Message from Mr Burpitt (Designated Safeguarding Lead)

My name is Ben Burpitt and I am the Designated Safeguarding Lead at North Mead Primary Academy. My role is to ensure the welfare and safety of all children who attend North Mead . We believe that children have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment which includes the right to protection from all types of abuse; where staff are vigilant for signs of any child in distress and are confident about applying our safeguarding processes to avert and alleviate any such problems. Through regular training, all staff are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to safeguard children from all forms of abuse.

If you are ever concerned about the safety or well‐being of someone at our academy, please talk to myself or one of my Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads immediately.

Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility. Whilst you are visiting North Mead Primary Academy, if you are worried that a child or young person is being abused or neglected you MUST report your concerns. If you overhear or see anything that concerns you, please ask to speak to a member of the safeguarding team.

The school ensures children learn in a safe, caring and enriching environment. Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, 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/carer of its need to make a referral. However, sometimes the school is advised by Children’s Social Care or police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter. We understand the anxiety parents/carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset. The school follows legislation that aims to act in the interests of the child.

North Mead Primary Academy outside of school hours, please call Social Care on 0116 4541004 or the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000. Concerns can also be sent to school via our email address [email protected]. This email will be sent to our Removing Barriers team at the school and will be monitored throughout the year.

TMET Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy v 15.0

Early Help Offer

What is Early Help?

‘Early Help’ means providing help for children, young people and families as soon as concerns start to emerge or where it is likely that issues will impact negatively on children’s outcomes. Early help:

  • is for children of all ages and not just the very young
  • can be very effective in supporting a child, young person and/or their family to step down from statutory services as well as preventing the escalation of issues.
  • is important because there is clear evidence that it results in better outcomes for children.

Day to Day Support

Most families, most of the time, can get on with their lives quite happily with little or no outside help. If they need help it is usually provided by universal services, such as schools.

Focused Pastoral Support

All families can have times, when difficulties arise, and they either may not recognise it or may not know how to start putting things right. Schools play a role in supporting families to address these difficulties through more focused pastoral support, which might include bringing in support via an external agency.

Early Help Assessment

For those children and families whose needs and circumstances make them more vulnerable, or where schools need the support of other agencies to meet the needs of the family, a co-ordinated multi-agency approach is usually best. In Leicester this is achieved through undertaking an Early Help Assessment and assigning a Lead Practitioner to work closely with the family to ensure they receive the support they require. North Mead Primary Academy is a key partner in any multi-agency work to support families.

Please click on the link below for more information about our Early Help offer at North Mead Primary Academy and the Leicester City Council early help offer:

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leaflet-early-help-services-for-families-version-1 early-help-and-prevention-offer

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Removing Barriers Team

North Mead’s Removing Barriers team, have the responsibility for our Early Help Offer and coordinating it. They are all trained in safeguarding and have a good understanding regarding the appropriate response to concerns about a child. They are:

  • familiar with North Mead Primary Academy’s Early Help Offer
  • familiar with the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Thresholds and Pathways Document.
  • familiar with the SC Referral Process/EHA Referral Process and Early Help Hub arrangements.
  • able to accesses bespoke support to improve their understanding of the EHA aims and principles.
  • part of the team around the family.
  • Jill Hurst is trained for using Liquid Logic.

The Liquid Logic Early Help Module (LLEHM) is an electronic case recording system for Early Help Assessments, which will enable them to:

  • See if pupils within the school have previously received or are currently receiving support via Leicester City Council’s Children Centres and Family Support Service
  • Track EHA requests and outcomes of cases that have been to the Partnership Hub

Our Removing Barriers Team includes:

  • Ben Burpitt – Principal (safeguarding)
  • James Wharin – Vice Principal (behaviour)
  • Kirsten Holland – Vice Principal (SEND)
  • Jill Hurst – Family Support Worker (pastoral)
  • Maryam Danesh – ELSA (Mental Health & Wellbeing)
  • Zainab Meman – Attendance Officer (attendance)

Our Removing Barriers Team, can support our families with:

  • behaviour support with boundaries and routines
  • debts, benefits, and housing
  • help with completing forms
  • relationships and family conflicts
  • attendance
  • transition and school places
  • keeping children safe outside of school
  • medical needs
  • making and attending appointments
  • home visits or drop-in sessions at school
  • housing applications – letter of support
  • Signposting to external agencies
  • charity funding subsidised with food banks
  • Class Dojo
  • School Office
  • Playground

School Indicators for Children or Families That May Require Our Removing Barriers Team

The following list provides examples of areas where, without intervention a family may break down or a child may be put a risk of neglect, emotional, physical, or sexual harm. This also includes the risk of extremism. The school has no pre-prescribed criteria for supporting children and families. Each case is assessed according to needs and a bespoke programme put in place for that child and/or family:

  • Low Parenting Skills
  • Domestic Abuse
  • Bereavement
  • Poor diet – obesity, malnourished
  • Breakdown in community relationships
  • Poor attendance and punctuality
  • Low income or poverty
  • Special Educational Needs
  • Changes in behaviour
  • Transport
  • Child mental health
  • Poor behaviour and risk of exclusion
  • Limited community integration
  • Isolation
  • Child unaware of how to keep themselves safe online
  • Young carer
  • Adult mental health
  • Child unaware of danger and how to keep themselves safe
  • Substance/alcohol abuse
  • Disability of a child
  • Child demonstrates sexualised behaviours
  • Breakdown in family relationships
  • Disability of an adult
  • Frequent house or school moves
  • Extremist views
  • Involved in anti-social or criminal activity
  • At risk of modern slavery, trafficking, or exploitation
  • Frequently goes missing from care of from home
  • Is associated with gangs
  • Has returned home to their family from care
  • Is privately fostered

Local Priorities

Within Leicester City, the Local Authority and LSCB has have their own priorities which reflect the area in which our school is based. Some of these include being aware of Knife Crime, Gang Related Issues, Radicalisation, County Lines, Criminal Activity, Antisocial Behaviour, FGM and Contextual Safeguarding. (This is not an exhaustive list).

Within our local community area, our priorities are:

  • antisocial behaviour
  • groups within neighbouring areas who may undermine British values
  • domestic violence
  • poverty and neglect
  • online safety concerns outside of school

Our staff are aware of these priorities, and we aim to raise awareness through a whole school approach and staff training to ensure our children and young people are aware of such issues and that we implement the correct policies and procedures to ensure that our children and young people are safe within school and within the community we serve. We work closely with other agencies including the Police, Community Groups and Social Care and where appropriate, parents and carers will also be a part of this whole school and whole community approach process.