Safeguarding and Early Help Information

Everyone at St Bartholomew's School has safeguarding at the forefront of all decisions and actions. We have specific safeguarding policies which can be found in our statutory information section. As well as using these policies in our everyday practice, we also follow guidance given by our Local Authority and the Department for Education (DfE). 

Early help is the term used in St Helens to describe the approach on a whole range of individual social, health and educational issues when providing support to children, young people and their families as soon as problems emerge or re-emerge. Families should be enabled and supported to have the right conversations, with the right people and at the right time about their needs or concerns, so that statutory interventions can be avoided where this is appropriate. 

Intervening as early as possible, regardless of the age of the child or young person, can positively improve their outcomes.  Early help is a collaborative approach not a provision and relies on local agencies working together effectively with families to identify who needs help and then to meet their varied needs. 

Quality work with families already takes place across St Helens, the practice standards below are intended to support this work. Providing a framework for early help and support when working with children and families.

Keeping children safe in education is statutory guidance that schools and colleges in England must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It contains key information which ensures that everybody working in a school or college understands their safeguarding responsibilities. All staff and governors have read at least part one of this document as well as completing regular safeguarding training. 

Being in a household where there is domestic violence is distressing and scary for children and young people. They may hear violent or controlling arguments; they may witness violence directly; they may feel powerless to protect a carer.

They are likely to be well aware of their parent or carer’s distress and injuries after an incident. They may also get hurt themselves.

Domestic violence is characterised as an adverse childhood experience (ACE). ACEs are a significant cause of long-term problems for children’s mental health and physical health. Effects can be traumatising and long lasting and can have an impact on: 

• children and young people’s understanding of normal or acceptable relationships with others and their ability to form relationships in school and beyond
• their emotional wellbeing: increased anxiety, fear and stress levels
• their ability to learn
• their view of the family and the broader community and society
• levels of aggressive and anti-social behaviour.

In response to this, we have adopted the St Helens Domestic Abuse Charter for schools 

Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.

This brief video tells the story of how the experience of one child instigated the creation of Operation Encompass by Elisabeth and David Carney-Haworth OBE's

In conjunction with Merseyside Police, St Bartholomew’s School is involved in an initiative called Operation Encompass. The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in, heard or witnessed a domestic abuse incident. Following such an incident, children can arrive at school distressed, upset, worried and unprepared. Operation Encompass aims to ensure that appropriate school staff (called Key Adults) are made aware early enough to support children and young people in a way that means they feel safe and included. At St Bartholomew’s our Key Adult is Mrs Cain.

This is a valuable initiative that means we can continue to support and help children and families within our school community when they need it the most.

You can find out more by visiting www.operationencompass.org or by contacting our Key Adult.

If you have any questions about Operation Encompass, please do not hesitate to contact us.