Safeguarding

Keeping children safe is a priority at Excel Learning Trust. Everyone working for the Trust shares an objective to help keep children and young people safe by contributing to providing a safe environment for children and young people to learn and develop in our school settings. Pupils achieve when they feel secure and the professionals around them exhibit consistency. By identifying children and young people who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, and taking appropriate action, the aim is to make sure they are kept safe both at home and in our school settings. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the well-being of all of its pupils.

Each pupil’s welfare is of paramount importance. We recognise that some children may be especially vulnerable to abuse. We recognise that children who are abused or neglected may find it difficult to develop a sense of self-worth and to view the world in a positive way. We will always take a considered and sensitive approach in order that we can support all of our pupils.

As a Trust, we encourage parents, families, carers, children and young people to share all concerns or worries that may affect their safety and wellbeing. It is important to us that parents, families, carers, children and young people see our schools as a safe place, and we encourage joint working to ensure we are working together towards the best outcome for young people.

We have a variety of policies designed to help keep your child safe in our schools. This includes a robust Safeguarding Policy. The main aims of the policy are as follows:

• To provide a safe environment for children and young people to learn and develop and to identify those who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm with the aim of making sure they are kept safe, both at home and in the school setting.
• To create a positive and respectful atmosphere in which each member of the school community can perform and contribute in a positive and secure environment.
• To promote high levels of attendance, improve punctuality and, as a consequence, raise levels of achievement.

If you have any questions about any areas of safeguarding, please contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in your child’s school:

For further information and contact details, please take a look at our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy on our Policies page.

Child on child abuse

This document explains how Excel Learning Trust works to prevent and protect children and young people from child on child abuse, including sexual violence and harassment.

Safeguarding CPD

Excel Learning Trust ensures all staff receive appropriate annual safeguarding training in order to support the children and young people it serves. In addition all pupil facing members of staff receive weekly safeguarding updates, with a specific focus for each term to keep their knowledge broad and up to date. This is followed with a termly staff and parent newsletter which provides information on the term’s safeguarding focus.

If you have a concern that a child is vulnerable or at risk of significant harm, please contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) in York.

The MASH is a multi-agency team made up of representatives from a range of services, including Social Care, Early Help, Police and Health Professionals and is a single point of contact for all concerns about children. This partnership approach will make it easier to get children, young people and families to get the right level of support as quickly as possible.

Referrals on situations that are not immediately urgent should be made by completing the MASH referral form, which can be returned by email to: mash@york.gov.uk

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub contact information:

• Telephone: 01904 551900
• Email: mash@york.gov.uk
• Address: MASH, West Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA

Emergency contact information

Outside office hours, at weekends and on public holidays contact the Emergency Duty Team by telephone: 0300 131 2131

Report Remove

The NSPCC’s service for children and young people, Childline, has launched the Report Remove tool with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to help young people remove nude images of themselves from the internet.

The Report Remove tool can be used by any young person under 18 to report a nude image or video of themselves that’s appeared online. The IWF then reviews these reports, and works to have the content removed if it breaks the law.

There are many reasons a young person may have shared a self-generated sexual image. Some may have sent an image for fun, or to a boyfriend or girlfriend, which has then been shared with others or on platforms without their consent. They may also have been groomed online or blackmailed into sharing this content.

To report a nude image or video, the young person has to first verify their age. The Childline service ensures all young people are safeguarded and supported throughout the process. Young people can expect the same level of confidentiality they would from all their interactions with Childline; they do not need to provide their real name to Childline or IWF if they don’t want to.

If a child has had a nude image shared online it’s vital they know who to turn to for support and that the Report Remove tool is available for them.

CEOP: Internet Safety

CEOP helps any child or young person under the age of 18 who is being pressured, forced or tricked into taking part in sexual activity of any kind. This can be something that has taken place either online or in ‘the real world’, or both. The CEOP Safety Centre has clear information and advice on what can be reported to CEOP, the reporting process and what will happen if you do decide to make a report. You can visit the CEOP Safety Centre and make a report directly to CEOP by clicking the Click CEOP button.

If you are experiencing online bullying or something else online has worried you please speak to an adult you trust, or you can talk to Childline at any time on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk

Keeping Children Safe in Education (GOV.UK website)

Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment.

City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership

Advice for children, parents/carers and professionals, as well as documents and resources to support professionals working with children and young people.

NSPCC

They provide services across England to help give children and young people the support they need to thrive.

Childline

Childline is a free, private and confidential service where anyone under 19 years old can talk about anything online, on the phone, anytime.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018

A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

Changing Lives

Changing Lives lead the drug and alcohol service for the City of York. Working in partnership with Spectrum Community Health CIC, they offer an integrative drug and alcohol service comprising both psychosocial and clinical interventions. They help anyone who wants to be free from their dependency on drugs and/or alcohol. They can also help people who support those who are misusing substances including their family, children and carers.

Parents Against Child Exploitation (PACE)

Supporting parents and carers to safeguard their children and disrupt exploitation.

Parent Lives

As well as the core family support services offered through the helpline, live chat and email support Parent Lives also work in many different areas and offer tailored support around issues such as bullying, special educational needs, and support for specific communities.

York Mind

York Mind is a leading local provider of services supporting individuals recovering from mental ill-health to achieve outcomes that will progress them towards recovery, social inclusion and integration in mainstream activity such as learning, volunteering or employment.

Early Help

Early Help is a way of describing the extra support a family can receive if they need it. Early Help is all about providing the right support to children and families at the earliest possible time; it brings together workers who can support the whole family to try and improve things for everyone. Early Help is a collaborative approach, and not just one service. It relies on local agencies working together effectively to support children and families; this includes identifying what support might be needed, and then working together to provide that support.

Gender, gender identity and sexuality

All parents want what’s best for their kids. But providing support isn’t always easy — especially if you are the parent of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) child. In many ways no different from their peers, LGBTQ youth face some unique challenges that parents often feel unprepared to tackle. To help, Johns Hopkins paediatricians and adolescent medicine specialists Renata Arrington Sanders and Errol Fields share steps you can take to keep your kid happy and healthy.

National FGM Centre

The National FGM Centre, established in 2015 aims to achieve a system change in the provision of services for children and their families who are affected by Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). In 2017, the focus of the work was extended to include Breast Flattening and Child Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief.