Grasmere Academy
Safeguarding
At Grasmere Academy, we take our Safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. This means that we ensure that everyone working in our school has successfully completed the necessary clearances to enable them to work with children.
It also means that we have staff members who are specifically trained and nominated as the Safeguarding Leads within school. These staff are:
Mrs Lilico
Miss Girvan
Miss Winship
We are all expected to share any concerns we have about staff conduct around children with the Headteacher. As in all schools, if there are concerns about the conduct of the Head, then these should be shared with the Chair of Governors. The staff ‘Whistleblowing Policy’ has been discussed and adopted and all staff have access to this document.
We also follow the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board local guidance and have systems in place to share concerns regarding children’s welfare with our CPOs, with parents and with relevant external agencies. Part of our legal duty to safeguard our children, may also include us needing to consult specifically with and take advice from, the Police or Children's Social Care, should the need arise.
By working closely together as a staff and with our partner agencies, we firmly believe that we will continue to offer a safe learning environment for all our children.
Please take the time to read our policies and do not hesitate to contact the school should you have any questions.
Operation Encompass
What is Operation Encompass?
The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in a domestic abuse incident. Following an incident at home, children will often arrive at school distressed, upset and unprepared for the day.
North Tyneside Council, the police and nominated key adults in school are working together, to make sure that school staff are made aware of an incident early enough to support pupils in school.
Why is Operation Encompass being introduced in North Tyneside?
Operation Encompass was initially launched in Plymouth in February 2011 to address a shortcoming in the early sharing of information with schools. Since then several pilots have been set up across the UK, including Gateshead and South Tyneside, and has proved to be very successful in providing support in a timely manner. Pilots across the UK have reported positive outcomes for many children and young people.
North Tyneside Council, Northumbria Police and all schools in the borough are taking part in the scheme, to help provide additional new support which will benefit children and young people in North Tyneside and improve multi agency sharing of information.
How does it work?
Schools across North Tyneside have nominated two members of staff who will be known as Key Adults. All Key Adults will attend specific training to the role in preparation for Operation Encompass.
Each morning a police officer reviews all domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school but which might have had an impact on a child attending school the following day. Where children were present, witnessed or involved in a domestic abuse incident and aged between 4 and 16 years old, the officer sends this information to Children's Social Care Front Door Service.
Staff from the Front Door Service send this information in a secure format to the identified Key Adult. The Key Adult checks their emails every day and the staff in contact with those pupils will then be in an informed position to support them in a way that is right for the child.
This information will be shared on school days during school term and, when incidents occur on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or over a holiday period, the police will contact the Front Door the following Monday.
For more information about Operation Encompass, please contact your school or visit: www.operationencompass.org
The Key Adults at our school are: Mrs Lilico, Miss Girvan and Miss Winship