Support for Children & Families

We are an operation encompass school. 

Operation Encompass is a partnership between police and schools. Operation Encompass, has been designed to provide early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school hours and might have an impact on a child attending school. The information is shared shared on school days during the school term and, when incidents occur over the weekend, the Operation Encompass Designated Officer, will contact the relevant school at the earliest opportunity after the information has been shared by the police, via a telephone call or email. Operation encompass calls are received, in school,  by the DSL and members of the safeguarding team. 

Working With Families

We know that children and families can sometimes experience difficulties and may need additional help.

We encourage parents and carers to speak to us as early as possible. Asking for help is a positive step and early support can often prevent difficulties becoming more serious.

School can provide support directly or work alongside other professionals and services.

Early / Family Help

Early/Family Help supports children and families when difficulties begin to emerge.

Support may be helpful where there are concerns about:

• attendance;
• behaviour;
• emotional wellbeing;
• family relationships;
• housing or financial pressures;
• parental mental health;
• domestic abuse;
• substance misuse;
• SEND or medical needs;
• caring responsibilities;
• bereavement.

Cumberland Early/Family Help Team
Telephone: 0333 240 1727
Email: early.help@cumberland.gov.uk

Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing

Children’s emotional wellbeing is an important part of safeguarding.

Staff are trained to notice changes in a child’s behaviour or presentation that may indicate that they need additional support.

We work with children, families and appropriate external services to provide help when it is needed.

Where a mental health concern is also a safeguarding concern, it will be shared with our safeguarding team.

SEND and Additional Vulnerability

Children with special educational needs, disabilities or certain medical conditions can sometimes face additional safeguarding challenges.

Staff are careful not to assume that changes in behaviour, mood or communication are simply part of a child’s SEND.

We work closely with our SENDCo, families and other professionals to ensure that children receive the support they need and have appropriate ways to communicate concerns.

Young Carers

A young carer is a child who regularly helps to care for someone in their family.

Caring responsibilities can affect a child’s attendance, learning, friendships and emotional wellbeing.

We encourage families to let us know if a child has caring responsibilities so that we can offer appropriate understanding and support.

Domestic Abuse and Operation Encompass

St Patrick’s participates in Operation Encompass.

This enables the Police to notify school when they have attended a domestic abuse incident involving the household of one of our pupils.

This information allows appropriately trained staff to provide sensitive support to the child when they come to school.

Attendance and Safeguarding

Regular attendance helps children to feel safe, settled and connected to school.

Repeated, persistent or unexplained absence can sometimes indicate that a child or family needs additional support or that a child may be at increased risk of harm.

We work with families to understand the reasons for absence and address barriers to attendance.

Parents should always let school know promptly when their child is absent.

Child-on-Child Abuse and Bullying

Children can sometimes harm other children.

This can happen in school, outside school or online and may include bullying, physical abuse, sexualised behaviour, harassment, discriminatory abuse or harmful online behaviour.

We do not dismiss harmful behaviour as “banter” or “children being children”.

Children are encouraged to tell a trusted adult if something makes them feel frightened, uncomfortable or unsafe.

Racism, Faith-Based Prejudice and Discrimination

Every child has the right to feel safe, respected and valued at St Patrick’s.

Racism, faith-based prejudice and other forms of discriminatory behaviour can significantly affect a child’s wellbeing and sense of safety.

We actively challenge discriminatory language and behaviour and encourage children to report concerns to a trusted adult.

Exploitation and Modern Slavery

Children can sometimes be exploited by individuals or groups who use friendship, gifts, money, pressure, threats or coercion to control them.

This can include criminal exploitation, county lines, sexual exploitation, financial exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery.

Children who are being exploited may not always recognise that they are being harmed.

Staff are trained to notice possible warning signs and report concerns to the safeguarding team.

Prevent and Radicalisation

Schools have a responsibility to help prevent children from being drawn into terrorism or extremist activity.

Our approach is educational and safeguarding-focused.

Children are encouraged to ask questions, think critically, challenge misinformation and respect people with different backgrounds and beliefs.

Any concern that a child may be vulnerable to radicalisation is treated as a safeguarding concern.

Concerns About an Adult

If you have a safeguarding concern about a member of staff, volunteer, trainee, supply teacher, contractor or another adult working with children, please contact one of the Co-Headteachers.

If the concern relates to a Co-Headteacher, please contact the Chair of Governors.

All concerns are taken seriously and managed through the appropriate safeguarding procedures.