Safeguarding Information
At Putteridge High school we put Safeguarding at the forefront of everything we do with the safety and protection of our students being our primary focus on a day to day basis. We endeavour to create a culture which is conducive to mutual respect between people regardless of gender, race, sexuality or any other perceived ‘difference’. We are constantly and continually striving to reinforce a culture which is inclusive, kind and displays a mutual respect for all.
Safeguarding Team
Our school policy for Safeguarding including Child Protection can be found by clicking here.
As a school we ensure that we are compliant with all legislative and statutory guidance, most notably:
Should you have concerns about the safety of a student or any general safeguarding matters please contact our safeguarding team on safeguarding@putteridgehigh.org.
Our Safeguarding Governor is Peter Shawley, if you would like to contact him about any areas of Safegaurding within the school, please do so by contacting the Head's PA - apitchford@putteridgehigh.org
To view our school Behaviour policy and procedure please click here.
To view our Child on Child Abuse Policy please click here.
Safeguarding Newsletter
safeguarding newsletter may 24.pdf
Student Awareness
Our RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) curriculum, assembly and form time learning programme robustly covers the required topics to help support our students in being able to understand and identify the nature of a variety of safeguarding topics. We also use professional outside agencies who we work with regularly to support and educate those in need via year group assemblies and smaller intervention groups.
It is important to remember that parents/carers are key figures in helping their children cope with the physical and emotional aspects of growing up. Our teaching should be complementary and supportive of the role of the parents/carers of our students. However, should you have any safeguarding concerns we request that you contact our safeguarding team.
Staff Training
All staff receive regular updated training throughout the year planned in advance through our annual Putteridge High School Safeguarding Training Pathway.
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Our senior Safeguarding team have all completed ‘Safeguarding for Designated Staff training’, which is renewed every two years.
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Annual safeguarding foundation and PREVENT training for all staff.
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Induction sessions for new staff
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Annual refreshers on contextual issues
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Training about specific topics on Professional Development Days
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Regular updates in staff briefings/newsletters.
To view our Code of Conduct please click here.
Operation Encompass
Domestic Abuse Notification
Domestic abuse is often a hidden crime that is not reported to the police. Therefore, data held by the police can only provide a partial picture of the actual level of domestic abuse experienced. Many cases will not enter the criminal justice process as they are not reported to the police.
At Putteridge High School, we are working in partnership with Luton Borough Council and Bedfordshire Police to identify and provide support to pupils who have experienced domestic abuse in their home. Nationally this scheme is called Operation Encompass. On receipt of any information from the Police, the designated safeguard lead will decide on the appropriate support the child needs, this could be silent or overt.
If you yourself are a victim of domestic abuse or are concerned about someone who is, please contact the Police or use these details below:
Useful contact numbers:
0300 300 8585 - Ask for the Freedom programme
Useful websites:
https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/gender-violence/domestic-violence-and-abuse-getting-help/
https://www.refuge.org.uk/get-help-now/phone-the-helpline/
Missing Person Notification
Operation Encompass is the reporting tool sending the relevant information to schools, before midday of the next school day when a child or young person has been reported missing to the police, whether that is by yourself or respective guardian.
This will enable Putteridge High School (as professional safeguarding partner) to be made aware of the missing incident and be in a position to support the child should they still make their way into school. As a professional partner Putteridge High School are also able to complete a ‘safeguarding check’ on the child.
Online Safety
National Online Safety Certified School
putteridge high school certified school certificate 2022 2023.pdf
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) helps children stay safe online. CEOP is a place where you can report any inappropriate or potentially illegal activity with or towards a child online. This might be a conversation with someone online who you think may be an adult, and is treating a child in a way which makes you feel uncomfortable, or you think may be trying to meet them for sex.
Some examples of the reports that might be made to CEOP:
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Someone online asked me to send a nude image
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I shared a nude image with someone online and now they threatening me
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Someone online kept asking me to meet them face-to-face, and I didn’t want to
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Someone online was talking to me about sex and making me feel uncomfortable
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Someone online put pressure on me to do things I didn’t want to do
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Someone I met online was sending me pornography and making me feel uncomfortable
You can report any concerns to CEOP directly click on the image below.
Thinkuknow is the education programme from NCA (National Crime Agency) -CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection), a UK organisation which protects children both online and offline. Please click on the www.thinkuknow.co.uk to access further information for families
The school has recently enhanced its digital monitoring systems by investing in Smoothwall, a firewall that provides premium online safeguarding support. Smoothwall alerts senior members of the Safeguard team to inappropriate school internet/ICT network and equipment usage. These members of staff will then contact parents/carers to raise this issue and offer further advice, support and guidance.
Please see below further online safety videos delivered by Mr Heath;
Video - Online Friendships
Video - Social Networking
Video - Online Safety/Sharing inappropriate images
Peer-on-peer child sexual exploitation
//www.youtube.com/embed/qrLeH9EAolk
Working with others
As a school, we are committed to working with other agencies where appropriate, in order to safeguard young people.
This includes working closely with:
Luton Directory
Luton All Women Centre
Luton All Women’s Centre (LAWC) has been supporting women and girls living in Luton and Bedfordshire since the early 1990s. Offering a wide-range of advisory, information, practical and holistic support services, our aim is to challenge gender inequality and empower women and girls to enjoy lives that are safer, healthier and fairer.
Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
Protecting vulnerable children is everyone’s business, and we all need to be alert, to know what to look out for and where to go for advice, as well as having the confidence to report any acts of abuse safely in the knowledge that they will be acted on.
If you are concerned about the welfare of a child (0 to 18 years old) please call the MASH on 01582 547653.
The number to call for out of normal working hours emergencies is 0300 300 8123
Who to contact
Telephone
01582 547653
Out of hours: 0300 300 8123
E-mail: mash@luton.gcsx.gov.uk
Bedfordshire Police
Our staff, our officers and our army of volunteers and Specials work extremely hard day in and day out to keep Bedfordshire safe, and as we face increasing demands from the emerging threats of complex crimes such as CSE and Cyber Crime at a time when budgets are reducing, policing has never faced such challenges. This is why we must work smarter. Having a clear understanding of force operational and strategic priorities will help us to do that and will support delivery of an effective and efficient police service.
Bedfordshire's Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU)
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
CAMHS provides outpatient assessments, support and treatment for children and young people up to the age of 18 experiencing moderate to severe mental health problems.
CHUMS
Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing Service for Children and Young People provides therapeutic support in a variety of ways. Its unique service model ensures that they support your whole family wherever possible. CHUMS recognise that parents and carers sometimes need some help too in supporting their children when there is a mental health or emotional wellbeing difficulty. All the group programmes offer a facilitated parent/carer group alongside the children and young people’s groups.
Luton Family Partnership Service
Children and family services
The Family Partnership service provides intensive support to our vulnerable children, young people and their families and believe that children belong in natural networks with people they know and who will love them and keep them safe. We expect all practitioners and managers to prioritise this value, and to help children have safe permanent relationships as a basic entitlement.
What services will be available?
The integrated family partnership service will offer support in two ways either by directly working with a family or family member on a one to one basis, at one of the hubs or within the family home or through group sessions.
Luton Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB)
We hope you will find the site a useful resource both in understanding the purpose of the Luton Safeguarding Children Board, its structure and membership, as well as a user friendly tool to safeguard children and young people.
A key objective for the LSCB is to promote the message that ‘Safeguarding Children is everybody’s responsibility’ and therefore this site is aimed, not only at professionals but the wider public including parents/carers and young people themselves.
SAFEN3T
SafeN3t originated from a genuine passion to raise awareness and share valuable information with people about cyber safety and online radicalisation. Our mission with Safen3t is twofold:
To bridge the information gap we believe exists in the knowledge some of us hold regarding online behaviour and Social Media use
To create a safe space for young people to improve their awareness of online risk
Safen3t’s research found that often, there is a disturbing ease of access for young people to shocking material and images of all kinds, with more children and vulnerable adults being exploited. We work alongside them to develop the awareness of online dangers with our students.
PREVENT Team
Prevent is a government strategy said to be aimed at stopping people being drawn into terrorism. It is part of an over-arching counter-terrorism strategy called Contest?. Like the rest of Contest, Prevent is closely linked to foreign policy and military strategy. Prevent is not about catching terrorists, it is about identifying people who may be at risk of radicalisation, and supporting them to change direction in a way that will help them. There are a very small number of people who support terrorist activity, or are likely to. For further information please visit:
School Nursing Team
The school nursing team lead and deliver the Healthy Child Programme for school-aged children and young people. The team works in partnership with school-aged children, young people and their families to address health needs and to promote health and wellbeing with a focus on early help and support. The service provides a variety of services such as health promotion/education, delivering training within schools, carrying out developmental screening, undertaking health interviews and immunisation programmes. Each primary and secondary school has a named School Nurse who is supported by their team to promote health and emotional wellbeing in schools and in the community.
Youthscape
Youthscape’s approach in Luton involves delivering mentoring and therapeutic group work, specific courses, projects, art installations, alternative qualifications and detached work, a regular drop-in cafe, residentials and Summer Camp. Each year Youthscape work in depth with over 400 of Luton's most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people, and more widely with a further 8,000.
Additionally they work with young people who are in care or leaving care, those who are disengaging with the education system and who are at risk of becoming NEET, or those who are struggling with a range of social and emotional issues.
ResoLUTiONs
ResoLUTiONs is a free and confidential drug and alcohol service for adults, young people and families in Luton. If you have concerns about drugs and alcohol ResoLUTions can help they have two main hubs across Luton, however they work from a range of other locations such as pharmacies and community centres.
Level Trust
Helping families overcome the costs of education so all children in Luton have the chance to love learning.
Luton Sexual Health
Luton Sexual Health can advise about all matters of sexual health issues and provide more information. Contact us or find out our opening hours
Luton Sexual Health is based at: 1st Floor Arndale House, The Mall, Luton, LU1 2LJ
To book an appointment, or for general enquiries: 01582 497070
To contact the Outreach Education Team please call 01582 718715 or email us.
For any contact concerning vulnerable clients please call the Health Advisors on 01582 718959
Social Media - Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Inst
Luton Food Bank
Luton Food Bank aims to eradicate food poverty in Luton.
For more information please see their website:
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has a comprehensive website for all aspects of safeguarding. The answers to most questions and concerns can be found on this site.
On 1st April 2021 the NSPCC helpline was launched for children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse at school and for parents/professionals who want guidance around this issue. To speak to someone about this you can contact the NSPCC on 0800 136 663 (Monday – Fri 8am-10pm) and Weekend (9am-6pm) or email help@nspcc.org.uk
The link below has some more information on it.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/news-opinion/2021/sexual-abuse-victims-schools-helpline/
Contact the NSPCC helpline
If you're worried about a child, even if you're unsure, contact our professional counsellors for help, advice and support.
Call us or email help@nspcc.org.uk or 0808 800 5000
18 or under?
Childline offers free, confidential advice and support whatever your worry, whenever you need help. Call 0800 1111
NSPCC Report Remove
Having a sexual image or video of themselves shared online can be a distressing situation for a young person, and we understand it can be difficult to know what to do to support them. Any young person under 18 can now use Report Remove, allowing young people to report an image or video shared online to see if it can be taken down. Once the report has been made, it keeps the young person informed at each stage, and provides further support where necessary.
Please click on the image below to watch the 'Report Remove' video from childline.
Please also see below a list of useful contacts for some of the agencies we use in the local community.
Video - Peer on Peer Abuse
Free Parenting Course - the Solihull Approach
Emotional Support
Total wellbeing- Families can submit a self referral for emotional support during difficult times.
Financial Advice/Housing/Temporary Accommodation/Childcare/
Apply to Luton Household support fund for help with supermarket food vouchers and gas/electric top ups.
Consider applying for discretionary housing payment to help with shortfall in current rent / council tax arrears.
Families Information Service- check eligibility for 30hrs funded childcare.
Apply for 30hrs free childcare.
Seek legal advice from Citizens advice regarding council tax arrears.
Luton Rights can support with checking benefit entitlements.
If placed in temporary accommodation more than 3 miles away from the school you can apply for help towards transport/ travel costs.
Support for parents of children with additional needs
Contact charity- for parents of children with additional needs. Apply for DLA and carers allowance. See Contact website for tips on applying. Contact also has a listening ear parent support service and information for parents on ADHD.
ADHD resources for families.
Support groups for parents with children with ADHD.
TOKKO/Holiday Club/Children's Activities
Tokko youth centre
Fun Fest- School holiday club
Childrens activities for 3-16yrs
