Safeguarding

This DFE document places the following statutory duties on all schools:

• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers has a role to play in safeguarding children. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all professionals should make sure their approach is child-centred. This means that they should consider, at all times the best interests of the child.
• Schools should be aware of and follow the procedures issued by Bury Intergrated Safegarding Partnership (BISP).
• Staff should be vigilant to signs of abuse and to whom they should report concerns to.
• Schools should have procedures in place which are disseminated to all staff for handling suspected or actual cases of abuse of pupils, including procedures to be followed in case of allegations against persons in a position of trust.
• Every school should have a designated senior person who is a member of the senior management team as the person responsible for coordinating safeguarding/child protection work within the school and with other agencies.
• Staff at all levels should receive training to raise their awareness of signs and symptoms of suspected or actual abuse at least every three years.
• All schools should share information and work in partnership with other agencies where there are concerns about a child’s welfare.
• Children included everyone under the age of 18.
• No single professional can have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances. If children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking action.

The full document is available to download with the links below.

Bury Encompass

The purpose of Bury Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been exposed to Domestic abuse. This abuse impacts on children in a number of ways. Children are at increased risk of physical injury during an incident, either by accident or because they attempt to intervene. Even when not directly injured, children are greatly distressed by witnessing the physical and emotional suffering of a parent.

Encompass has been created to address this situation. It is the implementation of key partnership working between the police and schools. The aim of sharing information with local schools is to allow ‘Key Adults’ the opportunity of engaging with the child and to provide access to support that allows them to remain in a safe but secure familiar environment.

Following the report of an incident of domestic abuse, by 9.00am on the next school day the school’s Key Adult will be informed that the child or young person has been involved in a domestic incident. This knowledge, given to schools through Operation Encompass, allows the provision of immediate early intervention through silent or overt support dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.

The purpose and procedures in Operation Encompass have been shared with all parents and governors in a letter which can be downloaded on this page and is detailed as part of the schools Safeguarding Policy and in our Encompass Commitment which can also be downloaded on this page.

At Unsworth Primary School, we understand just how complicated family life can be and that there may be situations where you need extra help and support. If you need to share information or have a difficult situation you need to make us aware of we will always find the time to listen. Please come and talk to us.

Our Early Help Offer includes:

• Taking the time to listen to both children’s concerns and parents/carer concerns.
• Class teachers and teaching assistants are usually the first people to notice if a child is worried or who a child wishes to confide in. They will provide pastoral support following the advise from the Leadership Team.
• There is a whole school ‘Worry Box’ so children can self-refer confidentially.
• Our Parent Support Advisor, Mrs Channon, provides pastoral support in school through our Therapeutic Inclusion space called "The Snug". A leaflet about The Snug can be downloaded on the links below.
• Mrs Channon also liaises with the Local Authority Early Help Team when external agency involvement is needed.
• Our Early Help Advisor can come into school to meet with parents and school staff as part of "The Story So Far" which is a plan to support families.
• We have a school nurse linked to Unsworth. You can speak directly with the school nurse team or we can refer you as a school.
• There are also agencies which you can contact independently should you wish to do so which school can provide links to, who might be able to help and provide the support for your family or school can make contact on your behalf. 

Other Sources of Support include

• Early Break
• Bury Early Help Team
• Bury School Nursing Service