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I have safeguarding concerns about a child
At Wistaston Church Lane Academy we are committed to safeguarding our learners and ensuring that all of their needs are met.
Everyone who works in the school has a responsibility to keep our children safe. It is our belief that no child should suffer harm or neglect, either at home or at school.
We hope this website provides you with useful information to help you to support us in keeping the children safe and happy.
This page has information which we hope will be reassuring if you have worries about a child at school.
Our Safeguarding Team
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Mr James Bancroft
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Steph Watson
Safeguarding Team: Mrs Angela Culshaw, Miss Kim Potts (Mental Health First Aider) and Miss Wendy Stones
Governor with Safeguarding responsibility: Mrs Lesley Meaney
Acting Chair of Local Advisory Board: Dr Audrey Skidmore
If you need to speak to a member of someone regarding a concern, please ask to speak to our a member of the Safeguarding Team at the School Office.
All staff take their responsibilities seriously and the children are taught that they can speak to any adult. All staff undergo safeguarding training led by the Cheshire East SCIES Team and they are regularly updated in staff meetings or via our safeguarding communication boards. All adults working within our school are DBS checked and all safer recruitment checks are made. Visitors must wear visible lanyards.
Concerns about a member of staff must be reported to Mr Bancroft or our Chair of Governors, Dr Audrey Skidmore. They can be contacted at the School Office.
Operation Encompass
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 and its effects on children
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.
Preventing Radicalisation
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.
Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing
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.
SerVIce | description |
---|---|
Cheshire East Livewell | Find out about the mental health and wellbeing services offered within Cheshire East |
My Mind | My Mind is a website for parents and young people. It has information on how to support your child in looking after their mental health, how to access help and support, and details of support services in your local area. |
If you are concerned about the immediate safety of yourself or another child/young person please contact: The Cheshire Mental Health Crisis Line on: 0800 145 6485 |
Open Access sessions: As parents/carers you can talk to staff members and get advice Parent Empower Hour: These sessions help establish support networks between parents whose children are experiencing emotional difficulties. They include sharing stories and advice in a safe space to know that you're not the only one. Other services: One-to-one therapy, Therapeutic groupwork, Family support work, Therapeutic play, Creative activities, Mentoring, Cognitive behavioural therapy and Solution-focused brief therapy |
Young Minds | Young Minds offer advice to parents/ carers worried about a child or young person under 25. This could be related to: their behaviour, emotional wellbeing, or mental health condition. |
Self-Harming
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.
My child is missing from home
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.