Safeguarding at Hartley Primary Academy
Hartley Primary Academy fully recognises the responsibility it has under section 175 (Section 157 for Independent Schools and Academies) of the Education Act 2002 to have arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. In addition Section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 places a statutory responsibility to ‘have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’ (known as the Prevent Duty).
Through their day-to-day contact with pupils and direct work with families, staff have a crucial role to play in noticing indicators of possible abuse or neglect and referring them to the child’s relevant Social Care. We have a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who is specifically trained and nominated within school. Working alongside the DSL is the ‘Safeguarding Team’.
We follow the Kent Safeguarding Children Board (KSCB), our Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB), procedures and policies to share concerns regarding children’s welfare with our DSLs, with parents and with relevant external agencies. Part of our legal duty to safeguard our children, may also include us needing to consult specifically with and take advice from, the Police or Children’s Social Care, should the need arise.
By working closely together as a staff and with our partner agencies, we firmly believe that we will continue to offer a safe learning environment for all our children.
Please have a look at the information below to find out more about how we can all work together to keep our children, families and whole community, safe. For any queries that aren't answerable with the information below, please contact the school office, find one the DSL team in person, or email dsl@hartleyprimary.org.uk
Meet our Family Liason Officer (FLO)
This is Mrs Barton - our attendance officer and FLO. She is available on the top playground to speak to about any issues or worries you and your family may have. If you would like to book an appointment with Mrs Barton, please email flo@hartleyprimary.org.uk or contact 01474702742 - she works 5 days per week until 1pm.
More information about safeguarding at Hartley:
Staff At Hartley...
We know what our roles and responsibilities are to keep you safe.
We take all allegations, suspicions and concerns seriously and report them properly.
We talk to other people about any concerns to develop the best way to help you.
We complete risk assessments to ensure that all potential dangers in learning activities have been identified.
We have assemblies, lessons and action days where we learn about safeguarding such as online safety, sexual harassment and violence and anti-bullying.
We treat everyone fairly with dignity and respect.
Children need to know that...
All adults will listen to what you have to say with an open mind.
Adults will not ask leading questions so that you have to reveal more details.
If they are worried about your safety, they might invite another adult to talk to you.
Adults will never stop you from freely talking or sharing about significant events
Adults will ensure that all concerns are recorded.
Adults will not promise to keep secrets.
Adults will explain that they have a responsibility to report what has been said to someone else if they are worried about your safety.
All adults will immediately tell the Safeguarding Team if they are worried about your safety.
Adults who raise a concern need to know that...
The DSL team will read and respond to all concerns.
We will never ignore a concern or think that it is not important.
We might give you follow-up actions to complete.
We might come and talk to you for more information.
We might refer to external agencies for further support to keep the child or family safe.
Safeguarding Websites and Links
Kent Safeguarding Children Multi Agency Partnership (KSCMAP)
Kooth – mental health and wellbeing
Online Safety
National Online Safety – please contact office@hartleyprimary.org.uk for details on how to sign up for free to this website
Bullying
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass is a national scheme that operates jointly between schools and all police forces. Operation Encompass means that our academy will be told, prior to the start of the next school day, when police have attended an incident of domestic abuse where there is a child or young person who attends our academy who is related to any of those involved in the incident.
We have ensured that a member of our staff, (Designated Safeguarding Lead) known as a Key Adult, has been trained about Operation Encompass procedures. This allows us to use the information that has been confidentially shared with us by the police, to understand how a child may be impacted by domestic abuse and to then offer support to the children in our care.
Be Aware:
You may be concerned about a child or young person. You may or may not know them, or even their name. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Abuse can take many different forms, such as neglect, sexual abuse, physical and emotional abuse.
Take Responsibility:
Don’t assume that someone else will take responsibility and make that phone call/referral. You could help to save a child’s life. If you are worried, report it.
Take Action:
If you are a member of Hartley Primary Academy, please log your concern or worry via our safeguarding software, Bromcom, using your login details. If you are a parent/member of the public, please inform a member of the DSL team, one of whom will always be available onsite during school hours.
If in the unlikely event you can not find one of the DSL team, and need to make a referral to the digital front door, please contact Kent Safeguarding on 03000 41 11 11 or visit https://kccchildrens.kent.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/supporttypeprofessional
Let’s work together to keep our children safe.