Safeguarding
Rushey Mead Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
Please report any concerns about a child or adult to one of the school Designated Safeguarding Leads:
Operation Encompass
At Rushey Mead, we are working in partnership with Leicester City Council and the Leicestershire Police to identify and provide appropriate support to pupils who have experienced domestic violence in their household; this scheme is called Operation Encompass.
The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in or witness to a domestic abuse incident. Domestic abuse impacts on children in a number of ways. Children are at increased risk of physical injury during an incident, either by accident or because they attempt to intervene. Even when not directly injured, children are greatly distressed by witnessing the physical and emotional suffering of a parent.
Encompass has been created to highlight this situation. It is the implementation of key partnership working between the police and schools. The aim of sharing information with local schools is to allow ‘Key Adults’ the opportunity of engaging with the child and to provide access to support that allows them to remain in a safe but secure familiar environment.
For more information about Operation Encompass, follow this link https://www.operationencompass.org/
Prevent
From 1 July 2015 all schools are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of their functions, to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. This duty is known as the Prevent Duty for Schools.
For parent information about Prevent, follow this link https://educateagainsthate.com/parents/
Domestic Abuse
https://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-community/emergencies-safety-and-crime/domestic-and-sexual-abuse/
The Leicester Police website has a number of support organisations available to help:
https://www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/support-organisations/
You can also call the UK police non-emergency number, 101, if you need support or advice from the police and it's not an emergency. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service on 18001 101.
Leaving Children Home Alone
The NSPCC guidance suggests that primary school aged children are not recommended to be left home alone:
For more information, follow this link https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/in-the-home/home-alone/
Childline
You can talk to Childline about anything. No problem is too big or too small. Call them on 0800 1111 or chat to a counsellor online https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/1-2-1-counsellor-chat/
Early Help
Children and young people can experience a range of difficulties at any time in their life. Early help services are for children and young people of any age and can be supported from all kinds of services and organisations who work together to support the family. A wide range of early help services are available at the centres to support families, with further support that may be available through an early help assessment.
Online Abuse
Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, facilitated through technology like computers, tablets, mobile phones and other internet-enabled devices.
- social networks
- text messages and messaging apps
- email and private messaging
- online chats
- comments on live streaming sites
- voice chat in games
For more support in keeping your child/ren safe online, look at the following:
South West Grid for Learning - https://swgfl.org.uk/online-safety/
The CEOP Education programme is a part of the National Crime Agency's response to tackling child sexual abuse - https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
National Online Safety - https://nationalonlinesafety.com/wakeupwednesday
NSPCC - https://rb.gy/w27g78
UK Safer Internet Guide - https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/parents-and-carers
County Lines
County lines is a form of criminal exploitation where urban gangs persuade, coerce or force children and young people to store drugs and money and/or transport them to suburban areas, market towns and coastal towns (Home Office, 2018). It can happen in any part of the UK and is against the law and a form of child abuse.
Spotting the signs:
- repeatedly going missing from school or home and being found in other areas
- having money, new clothes or electronic devices and they can't explain how they paid for them
- getting high numbers of texts or phone calls, being secretive about who they're speaking to
- decline in school or work performance
- significant changes in emotional or physical well-being
If you’re concerned about drug-related crime in your area or think someone may be a victim of drug exploitation, please call police on 101. If you think a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999.
Concerned about a child?
Safeguarding children is everyone's responsibility. Child protection means protecting children from physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect. It also means helping children to grow up into confident, healthy and happy adults.
If you are concerned about the safety and welfare of a child in Leicester city who does not attend Rushey Mead, then please contact Leicester City Council or the Police: https://www.lcitylscb.org/what-to-do-if-you-are-concerned-about-a-child/. All DSLs at Rushey Mead will be happy to offer support and advice for any concerns you may have.