I have safeguarding concerns about a child

Operation Encompass is a joint project between schools and the police. It will provide early reporting of any domestic violence incidents that occur outside school, which might have an impact on a child in school. This is done through an email or phone call to school as soon as possible following an incident. The information will be shared in confidence.We aim to support each child who has been involved in, or witnessed, a domestic abuse incident.

The Key Adult at Wistaston Church Lane Academy is Mr James Bancroft. If he receives an Encompass call he will make sure that a person the child trusts is available to help – if the child needs this.  Most of the time this support is silent; keeping a careful eye on them and make sure the child has a calm school day. The confidential information is ordinarily not shared with all staff, just an agreement on how to help, if needed.

All schools have a duty to share any information with other organisations if they feel a child is at risk of being hurt. The Key Adult may contact other organisations.  This is described in our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy.

The sharing of information from the Police allows the school to be ready to help your child straight away, and it means that parents are aware that the Key Adult knows that something has happened.  Parents can come and talk to our Key Adult.  The Key Adult can point you towards other people that can help.  Our aim is to support children and their families.

Domestic abuse affects children and young people. We know that they are more aware of what’s happening than parents often think. How they respond depends on their age, personality, support network, but they recover best when they are helped to understand and to process what is happening or has happened to them.

Children and young people may feel:

• feel confused, anxious, angry, afraid, isolated, ashamed, guilty
• risk injury by being caught in between parents
• be unable to concentrate and to achieve at school
• be used to threaten victims (to harm children or ‘have them taken into care’)
• not have their own needs fully met by a parent who is struggling to cope with being abused
• be directly abused by the person who is harming the adult
• develop ways of coping that are harmful e.g. running away or using substances
• get into trouble because they are copying the behaviour they have witnessed 

For further support, please visit this website.

Schools have an important part to play in both educating children and young people about extremism and recognising when pupils start to become radicalised. In March 2015, new statutory duties were placed on schools by the Counter Terrorism and Security Act (2015) which means they must work to prevent children being drawn into extremism.

Safeguarding children from all risk of harm is an important part of a school’s work and protecting them from extremism is one aspect of that. Wistaston Church Lane Academy is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its pupils and staff; providing a secure environment where they feel safe and are kept safe. All adults in our school recognise that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility irrespective of the role they undertake. The approach we take towards protecting our children against radicalisation and extremism is no different to safeguarding against any other vulnerability in today’s society.

There is no place for extremist views of any kind in our school, whether from internal sources – pupils, staff or governors – or external sources – community, visitors, external agencies or individuals. Our pupils see our school as a safe place where they can explore controversial issues safely and where our teachers encourage and facilitate this; we have a duty to ensure this happens.

Any prejudice, discrimination or extremist views, including derogatory language displayed by pupils or staff will always be challenged and where appropriate dealt with in line with our Behaviour Policy for pupils and the Code of Conduct for staff.

Please read the Preventing Radicalisation Policy in the documents below.

Parents can seek support for a child's mental health and wellbeing. On occasion, a child's mental health issues do not present at school and only at home - for these situations, school can help, but it is important that you engage with the services below and speak to your GP.

There is an arrangement which is in place with regard to all children living in Cheshire East. This agreement aims to support children who are affected by self-harming behaviour. 

Where a child under the age of 16 attends A&E or is admitted onto a hospital ward following a self-harm incident, the hospital will communicate this, at the earliest opportunity, to the Safeguarding Lead in school. This will help to ensure that the school are able to support children and young people in a way that means they feel safe and included. There may be the need, in some cases, for ongoing communication with CAMHS in order to meet the needs of the child.

We are committed to working in partnership, to safeguard and protect children across Cheshire East and provide the best possible care and support for our pupils.

In the meantime, if you would like to speak to someone further about this or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Safeguarding Team.

In the documents below there is parent pack from We Are With You for parents to offer support and includes some useful tools / resources and guidance for supporting children and young people who are missing from home.