Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Children Policy

Including Child Protection Procedures

1.1 The purpose of SCL Education Group Ltd safeguarding children policy is to ensure every child and young person (those under the age of 18) who is a registered participant of our organisation is safe and protected from harm.

This means we will always work to:

• Protect children and young people at our school from maltreatment.
• Prevent impairment of our children’s and young people’s mental and physical health or development;
• Ensure that children and young people accessing our programs and activities grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care;
• Undertake that role so as to enable children and young people accessing our programs and activities to have the best outcomes.

1.2 This policy will give clear direction to all staff including seconded and agency staff, volunteers, visitors and parents about expected behaviour and our legal responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children accessing our provision.

1.3 SCL Education Group Ltd fully recognises the contribution it can make to protect children and young people from harm and supporting and promoting the welfare of all children and young people who are registered to take part in activities and provision being run under the SCL Education Group Ltd.  The elements of our policy are prevention, protection and support.

1.4 We recognise that our safeguarding responsibilities are clearly linked to our responsibilities for ensuring that appropriate safeguarding responses are in place for children who are absent from our education provision, particularly on repeat occasions. The Attendance Lead will regularly liaise with the Designated Safeguarding Lead to discuss all persistently absent learners and those who go missing to identify the risk of abuse and neglect including sexual abuse or exploitation and to ensure that appropriate safeguarding responses have been put in place to reduce the risk of future harm.

1.5 This policy applies to all learners, staff, parents, governors, volunteers and visitors.

2.1 The child’s welfare is of paramount importance. Our organisation will establish and maintain an ethos where learners feel secure, are encouraged to talk, are listened to and are safe.  Children at our provisions will be able to talk freely to any member of staff at each session if they are worried or concerned about something. All staff will reassure victims that they are being taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe. Victims will never be given the impression that they are creating a problem by reporting abuse, sexual violence or sexual harassment.

2.2 Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children. We recognise that staff within our organisation involved in face to face delivery of education and activity sessions play a particularly important role as they are in a position to identify concerns early and provide help for children to prevent concerns from escalating. All staff are advised to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff members must always act in the best interests of the child.

2.3 SCL Education Group Ltd ensure that safeguarding and child protection is at the forefront and underpin all relevant aspects of process and policy development. We operate with the best interests of the child at their heart.

2.4 Where there is a safeguarding concern, the child’s wishes and feelings are taken into account when determining what action to take and what services to provide. The systems we have in place are well promoted, easily understood and easily accessible for children to confidently report abuse, knowing their concerns will be treated seriously, and knowing they can safely express their views and give feedback.

2.5 All staff and regular visitors will, through training and induction, know how to recognise indicators of concern, how to respond to a disclosure from a child and how to record and report this information. We will not make promises to any child and we will not keep secrets.  Every child will know what the adult will have to do with any information they have chosen to disclose. All staff will be trained to recognise that children may not feel ready or know how to tell someone that they are being abused, exploited, or neglected, and/or they may not recognise their experiences as harmful.

2.6 Throughout our broad and balanced curriculum, we will provide activities and opportunities for children to develop the knowledge, values and skills they need to identify risks, including knowing when and how to ask for help for themselves and others to stay safe (this includes online). The Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (delivered in regularly timetabled lessons and reinforced throughout the whole curriculum) will cover relevant, topics in an age and stage appropriate way, enabling pupils to learn about their rights and responsibilities to behave and stay safe in a variety of contexts on and offline. This will provide further reinforcement to help children identify risks, know when to seek support and develop the skills to ask for help from trustworthy, reliable sources.

Further information can be found in the DfE guidance ‘Teaching online safety inschool.’ and ‘Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education.’ This education is underpinned by the school’s behaviour policy and pastoral support system.

2.7 At all times we will work in partnership and endeavour to establish effective working relationships with parents, carers and colleagues from other agencies in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/keeping-adults-and-children-safe/protecting-children/multi-agency-safeguarding-hub-mash and further relevant geographic of provision Local Authority Multi Agency Safeguarding arrangements.

2.8 As part of our responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, we will provide a co-ordinated offer of early help when additional needs of children are identified. These may include if a child:

• is disabled and has specific additional needs;
• has special educational needs (whether or not they have a statutory education, health and care plan);
• has a mental health need;
• is a young carer;
• is showing signs of being drawn in to anti-social or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups;
• is frequently missing/goes missing from care or from home;
• is misusing drugs or alcohol themselves;
• is at risk of modern slavery, trafficking or exploitation;
• is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as substance abuse, adult mental health problems or domestic abuse;
• has returned home to their family from care;
• is showing early signs of abuse and/or neglect;
• is at risk of being radicalised or exploited;
• is at risk of ‘honour’-based abuse such as Female Genital Mutilation or Forced Marriage;
• is a privately fostered child
• has a family member in prison, or is affected by parental offending;
• is persistently absent from education, including persistent absences for part of the scheduled day/session.

2.9 At SCL Education Group Ltd we understand the importance of working in a way that adheres to the following legislation:

• The Human Rights Act 1998
• Equality Act 2010
• Public Sector Equality Duty

This means we do not unlawfully discriminate against pupils because of their sex, race, disability, religion or belief, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, or sexual orientation (protected characteristics)

3. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

SCL Group
Chair of Governors
Safeguarding Governor
Carole Carson
carole.carson@wearescl.co.uk

SCL Group
Chief Executive Officer
Brad Rushton

SCL Group
Head of Safeguarding
SCL Group Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Linda Medlicott
linda.medlicott@wearescl.co.uk

SCL Group
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Andrew Cooper
andrew.cooper@wearescl.co.uk

SCL Active
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Andrew Cooper
andrew.cooper@wearescl.co.uk

DNA Skills
Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO)
Chris Barnes
chris.barnes@wearescl.co.uk

3.1 It is the responsibility of every member of staff, volunteer subcontractor and regular visitor to any SCL Education Group Ltd provision to ensure that they carry out the requirements of this policy and, at all times, work in a way that will safeguard and promote the welfare of all of the pupils at this school. This includes the responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.

The Governing Board

3.2 The Governing Board of SCL Education Group Ltd is accountable for ensuring the effectiveness of this policy and our compliance with it. Although our Governing Body takes collective responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of our pupils, we also have a named governor who champions safeguarding within our organisation.

3.3 The Governing Board will ensure that:

• The safeguarding policy is in place and is reviewed annually, is available publicly via our organisations website and has been written in line with Local Authority guidance and the requirements of the Bracknell Forest Council Safeguarding Children Partnership policies and procedures;
• SCL Education Group Ltd contributes to inter-agency working in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018);
• A senior member of staff from leadership team is designated to take the lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection and that there is at least one deputy DSL(s) who is appropriately trained member to deal with any issues in the absence of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). There will always be cover for this role. The role will be evidenced explicitly in the role holder’s job description.
• All staff receive a safeguarding induction and are provided with a copy of this policy, the staff code of conduct, the behaviour policy and the organisations safeguarding response for those pupils who go missing from provision as detailed section 6 of this policy.
• All staff undertake appropriate child protection training that is updated annually and on-line safety training;
• Procedures are in place for dealing with allegations against members of staff and volunteers in line with statutory guidance;
• Safer recruitment practices are followed in accordance with the requirements of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ DfE (2022);
• They remedy without delay any weakness in regard to our safeguarding arrangements that are brought to their attention.

3.4 The governing board will receive a safeguarding report at each meeting that will record the training that has taken place, the number of staff attending and any outstanding training requirements for the organisation.  It will also record all safeguarding activity that has taken place, for example, meetings attended, reports written, training or induction given.  It will not identify individual pupils.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

3.5 At SCL Education Group Ltd the CEO is responsible for:

• Identifying a senior member of staff from leadership team to be the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL);
• Identifying alternate members of staff to act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in their absence to ensure there is always cover for the role;
• Ensuring that the policies and procedures adopted by the governing body, particularly concerning referrals of cases of suspected abuse and neglect, are followed by all staff;
• Ensuring that all staff and volunteers feel able to raise concerns about poor or unsafe practice and such concerns are addressed sensitively in accordance with agreed whistle-blowing procedures;

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

 3.6 The Designated Safeguarding Lead is a senior member of staff, from the leadership team who takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection within our school. The DSL will carry out their role in accordance with the responsibilities outlined in Annex C of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’.

3.7 The DSL will provide advice and support to other staff on child welfare and child protection matters. Any concern for a child’s safety or welfare will be recorded in writing and given to the DSL.

3.8 SCL Education Group Ltd provision is delivered in multiple locations nationally therefore the DSL is unable to be present at all settings to be available in person however we do ensure that the DSL (deputy in DSL in their absence) is available via telephone and/or Teams video call to support during all delivery hours.

3.9 The DSL will liaise with the LADO in the event of an allegation of abuse being made against a member of staff or volunteer.

3.10 The DSL at SCL Education Ltd will represent our school at child protection conferences and core group meetings.  Through appropriate training, knowledge and experience our DSL will liaise with Children’s Services and other agencies where necessary, and make referrals of suspected abuse to Children’s Services, take part in strategy discussions and other interagency meetings and contribute to the assessment of children.

3.11 The DSL will maintain records and child protection files ensuring that they are kept confidential and stored securely (see section 7 for more information.)

3.12 The DSL is responsible for ensuring that all staff members and volunteers are aware of our policy and the procedure they need to follow. They will ensure that all staff, volunteers and regular visitors have received appropriate child protection information during induction and have been trained within the organisation the agreed level relevant to their role.

3.13 The DSL will obtain details of the Local Authority Personal Advisor appointed to guide and support a child who is a care leaver.

3.14 The DSL(s) will work with the CEO, and senior leaders, taking lead responsibility for promoting educational outcomes by knowing the welfare, safeguarding and child protection issues that children in need are experiencing, or have experienced, and identifying the impact that these issues might be having on children’s attendance, engagement and achievement.

3.15 This will include understanding their academic progress and attainment and maintaining a culture of high aspirations for all learners and supporting delivery staff to provide additional academic support or reasonable adjustments to help children who have or have had social care intervention reach their potential.

3.16 We recognise that a child’s experiences of adversity and trauma can leave them vulnerable to further harm, as well as educationally disadvantaged in facing barriers to attendance, learning, behaviour and mental health. The DSL will use the information that they hold about children with a social worker to make decisions in the best interests of the child’s safety, welfare and help promote educational outcomes. The DSL will ensure that staff, know who these children are, understand their academic progress and attainment and maintain a culture of high aspirations for every learner; supporting teaching and delivery staff to identify the challenges that children in this group might face and the additional academic support and adjustments that they could make to best support these children.

4. TRAINING & INDUCTION

4.1 When new staff join our organisation they will be informed of the safeguarding arrangements in place.  They will be given a copy of SCL Education Group Ltd safeguarding children policy along with the staff code of conduct, they will be required to complete the Keeping Children Safe in Education knowledge checker and Part one and Annex B of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’. They will take part in a bespoke induction training delivered by members of the safeguarding team, told who our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Deputy DSLs are. This will include details of how to record and report safeguarding concerns via ‘Myconcern’ platform. They will also receive a copy of the behaviour policy and the school’s response to children who go missing from education – this information is included in section 6 of this policy. All staff are expected to read these key documents.

4.2 Every new member of staff, volunteer including seconded and agency staff will receive safeguarding training during their induction period within 2 weeks of joining the organisation. This programme will include information relating to signs and symptoms of abuse, how to manage a disclosure from a child (including reassuring victims that they are being taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe), how to record, the processes for referral to Children’s Services and the statutory assessments under Section 17 and Section 47 as well as the remit of the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). The training will also include information about whistleblowing and Low-Level Concerns in respect of concerns about another adult’s behaviour and suitability to work with children. Staff will also receive on-line safety training as this is part of the overarching safeguarding approach of our organisation.

4.3 In addition to the safeguarding induction, we will ensure that mechanisms are in place to assist staff to understand and discharge their role and responsibilities as set out in Part one of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’. In order to achieve this, we will ensure that:

• All members of staff will complete the relevant level safeguarding training relevant to role and renewable every 3 years;
• all members of staff will undertake appropriate safeguarding training on an annual basis and we will evaluate the impact of this training;
• all staff members receive regular safeguarding and child protection updates (for example, via email, e-bulletins, staff meetings), as required, but at least annually, to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively;

4.4 All regular visitors, temporary staff and volunteers to our school will be given a set of our safeguarding procedures; they will be informed of whom our DSL and alternate staff members are and what the recording and reporting system is. (See Appendix 2 visitors safeguarding handout). All staff and volunteers complete SCL Education Group induction training (relevant to division/role) and are provided via the SCL employee hub access to all safeguarding policies and additional training options.

4.5 The DSL, the alternate designated member(s) of staff and any other senior member of staff who may be in a position of making referrals or attending child protection conferences or core groups will attend one of the multi-agency training courses organised NSPCC at least once every three years. The DSL and alternate will attend Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training provided by the NSPCC every two years. In addition to formal training, DSL will ensure that they update their knowledge and skills at regular intervals, but at least annually, to keep up with any developments relevant to their role. [It is recommended that you describe how you will do this e.g. accessing e-courier and disseminating national and local updates to staff, attendance at DSL network meetings, Local Safeguarding Children’s Groups, Personal Development].

4.6 Each member of the SCL Education Ltd governing body undertake the NSPCC’s Child protection for school governors training to equip them with the knowledge to provide strategic challenge to test and assure themselves that the safeguarding policies and procedures in place are effective and support the delivery of a robust whole organisational approach to safeguarding. This training takes place at induction and is updated every 2 years.

4.7 We actively encourage all of our staff to keep up to date with the most recent local and national safeguarding advice and guidance, Annex B of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (2022) provides links to guidance on specific safeguarding issues such as Child Exploitation and Female Genital Mutilation. In addition, local guidance can be accessed via relevant Local Authority Safeguarding Children Partnerships.

5. PROCEDURES FOR MANAGING CONCERNS

 5.1 SCL Education Group Ltd adheres to child protection procedures that have been agreed locally through the relevant Safeguarding Children Partnership. Where we identify children and families in need of support, we will carry out our responsibilities in accordance with relevant Local Authority protocol and threshold guidance.

5.2 Every member of staff including, subcontracted staff and volunteers working with children for SCL Education Group Ltd are advised to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff members should always act in the interests of the child and have a responsibility to take action as outline in this policy.

5.3 All staff are encouraged to report any concerns that they have and not see these as insignificant. On occasions, a referral is justified by a single incident such as an injury or disclosure of abuse. More often however, concerns accumulate over a period of time and are evidenced by building up a picture of harm over time; this is particularly true in cases of emotional abuse and neglect. In these circumstances, it is crucial that staff record and pass on concerns in accordance with this policy immediately to allow the DSL and identified safeguarding team to build up a picture and access support for the child at the earliest opportunity. A reliance on memory without accurate and contemporaneous records of concern could lead to a failure to protect.

5.4 It is not the responsibility of the organisations staff to investigate welfare concerns or determine the truth of any disclosure or allegation. All staff, however, have a duty to recognise concerns and pass the information on in accordance with the procedures outlined in this policy.

5.5 The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and nominated DDSLs and DSOs should be used as a first point of contact for concerns and queries regarding any safeguarding concern in our programs and activities. Any member of staff or visitor to the school who receives a disclosure of abuse or suspects that a child is at risk of harm must report it immediately to the DSL or, if unavailable, to the alternate designated person. In the absence of either of the above, the matter should be brought to the attention of the most senior member of staff.

 5.6 All concerns about a child or young person should be reported without delay and recorded in writing using the ‘MyConcern’ reporting and recording cloud-based system. (See Appendix 1 for suggested template).

Records should include: – need to make relevant to MyConcern

• a clear and comprehensive summary of the concern
• details of how the concern was followed up and resolved
• a note of any action taken, decisions reached and the outcome

5.7 Following receipt of any information raising concern, a member of the safeguarding team, will consider what action to take, ensuring concerns of an agreed threshold are raised directly with the DSL who may advise or directly seek advice from the relevant geographical Safeguarding Children’s Advice & Duty Service (CADS) as required. All information and actions taken, including the reasons for any decisions made, will be fully documented.

5.8 All referrals will be made in line with the relevant regional Children’s Services procedures. Due to the geographical structure of SCL’s provision delivery a full directory of relevant authorities and procedures are maintained by the safeguarding team an example for the purpose of guidance a generic example is available in Appendix 3.

5.9 If, at any point, there is a risk of immediate serious harm to a child a referral should be made to the geographically relevant CADS immediately. Anybody can make a referral in these circumstances. The DSL must be informed as soon as is possible following such a referral. If the child’s situation does not appear to be improving the staff member with concerns should press for re-consideration by raising concerns again with the DSL. Concerns should always lead to help for the child at some point.

5.10 Staff should always follow the reporting procedures outlined in this policy in the first instance. However, they may also share information directly with relevant geographical CADS, or the police if:

• the situation is an emergency and the designated senior person, their alternate and the relevant divisional Director are all unavailable.
• they are convinced that a direct report is the only way to ensure the learners safety.

5.11 Any member of staff who does not feel that concerns about a child have been responded to appropriately and in accordance with the procedures outlined in this policy should raise their concerns with the Director of People and Culture or the Chair of Governors. If any member of staff does not feel the situation has been addressed appropriately at this point should contact Bracknell Forest CADS directly with their concerns.

6. CONTEXTUAL SAFEGUARDING

6.1 At SCL Education Group Ltd we recognise that safeguarding incidents and/or behaviours can be associated with factors outside of the school environment and/or can occur between children outside of the school. This is known as contextual safeguarding. It is key that all staff understand the definition of contextual safeguarding and consider whether children are at risk of abuse or exploitation in situations outside their families. Through training we will ensure that staff and volunteers are aware that extra-familial harms take a variety of different forms and children can be vulnerable to multiple harms including (but not limited to) sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, and serious youth violence.  When reporting concerns, staff should include as much information and background detail as possible so the DSL can make a referral with a holistic view of the child. This will allow any assessment to consider all the available evidence and the full context of any abuse.

6.2 We recognise that children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can face additional safeguarding challenges, and these are discussed in staff training.  These additional barriers can include:

• assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the child’s disability without further exploration;
• children with SEN and disabilities can be disproportionally impacted by things like bullying- without outwardly showing any signs; and
• communication barriers and difficulties in overcoming these barriers.

6.3 At SCL Education and Training Ltd we recognise that a previously looked after child potentially remains vulnerable and all staff should have the skills, knowledge and understanding to keep previously looked after children safe. When dealing with looked after children and previously looked after children, it is important that all agencies work together, and prompt action is taken when necessary to safeguard these children, who are a particularly vulnerable group.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE): County Lines and serious violence

6.4 At SCL Education and Training Ltd we train staff to recognise that 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. 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.

 6.5 At SCL Education and Training Ltd we recognise that Child Sexual Exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse, and this imbalance of power coerces, manipulates or deceives a child or young person into sexual activity;

(a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or

(b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator.

Child sexual exploitation does not always include physical contact, it can also occur through the use of technology.  We understand that some children and young people may not realise they are being exploited e.g. they may believe they are in a genuine romantic relationship.

6.6 At SCL Education Group Ltd we understand that criminal exploitation of children and young people is a geographically widespread form of harm that is a typical feature of county lines criminal activity. Drug networks or gangs groom and exploit children and young people to carry drugs and money from urban areas to suburban and rural areas, market and seaside towns. Key to identifying potential involvement in county lines are missing episodes when the victim may have been trafficked for the purpose of transporting drugs.

6.7 We understand that children and young people can become trapped by this type of exploitation as perpetrators can threaten victims (and their families) with violence or entrap and coerce them into debt. They may be coerced into carrying weapons such as knives or begin to carry a knife for a sense of protection from harm from others. We will treat these children as victims understanding that they have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears to be something they have agreed or consented to. We recognise the experience of girls who are criminally exploited can be very different to that of boys and that both boys and girls being criminally exploited may be at higher risk of sexual exploitation.

6.8 At SCL Education Group Ltd staff are aware of the indicators and risk factors which may signal a child is vulnerable to or involved with serious violent crime. We make reference to the Home Office’s Preventing youth violence and gang involvement and Criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: county lines guidance for more information.

6.9 If a child is suspected to be at risk of or involved in county lines, a referral to the relevant regional Children’s Advice and Duty Service (CADS) will be made alongside consideration of availability of local services/third sector providers who offer support to victims of county lines exploitation.

So-called ‘honour-based violence (including Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage

6.10 At SCL Education Group Ltd we recognise that our staff are well placed to identify concerns and take action to prevent children from becoming victims of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other forms of so-called ‘honour-based’ violence (HBV) and provide guidance on these issues through our safeguarding training. If staff have a concern regarding a child that might be at risk of HBV, they should inform the DSL who will activate local safeguarding procedures, using existing national and local protocols for multiagency liaison with police and children’s social care.

6.11 Where FGM has taken place, since 31 October 2015 there has been a mandatory reporting duty placed on individuals such as teachers, tutors and coaches. Section 5B of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (as inserted by section 74 of the Serious Crime Act 2015) places a statutory duty upon teachers, tutors and coaches in England and Wales, to report to the police where they discover (either through disclosure by the victim or visual evidence) that FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl under 18. Those failing to report such cases will face disciplinary sanctions. The DSL will provide guidance and support to our staff on this requirement and further information on when and how to make a report can be found in the following Home Office guidance: Mandatory Reporting of Female Genital Mutilation- procedural information Home Office (January 2020)

6.12 At SCL Education Group Ltd we recognise that forcing a person into a marriage is a crime in England and Wales. A forced marriage is one entered into without the full and free consent of one or both parties where violence, threats or any other form of coercion is used to cause a person to enter into a marriage. Threats can be physical or emotional and psychological. The Forced Marriage Unit has statutory guidance and Multi-agency guidelines and can be contacted for advice or more information: Contact 020 7008 0151 or email fmu@fco.gov.uk

Preventing radicalisation and extremism

6.13 We recognise that safeguarding against radicalisation and extremism is no different to safeguarding against any other vulnerability in today’s society.  At SCL Education Group Ltd we will ensure that:

• Through training, staff, volunteers and governors have an understanding of what radicalisation and extremism is, why we need to be vigilant in school and how to respond when concerns arise.
• There are systems in place for keeping pupils safe from extremist material when accessing the internet in our programs and activities by using effective filtering and usage policies. SCL web filter provider provides SCL’s Data Protection Officer with weekly reports any concerning activity is immediately reported to the Head of Safeguarding following SCL’s reporting procedure.
• The DSLs have received Prevent training and will act as the point of contact within our organisation for any concerns relating to radicalisation and extremism.
• The DSLs will make referrals in accordance with the relevant geographical Local Authorities Channel Procedures and will represent our organisation at Channel meetings as required.
• Through our curriculum and activity delivery, we will promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

Child on child sexual violence and sexual harassment

6.14 At SCL Education Group Ltd all staff are trained so that they are aware that safeguarding issues can manifest themselves via child-on-child abuse. This is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:

• bullying (including cyberbullying);
• physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm;
• sexual violence and sexual harassment;
• upskirting;
• sexting (also known as youth produced sexual imagery); and
• initiation/hazing type violence and rituals.

6.15 We recognise that children and young people are vulnerable to physical, sexual and emotional abuse by other children or siblings. Abuse perpetrated by children can be just as harmful as that perpetrated by an adult, so it is important that all staff, subcontracted staff, agency staff and volunteers to remember the impact on both the victim of the abuse as well as to focus on the support for the child or young person exhibiting the harmful behaviour. We understand that abuse can occur in intimate personal relationships between children; and that consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi nudes’ images and or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery) is a form of child-on-child abuse.

6.16 We understand, that even if there are no reports in our organisation it does not mean it is not happening, it may be the case that it is just not being reported. We recognise that learners may not find it easy to tell staff about their abuse and can show signs or act in ways that they hope adults will notice and react to. In some cases, the victim may not make a direct report, and this may come from a friend or a conversation that is overheard.  Such abuse will always be taken as seriously as abuse perpetrated by an adult and the same safeguarding children procedures will apply in respect of any child who is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Staff must never tolerate or dismiss concerns relating to child-on-child abuse and they will always challenge this. It must never be tolerated or passed off as ‘banter’, ‘just having a laugh’ or ‘part of growing up’. Doing this can lead to a culture of unacceptable behaviours, an unsafe environment for children and in worst case scenarios a culture that normalises abuse leading to children accepting it as normal and not coming forward to report it.

6.17 At SCL Education Group Ltd we regularly review decisions and actions, and relevant policies are updated to reflect any lessons learnt. We look out for potential patterns of concerning, problematic or inappropriate behaviour. Where a pattern is identified, we decide upon an appropriate course of action.

6.18 At SCL Education Group Ltd all staff will reassure victims that they are being taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe. Victims will never be given the impression that they are creating a problem by reporting abuse, sexual violence or sexual harassment. Nor will a victim ever be made to feel ashamed for making a report. We will also offer appropriate support to the perpetrator and any other children involved.

6.19 All staff will understand that they should follow our safeguarding procedures for reporting a concern if they are worried about child-on-child abuse. The DSLs and/or DSOs will respond to any concerns related to child on child abuse in line with guidance outlined in Part five of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ and ‘Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges’ (2021). We will ensure that all concerns, discussions and decisions reached are clearly recorded and any identified actions are followed up.

6.20 We will work with other agencies including the police and Children’s Social Care, as required to respond to concerns about sexual violence and harassment.  We will seek consultations where there are concerns or worries about developmentally inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviour from the Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) Team as required so that we ensure we are offering the right support to the child(ren).

6.21 Support will depend on the circumstances of each case and the needs of the child or young person, it may include completion of risk assessments to support children to remain in school whilst safeguarding other children and the victim, delivery of early intervention in respect of HSB and/or referral to The relevant  Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) where a pupil discloses a rape, an attempted rape or a serious sexual assault whether this has happened recently or in the past. The SARC also has a 24/7 helpline 01603 276381 if pupils or staff need to speak to a Crisis Worker for help & advice.

Modern Slavery

6.22 At SCL Education Group Ltd we understand that modern slavery encompasses human trafficking and slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. Exploitation can take many forms, including sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery, servitude, forced criminality and the removal of organs. We refer to the DfE guidance Modern slavery: how to identify and support victims for concerns of this nature. for concerns of this nature.

Safeguarding responses to children who go missing

6.23 At SCL Education Group Ltd all staff should be aware of the safeguarding responsibilities for children who are missing education, and planned activity sessions particularly on repeat occasions, to help identify the risk of abuse and neglect, including sexual abuse or exploitation, and to help prevent the risks of their going missing in future.

6.24 At SCL Education Group Ltd we adhere to the following procedures and processes to ensure there is an appropriate safeguarding response to children who are missing from planned session:

• An attendance register is taken at the start of the first session of each school day and once during the second session;
• We make every effort to contact parents and carers and follow up with the emergency contacts held;
• We hold at least two emergency contact numbers for each of the pupils on our roll wherever possible.
• Staff will alert DSLs to any concerns raised regarding children who are absent from school;
• The DSLs will meet regularly with the Attendance Lead, SENCo and other members of the pastoral team to ensure that each response is thorough and takes into account all the relevant information about individual children;
• We will follow the procedures outlined in our attendance policy including undertaking first day calling and monitoring data to ensure we intervene early in cases of poor attendance and/or unexplained absences.
• When removing a child from roll at the standard and non-standard transition points, we will inform the Local Authority in accordance with statutory requirements and pass on all safeguarding files.

SCL Missing Child Policy

In the unlikely event of a child going missing from a SCL Active setting the following procedure will be implemented immediately.

Please note: SCL are committed to providing safe and enjoyable settings for all children, we therefore define a missing child as meeting the threshold of a crisis and will be managed inline with SCL Crisis management plan.

The Procedure;

Step 1

On noticing a child maybe missing immediately inform the site leader that a child is missing and the time this has been noted. A full register must be taken at this point to confirm children’s presence/absence.

It is the site leader’s responsibility to coordinate this procedure. The site leader will then notify remaining staff by informing over walkie talkie ‘a code red incident has been reported, all children must be brought to (inform of the safe place for remaining children to be supervised’.

• Site leader will allocate a member of staff to supervise the remaining children in a safe/secure location.
  1. This member of staff must keep the children calm and occupied whilst also discussing if anyone is aware of where the missing child may have gone to.
• Site leader will Instruct remaining staff on the locations they are to search (ensuring they have walkie talkies with them)

Step 2 – once site is searched or 10 minutes from the time child is noted missing which ever is first

• Site leader to call:
  1. safeguarding hotline (include number) to report incident
  2. Police – you will need to provide a description of the child/cloths
  3. Parent/guardian – be calm inform then that the search is continuing, and support is being accessed from the police. Do they have any ideas of where the child may have wanted to go?
• The search will continue until the child is found/police advice of appropriate actions.
• Staff remaining with eth children will maintain a calm manor and will maintain the routine where possible.
• The site leader will then work with police and parents. Further information and instruction will be delivered by the Site leader as appropriate.

Following a near miss/serious incident such as a missing child a full Health and Safety investigation will take place. This will include but is not limited to:

Review of CCTV footage where available.

Gather and scrutinise staff statements /where appropriate children’s statements or witnesses

Review of appropriate documentation procedures and risk assessments

Ofsted will be informed.

Mental Health

6.25 At SCL Education Group Ltd all staff are made aware, through training, that mental health problems can, in some cases, be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse, neglect or exploitation. Our staff are well placed to observe children day-to-day and identify those whose behaviour suggests that they may be experiencing a mental health problem or be at risk of developing one.

6.26 We understand that where children have suffered abuse and neglect, or other potentially traumatic adverse childhood experiences, this can have a lasting impact throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. Therefore, through training, staff are aware of how children’s experiences, can impact on their mental health, behaviour and education. All staff are aware that if they have a mental health concern about a child that is also a safeguarding concern, they should take immediate action by passing the information on to a Designated Safeguarding Lead via MyConcern reporting tool or the SCL Safeguarding hotline.

6.27 At SCL Education Group Ltd we have a named Mental Health Lead. There are clear systems and processes in place for identifying possible mental health problems and work with other agencies as required to respond to these concerns. Designated Safeguarding Leads make reference to the ‘Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools’ DfE guidance for further support.

Online Safety

6.28 At SCL Education Group Ltd all staff are aware that technology is a significant component in many safeguarding and wellbeing issues. Children are at risk of abuse online as well as face to face. We understand that in many cases abuse will take place concurrently via online channels and in daily life. We know that children can also abuse other children online, this can take the form of abusive, harassing, misogynistic or other discriminatory messages, the non-consensual sharing of indecent images, especially around chat groups, and the sharing of abusive images and pornography.

6.29 As part of the requirement for staff to undergo regular updated safeguarding training, online safety training is also delivered, we will ensure online safety is a running and interrelated theme throughout the curriculum and is reflected in relevant policies, teacher training, the role and responsibilities of the designated safeguarding lead and any parental engagement.

6.30 More details can be found in our policies on Online Safety and Mobile and Smart Technology which consider the 4Cs, content, contact, conduct and commerce.

6.31 At SCL Education Group Ltd we recognise that technology, and risks and harms related to the internet evolve and change rapidly. Therefore, we carry out a rolling review of our approach to online safety, supported by a risk assessment (on at least an annual basis) that considers and reflects the risks that children face in our setting. We also communication with parents and carers to reinforce the importance of children being safe online.

Cybercrime

6.32 We understand that cybercrime is criminal activity committed using computers and/or the internet. It is broadly categorised as either ‘cyber-enabled’ (crimes that can happen off-line but are enabled at scale and at speed on-line) or ‘cyber dependent’ (crimes that can be committed only by using a computer).

6.33 If there are concerns about a child in this area, the designated safeguarding lead will consider a referral to the Cyber Choices programme which aims to intervene where young people are at risk of committing, or being drawn into, low level cyber-dependent offences and divert them to a more positive use of their skills and interests. It aims to intervene where young people are at risk of committing, or being drawn into, low level cyber-dependent offences and divert them to a more positive use of their skills and interests.

Domestic Abuse

6.34 At SCL Education Group Ltd all staff are aware that domestic abuse can encompass a wide range of behaviours and may be a single incident or a pattern of incidents. That abuse can be, but is not limited to, psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional. We understand that children can be victims of domestic abuse, and this can have a detrimental and long-term impact on their health, well-being, development, and ability to learn. We are aware of the regional and national Domestic Abuse Services and signpost victims to the service.

Children with special educational needs and disabilities or physical health issues

6.35 At SCL Education Group Ltd we recognise that children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or certain health conditions can face additional safeguarding challenges such as

• assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the child’s condition without further exploration;
• these children being more prone to peer group isolation or bullying (including prejudice-based bullying) than other children;
• the potential for children with SEND or certain medical conditions being disproportionally impacted by behaviours such as bullying, without outwardly showing any signs; and
• communication barriers and difficulties in managing or reporting these challenges.

6.36 We work to address these additional challenges and consider extra pastoral support and attention for these children, along with ensuring any appropriate support for communication is in place.

6.37 At SCL Education Group Ltd we also recognise that pupils who attend Alternative Provision will often have complex needs and due to this we are aware of the additional risk of harm these children may be vulnerable to.

Children who are lesbian, gay, bi or trans (LGBT)

6.38 The fact that a child or a young person may be LGBT is not in itself an inherent risk factor for harm. However, in line with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, we recognise that children who are LGBT or those perceived by other children to be LGBT could potentially be more vulnerable and therefore we work to reduce any additional barriers faced. We provide a safe space for these children to speak out or share their concerns with members of staff. Through our curriculum, we counter homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying and abuse.

7. RECORDS AND INFORMATION SHARING

7.1 If staff are concerned about the welfare or safety of any child at our school, they will record their concern through the organisations electronic system. Any concerns should be raised via the reporting a concern tab within MyConcern within 24 hours of noting/being informed the concern. Note for SCL Active staff must call the safeguarding hotline 0800 368 8745, selecting option 1 prior to reporting your concern, the DSL will advise.

7.2 Any information recorded will be kept within an electronic system that is separate from the learners academic file. All safeguarding and welfare concerns are stored within MyConcern.  These files will be the responsibility of the DSL. Child protection information will only be shared within school on the basis of ‘need to know in the child’s interests’ and on the understanding that it remains strictly confidential.

7.3 Child protection information will be kept up to date.  Each concern logged will include:

• a clear and comprehensive summary of the concern;
• details of how the concern was followed up and resolved;
• a note of any action taken, decisions reached and the outcome.

Records of concern, copies of referrals, invitations to child protection conferences, core groups and reports will be stored on the child’s electronic file. All our safeguarding records will include; a chronology, and will record significant events in the child’s life.

7.4 When a child leaves our provision, the DSL will make contact with the DSL at the new provision and will ensure that the child protection file is forwarded to the receiving provision where appropriate to do so. This will be within 5 days for an in-year transfer or within the first 5 days of the start of a new term. We recognise that not providing information as per the timescales can impact on the child’s safety, welfare and educational outcomes.

7.5 We will retain evidence to demonstrate how the file has been transferred; this may be in the form of a written confirmation of receipt from the receiving school and/or evidence of recorded delivery.

7.6 Prior to a child leaving we will consider if it would be appropriate to share any additional information with the new provision in advance to help them put in place the right support to safeguard this child.

8. WORKING WITH PARENTS & CARERS

8.1 SCL Education Group Ltd is committed to working in partnership with parents/carers to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to support them to understand our statutory responsibilities in this area.

8.2 When new learners join our provision, parents and carers will be informed that we have a safeguarding policy. A copy will be provided to parents on request and is available on the SCL website.

8.3 We are committed to working with parents positively, openly and honestly. We ensure that all parents are treated with respect, dignity and courtesy. We respect parents’ rights to privacy and confidentiality and will not share sensitive information unless we have permission, or it is necessary to do so in order to safeguard a child from harm.

8.4 We will seek to share with parents any concerns we may have about their child unless to do so may place a child at increased risk of harm. A lack of parental engagement or agreement regarding the concerns SCL has about a child will not prevent the DSL making a referral to relevant regional Children’s Services in those circumstances where it is appropriate to do so.

8.5 In order to keep children safe and provide appropriate care for them, the SCL requires parents/carers/learners to provide accurate and up to date information regarding:

• Full names and contact details of all adults with whom the child normally lives;
• Full names and contact details of all persons with parental responsibility (if different from above);
• Emergency contact details (if different from above) minimum of 2;

SCL will retain this information on the pupil file. SCL will only share information about pupils with adults who have parental responsibility for a pupil or where a parent has given permission and the school has been supplied with the adult’s full details in writing.

9. CHILD PROTECTION CONFERENCE

9.1 Children’s Services will convene a Child Protection conference once a child protection enquiry under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 has been undertaken and the child is judged to be at continuing risk of significant harm. A review conference will take place once a child has been made the subject of a Child Protection Plan in order to monitor the safety of the child and the required reduction in risk.

9.2 Staff members may be asked to attend a child protection conference or core group meetings on behalf of SCL in respect of individual children.  Usually the person representing the school at these meetings will be the DSL.  In any event, the person attending will need to have as much relevant up to date information about the child as possible; any member of staff may be required to contribute to this process.

9.3 All reports for child protection conferences will be prepared in advance using the guidance and template report provided in Appendix 4. The information contained in the report will be shared with parents and young person on request before the conference as appropriate and will include information relating to the child’s physical, emotional and intellectual development and the child’s presentation at SCL activities. In order to complete such reports, all relevant information will be sought from staff working with the child in school.

9.4 Clearly child protection conferences can be upsetting for parents. We will work in an open and honest way with any parent whose child has been referred to Children’s Services or whose child is subject to a child protection plan.  Our responsibility is to promote the protection and welfare of all children and our aim is to achieve this in partnership with our parents.

10. SAFER RECRUITMENT

10.1 We will ensure that all roles responsible for recruitment have completed appropriate safer recruitment training.  At all times the CEO and Governing Body will ensure that safer recruitment practices are followed in accordance with the requirements of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, DfE (2022). At least one person involved in conducting an interview will have received safer recruitment training.

10.2 At SCL Education Group Ltd we will use the recruitment and selection process to deter and prevent people who are unsuitable to work with children from applying for or securing employment, or volunteering opportunities.

10.3 We require details of a candidate’s present (or last) employment and reason for leaving; full employment history, (since leaving school, including education, employment and voluntary work) including reasons for any gaps in employment and evidence of original academic certificates.  We do not accept testimonials and insist on taking up references prior to interview.  We will question the contents of application forms if we are unclear about them, and shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a self-declaration of their criminal record or information that would make them unsuitable to work with children.

10.4 At SCL Education Group Ltd we use a range of selection techniques to identify the most suitable person for the post. Structured questions are agreed by the interview panel and any potential areas of concern are explored to determine the applicant’s suitability to work with children.

10.5 We will undertake Disclosure and Barring Service checks and other pre-employment checks as outlined in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ to ensure we are recruiting and selecting the most suitable people to work with our children.

10.6 We will maintain a Single Central Record (SCR) of all safer recruitment checks carried out in line with statutory requirements. A senior member of staff will check the SCR regularly to ensure that it meets statutory requirements.

10.7 At SCL Education Group Ltd we recognise that safer recruitment is not just about carrying out the right DBS checks and is not limited to recruitment procedures. Therefore, we understand the importance of continuous vigilance, maintaining an environment that deters and prevents abuse and challenges inappropriate behaviour. Further information about all of these processes can be found in our Recruitment and Selection policy.

11. SAFER WORKING PRACTICE

11.1 All adults who come into contact with our children have a duty of care to safeguard and promote their welfare. There is a legal duty placed upon us to ensure that all adults who work with or on behalf of our children are competent, confident and safe to do so.

11.2 All staff will be provided with a copy of our organisations code of conduct at induction. They will be expected to know our Code of Conduct.

11.3 If staff, visitors, volunteers or parent helpers are working with children alone they will, wherever possible, be visible to other members of staff.  They will be expected to inform another member of staff of their whereabouts in school, who they are with and for how long. Doors, ideally, should have a clear glass panel in them and be left open.

11.4 Guidance about acceptable conduct and safe practice will be given to all staff and volunteers during induction. These are sensible steps that every adult should take in their daily professional conduct with children.  This advice can be found in ‘Guidance for Safer Working Practices for Adults who work with Children and Young People in Education Settings’ (February 2022). All staff and volunteers are expected to carry out their work in accordance with this guidance and will be made aware that failure to do so could lead to disciplinary action.

12. MANAGING ALLEGATIONS AGAINST STAFF & VOLUNTEERS

Allegations that may meet the harms threshold

12.1 Our aim is to provide a safe and supportive environment which secures the wellbeing and very best outcomes for the children at our activities. We do recognise that sometimes the behaviour of adults may lead to an allegation of abuse being made.

12.2 Allegations sometimes arise from a differing understanding of the same event, but when they occur, they are distressing and difficult for all concerned. We also recognise that many allegations are genuine and there are some adults who deliberately seek to harm or abuse children. We work to the thresholds for harm as set out in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (2018) and ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, DfE (2022) below. An allegation may relate to a person who works / volunteers with children who has:

• behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child and/or;
• possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child and/or;
• behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she may pose a risk of harm to children; and/or
• behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.

The 4th bullet point above recognises circumstances where a member of staff or volunteer is involved in an incident outside of SCL activities which did not involve children but could have an impact on their suitability to work with children; this is known as transferrable risk.

12.3 At SCL Education Group Ltd we recognise our responsibility to report / refer allegations or behaviours of concern and / or harm to children by adults in positions of trust who are not employed by SCL to the relevant LADO service. These are adults such as those in the voluntary sector, taxi drivers, escorts, and fosters carers.

12.4 We will take all possible steps to safeguard our children and to ensure that the adults in our organisation are safe to work with children. When concerns arise, we will always ensure that the procedures outlined in the local protocol  Allegations Against Persons who Work with Children and Part 4 of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, DfE (2022) are adhered to and will seek appropriate advice. If the advice is to make a referral to the LADO service then the relevant LADO referral form must be completed and submitted.

12.5 If an allegation is made or information is received about any adult who works/ volunteer in one of our settings which indicates that they may be unsuitable to work / volunteer with children, the member of staff receiving the information should inform the Head of Safeguarding immediately. This includes concerns relating to agency and supply staff and volunteers. Should an allegation be made against the Head of Safeguarding this will be reported to the People & Culture Director. In the event that neither the Head of Safeguarding nor People & Culture Director is not contactable on that day, the information must be passed to and dealt with by either the member of staff acting as Deputy to the Head of Safeguarding or Head of People.

12.6 The Head of Safeguarding or People & Culture Director will seek advice from the LADO within one working day. No member of staff or the governing body will undertake further investigations before receiving advice from the LADO.

12.7 When using a supply agency, we inform the agency of our process for managing allegations against staff and keep them up to date with any policy developments. Where concerns are raised about an individual and SCL is not their employer, we recognise that we still have responsibility to ensure allegations are dealt with properly. In order to achieve this, we will liaise with relevant parties including the LADO to determine a suitable outcome. Whilst the supply agency should be fully involved and co-operate with any enquiries from the LADO, police and/or children’s services, we recognise that SCL will usually take the lead in conducting an investigation as we have direct access to any affected children and other SCL staff to collect the facts.

12.8 Any member of staff or volunteer who does not feel confident to raise their concerns with the Head of Safeguarding or People & Culture Director should contact the LADO directly.

12.9 Further national guidance can be found at: Advice on whistleblowing. The NSPCC whistleblowing helpline is also available for staff who do not feel able to raise concerns regarding child protection failures internally. Staff can call: 0800 028 0285 – line is available from 8:00am to 8:00pm, Monday to Friday or via e-mail: help@nspcc.org.uk.

12.10 SCL Education Group Ltd has a legal duty to refer to the Disclosure and Barring Service anyone who has harmed, or poses a risk of harm, to a child, or if there is reason to believe the member of staff has committed one of a number of listed offences, and who has been removed from working (paid or unpaid) in regulated activity or would have been removed had they not left. The DBS will consider whether to bar the person. If these circumstances arise in relation to a member of staff at our school, a referral will be made as soon as possible after the resignation or removal of the individual in accordance with advice from the LADO and/or HR. The organisation must also consider whether to refer the case to the Secretary of State (via the Teaching Regulation Agency) if a teacher is dismissed or the setting ceases to use the services of a teacher because of serious misconduct or might have dismissed them or ceased to use their services had they not left first.

Concerns that do not meet the harm threshold

12.11 The term ‘low-level’ concern does not mean that it is insignificant, it means that the behaviour towards a child does not meet the thresholds as stated above. At SCL Education Group Ltd we recognise a low-level concern to be something which is

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

12.12 At SCL Education Group Ltd we promote an open and transparent culture in which all concerns about all adults working in or on behalf of the school or college (including supply teachers, volunteers and contractors) are dealt with promptly and appropriately. Through training, staff are made aware of what low level concerns are and understand the importance of reporting and these types of concerns in writing.

12.13 At SCL Education Group Ltd staff report all low-level concerns to the Head of Safeguarding or Head of People. If reported to the Head of Safeguarding then they will inform the Head Of HR of the concern in a timely fashion. The ? will always be the ultimate decision maker in respect of all low-level concerns

12.14 Through training and induction, we ensure that all staff understand the importance of self-referring, where, for example, they have found themselves in a situation which could be misinterpreted, might appear compromising to others, and/or on reflection they believe they have behaved in such a way that they consider falls below the expected professional standards.

12.15 At SCL Education Group Ltd we understand the importance of recording low-level concerns and the actions taken in light of these being reported. The records are kept confidential and stored securely. We will review the records we hold to identify potential patterns and take action. This could be through a disciplinary process but also by referring to the LADO where thresholds are met. Please note, where a child, parent/carer or staff member makes an allegation of harm, this will not be considered as a ‘low level’ concern without consultation with the LADO service directly.

12.16 We recognise that low level concerns should not be included in references unless they relate to issues which would normally be included in a reference, for example, misconduct or poor performance. However, where a low-level concern (or group of concerns) has met the threshold for referral to the LADO and found to be substantiated, it should be referred to in a reference.

13. RELEVANT POLICIES

13.1 To underpin the values and ethos of our organisation and our intent to ensure that learners at our provision are appropriately safeguarded the following policies are also included under our safeguarding umbrella:

• Staff Code of Conduct
• Anti-Bullying
• Behaviour
• Low Level Concern
• Safe Recruitment & Selection
• Whistleblowing
• Attendance
• Health and Safety including site security
• Harassment and discrimination including racial abuse
• Meeting the needs of pupils with medical conditions
• Health and Safety including First aid
• Trips and visits including overnight stays

14. STATUTORY FRAMEWORK

This policy has been devised in accordance with the following legislation and guidance:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children DfE (July 2018)
• Keeping Children Safe in Education DfE (2022)
• Working Together to Improve School Attendance, DfE (2022)
• Bracknell Forest Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures
• Bracknell Forest Safeguarding Children Partnership Protocol: Allegations Against Persons Who Work with Children
• Guidance for Safer Working Practices for Adults who work with Children and Young People in Education Settings (Feb 2022)
• What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused DfE (March 2015)
• Information sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services DfE (July 2018)
• The Prevent duty: Departmental advice for schools and childcare providers DfE (June 2015)
• Mandatory Reporting of Female Genital Mutilation- procedural information Home Office (December 2015)
• Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges DfE (July 2021)
• Child sexual exploitation: guide for practitioners DFE (February 2017)
• Teaching online safety in school DfE (June 2019)
• Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools DfE (November 2018)
• Data protection: toolkit for schools DfE (September 2018)
• Promoting the education of children with a social worker (June 2021)
• Preventing youth violence and gang involvement
• Criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: county lines
• Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education