What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
Safeguarding means:
Designated Senior Person for Safeguarding Children: Amanda Ruthven
Deputy Senior Person for Safeguarding Children: Antonis Antoniou (SENCO)
Named Teacher for Looked After and Previously Looked After Children: Amanda Ruthven
Nominated Governor responsible for Child Protection: Helene Ilmaier
Contact Numbers for urgent Child Protection/Safeguarding advice please contact
First Access & Screening Team (FAST) - 0208 356 5500/4844
Emergency out of hours duty team - 0208 356 2710/2346
NSPCC whistle-blowing helpline - 0800 028 0285
Referral email address fast@hackney.gov.uk
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) 020 8356 4569
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
Safeguarding means:
- preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;
- preventing harm to children’s health or development
- ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
- taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.
Designated Senior Person for Safeguarding Children: Amanda Ruthven
Deputy Senior Person for Safeguarding Children: Antonis Antoniou (SENCO)
Named Teacher for Looked After and Previously Looked After Children: Amanda Ruthven
Nominated Governor responsible for Child Protection: Helene Ilmaier
Contact Numbers for urgent Child Protection/Safeguarding advice please contact
First Access & Screening Team (FAST) - 0208 356 5500/4844
Emergency out of hours duty team - 0208 356 2710/2346
NSPCC whistle-blowing helpline - 0800 028 0285
Referral email address fast@hackney.gov.uk
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) 020 8356 4569
What is Child Protection?
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.
Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
Please click here to access our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies.
Concerns about a child? (Record Sheet for disclosures)
Please use the following form to record any concerns/disclosures.
Mandatory Reporting of FGM - Procedural information
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. Please click here to obtain more information on the correct procedure to follow.
A flowchart , prepared by the Department of Health and NHS England, can be found below and further clarifies the process and responses which must be made.
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.
Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
Please click here to access our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies.
Concerns about a child? (Record Sheet for disclosures)
Please use the following form to record any concerns/disclosures.
Mandatory Reporting of FGM - Procedural information
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. Please click here to obtain more information on the correct procedure to follow.
A flowchart , prepared by the Department of Health and NHS England, can be found below and further clarifies the process and responses which must be made.
Online Safety
St Monica's 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 by clicking here. Alternatively please click here to obtain further information and resources regarding Online Safety. You can also click here to access NSPCC's best practice guide on online safety.
Use of reasonable force in schools
The following guidance from the DFE (click here) provides clarification on the use of force:
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE): To access the full document - please click here
Please click here to access Part One of the statutory guidance from the Department for Education. The guidance above affirms that 'all staff members should be aware of systems within their school or college which support safeguarding and these should be explained to them as part of staff induction.
St Monica's 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 by clicking here. Alternatively please click here to obtain further information and resources regarding Online Safety. You can also click here to access NSPCC's best practice guide on online safety.
Use of reasonable force in schools
The following guidance from the DFE (click here) provides clarification on the use of force:
- to help school staff feel more confident about using reasonable force when they feel it is necessary
- to make clear the responsibilities of school leaders and governing bodies in respect of this power
Please click here to access Part One of the statutory guidance from the Department for Education. The guidance above affirms that 'all staff members should be aware of systems within their school or college which support safeguarding and these should be explained to them as part of staff induction.
This should include:
• the child protection policy;
• the staff behaviour policy (sometimes called a code of conduct); and
• the role of the designated safeguarding lead (See Annex B/Page 58).
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.
• the child protection policy;
• the staff behaviour policy (sometimes called a code of conduct); and
• the role of the designated safeguarding lead (See Annex B/Page 58).
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.
The Prevent Duty
Schools' "Prevent" duties to safeguard children from extremism were placed on a statutory footing by the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (CTSA 2015), which was accompanied by guidance from the Home Office and Department for Education. It is important to remember that issues in regard to radicalisation and extremism are safeguarding issues, and the same level of risk assessment and proportionate response are required.
Please click here to access departmental advice for schools on the Prevent Duty (DfE) Alternatively you can also refer to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) above for further information or our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy. Staff have been completing a series of online training modules - A register exists to determine which staff have completed the training.
At a local level, we have refined the referral route for schools to clarify the contacts for additional support:
PREVENT team on 020 8356 8104 or prevent@hackney.gov.uk. The referral route can be viewed here.
Referrals to Children's Social Care (First Access & Screening Team - FAST)
Please click here to obtain further information on the referral process and the responsibilities of the school.
Procedure for dealing with allegations of abuse against staff/headteacher
Please click here to access our school policies on Whistleblowing and Complaints. The policy (in line with statutory guidance from the DFE) is designed to ensure that all staff, students and parents or carers are aware of the procedure for the investigation of allegations of abuse in order that all complaints are dealt with consistently, and as efficiently as possible.
Safeguarding Training CPD (CP/Safeguarding)
In St. Monica's all staff (including volunteers) read this guidance (or at least Part 1) and provide confirmation that they have done so (the school keeps a register to confirm this). The 1st INSET day of every academic year is also dedicated to Safeguarding and Child Protection training for every member of staff, including Premises, Kitchen and Administration.
Schools' "Prevent" duties to safeguard children from extremism were placed on a statutory footing by the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (CTSA 2015), which was accompanied by guidance from the Home Office and Department for Education. It is important to remember that issues in regard to radicalisation and extremism are safeguarding issues, and the same level of risk assessment and proportionate response are required.
Please click here to access departmental advice for schools on the Prevent Duty (DfE) Alternatively you can also refer to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) above for further information or our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy. Staff have been completing a series of online training modules - A register exists to determine which staff have completed the training.
At a local level, we have refined the referral route for schools to clarify the contacts for additional support:
PREVENT team on 020 8356 8104 or prevent@hackney.gov.uk. The referral route can be viewed here.
Referrals to Children's Social Care (First Access & Screening Team - FAST)
Please click here to obtain further information on the referral process and the responsibilities of the school.
Procedure for dealing with allegations of abuse against staff/headteacher
Please click here to access our school policies on Whistleblowing and Complaints. The policy (in line with statutory guidance from the DFE) is designed to ensure that all staff, students and parents or carers are aware of the procedure for the investigation of allegations of abuse in order that all complaints are dealt with consistently, and as efficiently as possible.
Safeguarding Training CPD (CP/Safeguarding)
In St. Monica's all staff (including volunteers) read this guidance (or at least Part 1) and provide confirmation that they have done so (the school keeps a register to confirm this). The 1st INSET day of every academic year is also dedicated to Safeguarding and Child Protection training for every member of staff, including Premises, Kitchen and Administration.
In addition, online courses such as Prevent, FGM, Forced Marriages etc. must be undertaken by all members of staff. A register of all courses undertaken by staff is also maintained.
Safer Recruitment
This is a very important aspect of Safeguarding children and young people. Our governing body ensures that the recruitment process is robust and effective. Safer Recruitment further enhances our Safeguarding processes by ensuring that people are not only vetted before they start, but to also ensure that the staff code of conduct is strong to identify inappropriate behaviour in appointed staff. At least 1 member of every interview panel is Safer Recruitment-trained. Please also see our Policies on Well-being.
The Hackney Child Well-being Framework
Children & Young People's Services - (Resource Guide for Professionals)
The Hackney Child Well-being Framework focuses upon child and family need, not thresholds for services. It does, however, attempt to give an indication of what might be an appropriate approach to responding to child and family need by defining three levels:
Children Missing Education (To be read alongside Attendance/Punctuality Policy)
From September 2016, amendments to regulations require the following actions from all schools:-
Hackney Education has written guidance for schools which clarifies expectations, provides guidance on what constitutes ‘joint reasonable enquiries’, and gives further guidance on software updates.
Schools are advised to:
Children & Young People's Services - (Resource Guide for Professionals)
The Hackney Child Well-being Framework focuses upon child and family need, not thresholds for services. It does, however, attempt to give an indication of what might be an appropriate approach to responding to child and family need by defining three levels:
- Universal - a response by universal services, often working individually
- Universal and Universal Partnership Plus - a response by universal services working together in universal settings and sometimes bringing additional targeted resources into a multi agency partnership plan to both assess and address concerns
- Complex/high risk – a response that requires high level specialist services, often governed by statutory frameworks, to take the lead role.
Children Missing Education (To be read alongside Attendance/Punctuality Policy)
From September 2016, amendments to regulations require the following actions from all schools:-
- All schools – are required to inform the Local Authority (LA) when they are about to remove a pupil’s name from the admissions register.
- Schools also have to inform the LA within 5 days of registering new pupils
- For a pupil who has not returned after 10 days, the amended regulations require the school and LA to
- make those enquiries collaboratively, not separately. Schools should ensure that they consult with Hackney Education before any decisions are made to de-register a child without a clear destination having been established and agreed. The Pupils Registration Regulations make reference to ‘jointly making reasonable enquiries’.
Schools are advised to:
- Record the Future Address and address Start Date for the pupil/student or contact;
- Record the destination school in the Destination Institution field in the School History panel of the - pupil/student record;
- Record the start date in the Destination Expected Start Date field in the School History panel of the - pupil/student record; and
- Use the Communication Log or Linked Documents to store any evidence.
Further Resources
- Guidance for safer working practice for those working with children and young people in education settings
- City of London & Hackney Safeguarding Children Board
- Safeguarding children and young people (GOV.UK)
- Safeguarding Children (NSPCC)
- Online safety (NSPCC)
- Definitions and signs of child abuse (NSPCC)
- Guidance for safer working practice for those working with children and young people in education settings
- City of London & Hackney Safeguarding Children Board
- Safeguarding children and young people (GOV.UK)
- Safeguarding Children (NSPCC)
- Online safety (NSPCC)
- Definitions and signs of child abuse (NSPCC)