Safeguarding Policy 2022

Behaviours linked to safeguarding issues  

All staff have an awareness of safeguarding issues that can put children at risk of harm. Presenting behaviours linked to issues such as drug taking and or alcohol misuse, deliberately missing education, serious violence (including the link to county lines), radicalisation and consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi-nude images and/or videos can be signs that children are at risk.  

Bullying, including Cyberbullying  

Bullying may be defined as deliberately hurtful behaviour, usually repeated over a period, where it is difficult for those bullied to protect themselves. It can take many forms, but the main types are:  

• Physical (e.g., hitting, kicking, theft)  
• Verbal (e.g., racist, or homophobic remarks, threats, name-calling)  
• Emotional (e.g., isolating an individual from the activities and social acceptance of their peer group)  

• Cyberbullying (including sexting) 

Guidance on bullying can be Preventing & tackling bullying 

                                         Cyberbullying advice 

Child on child abuse (incl sexual violence and sexual harassment) 

All staff have the knowledge and awareness that children are capable of abusing other children (including online). All staff are clear about this school’s policy and procedure regarding child-on-child abuse. We have a separate Child-on-Child Abuse Policy in addition to anti-bullying and behaviour policies to guide, inform and support children, staff and parents/carers.   

Child-on-child abuse can occur, both physically and verbally, either online or face to face, between two children of any age and sex, with a single child or group of children and can happen both inside and outside of our setting. Children who are victims of this abuse, will find the experience stressful and distressing and it is likely to have an adverse effect their educational attainment. This type of abuse can exist on a continuum and may overlap, they can occur online and offline (both physical and verbal) and are never acceptable.  

All staff at Visionary Individual Pathways (VIP) recognise the indicators and signs of child-on-child abuse and know how to identify it and respond to reports of it. They understand the importance of the timely challenge of inappropriate behaviours between peers, many listed below, that are abusive in nature. They are aware of the importance of: –  

• Making clear that child-on-child abuse including sexual violence and sexual harassment, is never acceptable and that that we have a zero-tolerance approach. 
• Not dismissing this abuse as “banter”, “part of growing up”, “just having a laugh” or “boys being boys”; and  

• Challenging behaviours (potentially criminal in nature), such as physical and sexual assaults e.g. grabbing bottoms, breasts, and genitalia, flicking bras and the lifting up of skirts.  

All staff know that if we do not challenge and support our children that this will lead to a culture of unacceptable behaviours, an unsafe environment for children and in worst case scenarios a culture that normalises abuse leading to children accepting it as normal and not coming forward to report it. 

We know that the initial response to a report from a child is vitally important. We do not want to miss that opportunity and so we reassure victims that their reports are being taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe. We never give victims the impression that they are creating a problem by reporting sexual violence or sexual harassment. We reassure victims that they should not feel ashamed for making a report.  

We have well promoted and easily understood systems in place so that our children feel confident to knowing their concerns will be treated seriously. All concerns should be passed on to senior staff who will consult with the DSL. 

All victims are reassured that they are being taken seriously, regardless of how long it has taken them to come forward, and that they will be supported and kept safe. Abuse that occurs online or outside of the school or college will not be downplayed and will be treated equally seriously. A victim should never be given the impression that they are creating a problem by reporting sexual violence or sexual harassment. Nor should a victim ever be made to feel ashamed for making a report. We will ensure that children know that the law is in place to protect them rather than criminalise them, and we will be explained in such a way that avoids alarming or distressing them.  

Staff are aware of the groups that are potentially more at risk as evidence shows that girls, children with SEND and LGBT children are at greater risk. The DfE states ‘peer on peer abuse should be taken as seriously as abuse by adults and should be subject to the same child protection procedures. 

Victims of peer-on-peer abuse will be supported by the school’s pastoral system and referred to specialist agencies if appropriate. Risk assessment and/or safety planning are an integral part of this support plan, particularly regarding the post incident management. 

All staff understand, that even if there are no reports in our setting, this does not mean that it is not happening, it may be the case that it is just not being reported. As such it is important that if staff at Visionary Individual Pathways (VIP) have any concerns regarding peer-on-peer abuse, they speak to their Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or deputy (DDSL). Our staff will not develop high thresholds before acting.  

Child on child abuse is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:  

• bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying). 
• abuse in intimate personal relationships between peers.  

• physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm (this may include an online element which facilitates, threatens and/or encourages physical abuse).  
• sexual violence such as rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault and may include an online element which facilitates, threatens and/or encourages sexual violence. Causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party.  
• sexual harassment such as sexual comments, remarks about clothes and/or appearance, jokes, taunting and online sexual harassment. This also includes the telling of sexual stories, making lewd comments and calling someone sexual names and physical behaviour, such as: deliberately brushing against someone, interfering with someone’s clothes, and displaying pictures, photos or drawings of a sexual nature; and online sexual harassment.  
• causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party.  
• consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi-nude images and or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery) Consensual image sharing, especially between older children of the same age, may require a different response. It might not be abusive – but children still need to know it is illegal- whilst non-consensual is illegal and abusive.  

• upskirting, which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without their permission, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress, or alarm; and  
• initiation/hazing type violence and rituals (this could include activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group and may also include an online element).  

All staff are aware of the importance of understanding intra familial harms and any necessary support for siblings following incidents.  

All staff are clear as to the school’s or college’s policy and procedures with regards to child-on-child abuse and the important role they play in preventing it and responding where they believe a child may be at risk from it. 

If staff have a concern about a child or a child makes a report to them, they will follow the safeguarding referral process. As in any case, if staff are in any doubt as to what to do, they should speak to the DSL/DDSL. Our behaviour policy will support any sanctions. 

The DfE states ‘peer on peer abuse should be taken as seriously as abuse by adults and should be subject to the same child protection procedures. 

Guidance Documents: 

• Staffsscb-Responding to Sexting Guidance  
• Disrespect NoBody campaign 
• CEOP-Safety centre  
• UKCIS Guidance: Sharing Nudes and Semi-Nudes 

• Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 
• Searching, screening and confiscation (publishing.service.gov.uk) 
• Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 
• Undressed (lgfl.net)  

Children Missing Education 

All professionals working with children, as well as the wider community can help by remaining vigilant to children’s safety. The law states every child should be receiving an education, and we stand a better chance of ensuring a child’s safety if we know where and how they are receiving this. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 places a duty on local authorities in England and Wales to make arrangements to identify children and young people of compulsory school age missing education in their area; we work closely to ensure we put appropriate safeguarding responses in place for children who go missing from education.  

A child going missing, particularly repeatedly, can be a vital warning sign of a range of safeguarding risks, including abuse and neglect, which may include sexual abuse or exploitation; child criminal exploitation; mental health problems; substance abuse and other issues. Early intervention is necessary to identify the existence of any underlying safeguarding risk and to help prevent the risks of them going missing in future. 

Our school holds at least 2 emergency contact numbers for each pupil. If a child goes missing from our school and we are unable to locate them, we will inform parents/carers and we will also contact the Police to report them missing. This will ensure that the Police and other partners have a true picture of missing episodes, which are indicators of risk for some children.  

Please ensure that your policies are clear regarding children going missing from the school site and that ALL staff are aware of the processes and the role that they ALL play in this. In particular the importance of the completing class registers at the earliest opportunities. 

The school will notify the Local Authority of any pupil/student who fails to attend school regularly after making reasonable enquiries or has been absent without the school’s permission for a continuous period of 10 days or more. The school (regardless of designation) will also notify the Local Authority of any pupil/student who is to be deleted from the admission register because s/he: 

• Has been taken out of school by their parents and is being educated outside the school system (e.g. elective home education). 

• Has ceased to attend school and no longer lives within a reasonable distance of the school at which s/he is registered (moved within the city, within the country or moved abroad but failed to notify the school of the change). 
• Displaced because of a crisis e.g. domestic violence or homelessness. 
• Has been certified by the school medical officer as unlikely to be in a fit state of health to attend school before ceasing to be of compulsory school age, and neither s/he nor his/her parent has indicated the intention to continue to attend the school after ceasing to be of compulsory school age; 
• Is in custody for a period of more than four months due to a final court order and the proprietor does not reasonably believe that s/he will return to the school at the end of that period; or 
• Has been permanently excluded. 

Our school will demonstrate that we have taken reasonable enquiries to ascertain the whereabouts of children that would be considered ‘missing’ 

Child Missing from Home or Care  

There are strong links between children involved in criminal and sexual exploitation and other behaviours such as running away from home, care or school, bullying, self-harm, teenage pregnancy, truancy, and substance misuse.  

In addition, some children are particularly vulnerable, for example, children with special needs, those in residential or foster care, those leaving care, migrant children, particularly those who are unaccompanied, those forced into marriage, those involved in gangs and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.  

Most children who go missing are not in care and go missing from their family home. However, children who are looked after are much more likely to run away than those who live at home, and over 50% of young people in care have run away at some point. 

Guidance document 

• Children who run away or go missing from home or care 

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE).  

Both CSE and CCE are forms of abuse that occur where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance in power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into taking part in sexual or criminal activity, in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator and/or through violence or the threat of violence.  

CSE and CCE can affect children, both male and female and can include children who have been moved (commonly referred to as trafficking) for the purpose of exploitation.  

Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) 

Some specific forms of CCE can include children being forced or manipulated into transporting drugs or money through county lines, working in cannabis factories, shoplifting, or pickpocketing. They can also be forced or manipulated into committing vehicle crime or threatening/committing serious violence to others.  

Children can become trapped by this type of exploitation as perpetrators can threaten victims (and their families) with violence or entrap and coerce them into debt. They may be coerced into carrying weapons such as knives or begin to carry a knife for a sense of protection from harm, from others. As children involved in criminal exploitation often commit crimes themselves, their vulnerability as victims is not always recognised by adults and professionals, (particularly older children), and they are not treated as victims despite the harm they have experienced. They may still have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears to be something they have agreed or consented to.  

It is important to note that the experience of girls who are criminally exploited can be very different to that of boys. The indicators may not be the same, however professionals should be aware that girls are at risk of criminal exploitation too. It is also important to note that both boys and girls being criminally exploited may be at higher risk of sexual exploitation.  

Some of the following can be indicators of CCE:   

• children who appear with unexplained gifts or new possessions. 
• children who associate with other young people involved in exploitation.
• children who suffer from changes in emotional well-being. 
• children who misuse drugs and alcohol.  
• children who go missing for periods of time or regularly come home late. 
• children who regularly miss school or education or do not take part in education.

Guidance documents: 

• Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked  
• Child Exploitation – StaffsSCB 

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) 

CSE is a form of child sexual abuse. Sexual abuse may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or nonpenetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing, and touching outside clothing. It may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in the production of sexual images, forcing children to look at sexual images or watch sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways or grooming a child in preparation for abuse including via the internet.  

CSE can occur over time or be a one-off occurrence and may happen without the child’s immediate knowledge e.g., through others sharing videos or images of them on social media.  

CSE can affect any child, who has been coerced into engaging in sexual activities. This includes 16- and 17-year-olds who can legally consent to have sex. Some children may not realise they are being exploited e.g. they believe they are in a genuine romantic relationship.  

The above CCE indicators can also be signs of CSE, as can having older boyfriends or girlfriends and/or suffering from sexually transmitted infections/becoming pregnant. 

Guidance documents: 

• Child Sexual Exploitation Definition & Guidance 
• Know about CSE 

County Lines  

County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs (primarily crack cocaine and heroin) into one or more importing areas (within the UK), using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of “deal line”. 

Exploitation is an integral part of the county lines offending model with children and vulnerable adults exploited to move and/or store drugs and money. Offenders will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons to ensure compliance of victims. Children can be targeted and recruited into county lines in several locations including schools, further and higher educational institutions, pupil referral units, special educational needs schools, children’s homes, and care homes.  

Children are often recruited to move drugs and money between locations and are known to be exposed to techniques such as ‘plugging’, where drugs are concealed internally to avoid detection. Children can easily become trapped by this type of exploitation as county lines gangs create drug debts and can threaten serious violence and kidnap towards victims (and their families) if they attempt to leave the county lines network.    

One of the ways of identifying potential involvement in county lines are missing episodes (both from home and school), when the victim may have been trafficked for the purpose of transporting drugs and a referral to the National Referral Mechanism (NRF) should be considered. Further information can be found here National Referral Mechanism 

If a child is suspected to be at risk of or involved in county lines, a safeguarding referral should be considered alongside consideration of availability of local services/third sector providers who offer support to victims of county lines exploitation. 

Like other forms of abuse and exploitation, county lines exploitation: – 

• Can affect any child or young person (male or female) under the age of 18 years. 
• Can affect any vulnerable adult over the age of 18 years. 

• Can still be exploitation even if the activity appears consensual. 
• Can involve force and/or enticement-based methods of compliance and is often accompanied by violence or threats of violence. 
• Can be perpetrated by individuals or groups, males or females, and young people or adults and  
• Is typified by some form of power imbalance in favour of those perpetrating the exploitation. Whilst age may be the most obvious, this power imbalance can also be due to a range of other factors including gender, cognitive ability, physical strength, status, and access to economic or other resources. 

Guidance Document: 

• Criminal Exploitation of Children and Vulnerable Adults; County Lines 
• County Lines toolkit  

Domestic Abuse 

Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse:  

• Psychological  
• Physical  
• Sexual  

• Financial  
• Emotional  

Children can be victims of domestic abuse. They may see, hear, or experience the effects of abuse at home and/or suffer domestic abuse in their own intimate relationships (teenage relationship abuse) Exposure to domestic abuse and/or violence can have a serious, long lasting emotional and psychological impact on children. In some cases, a child may blame themselves for the abuse or may have had to leave the family home as a result. Domestic abuse affecting young people, can also occur within their personal relationships, as well as in the context of their home life. We will signpost and support our children/ young people.  

Guidance Documents: 

• Domestic Violence and Abuse 
• Domestic Abuse-Staffsscb 
• NSPCC-Domestic Abuse 

• Operation Encompass helpline 0204 513 9990 (8am-1pm Mon-Frid) 

Drugs 

There is evidence that children and young people are increasingly misusing alcohol and illegal drugs. Consequences range from non-attendance and poor attainment at school, poor health, committing crime to support ‘habits’ and increased risk of being a victim of violent crime and criminal exploitation, including sexual exploitation. 

Guidance Documents: 

• NSPCC-Parental Substance Misuse 
• SSCB-Working with parents who misuse substances 
• Drugs Advise for Schools 

Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) 

Fabricated or Induced Illness is a condition whereby a child suffers harm through the deliberate action of their carer, and which is attributed by the adult to another cause. 

There may be several explanations for these circumstances, and each requires careful consideration and review. Concerns about a child’s health should be discussed with a health professional who is involved with the child. Guidance Documents: 

• Safeguarding children in whom illness is fabricated or induced 

• Fabricated or induced Illness (staffsscb.org.uk) 

Homelessness 

Being homeless or being at risk of becoming homeless presents a real risk to a child’s welfare. The DSL/DDSL are aware of local contact details and referral routes into local housing organisations, so they can raise/progress concerns at the earliest opportunity.  

Indicators of risk include household debt, rent arrears, domestic abuse, and anti-social behaviour, as well as the family being asked to leave a property. Whilst referrals and/or discussion with the Local Housing Authority will be progressed as appropriate, and in accordance with local procedures, this will not replace a referral into children’s social care where a child has been harmed or is at risk of harm.   

We also recognise that in some cases 16/17 yr olds could be living independently from their parents or guardians and they will require a different level of intervention and support. Children’s services will be the lead agency for these young people and the DSL will ensure that appropriate referrals are made based on the child’s circumstances. 

Honour-based Abuse 

So-called ‘honour-based’ abuse (HBA) encompasses incidents or crimes which have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or the community, including female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, and practices such as breast ironing. Abuse committed in the context of preserving “honour” often involves a wider network of family or community pressure and can include multiple perpetrators. It is important to be aware of this dynamic and additional risk factors, when deciding what form of safeguarding action to take. All forms of HBA are abuse (regardless of the motivation) and should be handled and escalated as such. Professionals in all agencies, and individuals and groups in relevant communities, need to be alert to the possibility of a child being at risk of HBA, or already having suffered HBA.   

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)  

FGM comprises of all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. It is illegal in the UK and a form of child abuse with long-lasting harmful consequences. It is known by several names including “cutting‟, “female circumcision‟ or “initiation‟. The term female circumcision suggests that the practice is like male circumcision, but it bears no resemblance to male circumcision, and it has serious health consequences with no medical benefits. FGM is also linked to domestic abuse, particularly in relation to “honour-based abuse”. 

FGM mandatory reporting duty for teachers Section 5B of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (as inserted by section 74 of the Serious Crime Act 2015) places a statutory duty upon teachers along with regulated health and social care professionals in England and Wales, to report to the police where they discover (either via disclosure by the victim or visual evidence) that FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl under 18.  

Those failing to report such cases may face disciplinary sanctions. It is rare to see visual evidence, and children should not be examined but the same definition of what is meant by “to discover that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out” is used for all professionals to whom this mandatory reporting duty applies. 

Staff must personally report to the police cases where they discover that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out. Unless there is good reason not to, they should still consider and discuss any such case with the DSL (or deputy) and involve children’s social care as appropriate. The duty does not apply in relation to at risk or suspected cases (i.e. where staff do not discover that FGM appears to have been carried out, either through disclosure by the victim or visual evidence) or in cases where the woman is 18 or over. In these cases, staff will follow local safeguarding procedures.  

Guidance Documents: – 

• Multi Agency Statutory guidance on Female Genital Mutilation 
• Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 

Forced Marriage  

Forcing a person into a marriage is a crime in England and Wales. A forced marriage is one, entered, without the full and free consent of one or both parties and where violence, threats or any other form of coercion is used to cause a person to enter a marriage. The threats can be physical or emotional and psychological. A lack of full and free consent can be where a person does not consent or where they cannot consent (if they have learning disabilities, for example). Some perpetrators use perceived culture practices, to coerce a person into marriage. Schools and colleges play an important role in safeguarding children from forced marriage. 

There are some significant differences between the referral of a concern about a young person being forced into marriage and other child protection referrals. Professionals must be aware that sharing information with a young person’s parents, extended family, or members of their community, could put the young person in a situation of significant risk.  

Any disclosure that indicates a young person may be facing a forced marriage must be taken seriously by professionals who should also realise that this could be ‘one 

chance to save a life’. A forced marriage is a marriage in which one or both spouses do not consent to the marriage but are coerced into it. Duress can include physical, psychological, financial, sexual, and emotional pressure. In cases of vulnerable adults who lack the capacity to consent to marriage, coercion is not required for a marriage to be forced. 

Guidance Document: 

• Forced Marriage 

• The right to choose: government guidance on forced marriage  

Mental Health  

All staff have an important role to play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our pupils and are aware that mental health problems can, in some cases, be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse, neglect or exploitation. We have clear systems and processes in place for identifying possible mental health problems, including routes to escalate and clear referral and accountability systems.  

Visionary Individual Pathways (VIP) employs emotional coaches who use a range of activities to support children including emotional coaching through sports and Arts.  

Only appropriately trained professionals will attempt to make a diagnosis of a mental health problem. Education staff, however, are well placed to observe children day-to-day and identify those whose behaviour suggests that they may be experiencing a mental health problem or be at risk of developing one. 

Where children have suffered abuse and neglect, or other potentially traumatic Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), this can have a lasting impact throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. It is key that staff are aware of how these children’s experiences, can impact on their mental health, behaviour, and education. 

Guidance and helpful documents: – 

• Addressing Trauma and Adversity  
• Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools Guidance.  
• Preventing and tackling bullying  
• Every Interaction Matters  
• MIND-Parenting Capacity and Mental Health 

• NSPCC-Mental Health and Parenting 
• SSCB-Children & Young People who Self Harm or Disclose an Intent to Die by Suicide 
• Staffordshire County Council Resource Bank (sent out at least annually) 

If staff have a mental health concern about a child that is also a safeguarding concern, immediate action should be taken, following their child protection policy, and by speaking to the designated safeguarding lead or a deputy. 

Online Safety  

The use of technology has become a significant component of many safeguarding issues. Child Criminal Exploitation, Child Sexual Exploitation, radicalisation, sexual predation, and technology often provides the platform that facilitates harm.  

At Visionary Individual Pathways (VIP) we realise that it is essential for our children to be safeguarded from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material. We have an effective whole school/college approach to online safety which empowers us to protect and educate pupils, students, and staff in their use of technology and establishes mechanisms for us to identify, intervene in, and escalate any concerns where appropriate.  

The breadth of issues classified within online safety is considerable, but can be categorised into four areas of risk:  

• Content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate, or harmful content, for example: pornography, fake news, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, anti-Semitism, radicalisation, and extremism. 

• Contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users; for example: peer to peer pressure, commercial advertising and adults posing as children or young adults with the intention to groom or exploit them for sexual, criminal, financial or other purposes. 
• Conduct: personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm; for example, making, sending and receiving explicit images (e.g. consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi-nudes and/or pornography, sharing other explicit images and online bullying; and  
• Commerce: risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing and or financial scams. If you feel your pupils, students or staff are at risk, please report it to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (https://apwg.org/).  

We ensure that online safety is a running and interrelated theme whilst devising and implementing policies and procedures. We consider online safety in other relevant policies, when planning curriculum, teacher training, the role and responsibilities of the DSL and parental engagement. We have filters and monitoring systems in place, and these are regulated, and risk assessed as part of the prevent duty. 

We have an online safety policy which identifies the usage and expected behaviour of children/students. As a company we appreciate the value of technology and that appropriate filters are in place, yet this does not lead to unreasonable restrictions which would limit online teaching and safeguarding. 

Education at home/Remote learning: – Where children are being asked to learn online at home, our school will refer to and use the links and resources provided by the DfE; Safeguarding in schools, colleges and other providers and safeguarding in remote education.  

Guidance Documents: 

• Children’s Commissioner-Online Safety 
• Teaching online safety in education settings 
• Appropriate Filtering and Monitoring  
• CEOP-Safety Centre  

• National Cyber Security Centre 
• NSPCC-Undertaking remote teaching safely 
• 360 Degree Safe – Online Safety Review Tool  
• UKCCIS-UK Council for Child Internet Safety 

Private Fostering  

A private fostering arrangement is one that is made privately (without the involvement of a local authority) for the care of a child under the age of 16 (under 18, if disabled) by someone other than a parent or immediate relative.  If the arrangement is to last, or has lasted, for 28 days or more, it is categorised as private fostering.  

Close relatives are defined as a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, or aunt (whether of full blood or half blood or by marriage or civil partnership), or a stepparent.  

People become involved in private fostering for all kinds of reasons.  Examples of private fostering include: 

• Children who need alternative care because of parental illness. 
• Children whose parents cannot care for them because their work or study involves long or antisocial hours. 
• Children sent from abroad to stay with another family, usually to improve their educational opportunities.  
• Unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children.  

• Teenagers who stay with friends (or other non-relatives) because they have fallen out with their parents.  
• Children staying with families while attending a school away from their home area. 

Our staff at Visionary Individual Pathways (VIP) will notify the DSL/DDSL when they become aware of a private fostering arrangement. There is a mandatory duty on the school to inform Staffordshire Childrens Social Care of a private fostering arrangement by contacting (0800 1313126), who then have a duty to check that the young person is being properly cared for and that the arrangement is satisfactory.  

Guidance Document: 

• Children Act 1989 – Private Fostering 

Preventing Radicalisation 

Children are vulnerable to extremist ideology and radicalisation. Similar to protecting children from other forms of harms and abuse, protecting children from this risk should be a part of a schools’ or colleges’ safeguarding approach.  

• Extremism is the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. This also includes calling for the death of members of the armed forces.  
• Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies associated with terrorist groups.  
• Terrorism is 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. The use or threat must be designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public and is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, or ideological cause. 

At Visionary Individual Pathways (VIP) we value freedom of speech and the expression of beliefs and ideology as fundamental rights underpinning our society’s values. Pupils/students and school staff have the right to speak freely and voice their opinions. However, freedom comes with responsibility and free speech that is designed to manipulate the vulnerable or that leads to violence and harm of others goes against the moral principles in which freedom of speech is valued.  Free speech is not an unqualified privilege; it is subject to laws and policies governing equality, human rights, community safety and community cohesion.  

There is no single way of identifying whether a child is likely to be susceptible to an extremist ideology. Background factors combined with specific influences such as family and friends may contribute to a child’s vulnerability. Similarly, radicalisation can occur through many different methods (such as social media or the internet) and settings (such as within the home). 

The normalisation of extreme views may also make children and young people vulnerable to future manipulation and exploitation. Visionary Individual Pathways (VIP)is clear that this exploitation and radicalisation must be viewed as a safeguarding concern and that protecting children from the risk of radicalisation is part of the school’s safeguarding duty. 

The school’s or college’s designated safeguarding lead (and any deputies) should be aware of local procedures for making a Prevent referral. 

Definitions of radicalisation and extremism, and indicators of vulnerability to radicalisation are in Appendix 4. 

Prevent Duty and Channel 

Prevent 

The Director, Senior Leadership Team and the DSL will assess the level of risk within the school and put actions in place to reduce that risk.  Risk assessment may include consideration of the school’s RE curriculum, SEND policy, Assembly Policy, the use of school premises by external agencies, integration of students by gender and SEN, anti-bullying policy and other issues specific to the school’s profile, community and philosophy.  

All schools are subject to a duty to have “due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism” (section 26, Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015).  This is known as The Prevent Duty and is part of our wider safeguarding obligations.  

Designated safeguarding leads and other senior leaders familiarise themselves with the revised Prevent duty guidance: for England and Wales, especially paragraphs 57-76, which are specifically concerned with schools (and covers childcare). We follow the guidance in terms of four general themes: risk assessment, working in partnership, staff training, and IT policies. 

Our company has a Prevent Single Point of Contact (SPOC) who is the lead within the organisation for safeguarding in relation to protecting individuals from radicalisation and involvement in terrorism: this will normally be the DSL.  

The SPOC for our company is Peter Hogg  

Our company will monitor online activity within the provision to ensure that inappropriate sites are not accessed by students or staff.  

Channel 

Channel is a multi-agency approach to provide support to individuals who are at risk of being drawn into terrorist related activity. It is led by the Staffordshire Police Counter-Terrorism Unit, and it aims to: 

• Establish an effective multi-agency referral and intervention process to identify vulnerable individuals. 
• Safeguard individuals who might be vulnerable to being radicalised, so that they are not at risk of being drawn into terrorist-related activity; and 
• Provide early intervention to protect and divert people away from the risks they face and reduce vulnerability. 
• The Channel programme focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism.  It provides a mechanism for schools to make referrals if they are concerned that an individual might be vulnerable to radicalisation.  An individual’s participation in the programme is entirely voluntary at all stages. 
• Schools have a duty to cooperate with the Channel programme in the carrying out of its functions, and with the Police in providing information about an individual who is referred to Channel (Section 38, Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015). 

Guidance Documents: 

• The Prevent Duty. 
• Educate Against Hate 
• ACT Early | Prevent radicalisation 

Serious Violence 

All staff should be aware of the indicators, which may signal children are at risk from, or are involved with serious violent crime. These may include increased absence from school, a change in friendships or relationships with older individuals or groups, a significant decline in performance, signs of self-harm or a significant change in wellbeing, or signs of assault or unexplained injuries. Unexplained gifts or new possessions could also indicate that children have been approached by, or are involved with, individuals associated with criminal networks or gangs and may be at risk of criminal exploitation. All staff should be aware of the range of risk factors which increase the likelihood of involvement in serious violence, such as being male, having been frequently absent or permanently excluded from school, having experienced child maltreatment and having been involved in offending, such as theft or robbery.  

Guidance documents: 

• Home Office Preventing Youth Violence and Gang Involvement 
• Criminal Exploitation of Children and Vulnerable Adults; County Lines