Safeguarding
Where learning is fuelled by creativity
We are highly committed to keeping our children safe at TMS, whether this be through safety within the building, safe playtimes, safe within friendships and safe from abuse, neglect or harm of any kind. We aim to give our children the confidence, self belief and know-how to keep themselves safe, and good communication skills to discuss and report concerns and worries.
If you are concerned about a child’s safety please contact the Multi Agency referral Unit (MARU) on 0300 123 1116.
Designated safeguarding lead: Claire Ewart
Deputy designated safeguarding leads: Suzannah Teagle & Katie Webb
Designated teacher for children in care: Claire Ewart
Keeping Children Safe in Education – September 2023
Designated safeguarding lead: Claire Ewart
Deputy designated safeguarding leads: Suzannah Teagle & Katie Webb
Designated teacher for children in care: Claire Ewart
Safeguarding Governor: Adele McAlpine & Dr Jasmin Tregidga
At TMS we intend to create an environment and culture in which children are safe from abuse and in which suspicion of abuse is promptly and appropriately responded to. In order to achieve this we will:
It will be made clear to applicants for posts within the school that the position is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitations of Offenders Act 1974. All applications for work within the school, whether voluntary or paid, will be interviewed before an appointment is made and will be asked to provide at least two references. All such references will be followed up.
In the case of applicants with unexplained gaps in their employment history, or who have moved rapidly from one job to another, explanations will be sought.
All appointments, both paid and voluntary, will be subject to a probationary period and will not be confirmed unless they have a police DBS check.
We will seek out training opportunities for all adults involved in school to ensure that they recognise the symptoms of possible physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and sexual abuse.
Adults will not be left alone for long periods of time with individual children or small groups.
Adults who are waiting for DBS confirmation will not be left alone with any children.
Children will be encouraged to develop a sense of autonomy and independence through adult support in making choices and in finding names for their feelings and acceptable ways to express them. This will give children self-confidence and the vocabulary to resist inappropriate approaches.
We enable staff to quickly respond to any changes in a child’s behaviour or appearance. Changes in children’s appearance/behaviour will be investigated.
Concerns will be shared with the teacher who will share the information with the Headteacher.
The child’s welfare is paramount.
TMS staff understand they have a duty to report any concerns they may have about a child. Any concern will be referred to the Multi-Agency Referral Unit (MARU) if appropriate.
All such concerns and investigations will be kept confidential. The most commonly involved will be the teacher. We refer to the document ‘What to do if you are worried a child is being abused’ issued by the Department of Health, and the document ‘Child Protection Procedures’ issued by LSCB.
If any volunteer or member of staff is accused of any form of child abuse, she/he will be interviewed immediately by the person in charge of the group. When the allegation is made, the volunteer or member of staff will be suspended immediately on full pay while an investigation is made.
Investigations will be in line with the area child protection committee and confidential records will be kept of the allegations and of all subsequent proceedings.
When worrying changes occur, it is recorded on CPOMS.
The record will include: name, address, age, time and dated factual observations, together with the name of the observer.
Such records will not be accessible to anyone in the school other than the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and SENDCo (Designated and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leaders).
Liaise with other bodies
TMS operates in accordance with local authority guidelines. Confidential records will be shared with Social Care if appropriate.
TMS staff will take every step to build up trusting relationships between families and the school. Where there are concerns, the school will continue to welcome the child and family while investigations proceed. Confidential records will be shared with a child’s parents/carers.
At TMS, we believe that it is important to use a common language so that children have words to communicate to help them keep themselves safe. TMS have been working with Cornwall Council (thank you Steve Appleby!) and the ‘Bubbles to Protect’ work is now part of our every day language!
Year 3 have been using this amazing work in their computing lesson. Have a look at the information powerpoint created by Gabe.
If you are concerned about a child’s safety please contact the Multi Agency referral Unit (MARU) on 0300 123 1116.
Local Police – 08452 777444
Social Care – 0300 123 1116
NSPCC – 01736 755828 or visit the NSPCC website.
There are many resources helpful to both professionals and families regarding safeguarding. Here a few documents and websites that give appropriate guidance.
Working together to safeguard children
Keeping children safe in education
Protecting children from radicalisation: the prevent duty
Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners
A child may experience a traumatic event that could adversely affect their mental health that would not be considered child abuse, for example, a bereavement, change in family circumstances due to divorce.
A report by the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition identifies that children and young people from the following groups disproportionately experience challenges with their mental health, likely as a result of social and environmental factors:
The same report also identifies other key risk factors that can contribute to poor mental health, they are:
Whilst schools and colleges are not responsible for the diagnosis of mental health conditions, they do have an important role in supporting children and young people who may be experiencing poor mental health. In fact, all schools have a statutory obligation to promote the well-being of their pupils. As professionals who spend a significant amount of time with children, staff should be able to understand and identify children that may be experiencing or are at risk of developing a mental health condition.
The NSPCC have produced a list of signs to look out for as indicators that a child or young person may be experiencing depression, anxiety or feeling suicidal:
Any concerns about a child’s mental health must be acted upon, and where there is a safeguarding concern, immediate action must be taken in line with the school or colleges safeguarding and child protection policies, including notifying the Designated Safeguarding Lead (or Deputy) at the earliest opportunity.
Domestic abuse is any type of controlling, bullying, threatening or violent behaviour between people who are or have been in a relationship. It can also happen between adults related to one another. It can seriously harm children and young people, and experiencing domestic abuse is child abuse.
It’s important to remember that domestic abuse:
Domestic abuse can be emotional, physical, sexual, economic, coercive or psychological, such as:
It can be difficult to tell if domestic abuse is happening and those carrying out the abuse can act very different when other people are around. Children and young people might also feel frightened and confused, keeping the abuse to themselves.
Signs that a child has experienced domestic abuse can include:
If a child talks to you about domestic abuse it’s important to:
If you’re an adult experiencing domestic abuse, there are organisations that can help.
Threemilestone School is an Operation Encompass School.
Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has exposed to, or involved in, any domestic incident.
Operation Encompass ensures that a member of the school staff, known as a Key Adult, is trained to allow them to liaise with the police and to use the information that has been shared in confidence. This enables us to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children, or their families, who have been involved in, or exposed to, a domestic abuse incident.
Our Key Adult is Suzannah Teagle who is supported by Claire Ewart and Katie Webb.
We believe this is extremely beneficial for all those involved
What is the Prevent strategy?
Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes. The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including political and religious extremism.
How does the Prevent strategy apply to schools?
From July 2015 all schools (as well as other organisations) have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism. This means schools have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views, in the same way we protect them from drugs or gang violence. Importantly, schools can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss these issues so that they better understand how to protect themselves. Our overriding concern is that children feel safe and also express tolerance towards all cultures and religions, even when personal views may be different.
Children can be exposed to different views and receive information from various sources. Some of these views may be considered radical or extreme.
Radicalisation is the process through which a person comes to support or be involved in extremist ideologies. It can result in a person becoming drawn into terrorism and is in itself a form of harm.
Extremism is 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.
Ideology – a set of beliefs
Terrorism – an action that endangers or causes serious violence to a person/people, causes serious damage to property, or seriously interferes or disrupts an electronic system, and is intended to advance a political, religious or ideological cause
What does this mean in practice?
Different schools will carry out the Prevent duty in different ways, depending on the age of the children and the needs of the community. Many of the things we already do in school to help children become positive, happy members of society also contribute to the Prevent strategy.
At Threemilestone School we
• Explore other cultures and religions and promote diversity
• Challenge prejudices and racist comments
• Develop pupils’ critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity
• Promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of others, as well as British values such as democracy
• Protect children from the risk of radicalisation, such as using filters on the internet or vetting visitors who come into school
Challenging and tackling extremism needs to be a shared effort (HM Government, 2013). For this reason, the Government has given some types of organisations in England, Scotland and Wales a duty to identify vulnerable children and young people and prevent them from being drawn into terrorism.
Who is vulnerable?
The NSPCC advises that whilst anyone can be radicalised, there are some children and young people that could be more vulnerable than others, such as those who:
are easily influenced or impressionable
have low self-esteem
feel or are isolated
feel rejected
have been discriminated against
feel injustice is taking place within society
have experienced community tensions
are angry or disrespectful towards family and peers
have a need or desire for acceptance or a sense of belonging
have lost a loved one – grief
Please find our TMS Prevent Policy here
NSPCC information – Click here
Prevent Duty Guidance (gov.uk) – Click here
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Prevent relate to British values?
Schools have been required to promote British values since 2014, and this will continue to be part of the response to the Prevent strategy. British values include: Democracy, The rule of law, Individual liberty and mutual respect, Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs
Isn’t my child too young to learn about extremism?
The Prevent strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. It is also about teaching children values such as tolerance and mutual respect. Schools should make sure any discussions are suitable for the age and maturity of the children involved.
Is extremism really a risk in our area?
Extremism can take many forms, including political, religious and ideological extremism. Some of these may be a bigger threat in our area than others. The intention is to give children the skills to protect them from any extremist views they may encounter, now or later in their lives.
The Department for Education have produced a guidance document ‘Managing risk of radicalisation in your education setting’, which sets out the risk indicators as:
Low Risk
Medium Risk
High Risk
Early Help – Channel Panel
Prevent referrals are assessed and may be passed onto the Channel Panel, a multi-agency partnership, that includes the police service. The Channel Panel work with local partners and after assessing the risk to the child or young person, will determine if their intervention is required.
If the Channel Panel agrees that they should get involved, an individual plan tailored to the child will be created in order to reduce the risk of extremism or radicalisation to the child or young person. This may include:
family support programmes
family therapy or child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) programmes
targeted youth support
crime prevention programmes
focused theological or educational programmes
parenting programmes
one-to-one or group counselling
behaviour support or anger management programmes
Channel is a voluntary, confidential support programme and requires the consent and participation from the parents or carers of the child or young person. If declined, they will be signposted to alternative service provisions.
In this scenario, depending on the circumstances, an assessment may be completed to ascertain if they meet the threshold as a ‘child in need’ in accordance with Section 17 of the Children Act 1989. If so, this means that the local authorities may be compelled, by law, to take further action to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare.
As the police are likely to be involved in the Channel Panel, they too may take further action to fulfil their duty of care.
Child abuse can happen inside and out of the home, by people known or unknown to the victim – they don’t even have to meet in person, abuse can happen online. It can be a one-off experience or a series of events. Whilst any child or young person could be a victim, there are those that may be more at risk than others.
There are 4 main types of abuse, they are:
What is Physical Abuse?
A child is subject to this form of abuse when physical harm is purposefully inflicted upon them.
Children subject to physical abuse usually sustain injuries, most commonly bruising, fractures, burns, abrasions and lacerations. These injuries are normally inflicted by their abuser carrying out one or more of the following actions:
hitting
shaking
biting
kicking
throwing
poisoning
burning
scolding
drowning
suffocating
What is Emotional Abuse?
Also known as Psychological Abuse, KCSIE 2023 explains that this form of abuse is:
“the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and adverse effects on the child’s emotional development”. 
The NSPCC has categorised Emotional Abuse into 6 main areas, as follows:
What is Sexual Abuse?
Forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities is sexual abuse. There are two main forms of sexual abuse, contact and non-contact, here are some examples of each type:
What is Neglect?
KCSIE 2023 defines neglect as:
“the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development”
The NSPCC explain that there are 4 types of neglect, they are:
There are a number of other safeguarding concerns, that should be acted upon immediately if suspected/identified:
Breast flattening
Child-on-child abuse
Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) & County Lines
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
Domestic abuse
Fabricated or induced illness (FII)
Female Genital Mutilation
Forced Marriage
Modern Slavery (including Child Trafficking)
Homelessness
According to the homeless charity Shelter, 1 in every 100 children in England woke up on Christmas Day in 2022 homeless or living in temporary accommodation. 35% of those children did not have bed of their own and were sharing a bed with another family member. Almost half of those children attend school feeling tired and hungry.
KCSIE 2023 confirms that being homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, poses a risk to the welfare of a child. Designated Safeguarding Leads do have access routes to the local housing authorities so that concerns can be raised.
In most cases, children affected by homelessness will still live with their families, however, for those working with older children, it is important to recognise that this may not be the case for those aged 16 years and older. There are some children that will be living independently from their parents/guardians, and their needs will greatly differ from those who remain under their care.
In any case, where it has been identified that a child is or is at risk of being homeless, the Designated Safeguarding Lead must be notified. In turn, they will ensure that a referral to the local authority children’s social care services is completed where a child has been or is at risk of harm.
There is now legislation in place that puts a legal duty on councils in England to provide meaningful help, including needs assessment, personal housing plan and finding a place to live for everyone who is or is at risk of homelessness.
What to do if a child discloses abuse to you
The NSPCC website provides the following guidance on what to say to a child who discloses to you that they are being abused:
1.Listen carefully to what they’re saying
Be patient and focus on what you’re being told. Try not to express your own views and feelings. If you appear shocked or as if you don’t believe them it could make them stop talking and take back what they’ve said.
2.Give them the tools to talk
If they’re struggling to talk to you, show them Childline’s letter builder tool. It uses simple prompts to help them share what’s happening and how they’re feeling.
3.Let them know they’ve done the right thing by telling you
Reassurance can make a big impact. If they’ve kept the abuse a secret it can have a big impact knowing they’ve shared what’s happened.
4. Tell them it’s not their fault
Abuse is never a child’s fault. It’s important they hear, and know this.
5. Say you’ll take them seriously
They may have kept the abuse secret because they were scared they wouldn’t be believed. Make sure they know they can trust you and you’ll listen and support them.
6. Don’t confront the alleged abuser
Confronting the alleged abuser could make the situation worse for the child.
7. Explain what you’ll do next
For younger children, explain you’re going to speak to someone who will able to help. For older children, explain you’ll need to report the abuse to someone who can help.
8. Report what the child has told you as soon as possible
Report as soon after you’ve been told about the abuse so the details are fresh in your mind and action can be taken quickly. It can be helpful to take notes as soon after you’ve spoken to the child. Try to keep these as accurate as possible.
Early Help
The HM Government guidance document ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ describes early help as:
“providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years”.
For early help to be of any benefit to a child or young person, it requires all relevant organisations and agencies, including schools and colleges to cooperate and coordinate – work together. KCSIE 2023 advises that staff should be aware of the potential need for early help for a child who:
is disabled or has certain health conditions and has specific additional needs
has special educational needs (whether or not they have a statutory Education, Health and Care plan)
has a mental health need
is a young carer
is showing signs of being drawn into antisocial or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups or county lines
is frequently missing/goes missing from care or from home
is at risk of modern slavery, trafficking, sexual or criminal exploitation
is at risk of being radicalised or exploited
has a family member in prison, or is affected by parental offending
is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as drug and alcohol misuse, adult mental health issues and domestic abuse
is misusing alcohol and other drugs themselves
has returned home to their family from care
is at risk of so-called ‘honour’-based abuse such as Female Genital Mutilation or Forced Marriage
is a privately fostered child, or
is persistently absent from education, including persistent absences for part of the school day
In accordance with Section 10 of the Children Act 2004, local authorities in England are legally obliged to make arrangements, such as policies and procedures, that encourages a coordinated and cooperative approach with relevant partners who are engaged in activities involving children within their area – this includes education.
Upon notification of a safeguarding concern, the designated safeguarding lead (or deputy) will determine the need for liaising with other agencies or organisations, and will, in most circumstances, act as the point of contact managing all communication. However, the involvement of other staff might be necessary as they may be best placed to support the early help assessment. It is therefore imperative that all staff are aware of the early help process within their local area.
All safeguarding cases must be subject to regular periodic reviews and due consideration given to the need for a referral to the local authority (children’s social care) for a formally needs assessment for statutory services, especially if the child’s circumstances is deteriorating or showing no/minimal signs of improvement.
Children’s Social Care – Statutory Assessment & Services
Where harm is or is likely to be caused to a child or young person, an immediate referral to the local authority children’s social care, and the police (if appropriate) must be completed via the local protocols, with all available information and evidence provided.
The local authority children’s social care are required to acknowledge receipt of all referrals within 1 working day, and following an assessment of the evidence and information provided, determine the most appropriate course of conduct. KCSIE 2023 states:
“this will include determining whether:
the child requires immediate protection and urgent action is required
any services are required by the child and family and what type of services
the child is in need and should be assessed under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989. Chapter one of Working Together to Safeguard Children provides details of the assessment process
there is reasonable cause to suspect the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, and whether enquiries must be made, and the child assessed under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989. Chapter one of Working Together to Safeguard Children provides details of the assessment process, and
further specialist assessments are required to help the local authority to decide what further action to take”
The local authority children’s social care should keep the person who made the referral (the referrer) informed, if they do not, the referrer must follow up with them.
All staff should support the local authority children’s social care with any subsequent statutory assessments. The designated safeguarding lead (or deputy) should be involved as required.
If the referrer has concerns that the child’s circumstances are not improving or even getting worse, they must act in the best interests of the child and follow the local escalation procedures – the designated safeguarding lead (or deputy) can advise on what this involves.
Samaritans
Samaritans are open 24/7 for anyone who needs to talk. You can visit some Samaritans branches in person.
Tel. 116 123 (freephone)
Website: www.samaritans.org
Victim Support
Provides emotional and practical support for people affected by crime and traumatic events.
Tel. 0808 168 9111
Website: www.victimsupport.org.uk
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