Safeguarding

Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our safeguarding ethos supports a climate where pupils feel safe, enjoy learning, engage enthusiastically in activities, can access the curriculum and achieve high standards. Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are three times more likely to be abused than their peers. Schools have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children at their school. Staff and pupils at Hope High School recognise and embed their responsibility to personal and social safeguarding. Any reports of abuse involving children with SEND will therefore require close liaison with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (or deputy).

In accordance with government guidelines on sexual violence and sexual harassment, Hope High School ascertains that sexual violence and sexual harassment is not acceptable, will never be tolerated and is not an inevitable part of growing up. Hope High School recognises that attitudes can be driven by wider societal factors beyond the school and college, such as everyday sexist stereotypes and everyday sexist language. We challenge such attitudes through our school ethos and delivering a curriculum that supports British values personal freedoms.

Sexual harassment creates an atmosphere that, if not challenged, can normalise inappropriate behaviours and provide an environment that may lead to sexual violence. We ensure that our pupils are taught that consent is about having the freedom and capacity to choose (Equality Act 2010).

Safeguarding incidents and/or behaviours can be associated with factors outside the school or college and/or can occur between children outside the school or college. All staff, but especially the designated safeguarding lead (or deputy) considers the context within which such incidents and/or behaviours occur.

At Hope High School children are taught about personal safeguarding; child on child abuse; how to stay safe online; healthy and respectful relationships; what respectful behaviour looks like; consent; gender roles; stereotyping; equality; body confidence and self-esteem; prejudiced behaviour; that sexual violence and sexual harassment is always wrong; and addressing cultures of sexual harassment.

When concerns are raised by staff or pupils, the school’s “Whole school policy for safeguarding & child protection” details clear and explicit roles and responsibilities to ensure accountability when safeguarding children; including recording and reporting procedures via CPOMs, DSL, Early Help and Children’s Social Care. The DSL will work in collaboration with school staff and individual families when considering multi-agency assessments.

Early Help Hope High School

Early help is intervening as soon as possible to tackle problems faced by children, young people and their families or with people most at risk of developing problems. The intervention may occur at any point in a child or young persons life.

Operation Encompass

Hope High school now works in partnership with Encompass, The MASH team and Lancashire Constabulary to support Families who are victims of domestic violence or abuse.

Operation Encompass is a unique Police and Education early intervention safeguarding partnership which ensures that a child's school is informed, prior to the start of the next school day, that there has been an incident of Domestic Abuse to which the child or young person has been exposed, and which might then have an impact on them in school the following day.

A nominated member of staff, known as a Key Adult, has been trained to liaise with the police. At Hope High School our Key Adults are; Helen Dunbavin, Leanne Fletcher, Corinne Granite, Colleen Baguley and Gary Harrison. They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that the school makes provision for possible difficulties experienced by children or their families.

The Key Adults will keep this information confidential, and will only share it on a need to know basis, for instance, to teaching staff for the child or young person. It will not be shared with other school students.

This valuable initiate enables key staff in school to support the needs of vulnerable pupils immediately after an incident, providing high levels of care, nurture and professional support to the pupil and family.

“The fight to protect our children is one we must fight together”

Click here to visit the Encompass website for more information  https://www.operationencompass.org/

Suicide First Aid Training

Mrs Baguley attended Lancashire Mind Suicide First Aid training . The course gives learners the knowledge and tools to understand that suicide is one of the most preventable deaths and some basic skills can help someone with thoughts of suicide stay safe from their thoughts and stay alive.

Learners who can show the required awareness of Suicide First Aid will receive a certificate and can apply to be Orange Button holders. 

Mrs Baguley had applied to be an Orange Button holder. The scheme identifies people in Lancashire and South Cumbria who have passed suicide prevention training and are willing to be approached by members of the general public to provide information or signposting related to suicide prevention. 

Safeguarding