Bewdley Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We pride ourselves on our safeguarding practice and much of this involves the close working partnership that we have with our parents. We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Safeguarding Children Policy.

Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.

We actively support the Government’s Prevent Agenda to counter radicalism and extremism, and Operation Encompass to support children and young people exposed to domestic abuse.

Useful Contacts:

• Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs. Jacqui Bennett
• Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: Miss Amanda Bradley/Mrs Deniz Mills /Mr William Pritchard
• Safeguarding Governor: Mr. Martin Saunders
• LAC Co-ordinator/SENDCo – Mrs. Jacqui Bennett
• Early Years Safeguarding Lead – Mrs. Jacqui Bennett 
• Prevent Lead – Mrs. Jacqui Bennett
• School Nurse – Sue Hetherington

Our Family Support Officer, Deniz Mills, can also support families. She can be contacted by emailing dmills@bewdleyprimary.worcs.sch.uk . Please click on the attachment below for more information about the service provided and a consent form for a referral to access the service.

If you have concerns that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm you should contact:

Family Front Door: 01905 822666

If you believe a child is in immediate danger of harm you should contact:

The Police: 101 or 999

All adults who work in school have a responsibility to read and understand all safeguarding policies and act in accordance at all times.

Useful Information and links: 

External agency advisory services for parents and carers

• NSPCC Support and advice on the signs and symptoms of abuse
• Childline Tips, techniques and ideas for all areas of a child’s life ie home and families, feelings, friendships, bullying and stress
• Women’s Aid Information and Support including Freephone 24 hr National Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247
• PACE (Parents Against Sexual Exploitation) Advice and support service
• Child Sexual Exploitation A guide for parents and carers
• CEOP Child Exploitation and Online Protection
• Worcestershire County Council Prevention of Extremism and Radicalisation
• West Mercia Police Prevent – Play your part!
• E-Safety is a crucial part of safeguarding children. Alongside the school curriculum, it is important that parents/carers talk to their children about how to keep themselves safe and know what websites and/or social media children are using.

Useful information for Parents/Carers:

• NSPCC/Netaware A Guide to social networking
• Thinkuknow How to guides
• Digital Parenting Magazine – Issue 5 A guide to gaming
• Parenting Magazine – Issue 6 Digital Superheroes – How building resilience with your child will help to keep them safe online
• #Ditto Magazine – June 2018 You Tube Special

Elective Home Education

Parents are responsible for ensuring that their children, who are of compulsory school age, receive a full time education which is suitable to their age, aptitude, ability and to any special educational needs that they might have. In England, parents can fulfil this duty by sending children to school or electing to home educate them and therefore taking responsibility for the educational arrangements. Deciding to educate children at home is a tremendous investment in time and energy and there are many considerations to be made.

Fostering

A new campaign from Worcestershire County Council is hailing Fostering as ‘The Best Job In The World’. The best part about fostering is knowing that you are making a positive difference to a child or young person’s life. You will be helping them to build a better future, by providing care and support at a time when they need it most.

Private Fostering

• Arranged privately without the support of the Local Authority. A fostered child is a child under 16 (or 18 if disabled) who is being cared for, for 28 days or more, by an adult who is not their close relative.
• It is usually a cousin or great aunt, a friend of the family, or someone who has agreed to take care of the child by private arrangement without involving the council; close relative is defined as step-parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles or aunts (whether of full blood, half blood or by marriage).
• The parent is still legally responsible for their child.
• The Local Authority must be informed by the parent or the foster carer if a child is being privately fostered. School have a duty of care to inform the Local Authority if a private fostering arrangement comes to their attention.
• Children’s Services have a legal duty to ensure children in this situation are safe and well.

CEOP

If you have been a victim of online abuse or you're worried about somebody else, you can contact the CEOP securely at https://ceop.police.uk/  

The website provides a range of information and links about keeping yourself or a child you know safe from child sexual exploitation.

 

Child Sexual Exploitation 

• One-to-one telephone advice and support to parents
• Facilitating meetings with similarly-affected parents for peer support
• Advising how to establish rights as parents and work in partnership with statutory agents such as police and social workers
• Advice and support when pursuing disruption and prosecution of the perpetrators of child sexual exploitation
• Befriending scheme

Further information can be found at https://paceuk.info/

Childline

Childline counsellors are there for young people 24 hours a day, every day of the year.