Parent Guidance

Visitors

At Duston Eldean Primary School, we have produced a leaflet which is specifically aimed at adults (volunteers/visitors) as it provides essential information on key policy and procedure.

Domestic abuse

Domestic abuse has often been referred to as domestic violence however abuse can come in many different forms and a person does not necessarily have to be physically injured to be a victim. Domestic abuse is defined as:

"Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, 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.  The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to:

• Psychological - constantly telling someone they are worthless and so reducing their self esteem and confidence.
• Physical - being hit.
• Sexual - rape or degrading treatment.
• Financial - having money withheld or being forbidden from getting a job.
• Emotional - telling a person their children will be taken from them if they leave.
• Social - not being allowed to see friends and family or go out.

Abuse can also take other forms and no two people's experiences of domestic abuse will be the same. Domestic abuse doesn't have to happen every day to dominate your life.

If you require support to access help, please contact a member our safeguarding team:

• Cathy Moore
• Andy Stevenson
• Emma Bateman

Below is a link to a range of support services available:

https://www.northants.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/

A domestic abuse notification scheme exists in Northamptonshire run by the Educational Inclusion and Partnership Team (EIPT) in partnership with the police. This means that we receive 'Domestic Abuse Notifications' via a secure email system when an incident has occurred within one of our families.

This information will only be shared with relevant staff who will jointly assess what type of support (silent or overt) needs to be offered to the affected child.

Some examples of the support offered:

• mentoring or someone to talk to
• checking on well being
• offering ‘quiet time’
• discussion with school nurse
• referrals to Social Care  
• ‘keeping an eye’ on the individual
• initiating an Early Help Assessment
• making a referral for specialist support
• discussing with social worker if social care already involved

 Prevent

The purpose of Prevent is to safeguard vulnerable people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism, by engaging with people who are vulnerable to radicalisation and protecting those who are being targeted by terrorist recruiters.

Our school has a duty of care to protect our pupils from being drawn into terrorism. We ensure that children are engaged in discussions to encourage, acknowledge and appreciate diversity and difference.

What are the signs?

• Overly sensitive about online viewing.
• Feeling isolated or expressions of “us and them” mentality.
• Becoming more argumentative or domineering in their viewpoint – quick to condemn those who disagree with their opinions.
• Downloading extremism content.
• Social isolation – especially if they had been social previously.
• Abnormal routines or travel patterns.
• Altered appearance.

What to do if you have a concern

If a member of staff has a concern about a particular individual, they will follow safeguarding procedures.

If a parent has concerns about a particular individual, they should contact the police. Details about Prevent and reporting concerns can be found on the following link.

https://www.northants.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/t/prevent/prevent/

County Lines

County lines is the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups use phone lines to move and supply drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas.

They exploit vulnerable people, including children and those with mental health or addiction issues, by recruiting them to distribute the drugs, often referred to as ‘drug running’.

County lines is a problem in Northamptonshire. There are several signs to look out for that may indicate someone is involved in county lines:

• repeatedly going missing from school or home and being found in other areas
• having money, new clothes or electronic devices and they can't explain how they paid for them
• getting high numbers of texts or phone calls, being secretive about who they're speaking to
• decline in school or work performance
• significant changes in emotional or physical well-being

Further information about how to report concerns can be found on the link below and in the following attachments.

https://www.northants.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/cl/county-lines/

Further Information

Below are a series of website links where information and support can be found on a range of safeguarding issues.

Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Partnership: http://www.northamptonshirescb.org.uk/parents-carers/

Child Sexual Exploitation: https://www.northants.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/child-sexual-exploitation/

Northamptonshire Police Advice and Information:

https://www.northants.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/

NSPCC website: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

Childline: https://www.childline.org.uk/

Women’s Aid: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/

Children Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP): https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/

Mental Health Parent Guides: - https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/downloads

Downloadable documents: