Safeguarding

 

The Academy is committed to the vital contribution all Governors, teaching and non teaching staff make to safeguarding and the protection and welfare of our students. 

We aim to ensure that all child protection and welfare concerns or referrals are handled sensitively, professionally and in ways that support the specific needs of the individual student. Through providing a caring, safe and stimulating environment which promotes the social, physical and moral development of all our students, we aim to foster an atmosphere of trust, respect and security.

If you have any safeguarding concerns regarding one of our students please send an email to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

A copy of our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy can be found below, along with some links to relevant safeguarding and online safety videos from the NSPCC and Childline. The latest Government Keeping Children Safe in Education documents can be found by selecting this link or on the left.

HAF Safeguarding aims

The aims of our Safeguarding policy are Prevention, Protection and Support in line with Child Protection guidelines. The Academy safeguarding procedures ensures that we:

• Support our students' development in ways that foster security, confidence and  independence.
• Raise the awareness and importance of recognising and reporting safeguarding, and of moral and professional responsibilities amongst all stakeholders including support and teaching staff, governors, students, visitors and parents.
• Provide high quality training and awareness campaigns for staff, and to ensure that the SLT/DSL/DDSLs undertake appropriate training (including biannual level 3 training and safer recruitment training).
• Provide a systematic means of monitoring all students, particularly those who are vulnerable or known to be ‘at risk’ of harm.
• Emphasise the need for excellent communication between staff, students, parents and external agencies (including the Police, PREVENT duty teams, Social Services, Youth Offending teams and other key agencies and workers involved in supporting our students and families).
• Develop, implement and review structured procedures within the Academy so that they are effective and can be understood and consistently followed by all members of the Academy community.
• Maintain vigilance and an ‘it could happen here’ attitude, and that we build a holistic picture of each child’s needs by paying attention to each factor or piece of information.

HAF Safeguarding Team

Reporting Concerns

Parents and members of the local community can contact the Safeguarding Team via the Academy telephone number or by email on HAF-Pastoralsupport@harrisfalconwood.org.uk

Members of the public are also able to make direct referrals to Social Care. Please find below details of Children’s Services in our local area.

For Bexley residents

• Bexley MASH - 020 3045 5440   (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)
• Bexley out of hours emergency team - 020 8303 7777 or 020 8303 7171 (Monday to Friday and weekends 6pm to 8am)
• Bexley MASH email - Childrenssocialcare.admin@bexley.gov.uk
• Bexley Postal address - Civic Offices, 2 Watling Street, Bexleyheath DA6 7AT

Link: Bexley MASH referral form can be accessed here

For Greenwich residents

• Greenwich MASH - 020 8921 3172.
• Greenwich emergency duty team - 020 8854 8888
• Greenwich MASH email - mash-referrals@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Link:  Greenwich MASH referral form can be accessed here

The BEXLEY LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) dealing with allegations against members of staff is Sharon Ackbersingh who can be contacted on 0203 045 3236 and LADO@bexley.gov.uk

For safeguarding concerns about an adult, contact the person mentioned in the diagram below, depending on who the concern is about.

If the Allegation or concern is about	Go to:
The Head of Academy: Mr Tom Street	Carolyn English (Harris Federation)
A member of staff	Head of Academy (Mr Tom Street)
A student at HAF	Designated Safeguarding Lead (Mr L Anderson)

Bexley Safeguarding Resources:

https://bexleysafeguardingpartnership.co.uk/young-people/

There are some resources and support for young people on the following topics:

• Self harm
• Inappropriate behaviour and peer pressure
• Sexting
• consent
• Staying Safe at school
• Gangs
• Knife crime
• Staying safe online and at school

 

• Monitoring online 

We monitor students' use of the internet by using filters and monitoring systems (Securus). Securus is monitoring software that can monitor a wide range of devices. It monitors against an inbuilt library of keywords and phrases organised into categories with each one given a default severity rating. 

The library is developed in partnership with a number of charities and specialist organisations within law enforcement and child protection. The programme monitors both online and offline material and recognises inappropriate or harmful content, words and phrases.

A screen shot (known as a ‘capture’) plus other details is taken of every incident triggered, showing what was displayed at the time, who was involved and when the incident took place. This information is shared with the DSL and Head of Academy, allowing Academy staff to implement further actions or interventions as required.  

• Safer Schools Police officer 

We are proud to work with a number of different professionals and agencies, including the police. There are now over 450 Safer School Partnerships operating throughout England and Wales, with police officers and community support officers based in schools to work closely with staff and students.  PC Rosaleen Ryan is HAF's Safer School’s Police Officer and PC Ryan works with staff, students and parents to help keep our students safe.

• Visiting Speakers to HAF

Harris Falconwood utilises the expertise of a wide range of guest speakers, lecturers, authors and visitors to enrich and augment the curriculum and learning opportunities of our students. 

However, the safeguarding of our students is at the forefront of everything we do.  To ensure that guests' and visitors’ information is in line with our own values and ethos the Academy completes a rigorous process of checks.  By completing these checks, the Academy is confident that we are protecting our students from extremist views such as radicalisation and homophobia while enjoying the wide benefits of external speakers. All visitors to the academy are expected to follow the Visitors' Code of Conduct, which can be found at the bottom of this page.

• Harris Academy Falconwood and the PREVENT duty.  

The Academy believes and actively supports the view that all students should be protected from radicalisation and extremism. Read more about how we approach Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Education, including radicalisation and extremism. The Academy's designated, accredited PREVENT Duty Lead is Mr Luke Anderson.

The PREVENT duty has two specific strategic objectives to safeguard our students against radicalisation, extremism and any actions or beliefs that are contrary to British values and our academy ethos.

1.      Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it.

2.      PREVENT people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support.

Our Academy opposes all forms of extremism. We define ‘extremism’ as vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.

The Academy works closely with the counter-terrorism referral programme “Channel”. The programme uses a multi-agency approach to identify and provide support to individuals who are at risk of being drawn into terrorism by:

• identifying individuals at risk
• assessing the nature and extent of that risk                           
• developing the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned.

 

• Talking to your child about online sexual harassment: A guide for parents

A useful document/resource can be found here. 

There is also a related website here.

 

• Here are some useful links for parents/carers of young people whose children self-harm

https://www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/news-and-blogs/2021/july/how-to-support-a-child-or-young-person-who-is-self-harming/

 

Please view image links below.

NSPCC Keeping Children Safe	NSPCC Gangs & Young People