Safeguarding
The Safeguarding Team
If you have concerns about a child, please contact one of the members of staff below.
Phelim Byrne
Deputy Headteacher
Designated Safeguarding Lead
email: phelim.byrne@redfieldet.org.uk
phone: 0117 3790777
Scott Freeman
Acting Deputy Headteacher
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
email: scott.freeman@redfieldet.org.uk
phone: 0117 3790777
Imrana Bashir
Family Support
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
email: imrana.bashir@redfieldet.org.uk
phone: 0117 3790777
Prevent
This school has responsibility for all aspects of children’s safety and wellbeing. This means that our safeguarding responsibilities include all potential risks to children. All schools need to comply with the ‘Prevent Duty’ and ensure that we recognise and respond to any child appearing to be vulnerable to radicalisation.
Whilst this is likely to be a rare occurrence, we will offer support and guidance to any child who appears vulnerable to exploitation of this kind. Protecting children from the risk of radicalisation is seen to be a part of schools’ and childcare providers’ wider safeguarding duties and is similar in nature to protecting children from other harms, whether these come from within their family or are the product of outside influences.
We will actively assess the risk of children being drawn into terrorism. Staff will be alert to changes in children’s behaviour which could indicate that they may be in need of help or protection. Staff will use their professional judgement to identify children who may be at risk of radicalisation and act appropriately, which may include making a referral to the Channel programme. The school will work with local safeguarding partners as appropriate.
The school’s designated safeguarding lead will undertake Prevent awareness training to be able to offer advice and support to other staff on how to protect children against the risk of radicalisation. Staff undertake training in identifying the risk indicators and their duties regarding preventing radicalisation. any member of staff who identifies such concerns, as a result of observed behaviour or reports of conversations, must report these to the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Prevent Lead.
Young Carers
Young carers are those under 18 who help look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. Young carers may be looking after a parent or a sibling, doing extra jobs in and around the home, such as cooking, cleaning or more physical help such as helping someone get dressed and move around. They may also be providing emotional support. As a school, we can provide support. Please get in touch with Imrana Bashir, our Family Support worker on 0117 379 0777 or familysupport@redfieldet.org.uk.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
All practitioners who work in health, education and social care have a statutory duty to report all cases of FGM in under 18 year olds to the police. If you have concerns or would like to discuss this matter further, please make an appointment with one of the safeguarding team. The websites below offer support and advice around FGM.
CHILDLINE – INFORMATION ABOUT FGM
WORRIED ABOUT FGM? CALL THE FGM HELPLINE IF YOU ARE WORRIED A CHILD IS AT RISK OF, OR HAS HAD, FGM.
IT’S FREE, ANONYMOUS AND OPEN 24/7
0800 028 355
Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation
Child criminal exploitation is child abuse where children and young people are manipulated and coerced into committing crimes. This often, but not always, is linked with gang activity. Gangs can come in the form of peer gangs, treat gangs and organised criminal gangs. It is not illegal for a young person to be in a gang – there are different types of ‘gang’ and not every ‘gang’ is criminal or dangerous. However, gang membership can be linked to illegal activity, particularly organised criminal gangs involved in trafficking, drug dealing and violent crime. Organised criminal gangs groom children and young people because they’re less suspicious and are given lighter sentences than adults.
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a type of sexual abuse. When a child or young person is exploited, they’re given things like gifts, drugs, money, status and affection in exchange for performing sexual activities. Children and young people are often tricked into believing they’re in a loving consensual relationship. This is called grooming. They may trust their abuser and not understand they’re being abused. CSE can happen in person or online, such as encouraging the child to send sexually explicit images of themselves or have sexual conversations. An abuser will gain a child’s trust before moving onto abusing them. This can happen in a short period of time. To report sexual exploitation, call 999 if the child is at immediate risk or call 101 if you think a crime has been committed. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report online using the link below.
NSPCC – Child Sexual Exploitation
Private fostering
What is private fostering?
Private fostering is the name for an informal arrangement made by parents for a child to live with another family.
A child is automatically being privately fostered if they are:
- Under the age of 16 (or 18 if they’re disabled), and
- They are being provided with accommodation by someone who is not a close relative. A close relative is an aunt, uncle, step-parent, grandparent or sibling, but not a cousin, grand aunt/uncle or a family friend, and
- It is intended that the young person will be provided with accommodation for a period of 28 days or more.
Why some children and young people are privately fostered
Here are some of the more common examples of private fostering:
- Children living with a friend’s family as a result of parental separation, divorce or arguments at home,
- Teenagers living with friends or extended family following problems at home,
- Children whose parents work or study at unsociable hours, making it difficult for them to use ordinary day care or after school care,
- Children sent to this country for education or health care by birth parents living overseas.
It is not private fostering if: - Bristol Council makes the arrangement for the child or young person to live with an approved foster carer,
- The carer is a legal parent by birth or adoption,
- The carer has a legal order which gives them parental responsibility,
- The arrangement lasts for less than 28 days.
INFORMATION ABOUT PRIVATE FOSTERING
