Addendum to Child Protection Policy

COVID-19 school closure arrangements for Safeguarding and Child Protection at

School Name: Fairburn C P School

Policy owner: Fairburn Governing Body

Date: April 2020

Date shared with staff: April 2020

This document has been adapted from a version created by L. Donald

Context

From 20^th March 2020 parents were asked to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and for schools to remain open only for those children of workers critical to the COVID-19 response – who absolutely need to attend.

Schools and all childcare providers were asked to provide care for a limited number of children – children who are vulnerable, and children whose parents are critical to the COVID-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home.

This addendum of the Fairbur C P School Child Protection policy contains details of our individual safeguarding arrangements in the following areas:

1. Context. 2

3. Vulnerable children. 3

4. Attendance monitoring. 4

5. Designated Safeguarding Lead. 5

6. Reporting a concern. 5

7. Safeguarding Training and induction. 6

8. Safer recruitment/​volunteers and movement of staff 6

9. Online safety in schools and colleges. 7

10. Children and online safety away from school and college. 7

11. Supporting children not in school 8

12. Supporting children in school 9

13. Peer on Peer Abuse. 9

Key contacts

* School should allocate a member of staff to coordinate welfare and contact and have the oversight of all the vulnerable pupils during this period of time. This may be a delegated role separate from the DSL role however there must be good liaison.

Any additional school contacts (including contacts for DSLs where this is being supported by another school): N/​A

Key telephone numbers of all available DSL’s/deputies should be provided to staff covering the setting.

Staff should be reminded that they can make a referral in exceptional circumstances to the Customer Contact Centre number 01609 780780 and/​or LADO contact number 01609 532477.

Vulnerable children

Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those children and young people up to the age of 25 with education, health and care (EHC) plans.

Those who have a social worker include children who have a Child Protection Plan and those who are looked after by the Local Authority. A child may also be deemed to be vulnerable if they have been assessed as being in need or otherwise meet the definition in section 17 of the Children Act 1989.

Those with an EHC plan will be risk-assessed in consultation with the Local Authority and parents, to decide whether they need to continue to be offered a school place in order to meet their needs, or whether they can safely have their needs met at home. This could include, if necessary, carers, therapists or clinicians visiting the home to provide any essential services. Many children and young people with EHC plans can safely remain at home.

Eligibility for free school meals in and of itself should not be the determining factor in assessing vulnerability.

Senior leaders, especially the Designated Safeguarding Lead (and deputy) know who our most vulnerable children are. They have the flexibility to offer a place to those on the edge of receiving children’s social care support.

Fairburn C P School will continue to work with and support children’s social workers to help protect vulnerable children. This includes working with and supporting children’s social workers and the local authority virtual school head (VSH) for looked-after and previously looked-after children. The lead person for this will be: Emma Cornhill

There is an expectation that vulnerable children who have a social worker will attend an education setting, so long as they do not have underlying health conditions that put them at increased risk. In circumstances where a parent does not want to bring their child to an education setting, and their child is considered vulnerable, the social worker and Emma Cornhill will explore the reasons for this directly with the parent.

Where parents are concerned about the risk of the child contracting COVID19, Fairburn C P School or the social worker will talk through these anxieties with the parent/​carer following the advice set out by Public Health England.

Fairburn C P School will encourage our vulnerable children and young people to attend a school, including remotely if needed.

Attendance monitoring

Local authorities and education settings do not need to complete their usual day-to-day attendance processes to follow up on non-attendance. 

If Fairburn C P School has any children in attendance (e.g. because they are vulnerable or their parent(s) /​carers are critical workers) we will submit the daily attendance sheet to the DfE by 12 noon – https://​www​.gov​.uk/​g​o​v​e​r​n​m​e​n​t​/​p​u​b​l​i​c​a​t​i​o​n​s​/​c​o​r​o​n​a​v​i​r​u​s​-​c​o​v​i​d​-​1​9​-​a​t​t​e​n​d​a​n​c​e​-​r​e​c​o​r​d​i​n​g​-​f​o​r​-​e​d​u​c​a​t​i​o​n​a​l​-​s​e​t​tings

If the school has closed, we will complete the return once as requested by the DfE.

Fairburn C P School and social workers will agree with parents/​carers whether children in need should be attending school – Emma Cornhill will then follow up on any pupil that they were expecting to attend, who does not. Emma Cornhill will also follow up with any parent or carer who has arranged care for their child(ren) and the child(ren) subsequently do not attend. 

To support the above, Emma Cornhill will, when communicating with parents/​carers and carers, confirm emergency contact numbers are correct and ask for any additional emergency contact numbers where they are available. 

In all circumstances where a vulnerable child does not take up their place at school, or discontinues, Fairburn School will notify their social worker.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Fairburn School school has a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and a Deputy DSL.

The key contacts are detailed at the start of this document.

The optimal scenario is to have a trained DSL (or deputy) available on site. Where this is not the case a trained DSL (or deputy) will be available to be contacted via phone or online video – for example when working from home.

Where a trained DSL (or deputy) is not on site, in addition to the above, a senior leader will assume responsibility for co-ordinating safeguarding on site. 

This might include updating and managing access to child protection files and liaising with the offsite DSL (or deputy) and as required liaising with children’s social workers where they require access to children in need and/​or to carry out statutory assessments at the school.

It is important that all Fairburn School staff and volunteers have access to a trained DSL (or deputy). On each day, the staff on site will be made aware of who that person is and how to contact them.

The DSL will continue to engage with social workers, and attend all multi-agency meetings, which can be done remotely. 

Reporting a concern

Where staff have a concern about a child, they should continue to follow the process outlined in the school Child Protection Policy, this includes making a report to the DSL.

Staff are reminded of the need to report any concern immediately and without delay. 

Where staff are concerned about an adult working with children in the school, they should report the concern to the headteacher. If there is a requirement to make a notification to the headteacher whilst away from school, this should be done verbally and followed up with an email to the headteacher.

Concerns around the Headteacher should be directed to the Chair of Governors.

Safeguarding Training and induction 

DSL training is very unlikely to take place unlikely to take place whilst there remains a threat of the COVID 19 virus.

For the period COVID-19 measures are in place, a DSL (or deputy) who has been trained will continue to be classed as a trained DSL (or deputy) even if they miss their refresher training.

All existing school staff have had safeguarding training and have read part 1 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (2019). The DSL should communicate with staff any new local arrangements, so they know what to do if they are worried about a child.

Where new staff are recruited, or new volunteers undertake work at Fairburn School, they will continue to be provided with a safeguarding induction. 

If staff are deployed from another education authority or children’s workforce setting to our school, we will take into account the DfE supplementary guidance on safeguarding children during the COVID-19 pandemic and will accept portability as long as the current employer confirms in writing that:-

• the individual has been subject to an enhanced DBS and children’s barred list check
• there are no known concerns about the individual’s suitability to work with children
• there is no ongoing disciplinary investigation relating to that individual

Upon arrival, they will be given a copy of the receiving setting’s child protection policy, confirmation of local processes and confirmation of DSL arrangements.

Safer recruitment/​volunteers and movement of staff

It remains essential that people who are unsuitable are not allowed to enter the children’s workforce or gain access to children. When recruiting new staff, Fairburn School will continue to follow the relevant safer recruitment processes for their setting, including, as appropriate, relevant sections in part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (2019) (KCSIE).

In response to COVID-19, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has made changes to its guidance on standard and enhanced DBS ID checking to minimise the need for face-to-face contact.

Where Fairburn School are utilising volunteers, we will continue to follow the checking and risk assessment process as set out in paragraphs 167 to 172 of KCSIE. Under no circumstances will a volunteer who has not been checked be left unsupervised or allowed to work in regulated activity.

Fairburn School will continue to follow the legal duty to refer to the DBS anyone who has harmed or poses a risk of harm to a child or vulnerable adult. Full details can be found at paragraph 163 of KCSIE.

Emma Cornhill will continue to consider and make referrals to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) as per paragraph 166 of KCSIE and the TRA’s ​‘Teacher misconduct advice for making a referral. 

During the COVID-19 period all referrals should be made by emailing Misconduct.​Teacher@​education.​gov.​uk

Whilst acknowledging the challenge of the current National emergency, it is essential from a safeguarding perspective that any school is aware, on any given day, which staff/​volunteers will be in the school or college, and that appropriate checks have been carried out, especially for anyone engaging in regulated activity. As such, Emma Cornhill will continue to keep the single central record (SCR) up to date as outlined in paragraphs 148 to 156 in KCSIE. 

Ensure there is a record of which staff are onsite daily either on the SCR or separately.

Online safety in schools and colleges

Fairburn School will continue to provide a safe environment, including online. This includes the use of an online filtering system. 

Where students are using computers in school, appropriate supervision will be in place. 

Children and online safety away from school and college

It is important that all staff who interact with children, including online, continue to look out for signs a child may be at risk. Any such concerns should be dealt with as per the Child Protection Policy and where appropriate referrals should still be made to children’s social care and as required, the police.

Online teaching should follow the same principles as set out in the school code of conduct. 

Fairburn School staff will ensure any use of online learning tools and systems is in line with privacy and data protection/​GDPR requirements.

Below are some things to consider when delivering virtual lessons, especially where webcams are involved:

• No 1:1s, groups only
• Staff and children must wear suitable clothing, as should anyone else in the household.
• Any computers used should be in appropriate areas, for example, not in bedrooms; and the background should be blurred.
• The live class should be recorded so that if any issues were to arise, the video can be reviewed.
• Live classes should be kept to a reasonable length of time, or the streaming may prevent the family ​‘getting on’ with their day.
• Language must be professional and appropriate, including any family members in the background.
• Staff must only use platforms specified by senior managers and approved by our IT network manager /​provider to communicate with pupils
• Staff should record, the length, time, date and attendance of any sessions held.

Supporting children not in school

Fairburn School is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all its Children and Young people. 

Where the DSL has identified a child to be on the edge of social care support, or who would normally receive pastoral-type support in school, they should ensure that a robust communication plan is in place for that child or young person. 

Details of this plan must be recorded, as should a record of contact have made. 

The communication plans can include; remote contact, phone contact, door-step visits. Other individualised contact methods should be considered and recorded. 

Fairburn School and its DSL will work closely with all stakeholders to maximise the effectiveness of any communication plan. 

This plan must be reviewed regularly (at least once a fortnight) and where concerns arise, the DSL will consider any referrals as appropriate. 

The school will share safeguarding messages on its website. 

Fairburn School recognises that school is a protective factor for children and young people, and the current circumstances, can affect the mental health of pupils and their parents/​carers. Teachers at Fairburn School need to be aware of this in setting expectations of pupils’ work where they are at home. 

Supporting children in school

Fairburn School is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all its students. 

Fairburn School will continue to be a safe space for all children to attend and flourish. The Headteacher will ensure that appropriate staff are on site and staff to pupil ratio numbers are appropriate, to maximise safety. 

Fairburn School will refer to the Government guidance for education and childcare settings on how to implement social distancing and continue to follow the advice from Public Health England on handwashing and other measures to limit the risk of spread of COVID19.

Fairburn School will ensure that where we care for children of critical workers and vulnerable children on site, we ensure appropriate support is in place for them. This will be bespoke to each child and recorded. 

If pupils are attending other schools, it is important to ensure that all appropriate information, including child protection and medical information, is shared with the ​‘senior designated leader’ to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Ensure that this information is held securely by the other school/​hub.

Peer on Peer Abuse

Fairburn School recognises that during the closure a revised process may be required for managing any report of such abuse and supporting victims.

Where a school receives a report of peer on peer abuse, they will follow the principles as set out in part 5 of KCSIE and of those outlined within of the Child Protection Policy.

The school will listen and work with the young person, parents/​carers and any multi-agency partner required to ensure the safety and security of that young person.

Concerns and actions must be recorded and appropriate referrals made.