Safeguarding

Keeping our children safe and free from harm is at the centre of all we do in school. This section aims to give an overview of some of the policies, procedures and initiatives which help us to achieve this outcome. You may also find further information regarding Safeguarding by clicking the ‘Policies’ tab located in the Section Menu on the left handside of this page.

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Local Safeguarding Referral Procedures

South Tyneside Local Safeguarding Children Board

Web address: www.proceduresonline.com/nesubregion

If you are concerned about a child’s welfare or worried they are being abused, you can make a referral to The South Tyneside Contact and Referral Team.

Contact and Referral Service

Tel: (office hours): 0191 424 5010
Tel: (out of office hours): 0191 456 2093

Alternatively you can call ChildLine for advice on 0800 1111 or email them by visiting www.childline.org.uk  or contact Northumbria Police on 101 (or 999 in an emergency).

OPERATION ENCOMPASS

Operation Encompass is a new project that schools in South Tyneside are taking part in, in partnership with Northumbria Police.

The project aims to support children who are affected by Domestic Abuse. Domestic abuse is really distressing for a young person, who can often see the abuse, hear it from another room, see a parent’s injuries or distress afterwards or be physically hurt trying to stop the abuse.

As a result, following any domestic abuse incident being reported into Northumbria Police, specialist Police Officers will make contact with Children’s Social Care who will then communicate relevant and necessary information to nominated school staff.  This will make sure the school is made aware at the earliest possible opportunity and can subsequently provide support to children, ensuring they feel safe and know there is someone who will listen to them.

The school has two members of staff (key adults) who have been fully trained to liaise with the Police and Social Services, when required, and will ensure that necessary support is made available to the child following the disclosure of a domestic abuse incident.

This project demonstrates our school’s commitment to working in partnership, to safeguard and protect children, and to providing the best possible care and support for our pupils.

In the meantime, if you would like to speak to someone further about the project or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Price or Mrs Carter on 0191 4272160 or by email info@westoecrownprimary.co.uk

You can also find out more information through accessing the following website: http://www.operationencompass.org/

SAFEGUARDING PUPILS FROM EXTREMISM AND RADICALISATION

In response to recommendations in the Peter Clark report on schools in Birmingham, the Department of Education (DfE) has recently has increased its capacity and expertise in counter – extremism, through an expansion of its Due Diligence and Counter Extreme Group (DDCEG), of which Rosemary Pratt has been appointed the Director.

We would like to draw your attention to some of the support available to schools to help them safeguard pupils from the risks of extremism and radicalisation. These risks have been brought into sharp focus by recent reports of school age children travelling to Syria. You may be aware that DfE is carrying out a review of schools where we have evidence of links to people who may have travelled to Syria and we also thought it would be helpful to explain something about the purpose of the review.

Schools have a vital role to play in protecting pupils from the risks of extremism and radicalisation, a role which will be underpinned by the new duty in the Counter – Terrorism and Security Act 2015 “to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”, due to come into force 1st July 2015. Keeping children safe from these risks is a safeguarding matter and is approached in the same way as safeguarding children from other risks.

We nevertheless recognise that we need advice and support to carry out effective counter-extremist work. In the first instance we would seek help from the local authority and police. Local authorities are vital to all aspects of Prevent work and it is the role of the Local Safeguarding Children Board to coordinate what is done by local agencies for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in their local area. In some priority local authority areas, Home Office fund dedicated Prevent coordinators to work with communities and organisations, including schools.

Parents who have concerns about their children may look to Westoe Crown Primary School as a trusted source of advice on who to keep their children safe from these risks. In addition to materials produced by local authorities and the police – such as the new “Prevent Tragedies” online campaign launched by the Police (http://www.preventtragedies.co.uk/) there are online resources produced by civil society groups which provide valuable advice, for example ‘Families Matter’ (http/www.familiesmatter.org.uk), (run by Families Against Stress and Trauma)Parents and carers may wish to use these resources. If parents have any difficulty they can contact school who will provide individual support.

As part of the increased support that DDCEG is able to provide for schools a dedicated telephone helpline to enable school staff and governors to raise concerns relating to extremism directly and in confidence. , Special Branch Northumbria Police 01661 863108 Ext 63108 or Mobile Sharon Ross 07764978181. Please note that the helpline is not intended for emergency situations, such as a child being at immediate risk of harm or a security incident. In these situations normal procedures should be followed. School/Parents should contact the police immediately. The school has a policy on Extremism and Radicalisation which is available for parents and carers.

Click here for more information.

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https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-drive-to-protect-children-from-spell-of-twisted-ideologies