Safeguarding

At Red Lane Primary School, the welfare of every child is paramount. This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We strive to ensure that all pupils remain safe and free from harm and we are committed to playing a full and active part in the multi-Agency response to Child Protection concerns. We recognise that we are an important part of the wider safeguarding system for children and young people. All staff understand their responsibility to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Staff are responsible for their own actions and behaviour and should avoid any conduct which would lead any reasonable person to question their motivation and intentions. Staff should work, and be seen to work, in an open and transparent way. Our Child Protection and Safeguarding arrangements provide guidance to staff who may have concerns about the safety or welfare of a child or young person and sets out our position in relation to all aspects of the Safeguarding and Child Protection process.

Worried about a Child?

Are you worried about a child?

If so, there are things you can do. If you are worried that a child may be being abused or neglected then please act. The Integrated Front Door (IFD) is the first point of contact for safeguarding enquiries and referrals relating to children and young people made by professionals, families and the public.

Signs and Indicators of Abuse

Are you a worried neighbour, member of the public or family member?

If you are a member of the public or a family member who is worried about a child in your community, it is important that you act on these concerns. You should call 01204 331500. Alternatively you can also contact the NSPPC:

Freephone 0808 800 5000
Email help@nspcc.org.uk
Text 88858

Are you a child or young person worried about yourself or a friend?

If you are a child or young person and need to talk to someone you can contact Childline on Freephone 08001111 or visit Childline.

CEOP

CEOP is a law enforcement agency and is here to keep children and young people safe from sexual exploitation and abuse. If you need to report a concern please click the picture below to be directed to the CEOP form.

Safeguarding Team

Mr Hudson (Assistant Headteacher) - Head of Inclusion and Designated Safeguarding Lead

Miss Regan - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mrs Barlow - Safeguarding & Children Looked After Officer and Attendance Officer

Within our school, all staff have Level 1 safeguarding certification. In addition to the Safeguarding Team, the following staff are also trained in Level 3 Safeguarding:

Mrs Driver (Head of School)
Mrs Whittaker (CEO BASE Academy Trust)
Mrs Gregory (SENCo)
Miss Moran (Officer Manager)

Online Safety

'Being online’ is an integral part of children and young people’s lives. They access their virtual worlds through social media, online games, websites and apps through a variety of widely available technology such as: mobile phones, computers, laptops and tablets.

The internet and online technology provides new opportunities for young people’s learning and growth, but it can also expose them to new types of risks.

Online safety is an important part of keeping children safe at Red Lane. We have extensive security measures in place in school, which are monitored both internally and externally. These measures help safeguard our pupils from potential dangers and their ability to access inappropriate content in school. All online safety incidents are recorded and where appropriate, investigated.

Online Safety is taught throughout school, from EYFS to Year 6. At the start of every half term, we spend the first week back in school covering subjects such as 'N'etiquette, social media profile settings, password creation and screen time restrictions. However, throughout the school, staff refer to good online safety practice during the school day to ensure that children understand that every online action requires conscious thought.

To ensure that as a school we keep abreast of the fast evolving online world, we have become a National Online Safety accredited school. Using their resources ensures that we, as staff, have the knowledge we need to understand online dangers and how best to react should an incident arise. They have a range of parent information leaflets giving advice on what a website or app is about, age restrictions, etc.

Our regular Online Safety Newsletters and Parent Guides provide up to date support and information for parents.

Parent Guides

TikTok Guide

YouTube Guide

Call of Duty Guide

Friends and Followers Guide

Online Relationships Guide

Social Media Pressures Guide

Online Challenges Guide

Monkey Guide

The Prevent Duty

What is the Prevent duty?

The aim of the Prevent Duty is to reduce the threat of terrorism in the UK by working actively to stop individuals from supporting terrorism or becoming terrorists. The expectation placed upon schools and childcare settings is that they will work closely with a multi-agency support network (including contacts such as the Police and the Local Safeguarding Children Board) to raise awareness of issues of extremism, and to support individuals who are vulnerable of being drawn into terrorism.

The current legislation surrounding Prevent duty came into force on 1^st July 2015, and remains a staple feature of every UK school, college, nursery, or other childcare setting’s safeguarding policy. If you are a teacher, or work in any of these institutions, you will undoubtedly require Prevent training.

At its heart, Prevent is another form of safeguarding; an extension of the policies that should have already been in place prior to the Prevent strategy’s introduction.

The Prevent duty guidance requires that:

School staff have undertaken training in the Prevent Duty as identified by their leaders and managers including the Head teacher.
School staff are aware of when it is appropriate to refer Prevent related concerns about students, learners or colleagues to the Prevent officer, usually the provider’s safeguarding officer - Mr Hudson or Miss Regan
School exemplify British values of “democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs” into their practice.

OUR COMMITMENT

Red Lane Primary School are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all learners. We recognise that safeguarding against radicalisation and extremism is no different from safeguarding against any other vulnerability. All our staff, learners and services are expected to uphold and promote the fundamental principles of human rights and British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

This statement reinforces our expectation that staff are fully engaged in being vigilant about radicalisation and extremism; that they overcome any professional disbelief that such issues will happen here and ensure that they work alongside each other, professional bodies and external agencies to ensure that our learners are safe from harm.

Anti-radicalisation Policy

Prevent Duty Guidance

Prevent Duty Departmental Advice

Promoting Fundamental British Values

Whistleblowing and Low Level Concerns

WHAT IS A WHISTLEBLOWER?

You’re a whistleblower if you’re a worker and you report certain types of wrongdoing. This will usually be something you’ve seen at work - though not always.

The wrongdoing you disclose must be in the public interest. This means it must affect others, for example the general public.

As a whistleblower, you’re protected by law - you should not be treated unfairly or lose your job because you ‘blow the whistle’.

You can raise your concern at any time about an incident that happened in the past, is happening now, or you believe will happen in the near future.

Whistleblowing Policy

LOW LEVEL CONCERNS

Red Lane Primary School ensure that all staff are aware of how to recognise and report low level concerns around staff behaviour or conduct.

The term ‘low-level’ concern does not mean that it is insignificant. A low-level concern is any concern – no matter how small, and even if no more than causing a sense of unease or a ‘nagging doubt’ - that an adult working in or on behalf of the school or college may have acted in a way that:

• is inconsistent with the staff code of conduct, including inappropriate conduct outside of work and
• does not meet the harm threshold or is otherwise not serious enough to consider a referral to the LADO.

Low Level Concern Policy

Safer Recruitment

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is a key theme of the Children Act 2004. The statutory duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, put on schools, further education establishments, local authorities and other statutory organisations under the Education Act 2002 and the Children Act 2004 provide emphasis of a wider context for safer recruitment to be an integral part of any organisation’s responsibilities to safeguard children and young people.

At Red Lane, attitudes towards promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people will be scrutinised during the selection process for any post within the school that an individual applies for. Members of the recruitment panel are trained in Safer Recruitment and will thoroughly scrutinise all applications. If appointed to a post, information in relation to safeguarding and protecting children and young people will be provided through our comprehensive staff induction.

Operation Encompass

Our school is part of a project that runs in partnership with Bolton Safeguarding Children Partnership and Greater Manchester Police.

The project, Bolton Encompass, has been designed to provide early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school but which might have an impact on a child attending school the following day. This information will be shared on school days during the school term. When incidents occur on a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday, the police will contact the relevant school the following Monday.

The purpose of Bolton 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 address 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.

The safeguarding team will liaise with the police where necessary and 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 Bolton Encompass is going to be beneficial and supportive for all concerned children and families.