Safeguarding at ARH
What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
Safeguarding means:
Protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
Preventing harm to children’s physical and mental health or development
Ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.
Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about a child.
(NSPCC, 2017)
The school ensures children learn in a safe, caring and enriching environment. Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, on and off line, to develop positive and healthy relationships and how to avoid situations where they might be at risk including by being exploited.
The school has a statutory responsibility to share any concerns it might have about a child in need of protection with other agencies and in particular police, health and children’s services. Schools are not able to investigate concerns but have a legal duty to refer them. In most instances, the school will be able to inform the parents or carers of its need to make a referral. However, sometimes the school is advised by Children’s Social Care or police that the parent or carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter. We understand the anxiety parents and carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset. The school follows legislation that aims to act in the best interests of the child.
Meet Our Safeguarding Team
If you have any concerns or would like further guidance about keeping yourself or your children safe online, then please speak to Mr Holder or Miss Ellis or visit our online safety page (link above).
Our nominated Safeguarding Governor is: Mrs G Brash.
You can contact any of the safeguarding team through the office on 0116 2624003.
The School Nurse Team
The School Nurse Team are available to support children, parents and carers of ARH. Their team telephone number is 0116 215 3232 which is a confidential answer machine and is listened to twice a day (Mon–Fri). Parents and carers can directly contact the Healthy Together (School Nurse) service.
The Healthy Together Digital offer is also available for children and their families:
- For primary schools, the web site address is: www.healthforkids.co.uk. This website also has a parents' section with information on various topics and access to the emotional booklets.
- For information relating to Behaviour and Continence, there are several recourse which can be printed and sent to parents from the below link: https://www.healthforkids.co.uk/leicestershire/useful-resources-and-downloads-for-parents
- Dental health video: https://vimeo.com/515729775
The Healthy Together confidential text messaging service, ChatHealth, continues to be available between the hours of 9-5 from Monday-Friday. For parents and carers, the numbers are:
- Leicester City text: 07520 615381
Young people (Secondary school aged) should text:
- Leicester City text: 07520615386
Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Support
Some national agencies have reported a significant increase in domestic abuse associated with the current pandemic, and this follows the experience of other countries. We want to do everything we can to reduce the harm this can cause.
If you require specialist domestic and sexual abuse support, please see the city council website at https://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-community/emergencies-safety-and-crime/domestic-and-sexual-abuse/
If you require any support, please contact any of our school DSLs one the school number (0116 262 4003) or by email.
Please look at the flyer below for details of helplines and support resources. No one should suffer in silence – we are here for you.
Finally, a reminder that anyone can use the ‘one front door’ to contact if they have any concerns about a child’s safety and wellbeing. The number for DAS is 0116 454 1004.
Safeguarding Surveys
2020-21
2019-20
2018-19
