a.m. on the next school day, of any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school, but which might have an impact on a child attending school the following day. During the school term this information will be shared on school days. When incidents occur on a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday, the police will contact the relevant school the following Monday.
A nominated member of school staff, known as a Key Adult, will be trained to liaise with the police. At insert school name our Key Adult is insert details. They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that the school is able to support children and their families. Information will be shared where it is identified that a child or young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident.
We always endeavour to offer the best support possible to our pupils and believe that Operation Encompass is going to be beneficial and supportive for all concerned; children and families
Some information about Encompass is included in this letter but if you would like more information about this new initiative, details can be viewed online at insert details or you can contact our Key Adult at school insert details.
Thank you for your continued support
Chair of Governors Head Teacher
Operation Encompass – Key Adult Responsibilities and Checklist
Name: Date
School:
Completed:
Review Date:
| Responsibility | School Comment | Achieved |
| The Key Adult has attended the Encompass briefing and is part of the Senior Leadership Team with Child Protection responsibility. | ||
| The Key Adult must ensure that they have access to the Encompass mailbox along with a deputy in case of absence. | ||
| Encompass records are managed and stored in the same way as other Child Protection records, in a permission restricted electronic folder or secure and locked cabinet/drawer. | ||
| The Key Adult can identify a person who can deputise in their absence; the deputy is confident in understanding all aspects of the Encompass model. | ||
| The Key Adult will ensure that all teaching staff understand the confidential nature of any information passed to them and that this information must be treated in the same way as any other Child Protection information given by other partners such as Social Care. | ||
| The Headteacher/Key Adult will inform parents that the school is part of Encompass, using the exemplar letter template provided, which can be amended to meet the school’s individual requirements. | ||
| The Headteacher/Key Adult will inform the Governing Body that the school is part of Encompass and the Governor with responsibility for Safeguarding should have a working knowledge of the project and impact within the school. | ||
| The Key Adult will include information about Encompass in the school’s prospectus and safeguarding policies, thus ensuring that all parents are informed of the school’s involvement. | ||
| The Key Adult will include information about Encompass on the school’s website. |
| Police Reference Number (FWIN – Force Wide Incident Number) | Date | ||
| Child’s name and age & DOB | |||
| Date and time of incident
Address
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| Circumstances of incident:
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| Additional school information including other Encompass contacts:
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| Actions taken and Impact:
……… |
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Operation Encompass Police Log Sheet