Harvey Road Primary School

Safeguarding and Safety

Harvey Road Primary School rigorously protects our pupils by creating a safe environment for them to live and grow. This is achieved through a robust set of safeguarding practices and by ensuring that all staff and volunteers involved with us do not pose a risk to children and know how to respond to a child in need.

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.

Safeguarding means:

protecting children from maltreatment including:

abuse (physical, emotional or sexual)
neglect (where not providing sufficient support and care may be as damaging as other areas of safeguarding)
harassment (physical, emotional or sexual)
exploitation (criminal, county lines, radicalisation)

preventing harm to children's health or development
ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes

Safeguarding children and child protection applies to all children up to the age of 18.

What is Child Protection?

Child Protection is part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.

Safeguarding encompasses the following seven areas:

Child Protection
Reducing risks of allegations being made against a member of staff
Whistle blowing
Online safety
Radicalisation/extremism (through the PREVENT programme)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
County Lines

At Harvey Road School we believe that:

All children have the right to be protected from harm
Children need to be safe and to feel safe in school
All children have the right to speak freely and voice their values and beliefs, fears and concerns
All children must be encouraged to respect each other’s values and support each other
All children have the right to be supported to meet their emotional, behavioural and social needs as well as their educational needs – a happy, healthy, sociable child will achieve better educationally
Schools can and do contribute to the prevention of abuse, victimisation, bullying, exploitation, radicalisation, extreme behaviours, discriminatory views and risk taking behaviours

The six principles of safeguarding according to the Social Care Institute for Excellence are:

1. Empowerment

People being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions about how to support children in need

2. Prevention

It is better to take pro-active action before harm actually occurs

3. Proportionality

The least intrusive response may be the best response so long as it is appropriate to the risk presented

4. Protection

Support and representation for those in greatest need

5. Partnership

Local solutions through services such as the police, social workers and family support workers all working in partnership with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse

6. Accountability

Accountability and transparency in safeguarding practice through clear allocation of roles and responsibilities

Policies and key strategic documents that are connected to safeguarding include:

Child Protection policy
Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE publication)
Whistle Blowing policy
Online Safety policy
Anti-Bullying policy
Behaviour policy

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Roles & Responsibilities
Safeguarding Designated Lead (DSL): Louisa Ingram

Deputy Safeguarding Designated Lead : Clair Tustin

Child Protection / Safeguarding Governor: Yaalini Arumuham

If you have any concerns regarding a child's safety please email our DSL at: head@harveyroad.herts.sch.uk

Operation Encompass

The school has been given the opportunity to take part in a project that will run jointly between schools and Hertfordshire Constabulary.

Operation Encompass is the notification to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, of incidents where when a child or young person has experienced or been exposed to any domestic abuse.

Operation Encompass will ensure that a member of the school staff, (DSL) 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. Whilst also ensuring that the school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children, or their families, who have been experienced a domestic abuse incident.

We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and we believe this will be extremely beneficial for all those involved.

It is important to remember; domestic abuse takes many forms not just physical abuse. Click here to find out more about domestic abuse (domestic violence). Safer Places can offer support independently of the school and you can contact them directly. They advise that, “if you think you are suffering from domestic abuse then you probably are” and offer a range of different services to support you and guide you through an abusive relationship. If you are not sure click here to find out more about what they can offer, or to contact them for support right now, call 03301 025811. For more information on Safer Places services you can e-mail info@saferplaces.co.uk or visit St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge website.

There are also many local and nation charities who can offer support to victims of domestic violence. Please ensure you speak to your GP.