Safeguarding

Alice Ratherham is the Designated Safeguarding and Prevent Lead. You can contact her or a member of the safeguarding team via email safeguarding@harrislowewillesden.org.uk by calling the school directly on 020 8838 8700.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger you should phone the police. Call 999.

Every child and young person has a right to be safe. Safeguarding means keeping our pupils safe from any type of harm or neglect.

It is important that all safeguarding concerns are reported to the safeguarding team as soon as possible, this can be done by:

• speaking directly to a member of the safeguarding team;
• speaking to a member of staff, who will pass on the concern to the safeguarding team;
• emailing the safeguarding team (safeguarding@harrislowewillesden.org.uk
• Calling the school and speaking to a member of the safeguarding team on 02088388700;

The Sharp system

The SHARP system also allows anonymous concerns to be reported to the safeguarding team. Be aware that this system will not be monitored 24 hours a day and we will not be able to respond directly to submissions.

Click HERE to visit the SHARP system.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger you should phone the police. Call 999.

Child abuse can take different forms and includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and neglect. You can read more about the different types of child abuse and how to spot the signs, on the NSPCC website.

If you have a Safeguarding or Child Protection Concern, please contact the safeguarding team (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub-MASH) of the borough the child resides in:

Westminster:

• 0207 647 4000
• accesstochildrenservices@wesminster.gov.uk

Camden:

• 0207 937 3317
• LBCMASHadmin@camden.gov.uk

Hammersmith & Fulham:

• 0208 753 6600
• familyservices@lbhf.gov.uk

Brent:

• 0208 937 4300 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
• 0208 8863 5250 (out of office hours)
• brent.gov.uk/children-young-people-and-families/keeping-children-safe#Reportchildabuse

Additional advice can be found at:

Childline: free confidential advice and support, whatever your worry, for children aged 18 or under: 0800 1111.

NSPCC general helpline: if you’re worried about a child, even if you’re unsure, contact an NSPCC counsellor for help, advice and support: 0808 800 5000.

NSPCC helpline for both children and adults who are victims of sexual abuse in schools. This includes how to contact the police and report crimes if they wish: 0800 136 663.

Children can also abuse other children (often referred to as child-on-child abuse), and it can happen both inside and outside of school or college and online.

Child-on-child abuse is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:

• bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying)
• abuse in intimate personal relationships between children (sometimes known as ‘teenage relationship abuse’)
• physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm
• sexual violence such as rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault
• sexual harassment such as sexual comments, remarks, jokes and online sexual harassment, which may be standalone or part of a broader pattern of abuse
• causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party
• consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi-nude images and/or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery)
• upskirting which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without their permission, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress, or alarm, and
• initiation/hazing type violence and rituals (this could include activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group and may also include an online element).

It is important that all incidences of child-on-child abuse are reported to the safeguarding team as soon as possible. This can be done by:

• speaking directly to a member of the safeguarding team;
• speaking to a member of staff, who will pass on the concern to the safeguarding team;
• emailing the safeguarding team (safeguarding@harrislowewillesden.org.uk);
• Calling the school and speaking to a member of the safeguarding team on 02088388700.

The SHARP system also allows anonymous concerns to be reported to the safeguarding team. Be aware that this system will not be monitored 24 hours a day and we will not be able to respond directly to submissions. Click HERE to visit the SHARP system.

Our Anti-Bullying Policy can be downloaded from the Student Welfare page.

Child abuse can take different forms and includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and neglect. You can read more about the different types of child abuse and how to spot the signs, on the NSPCC website.

The Brent Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) is responsible for overseeing the management of all allegations against people who work in a position of trust who have deemed to have abused their trust when working with children in the Brent area.

Click HERE for details of how to contact the Brent LADO.

An allegation of abuse can be made against any staff member at any time in that they may have

• Behaved in a way that has hurt or harmed a child, or may have hurt or harmed a child
• Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child
• Behaved in a way that indicates they may unsuitable to work with children

Brent Local Authority fulfils the national expectation to have a Designated Officer in place with specific responsibility for:

• being involved in the management and oversight of individual cases
• providing advice and guidance to employers and voluntary organisations
• liaising with all relevant agencies to support the overall management of the allegations process
• monitoring the progress of cases to ensure that they are dealt with as quickly as possible, consistent with a thorough and fair process

It is for this purpose that the process below has been established and must be followed when there is an allegation or concern raised about any person who works with children, in connection with his/her employment or voluntary activity.

Safer Schools Officer – PC Weedon, gary.m.weedon@met.police.uk.

The role of our Safer Schools Officer is largely focused on helping to keep the academy, its pupils, staff and visitors safe. This includes delivering sessions to students on safety, supporting with behaviour issues outside of the Academy, assisting staff in investigating incidents, responding to queries from students or parents/carers and supporting the safeguarding team.

Students should feel free to approach the Safer Schools Officer at any time should they wish to, for support or advice. By building positive, firm but fair relationships with students it is hoped that our Safer Schools Officer help to develop positive relationships between the metropolitan police and our community.

Our Safer Schools Officer can be contacted directly via email or through the safeguarding team (safeguarding@harrislowewillesden.org.uk).

Although the Academy teaches students e-safety, it is vital that parents are aware of the risks too, and what they can do to develop a culture of e-safety in the home.

The online world is becoming vaster with young people using social media sites and the Internet, to explore opportunities for learning and creativity. However, while the Internet is a great resource, as always, there are risks and dangers that every student should be aware of to help protect themselves and be safe online. 

The Academy teaches e-safety via our PSHE curriculum, but you may also find the wealth of additional information on the Think You Know website useful. This was created by the police for parents of children at secondary school. It contains useful information about what children are doing online:

• how to talk to children about what they are doing online
• what risks your child might face
• what tools are there to help them stay safe.

Although the Academy teaches students e-safety, it is vital that parents are aware of the risks too, and what they can do to develop a culture of e-safety in the home. Further guidance can be found below:

• Facebook - parents' guide
• Online grooming - the risks children face online

We know some parents feel confused by the Internet. It’s constantly changing, and it can be hard to keep up with the latest apps and trends.

NSPCC have put together a guide to reassure you, and give you the information and advice you’ll need to keep your child safe online. The Internet's an amazing place, so we want to help your child to get the most out of it, and to do that safely. The guidance is actually really simple - it’s all about talking to your child, getting the family involved. 

It's never easy to know how to keep our children safe when they aren't with us, and sometimes even when are, if we don't know what's happening on their devices. Who are they talking to, what are they doing, are they okay? If you need help to find some answers, the following link will provide a strong resource.

The Parent Safe website covers topics such as...

• Top tips for parents right now
• Safe settings, controls, and monitoring
• "What's that app anyway?"
• Talking to children about life online
• Appropriate levels and use of screentime
• And much more.

Monitoring online activity within the Academy

We monitor students' use of the internet by using filters and monitoring systems. Securus is monitoring software that can monitor a wide range of devices. It monitors against an inbuilt library of keywords and phrases organised into categories with each one given a default severity rating. 

The software programme monitors both online and offline material and recognises inappropriate or harmful content, words and phrases. A screen shot (known as a ‘capture’) plus other details is taken of every incident triggered, showing what was displayed at the time, who was involved and when the incident took place. This information is shared with the DSL, allowing Academy staff to implement further actions or interventions as required.

Gaming and the internet
Please see the following articles from thinkuknow:

1. A parent's guide to privacy settings
2. Gaming: what parents and carers need to know
3. What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

High and low risk apps

Click HERE for guidance on high and low risk apps you should be aware of.

As we start to move towards exam season, Young Minds have launched advice for parents about supporting their children.

Tips include:

• Encourage your child to take revision breaks and find a balance between studying and doing things they find enjoyable and relaxing
• Make sure they are eating and drinking at regular intervals
• Reassure them – reinforce that you are and will be proud of them no matter what happens
• Remain positive and hopeful!
• Let them know their feelings are valid and normal, but also offer support and solutions where possible
• Anxiety is often worst at night and this means it is useful to encourage good bedtime routine

You can find more information by clicking here.

We ALL have Mental Health and, like our physical health, it is important that we take the time to 'check-in' with our emotional health to see how we are doing. Like everything in life, it is about striking a balance. Sometimes we need to spend more time bettering our sleeping hygiene or focusing on our eating habits, maybe we are studying too much and not giving enough time to relax or do calming activities.

At Harris Lowe Academy Willesden, there are many trusted adults that students can talk to about their mental health and wellbeing for advice. But also, as parents, we need to ensure that our mental health and wellbeing is positive too as we can't pour from an empty cup! 

At school we have PHSE classes and a Physical Education curriculum that gives focus on wellbeing issues, tailored for the different year groups. We have assemblies and sessions with talks about specific topics for example, how to cope with stress. In addition to this, we have extra-curriculum activities, trips and visits and overall it is reflected in the ethos of the school. Staff also have many training sessions on emerging mental health issues in the school and how to respond to them. We are always learning. 

A positive mindset will help us to engage in learning better which is why it is vital to dedicate time to our mental health and wellbeing. Students who are happier will learn better and achieve more. 

Please see some useful links and videos and if you have any concerns about your child, please get in touch. 

At Harris Lowe Academy Willesden our PREVENT duty means that our staff are trained to be able to identify students who may be vulnerable to radicalisation.

Protecting students at from the risk of radicalisation is seen by HLAW as part of our statutory safeguarding duty whether these the risk comes from within the family or are the product of outside influences.  Further details on PREVENT can be found in our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy or here in the Educate against Hate campaign.

We work closely with the counter-terrorism referral programme “Channel”. The programme uses a multi-agency approach to identify and provide support to individuals who are at risk of being drawn into terrorism by:

• identifying individuals at risk
• assessing the nature and extent of that risk                           
• developing the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned.

Radicalisation is the process someone goes through when they start to believe extremist ideas and develop support for terrorism. Many factors could lead to someone being radicalised and it is essential that support is provided as early as possible.

The process of radicalisation can happen incredibly and so we urge families to pick up the phone or go to the new website for advice as soon as they identify something may be wrong.

The new national Police Prevent Advice Line is 0800 011 3764 and it is staffed around the clock. You don’t have to provide you details or the details of who you are referring if you would prefer not to, although this information may help ensure appropriate support is provided.

The team’s role is to assess whether there is something to be concerned about and, if there is, how the young person can be supported. Sometimes it turns out there is nothing to be worried about, in which case they can provide the worried caller peace of mind. Other times there may not be a risk of radicalisation but they may identify a different safeguarding concern instead. In these cases, they will to ensure the individual gets offered the opportunity for the right support from the appropriate professionals.

Advice on radicalisation – including the signs to look for – can also be found on the new ACT Early website.

A gang can be summarised as a group who see themselves and are seen by others as a gang, and for whom crime and violence are a central part of their activities. Children and young people face all sorts of pressures, including possibly feeling pressure to follow friends who may be in a gang. If you have any concerns or questions about gangs please do contact a member of our safeguarding team (safeguarding@harrislowewillesden.org.uk ) You might also like to read the Home Office leaflet Gangs: You and Your Child. This gives advice to parents on gangs and how to help children make the right choices.

What is a Money Mule?

More young people across the UK are being approached by criminals who want to use their bank accounts or pin numbers for criminal purposes. This is called being a ‘money mule’. A ‘mule account’ is used to hide money that comes from illegal activities. The young person may be asked to transfer money, allow access to their account or open up a new one. Sometimes criminals will try and force young people to become mules or they might offer financial incentives such as cash or mobile phone credit.

We need your support to help educate young people around this issue. Has your child been approached or asked for their bank account to be used? Check any bank statements. Is there money going in and out that cannot be accounted for? Ask questions if you are unsure about anything.

Bank accounts are private and must only be used by the account holder.  Any misuse could not only be criminal but could cause serious credit issues for the account holder. Police are working in partnership with many schools across London to combat this issue. If you have any concerns, inform our safeguarding team (safeguarding@harrislowewillesden.org.uk) and/or Action Fraud  (www.actionfraud.police.uk) on 0300 123 2040.

The National Crime Agency, the UK body charged with fighting organised crime, is very concerned that crime gangs are taking over drug networks using telephone hotlines (called 'county lines) and recruiting vulnerable people, often children, to act as couriers and to sell drugs.

Cuckooing is the practice whereby professional drug dealers take over the property of a vulnerable person and use it as a place from which to run their drugs business. The NSPCC provides more information on county lines. If you have any concerns, please inform our safeguarding team (safeguarding@harrislowewillesden.org.uk).

We are an Operation Encompass School.

The school has been given the opportunity to take part in a project that will run jointly between schools and the Metropolitan Police. This is called Operation Encompass.

This means that if police are called out to a domestic abuse incident the school will be notified so that we can put in place support for the child. Operation Encompass has been designed to provide early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school but which might have an impact on a child attending school the following day. This information will be shared on school days during the school term. When incidents occur on a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday, the police will contact the relevant school the following Monday.

At the academy the information is only shared with the Designated and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads. They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that the school is able to support children and their families. Information will be shared where it is identified that a child or young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident.

We always endeavour to offer the best support possible to our pupils and believe that Operation Encompass is going to be beneficial and supportive for all concerned.

If you would like more information about this new initiative, details can be viewed online at www.operationencompass.org.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 200 million girls and women worldwide have been affected by female genital mutilation (FGM). An additional 3 million are at risk of FGM every year. FGM is mostly carried out on young girls under 16 years.

FGM is illegal in the Uk and the government states that there is no medical justification or health benefits. It has long term consequences for physical, sexual, and psychological health. Girls and women who have been affected may need referral to specialist services. It is also illegal to take girls who are UK nationals or UK residents abroad for FGM whether or not it is lawful in that country.

The UK government have produced a facts leaflet.

Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in the identification of FGM. If FGM is identified through the delivery of healthcare services, it is mandatory to record FGM in the patient’s healthcare record. If the affected individual is under the age of 18, it is also mandatory for all regulated health and care professionals in England and Wales to report to the police. In cases where the woman is aged 18 and over, professionals should follow local safeguarding procedures.

If you are concerned that a girl may be at risk of FGM, contact the NSPCC FGM helpline anonymously on 0800 028 3550 (+44 (0)800 028 3550 from overseas) or fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk.

If you know someone in immediate danger, contact the police immediately on 999. If they have already been taken abroad, call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 020 7008 1500.

The cost-of-living crisis refers to a scenario in which the cost of everyday essentials like energy and food is rising much faster than average household incomes. The crisis we’re experiencing currently is particularly severe because there are several different factors pushing up prices, rather than just certain items becoming more expensive.

Brent residents

The Brent Resident Support Fund (RSF) is a discretionary support fund available to Brent residents who are in financial difficulties, for example struggling with food, utility bills and other household essentials. You can also apply if you are in short-term financial need because of an emergency. Additional information can be found on the website https://www.brent.gov.uk/benefits-and-money-advice.

Help for households - Government site to provide advice and tips to help with the cost of living crisis.

Working Families - a UK charity for working parents and carers that provides financial advice and support.  

Bullying - KidScape

Sex and relationships - NHS Live Well

Drugs - Talk To Frank

NSPCC - Call 0808 800 5000, Text 88858, email help@nspcc.org.uk

Childline - Call 0800 1111

Children’s commissioner - Talking to your child about online sexual harassment.

childnet.com – Visit the ‘Know It All’ Section for an interactive guide about online safety

getsafeonline.org – Free up-to-date security advice

cybermentors.org.uk – Online support for children

ceop.police.uk – Website of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

bbc.co.uk/onlinesafety – guidance about how to make the most of being online while staying safe.

nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware - the NSPCC has launched the Share Aware campaign which provides straightforward advice to parents on how to keep their 8-12-year-olds safe on social networks

saferinternetday.org - a day that is used to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, but they also provide year round training days

gov.uk/government/groups/uk-council-for-child-internet-safety-ukccis - The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS)

parentinfo.org/article/the-5-digital-parenting-rules-that-really-matter - Parent Info - From CEOP and Parent Zone - 'The 5 digital parenting rules that REALLY matter.'

parentinfo.org/article/setting-safety-and-privacy-settings-for-social-media-apps - Parent Info - From CEOP and Parent Zone - 'Setting Safety and Privacy settings for Social Media Apps.'

nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/ - Online Safety - NSPCC

nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/sexting/ - Sexting - NSPCC

nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/ - Share Aware - NSPCC

nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/questions-parenting-digital-age/ - 12 Questions answered about parenting in the digital age - NSPCC

getsafeonline.org/ - Get Safe Online

ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ - CEOP Educate against hate