Oakhill Primary Academy

We have a responsibility to ensure that children are safe and that any concerns that we have in relation to child protection will be dealt with swiftly, in line with our child protection procedures.

Children are taught specific issues relating to safeguarding such as; road safety, stranger danger and e-safety.

All staff and members of the Governing Body receive Safeguarding training on a regular basis. Members of the Senior Leadership Team and the Parent Support Advisor regularly attend additional training run by Barnsley Safeguarding Team to ensure that we remain fully briefed on Child Protection matters.

Our Designated Lead Officers for Child Protection are:
Lisa McCarthy - Safeguarding Lead
Georgina Stevenson - Safeguarding Lead
Paula Edwards  - Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Jenny Wattam - Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Joanne Gibbons - Deputy Safeguarding Lead

Staying Safe Online 
This section is designed to give advice to parents and carers on helping your child stay safe online. At Oakhill we are committed to protecting our children, both in and out of school. It is important that we educate the children about how to stay safe in all environments including when they are online using the internet.

What can you do as a parent or carer to keep your child safe online?
Helping your child to stay safe online is just an extension of parenting in the real world. You need to understand what your child is doing and what the risks are so you can help them navigate a safe path through the virtual world. Here are some top tips from the excellent ThinkUKnow website created by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP)
 

• Be involved in your child’s online life. For many of today’s young people there is no line between the online and offline worlds. Young people use the internet to socialise and grow and, just as you guide and support them offline, you should be there for them online too. Talk to them about what they’re doing, if they know you understand they are more likely to approach you if they need support.
• Watch Thinkuknow films to learn more. The Thinkuknow programme has films and advice for children from five all the way to 16. Your child may have seen these at school, but they can also be a good tool for you to find out more about what young people do online and some of the potential risks.
• Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online. Be inquisitive and interested in the new gadgets and sites that your child is using. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.
• Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to continue to discuss boundaries so that they evolve as your child’s use of technology does.
• Know what connects to the internet and how. Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Your child will use all sorts of devices and gadgets; make sure you’re aware of which ones can connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection or a neighbour’s Wifi? This will affect whether your safety settings are being applied.
• Consider the use of parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly.
• Emphasise that not everyone is who they say they are. Make sure your child knows never to meet up with someone they only know online. People might not always be who they say they are. Make sure your child understands that they should never meet up with anyone they only know online without taking a trusted adult with them.
• Know what to do if something goes wrong. Just as in the offline world, you want to help your child when they need it. Therefore, it is important to know when and how to report any problem.

 Know IT All for Parents
 An interactive guide to help you keep up to date with technology and how to keep children safe online. Created by Childnet International

ThinkUKnow – 11-16 site
Why not explore this site with your child? Watch the videos together and discuss them.

UK Safer Inernet Centre – Parents and carers
Detailed guidance on
• how to set up parental controls offered by internet providers
• parents’ guide to technology
• advice and resources

Prevent Duty
Since 2015 schools and other agencies have had a duty under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to have ‘due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’ This duty is known as the ‘Prevent Duty’.

The government have provided a document to support schools: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance
A useful website which we use to help teach children and where parents can find out more information can be found at: https://educateagainsthate.com/

Private Fostering
A privately fostered child is a child under 16 (or 18 if Disabled) who is cared for by an adult who is not a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, step parent (including civil partnerships), sister or brother where the child is to be cared for in that person’s home for 28 days or more.

A child who is in Care or placed in any residential home, hospital or school (where they are receiving full-time education) is excluded from the definition. In a private fostering arrangement, the parent retains Parental Responsibility.

However, Children under 16 who spend more than 2 weeks in residence during holiday time in a school, become privately fostered children for the purposes of the legislation during that holiday period.
 
Useful links
www.childline.org.uk
www.nspcc.org.uk
paceuk.info/about-cse/
https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-is-county-lines

If you have any concerns regarding Child Protection or Safeguarding matters please do not hesitate to contact the school office in person or by telephone  01226 284493 and ask to speak with the Designated Safeguarding Officer. You can, of course, raise a concern with any member of the school staff team who will liaise with designated staff on your behalf.