Safeguarding & Child Protection
Under section 175 of the Education Act 2002 (as amended), the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, the Non-Maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2015, and the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (as amended) to have arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
We will endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued.
The school will therefore be alert to signs of abuse and neglect, and will follow the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Children Partnership Board’s procedures to ensure that children receive appropriate and effective support and protection.
Parents/carers should know that the law requires all school staff to pass on information which gives rise to a concern about a child’s welfare, including risk from neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Parents/carers should know that records of safeguarding concerns may be kept about their child. They should be informed that school staff will seek, in general, to discuss any concerns with them including referrals to other agencies.
Local procedures state that “Consent should always be sought from an adult with parental responsibility for the child/young person before passing information about them to Children’s Social Care, unless seeking consent would place the child at risk of significant harm or may lead to the loss of evidence for example destroying evidence of a crime or influencing a child about a disclosure made.” This includes allowing them to share information without consent, if it is not possible to gain consent, if it cannot be reasonably expected that a professional gains consent, or if to gain consent would place a child at risk.
Where there is a need to share special category personal data, the Data Protection Act 2018 contains ‘safeguarding of children and individuals at risk’ as a processing condition that allows professionals to share information.
In accordance with legislation and local Information Sharing protocols, we will ensure that information is shared securely and sensitively. Information will only be shared with other services where it is deemed necessary and proportionate to ensure children and young people are safe and receive the right service. In all circumstances, the safety of the child will be the paramount concern.
Schools will contact Children’s Social Care when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child may be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Occasionally, concerns are passed on which are later shown to be unfounded. Parents/carers will appreciate that the member of staff in the school with responsibility for child protection (known as the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead) was carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law and acting in the best interests of all children.
Under Section 3 (5) of the Children Act 1989, any person who has care of a child “may….do what is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case for the purpose of safeguarding promoting the child’s welfare.” This means that on rare occasions, a school may need to “hold” a child in school whilst Social Care and the Police investigate any concerns further.
*The word ‘school’ is used throughout but this would include all educational settings e.g. Academies, Pupil Referral Units, Further Education establishments and Independent schools.
Key Personnel
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Prevent Lead:
- Joanna Smith
The Names of Other Designated Personnel:
- Simon Parsons, Principal
- Deborah Dixon, Oak House
- Ffyona Frost, Attendance Lead
- Lavena Ward, Archers House SSA
- Rachel Twine, Ermine House SSA
- Jackie Davis, Saints House SSA
- Linda Browning, Norman House SSA
- Cora Davies, Pupil Premium Champion
- Hayley Weightman, Sixth Form SSA
- Louisa Hay, Sixth Form Deputy Manager
- Danielle Saunders, Child in Care Lead
- Ashley Yeomans, Assistant Principal
The Designated Academy Champion for Child Protection:
- Alison Tanton-Smith, Safeguarding & Welfare Champion
Policy
To view the relevant Safeguarding & Child Protection Policies for the Trust please use the following link
- Anti-Bullying policy
- Attendance Policy
- E-Safety Policy
- Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
- Special Educational Needs (SEN) Policy & Accessibility Plan
- Whistle Blowing Policy
Sawtry Village Academy specific policies can be found here.
Child Exploitation
What is CSE, Child Sexual Exploitation?
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a type of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity.
Children and young people in sexually exploitative situations and relationships are sometimes persuaded or forced to perform sexual activities or have sexual activities performed on them in return for gifts, drugs, money or affection. (NSPCC).
CSE can take place in person, online, or using a combination of both.
For further information click here (NSPCC) and contact the SVA Safeguarding team If you have any concerns.
What is CCE, Child Criminal Exploitation?
Criminal exploitation is when an individual or a group manipulates, deceives, coerces or controls someone under the age of 18 to take part in any activity which breaks the law. All children are at risk of criminal exploitation, including girls.
You may have heard the term “county lines,” this is one form of criminal exploitation. It is when people involved in criminal activity identify, target and befriend children, either online or offline, and manipulate them into dealing drugs or other activities across geographical areas.
Criminal exploitation can take many forms, from making children hold, hide or deliver drugs, money or weapons, to forcing children to steal, harm others or beg.
Children can also be exploited in other ways, such as through sexual exploitation. Sometimes a child can be exploited criminally and sexually at the same time.
Children may also have been trafficked around the UK or to the UK from another country and forced into child labour, modern slavery, or criminal activities (Barnardo’s).
For further information click here (Barnardo’s) and contact the SVA Safeguarding team if you have any concerns.
What are County Lines and CCE ?
“County lines” refers to a form of criminal exploitation in which drug gangs expand their operations from urban areas into smaller towns and rural locations. The term comes from the mobile phone lines gangs use to take drug orders. These operations often rely on vulnerable children and young people to transport and sell drugs (The Children’s Society).
For further information click here (The Children’s Society) and contact the SVA Safeguarding team if you have any concerns.
Government Definition of Domestic Abuse and Violence:
Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to:
- psychological
- physical
- sexual
- financial
- emotional
Controlling behaviour
Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.
Coercive behaviour
Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim. 1 in 5 children have been exposed to domestic abuse and it is present in 60% of all serious case reviews. It is estimated that children are present in 80% of incidents.
Peer-on-Peer Child Abuse
Peer-on-peer child abuse is a term used to describe children abusing other children.
Peer-on-peer child abuse can include:
- bullying (including online bullying and bullying because of someone’s race, religion, sexuality, disability or trans status)
- abuse by your girlfriend, boyfriend or partner
- physical abuse
- sexual violence, such as rape and sexual assault
- sexual harassment
- sharing naked or semi-naked photos or videos without permission
- upskirting
- initiation/hazing type violence and rituals to harass, abuse and humiliate
- emotional abuse
- financial abuse
- coercive control
For further information click here (Cambridgeshire Constabulary) or speak to a member of the SVA Safeguarding team.
Operation Encompass
We are working in partnership with Cambridgeshire Police and Cambridgeshire County Council to identify and provide appropriate support to pupils who have experienced domestic abuse in their home; this scheme is called Operation Encompass.
In order to achieve this, Cambridgeshire’s Education Safeguarding Team will share police information of all domestic incidents, where one of our pupils has been present, with the Designated Safeguarding Lead(s) (DSL)/Domestic Abuse (DA)Lead. On receipt of any information, the DSL/DA Lead will decide on the appropriate support the child may require.
The Operation Encompass information is stored in line with all other confidential safeguarding and child protection information. All information sharing and resulting actions will be undertaken in accordance with the ‘Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Joint Agency Protocol for Domestic Abuse – Notifications to Schools, Colleges and Early Years settings’.
Child Missing from Education
A child is missing from education (CME) when they are of compulsory school age of 5 to 16 years old and:
- not registered on a school roll
- not attending an alternate education provision
A child is not missing from education if they are:
- being Electively Home Educated (EHE)
- registered on a school roll and their whereabouts known, but not attending school
A child may become missing from education when:
- they failed to start in Reception Year at a school
- they did not transfer from one school to another. For example, when moved to / from another Local Authority area
- they failed to transfer into a secondary or middle school
- they have been permanently excluded from school
- they have failed to register in a school after travelling / living overseas
- their parent(s) are military personnel
- they are part of a travelling community (Cambridgeshire County Council)
For further information click here (Cambridgeshire County Council) or speak to a member of the SVA Attendance Team or your House Office.