Child Protection and Safeguarding: COVID-19 addendum

 

Important contacts

 

We fully understand parents and carers concerns for their children during this challenging time,  we would like to reassure families that the school’s Safeguarding Team is checking the government guidance and is following all recommendations.  Although we are operating in a different way to normal, we are still following these important safeguarding principles. Our normal child protection policy continues to apply.

 

This addendum applies during the period of school closure, for the majority of pupils.  We will still have regard to the statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education. It sets out changes to our normal child protection policy in light of the Department for Education’s guidance Coronavirus: safeguarding in schools, colleges and other providers, and should be read in conjunction with that policy.

 

The Department for Education’s (DfE’s) definition of ‘vulnerable children’ includes those who:

• Have a social worker
• Have a child protection plan
• Assessed as being in need
• Looked after by the local authority
• Have an education, health and care (EHC) plan

 

In accordance with Government and Local authority guidelines, the school’s safeguarding team are in contact with vulnerable families on a weekly basis, ensuring care and support is continuing during this time.  They are also liaising with outside agencies to continue integrated working practices. Families who are vulnerable are also visited by the team and referral to the social care team may be made, should any pressing concerns arise.

 

Child protection meetings will continue to take place via conference calls, Skype and other means. All records will be logged under normal arrangements. Inclusion team will continue to update SLT with regular information re vulnerable families.

 

Fortnightly (or as needed) visits will take place with the children who are in the Deaf Provision.

 

Reporting concerns

Should a member of the Whitehall community have a concern regarding a child in school or a child at home they should email their concern to the member of SLT in school that day or email the concern to the Designated Safeguarding Lead:  Julia.fancett@whitehall.waltham.sch.uk

We aim to have a trained DSL or deputy DSL on site wherever possible. Details of all important contacts are listed in the ‘Important contacts’ section at the start of this addendum.

 

Our processes for staff to report concerns about staff and volunteers who may pose a safeguarding risk remain the same.

 

Children who may be deemed vulnerable, but who do not meant the current criteria under the guidance, can still be flagged to the school through the same processes outlined in the main body of our policy. Anycomms, an information sharing database with in Waltham Forest, is also used to share concerns re families who may have social care involvement that has not been flagged up by the Inclusion team. These concerns are then followed up by the DSL and deputy DSL.  The Anycomms and DfE daily register is submitted everyday by a member of SLT and the Inclusion Team.