Every adult in school is responsible for child protection and is trained to look out for signs of neglect and abuse.  Every visitor in our school is also responsible for reporting information they are concerned about with regard to safeguarding and child protection.

We are vigilant in looking for signs of:

• Neglect
• Emotional Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Physical Abuse
• Radicalised behaviours

If you suspect a child is in danger of being hurt or abused, call:

• The Police on 999
• Children’s Services – 0300 1234043 (Out of Hours Service-Children’s Services) – 0300 1234043
• Any member of staff in school

Senior staff in the schools work with the relevant local agencies, including the local Safeguarding Children Board. Pupils in our schools are supervised at all times by qualified and experienced staff. Named staff are qualified first aiders and there is a clear procedure to document and inform parents of any accident or injury sustained at the school. Through social skills development, each pupil learns to treat others with respect and any form of bullying is taken seriously.

Our Federation staff have in-depth training on a regular basis to remind everyone of the procedures for identifying and reporting issues of neglect/abuse that may likely constitute a child protection matter.  Staff are also trained to identify and report children suspected of being 'radicalised' through a national programme called 'Prevent'.  The schools' staff use the federation's usual reporting procedures and information is then shared through the 'Channel' duties and accountabilities with the Local Authority, as such, this ensures the correct pathways of information sharing and action taken.

PREVENT duty and accountabilities information

CHANNEL duty and accountabilties information

Abuse - a form of maltreatment of a child or young person. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Harm can include ill treatment that is not physical as well as the impact of witnessing ill treatment of others. This can be particularly relevant, for example, in relation to the impact on children of all forms of domestic abuse, including where they see, hear, or experience its effects. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or extra-familial contexts by those known to them or, more rarely, by others. Abuse can take place wholly online, or technology may be used to facilitate offline abuse. Children may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.

Act - an Act of Parliament creates a new law or changes an existing law. An Act is a Bill that has been approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and been given Royal Assent by the Monarch. Taken together, Acts of Parliament make up what is known as Statute Law. Definition taken from UK Parliament.

Adoption agencies - the focus of all adoption agencies is on placing children successfully into adoptive families. These are families who the agency recruits, assesses, prepares and supports, so that they will meet the children’s needs and enable them to develop and achieve throughout their lives. The services maintained by local authorities are described in section 3(1) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Local authorities place children with adoptive families recruited and approved by themselves, by other local authorities or by voluntary adoption agencies that must register with Ofsted. Adoption agencies may also provide birth records, counselling and intermediary services to adoptees and birth relatives.

Child in need - is defined in section 17 of the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of children’s social care services, or the child is disabled.

Looked after child - Section 22 of the Children Act 1989 defines a looked after child as one in the care of the local authority or provided with accommodation by the local authority. A child provided with accommodation under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 is looked after once they have been in local authority accommodation for 24 hours. In this document we use the term ‘children in care’ or ‘care experienced young person’ interchangeably to mean the legally defined ‘looked after child’ as we have heard that is the language preferred by young people.

Child protection - part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. This refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. Children - anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. The fact that a child has reached 16 years of age, is living independently or is in further education, is a member of the armed forces, is in hospital or in custody in the secure estate, does not change their status or entitlements to services or protection. Children Act 1989 - the Children Act 1989 sets out what local authorities, courts, parents and other agencies in England should do to safeguard children.

Children’s homes - the Care Standards Act 2000 provides that ‘an establishment is a children’s home if it provides care and accommodation ‘wholly or mainly’ for children. ‘Wholly or mainly’ means that most, or all, of the people who stay at a home must be children. 

Children’s Homes Regulations - the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 cover children’s homes; children’s homes that provide short break care; secure children’s homes; and residential special schools or boarding schools who accommodate children for more than 295 days per year. Children in care - in this document, the term ‘children in care’ refers to all children whose care is being provided by the local authority. Legislation uses the term ‘looked after children’ to refer to children who are being cared for by the local authority, whether that is accommodated by the local authority or in the care of the local authority by virtue of a court order. Legally, the language of ‘children in care’ does not include children accommodated and looked after under section 20 of the Children Act 1989. However, children and young people often tell local and central government that the term ‘looked after children’ is unhelpful, and we have made the deliberate choice to prioritise the use of ‘children in care’ throughout this document to refer to all children, regardless of the legal provision under which they are being cared for by the local authority, except where we need to be explicit about the legal cohort we are referring to.

Child Protection Plan (CPP) - support for a child where there is reasonable suspicion that the child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.

Children’s Social Care National Framework - the Children’s Social Care National Framework is statutory guidance for local authority children’s social care. It sets out the purpose and principles of children’s social care and the outcomes that should be achieved for children, young people and families so that they grow up and thrive with safety, stability and love.

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) - the Competition and Markets Authority is an independent non-ministerial government department, which helps people, businesses and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour.

Corporate parent - the term used to describe the local authority who has the responsibility to support children in care and care leavers in a way that other children are supported by their parents. The existing corporate parenting ‘principles’ are set out in section 1 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

Deprivation of Liberty - the term ‘deprivation of liberty’ comes from Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which provides that everyone, of whatever age, has the right to liberty. Article 5 of the ECHR protects everyone’s right to liberty by setting out the limited circumstances in which a deprivation of liberty is allowed and requires strict safeguards to be in place for those who are deprived of their liberty. The family courts can authorise a child’s deprivation of liberty via section 25 of the Children Act 1989 (and section119 of the Social Services and Well-being Act (Wales) 2014), which authorises the placement of looked after children in a registered secure children’s home, subject to meeting the criteria outlined in section 25. Alternatively, the inherent jurisdiction of the high court can be used to authorise the deprivation of liberty of a child in an alternative placement, when none of the other statutory mechanisms apply (i.e. there are no places available in secure children’s homes or the criteria under s.25 are not met).There are additional routes to deprivation of liberty outside of the family court, including the provision under the Mental Health Act 1983. 

Domestic abuse - the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 introduced the first ever statutory definition of domestic abuse (section 1 of the Act). The statutory definition is clear that domestic abuse may be a single incident or a course of conduct which can encompass a wide range of abusive behaviours, including a) physical or sexual abuse; b) violent or threatening behaviour; c) controlling or coercive behaviour; d) economic abuse; and e) psychological, emotional or other abuse. Under the statutory definition, both the person who is carrying out the behaviour and the person to whom the behaviour is directed towards must be aged 16 or over and they must be ‘personally connected’ (as defined in section 2 of the 2021 Act). The definition ensures that different types of relationships are captured, including ex-partners and family members. Section 3 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 recognises the impact of domestic abuse on children (0 to 18), as victims in their own right, if they see, hear or experience the effects of abuse.

Early help - in the current system, early help is non-statutory multi-agency support provided by local authorities and partners to children and families. Early help is often delivered within universal services at lower levels of need.

Elective home education - a term used to describe the practice of a parent providing a child’s education at home full-time, or at home and in some other way that a parent chooses (for example, a tuition centre) instead of choosing to send the child to school.

Extra-familial harm - children may be at risk of or experiencing physical, sexual or emotional abuse and exploitation in contexts outside their families. While there is no legal definition for the term extra familial harm, it is widely used to describe different forms of harm that occur outside the home. Children can be vulnerable to multiple forms of extra-familial harm from both adults and/or other children. Examples of extra-familial harm may include (but are not limited to): criminal exploitation, such as county lines and financial exploitation; serious violence; modern slavery and trafficking; online harm; sexual exploitation; child-on-child (non-familial) sexual abuse and other forms of harmful sexual behaviour displayed by children towards their peers; abuse, and/or coercive control, children may experience in their own intimate relationships (sometimes called teenage relationship abuse), and the influences of extremism which could lead to radicalisation

Family network - a group of people close to a child, made up of relatives and also non-related connected people (where connected people has the same definition used in The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 – relatives, friends and other persons connected with the child). A family network could include stepparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, or close family friends.

Family Help - a service that is coordinated by local authorities for families who need a higher level of support than can be provided solely through universal services and where it is beneficial for the child and family to work closely with a Family Help Worker. This service will be for families to engage with and will support children and families that are currently in targeted early help, child in need (including disabled children) and child protection.

Foster care - when children enter care, many are placed with an approved foster carer. Foster carers will have responsibility to care for the child and must be approved by the local authority or an independent fostering agency.

Fostering agencies - are defined in section 4 of the Care Standards Act 2000. Local authority fostering agencies and independent fostering agencies (IFAs) recruit, prepare, assess, train and support foster carers. Independent fostering agencies are private companies or charities. They are registered with Ofsted and provide placements to children and young people with foster carers approved by them. IFAs work closely with local authorities to deliver these placements. 

High Court - the High Court of Justice in London, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Senior Courts of England and Wales. It deals at first instance with all high value and high importance civil law (non-criminal) cases, and also has a supervisory jurisdiction over all subordinate courts and tribunals, with a few statutory exceptions.

Law Commission - the statutory independent body created by the Law Commissions Act 1965 to keep the law of England and Wales under review and to recommend reform where it is needed. Legislation - legislation is a law or a set of laws that have been passed by Parliament. Legislating is the act of making a new law.

Local area - the ‘local area’ is the geographical area of the local authority. This includes the local authority, CCGs, public health, NHS England for specialist services, early years settings, schools and further education providers. Location Assessment - an assessment completed as part of Ofsted’s children’s homes registration process which considers the proposed location for a children’s home, whether it is suitably located, accessibility of local services, and any safeguarding concerns. Regulation 46 of the Children’s Homes Regulations (England) 2015 introduced a requirement for providers or managers to ‘review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises at least once in every calendar year’.

Multi-agency working - work across organisations to safeguard children including effective information sharing, joint decision-making and co-ordinated interventions.

Multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) - a team which brings together agencies (and their information) to identify risks to children early and to respond with the most effective, joint interventions. The Hub team enables the multi-agency safeguarding team to carry out a joint initial assessment, research and the referral of vulnerable children to services.

Multi-agency safeguarding arrangements - Local organisations and agencies that provide services for children and families to work together to discharge their duties to safeguard and protect the welfare of children. The way that these organisations and agencies work together is known as a multi-agency safeguarding arrangement (MASA). The safeguarding partners oversee the functions of the MASA and are responsible for its delivery and effectiveness. The MASA must help to ensure that information about a child and their family is shared effectively, risk of harm is correctly identified and understood, and that children and families receive targeted services that meet their needs in a co-ordinated way.

Multi-disciplinary working - a range of practitioners and professionals from different backgrounds working together to enable the best outcomes for children.

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) - first published on 27 March 2012 and updated on 24 July 2018, 19 February 2019, 20 July 2021, 5 September 2023 and 19 December 2023. This sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. The Office of the Children’s Commissioner - promotes the rights, views and interests of children in policies or decisions affecting their lives. They particularly represent children who are vulnerable or who find it hard to make their views known.

Office of the Children's Commissioner is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Education.

Ofsted - the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, who inspect services providing education and skills, and inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people.

Parent - our definition of parent (as it relates to the working definition of kinship care– this is not a legal definition) includes: 1. ‘any birth parent, with or without parental responsibility for the child’. 2. ‘any stepparent, with or without parental responsibility for the child, who is in a subsisting relationship with the birth parent’. 3. ‘any adoptive parent who prior to the making of the adoption order in respect of the child was not a ‘friend or family member’ as defined in this Act’. 4. ‘any parent by virtue of section 42 or section 43 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, whether or not they have parental responsibility for the child’.

Pathfinders - the programmes to test how reforms should be implemented and manage the associated risks, before wider roll-out (subject to various approvals and funding).

Providers - the institutions, organisations or agencies that provide services to the relevant children and young people.

Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) - bring together specialised adoption professionals from local authorities across a region, providing expertise and support at every stage of the adoption process. RAA’s offer a new, innovative, and collaborative approach to recruiting adopters, finding families for the children with a plan for adoption in their region and providing long-term adoption support for families.

Regional Care Cooperatives (RCCs) - the organisations or arrangements between local authorities that we intend will plan, commission and deliver care places regionally.

Safeguarding - the broad set of actions that are taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. This includes protecting children from abuse and maltreatment; preventing harm to children’s health or development; ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.

Safeguarding Partners - a safeguarding partner in relation to a local authority area in England is defined under the Children Act 2004 as: (a) the local authority, (b) an integrated care board for an area any part of which falls within the local authority area, and (c) the chief officer of police for an area any part of which falls within the local authority area. The three safeguarding partners should agree on ways to co-ordinate their safeguarding services; act as a strategic leadership group in supporting and engaging others; and implement local and national learning, including from serious child safeguarding incidents. To fulfil this role, the three safeguarding partners must set out how they will work together with any relevant agencies as well as arrangements for conducting local reviews.

Section 17 - section 17 of the Children Act 1989 is a general duty on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of “children in need” in their area.

Section 47 - under section 47 of the Children Act 1989, where a child is the subject of an emergency protection order or is in police protection or there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives, or is found, in their area is suffering or is likely to suffer, significant harm, the local authority must make or cause to be made enquiries to decide if any action must be taken to safeguard or promote the child’s welfare

Secure Children’s Homes - Secure Children’s Homes accommodate children and young people who are remanded or have been sentenced for committing a criminal offence; and those whose placement there is authorised by a court because if kept in any other description of accommodation, they are likely to injure themself or others or because they abscond from other types of accommodation and are at risk of significant harm if they abscond. Secure Children's Homes are children’s homes for vulnerable young people aged between 10 and 20. These homes restrict children's liberty to ensure their safety. Secure Children's Homes are run by local authorities, voluntary organisations, or are privately run.

Social Work England - a specialist regulator focused on enabling positive change in social work. Supported accommodation - is defined in the Care Standards Act 2000 (Extension of the Application of Part 2 to Supported Accommodation) (England) Regulations 2022.

Supported accommodation provides accommodation with support for 16- and 17- year-old looked after children and care leavers, to develop their independence as they approach adulthood.

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel - An independent expert committee that was set up to identify, commission and oversee reviews of serious child safeguarding cases across England. The Panel brings together experts from social care, justice, policing, health, education and the third sector to provide a multi-agency view on cases which they believe raise issues that are complex, or of national importance.

Unregistered provision - Section 11 of the Care Standards Act 2000 provides that it is unlawful for any person to carry on or manage an establishment or an agency (as defined in Section 4 of the Care Standards Act 2000) without being registered with Ofsted. Any provision therefore that is required to be registered, but is not is called ‘unregistered provision’.

Working Together - Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) is statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It clarifies and builds upon the core legal requirements, making it clear what individuals, organisations and agencies must and should do to keep children safe. It seeks to emphasise that effective safeguarding is achieved by putting children at the centre of the system and by every individual and agency playing their full part.

Young Offender Institutions - a type of custodial setting that children may be placed in if they are sentenced to or remanded in custody. Young offender institutions are for boys aged 15 – 17 and young adult men aged 18 – 21. There are five young offender institutions (YOIs) in England and Wales.

Keeping Your Child Safe Online

• advice for parents and carers on how to help children stay safe online - how to make use of parental controls, how to have conversations with your child about staying safe online, and how children can stay safe and healthy during a time when they may be spending more time on their devices than usual
• Childnet’s guidance for parents and carers – how to begin a conversation about online safety, as well as guidance on keeping under-fives safe online
• Internet Matters - expert age-specific advice to prepare and protect your child from a range of online issues, including: sexting, self harm, screen time, radicalisation, pornography, online reputation, online grooming, inappropriate content, identity theft, and cyberbullying
• more support on specific harms children may experience online during COVID-19 including guidance and support to prevent and address these harms
• online safety at home activity packs – CEOP’s simple 15 minute activities suitable for children aged 4-14+ can be done at home and focus on topics including image sharing, live streaming and watching videos on the web.
• if you or your child are being targeted online contact the police at: Child Expoitation and Online Protection

Staying Safe Online / e-safety

You might be struggling to keep up with the things your child is doing online; you might wonder whether what they are doing is safe; and you might also be thinking ‘How can I be as good a parent online as I am offline?’

We encourage you to visit the Think U Know website.  It has tips and advice about how you can help your children grow up safely with the internet. Below are more links to get you started.

NSPCC: Keeping your child safe online

Protecting your child in school

In our schools we use the Hertfordshire Internet and Connectivity Service (HICS) Filtered Web Service who provide us with a firewall to protect the children from harmful content.

Mobile Phones & SMART Watches

In our schools, we understand that the majority of children will at some point own a mobile phone, some children also have a Smartwatch that can access the Internet.  Whilst we are more than happy for them to be used on the journey to and from school we have a policy of collecting devices as children arrive. They are then stored in a locked room until they are distributed at the end of the day. For more information about our mobile phone policy please see below.

We do however allow children to use mobile phones and Smartwatches when accessing Travel Training.  Your child's class teacher will inform you when this forms part of the curriculum.

For more information on e-safety and how to protect your child online please click on the following links:

Internet Matters

NSPCC Online Safety

National Online Safety provides a huge amount of information, training and resources for school staff and parents in order to enable us to better ensure children and young people are safe online. Below are their "What Parents Need to Know about..." for a wealth of topics:

The Federation's Bereavement Policy. Review January 2025

Useful sites

Child Bereavement UK

Cruse

Winston's Wish

Reading for Parents and Carers:

• How do children with SEND understand death?
• Do children grieve differently to adults?
• Telling a child someone has died
• Should children attend a funeral?
• What is grief? Easy to read information for young people with SEND
• Supporting children through grief
• Growing around grief
• 7 ways to support children and young people who are worried

Activities and resources to help children cope with bereavement:

• Activities to help support a bereaved child with SEND
• Memory box activity
• Memory jar activity
• Memory button tree activity
• Memory bracelet activity
• Special memories activity sheet
• First aid activity
• Insect activity
• Calendar of memories
• 10 ways you can mark anniversaries, birthdays and special days 

Domestic abuse can have devastating consequences for children, and can have lifelong impacts on their mental and physical health and behaviour into adulthood.

Domestic abuse occurs between those who are, or have been, in relationships. It can also occur between family members, such as between teenagers and parents (known as adolescent to parent violence and abuse (APVA)).

Find out how to recognise and spot the signs of domestic abuse.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse:

• see domestic abuse: how to get help which includes specific advice on how to get help for children and young people
• call the NSPCC helpline for advice and support if you have concerns about a child on 0808 800 5000, as well as the National Domestic Abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247

If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are unable to talk on the phone, listen to the questions from the operator and respond by coughing or tapping the handset if you can. Follow the instructions depending on whether you are calling from a mobile or a landline.

For help with parental conflict and relationship abuse:

• Co-Parent Hub - information for separated parents and advice to help you and your ex-partner to be good co-parents

Teenage relationship abuse

Teenagers can experience abuse in their own relationships, even if they aren’t living with the abuser:

• NSPCC’s ‘Coronavirus and keeping safe from abuse’ - common signs of teenage relationship abuse if you are concerned about a young person’s relationship
• Parent Info - advice, tips, and key signs to spot for parents on talking to teenagers about consent and spotting abuse in teenage relationships
• NSPCC - helpful information for parents and carers on how to talk to your child about sex and consent
• Childline - interactive activities for children and signposts to support available

Brook Traffic Light Sexual Behaviours Tool

Sexual abuse can happen anywhere – in person or online. It’s never a child’s fault they were sexually abused – it’s important to make sure children know this.

Call 999 and ask for the police if your child has been a victim of child sexual abuse – online or offline – and you believe they are in immediate danger.

When a child or young person is sexually abused, they are forced or tricked into sexual activities. They might not understand that what is happening is abuse or that it is wrong. They might be afraid to tell someone.

Sexual abuse can happen anywhere – and it can happen in person or online. It’s never a child’s fault they were sexually abused – it’s important to make sure children know this.

See the government’s definition of child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation.

These are resources that can help:

• Together, we can tackle child abuse – how to recognise child abuse, and how to report it
• report to the National Crime Agency-CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) if you are concerned that your child has been a victim, or is at risk of becoming a victim, of online sexual abuse, or you are worried about the way someone has been communicating with your child online
• contact the NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000 for support and advice if you have any concerns about your own or another child’s safety
• Stop It Now! - information and advice on concerns about someone’s behaviour, including children who may be displaying concerning sexual behaviour
• Talk Pants Guide for Parents – how to have age-appropriate conversations to help protect children from sexual abuse using simple, child-friendly language and give children the confidence and knowledge to stay safe
• Coronavirus: support for parents and carers to keep children safe online - resources to help keep children safe from different risks online, including child sexual abuse and ‘sexting’, and where to go to receive support and advice

Sexual assault referral centres

Sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) offer support services for children who have experienced sexual abuse or sexual violence, either recently or in the past.

Specially trained medical and support staff care for the child in a safe and comfortable environment and can arrange for ongoing support to help them recover physically and emotionally.

Steps are taken to ensure the child is protected from immediate harm and from any future harm. Partners, such as the police and social services, support the process and may be involved in arranging the initial referral to the SARC.

For additional advice and support, find your local sexual assault referral centre.

More support for victims of sexual violence and abuse.

Call the police on 999 if you feel that your child is in immediate danger. You can report concerns to the police on their non-emergency number, 101.

Children and young people involved with gangs, county lines and criminal exploitation need help and support. They might be involved in violence, be pressured into doing things like stealing, carrying drugs or weapons or be abused, exploited and put into dangerous situations.

• NSPCC’s ‘Criminal exploitation and gangs’ - if you have concerns that your child is being criminally exploited, involved in gangs or county lines, as well as more information on what these terms mean - phone 0808 800 500 or email help@nspcc.org.uk
• Children’s Society resources on criminal exploitation and county lines - for parents who are concerned their child may be being criminally exploited or involved in county lines
• Parent Info - information for parents about knife crime and gang involvement

If your child is missing from home

Contact Missing People SafeCall service - or you have concerns about them being involved in gangs, drugs dealing or county lines exploitation.

SafeCall provides confidential and one-to-one support to children, but they also offer advice and guidance to parents and carers who are concerned and need support.

To speak to someone urgently, contact Missing People’s free, 24/7 confidential helpline.

Phone or text: 116 000 Email: 116000@missingpeople.org.uk

Call the police on 101 or contact your local authority safeguarding team if you are worried that a loved one is being radicalised - you can get advice or share a concern so that they can get safeguarding support.

Although rare, increased online activity and feelings of stress and isolation may be exploited by online groomers to target vulnerable children and young people – including extremist influences seeking to radicalise vulnerable people.

Extremists may use the coronavirus outbreak to promote hateful views, for example through conspiracy theories blaming a particular group for the virus, or through spreading misinformation about these groups’ responses to it.

Online exploitation is often hard to recognise. Sometimes there are clear warning signs - in other cases the changes are less obvious. Although some of these traits may be quite common among teenagers, taken together they could indicate that your child may need help. The Let’s Talk About It lists some of these signs.

You know your child best and you will want to speak with them first. Check in with them and ask about what they are viewing, who they are speaking to and how they are feeling.

These are resources that can help:

• Digital safety during Covid-19 - advice produced by the Home Office
• Educate against hate parents’ hub - resources and government advice for parents and carers on keeping young people safe from extremism, including online

Let’s Talk About It - support for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation.

'Prevent' and 'Channel'

Prevent can help your child get support to move away from harmful influences. The support can include help with education or careers advice, dealing with mental or emotional health issues, or digital safety training for parents.

Call the police on 101 to get advice or share a concern so that they can get safeguarding support through Prevent, if you are worried that a loved one is being radicalised.

You can also contact your local authority safeguarding team for help. Receiving support through Prevent is voluntary, confidential and not any form of criminal sanction.

Report online material promoting terrorism or extremism

You can report terrorist content you find online. More information about what to report and what happens when you make a report can be found on the Action Counters Terrorism campaign.

Hertfordshire NHS Single Point of Access 24/7 Mental Health Helpline

Herts residents of all ages, including carers, GPs and other professionals can contact our 24/7 Single Point of Access (SPA) Mental Health Helpline team at any hour of the day or night, 365 days a year. The team can provide support for Herts residents who are experiencing a mental health crisis, need some mental health support or just want to talk on:

• Freephone 0800 6444 101 or
• NHS 111 and select option 2 for mental health services
• If they are seriously ill or injured, dial 999 for the emergency services.

If you are worried that someone you know is suicidal, including your child, Samaritans provides advice on how you can support others.

Call Young Minds’ free Parents Helpline on 0808 802 5544 for confidential, expert advice, if you have urgent concerns about your child’s mental health and wellbeing.

This may be a difficult time for children and young people. Some may be struggling now, while others may be affected later.

During this time, it’s important that you take care of your own and your family’s mental health – there are lots of things you can do, and support is available if you need it.

• Action for Children - helps parents to spot the signs of poor mental health in their child and explains what to do to help
• NSPCC - a range of advice on how to support your child if you are concerned that they may be struggling with their mental health or be anxious about coronavirus
• Public Health England advice - helps adults with caring responsibilities look after the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, including those with additional needs and disabilities
• Young Minds - tips, advice and where to get support for your child’s mental health - parents can also access activity ideas for use during isolation
• Every Mind Matters – simple and practical advice to support your mental health and wellbeing, including advice on looking after children and young people.
• NHS England has published advice for parents, guardians and carers on how to help and support a child or young person

Information about the Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) in SEND schools in Herts and West Essex.

The MHST works closely with SEN Schools, an early intervention service working with mild to moderate mental health difficulties and challenging behaviours in educational settings. The MHST supports children, their families, and school staff, and is currently based in several SEN schools across Herts and West Essex. The service is ‘hosted’ by PALMS in Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, but is separate to the PALMS team.

The MHST helps to support mental health at The Collett School and St Luke's Schools in several ways:

• Workshops with young people or parent/carers or staff.
• Group based work with young people or parent/carers.
• Guided 1:1 self-help sessions (6 – 8 weeks) with young people, parent/carers around proactive prevention and support for mild to moderate mental health difficulties and challenging behaviours
• A ‘whole school approach’ to understanding and improving mental health, which may include supporting the school’s mental health lead, supporting with the wellbeing curriculum, identifying mental health resources, creating posters and displays etc.
• Signposting staff and families to appropriate support.

The team is made up of Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs), supervising clinicians, an Assistant Psychologist, and administrator support.

If you are interested in further information and/or support, please contact the team on the following email address mhst.hct@nhs.net  or email Admin@collett.herts.sch.uk 

All our staff, supply staff, volunteers and those working with our children have Enhanced DBS checks against police systems to ascertain whether they are barred from working with children.  All staff (permanent and temporary) are fully inducted by the school as part of our stringent Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures including Safer Staffing Recruitment

Before commencing employment all staff in our schools:

• Qualifications are checked, including contacting universities etc. for confirmation
• Are fully DBS checked
• Have two satisfactory references, seen and checked
• All gaps in employment history are identified and checked at interview
• Right to work in the UK is ascertained
• Certificate of Good Behaviour obtained
• List-99 checking
• Barred List check
• Occupational Health check
• Are interviewed by staff with Safer Staffing in-date accreditation

All offers of employment are made with the conditions at all these checks are complete and satisfactory.