Our first priority is your child’s welfare and we usually discuss any concerns we might have about your child with you. There might be occasions, however, when we have to provide information to or consult other agencies.
All schools and parents have a role to play in ensuring that children are properly protected. If we have any concerns about a child’s safety or welfare, arising from observations, unexplained or unusual behaviour or disclosures, we are legally obliged to pass on our concerns, in absolute confidence, to one of the statutory services such as social services. This could lead to a more formal investigation of these concerns, but at all stages it would be conducted with confidentiality and parents would be notified and involved directly by the statutory agency.
If you have any concerns regarding a child at Broadstone First School, please ask to speak to:
Rebecca Wood (Head of School), Megan Pike (SEND/Wellbeing Lead) or Dawn Wilks (Executive Head)
If you have any concerns regarding a child at Broadstone Middle School, please ask to speak to:
Amber Barter (Acting Head of School), Nadine Bowra (Inclusion Manager) or Dawn Wilks (Executive Head)
Safeguarding Policies and Government Documents
Our Safeguarding policies can be found here:
Other policies relating to safeguarding can be found here:
Government Documents:
Definition of vulnerable – A “vulnerable child” is defenceless, exposed to behaviours, conditions, or circumstances that he or she is powerless to manage, and is susceptible and accessible to a threatening parent or caregiver. Vulnerability is judged according to physical and emotional development, ability to communicate needs, mobility, size, and dependence.
BCP Council Family Information Directory:
Children’s First Response Hub
Children and Adult Mental Health
What is Mental Health?
Mental health is an important part of overall health and well-being. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Children’s emotional well-being is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health helps them develop their resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them, and grow into well rounded, healthy adults.
If you are worried about your child’s mental health please as the school for advice.
For further information, please see click on these links.
Adult Mental Health:
Online Safety
Technology can move at an extraordinarily fast pace and it can be difficult to know how to start talking to your child about what they’re doing online, who they might be speaking to or discussing the potential risks and issues. Talking regularly with your child is the greatest tool to help keep them safe online.
Children can access the online world in a variety of ways; for example, mobile phones, tablets, games consoles and any electronic devices which can share videos and pictures.
Take a look at the links here. You can also contact the Dorset Police Safe Schools and Communities Team at SSCT@Dorset.PNN.Police.uk
School Nursing Team
The School Nursing Team has texting services available.
ChatHealth for 11-19 years olds (secondary schools only)
ParentLine for parents/carers for children aged 5-19 years old (all schools)
Anti-Bullying
Bullying is not tolerated within the Castleman Academy Trust. We are committed to creating an anti-bullying culture. Bullying of any kind is not tolerated.
The anti-bullying champions are:
Megan Pike (BFS)
Nicki Jones (BMS)
Bullying is the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online.
Bullying behaviour can be:
Physical – pushing, poking, kicking, hitting, biting, pinching etc.
Verbal – name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, threats, teasing, belittling.
Emotional – isolating others, tormenting, hiding books, threatening gestures, ridicule, humiliation, intimidating, excluding, manipulation and coercion.
Sexual – unwanted physical contact, inappropriate touching, abusive comments, homophobic abuse, exposure to inappropriate films etc.
Online /cyber – posting on social media, sharing photos, sending nasty text messages, social exclusion
Indirect – Can include the exploitation of individuals.
Domestic Abuse
What is Domestic Violence?
The Governments new definition of domestic violence and abuse now states:
Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or 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. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse:
- psychological
- physical
- sexual
- financial
- emotional
Controlling behaviour is: a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.
Coercive behaviour is: an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.
This definition, which is not a legal definition, includes so called ‘honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, and is clear that victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group.
What is Clare’s Law?
Clare’s law is a way of checking if your partner has a history of domestic violence. For more information about how to make a request for information, visit https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/alpha/request-information-under-clares-law/
National Domestic Abuse helpline
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/
24-hour helpline, 0808 2000 247
Prevent
Prevent is one part of the government’s overall counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. The aim of Prevent is to:
- Tackle the causes of radicalisation and respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism
- Safeguard and support those most at risk of radicalisation through early intervention
- Enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate
If you have concerns and believe someone is at risk of radicalisation, please raise these concerns with your schools Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Other People to contact:
Anti-Terrorist Hotline 08008789321
Crime stoppers: 0800555111
Refer any Prevent concerns to police:
Advice on Prevent Referral:
Private Fostering
What is private fostering?
Private fostering is the term used when someone who is not a parent or a ‘close relative’ (eg. great aunt, cousin, mum’s friend or a neighbour) is looking after a child or young person under the age of 16 (under 18 if they are disabled) for 28 days or more in their own home.
It also covers children who stay at a residential school for more than two weeks of the school holidays.
A relative is defined in the Children Act 1989 as a grandparent, uncle or aunt (whether by full-blood, half-blood or by marriage or civil partnership), sibling or step-parent.
Common situations in which children are privately fostered include:
- Children with parents or families overseas
- Children with parents working or studying in the UK
- Asylum seekers and refugees
- Trafficked children
- Local children living apart from their families
- Adolescents and teenagers
- Children attending language schools
- Children at independent boarding schools who do not return home for holidays
- Children brought in from abroad with a view to adoption
Child Exploitation
Substance Abuse
Cost of Living
