Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs L Mason Assistant Principal and DSL
Our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs K Joseph (ADSL)
Safeguarding Governor, Antoinette Jackson
A Message from Our DSL
This is a heartfelt message to our young people and families within the Bristnall Hall community. Safeguarding and care is at the core of our everyday practice; we feel it crucial that we continue where possible to get key safeguarding messages across and be on hand to offer care and support for the well being of our young people and their family. Promoting confidence, resilience and personal safety empowers young people to make positive decisions in all walks of their precious lives. Supporting the wonderful families we work with is also a key priority. Safeguarding notices, messages, helpline numbers will be regularly updated on our social media and website. Please use the link on our website for safeguarding and welfare support and be reassured that help is on hand not only from the safeguarding and welfare team but also the fantastic professional partners we work with.
Take care everyone and many blessings.
Mrs Mason, DSL
Operation Encompass – Reporting of Domestic Abuse Incidents
Bristnall Hall Academy is a member of Operation Encompass with the DSL, Mrs L Mason, having completed the Key Adult Briefing. Operation Encompass is a partnership between police and schools. The principle of Operation Encompass is that ALL incidents of domestic abuse are shared with schools not just those where an offence can be identified.
Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools before 9am on a school day when a child or young person has been involved or exposed to a domestic abuse incident the previous evening.
The information is given to a school’s Key Adult (usually the Head Teacher or Designated Safeguarding Lead) to enable support to be given dependent on the needs and wishes of the child. Operation Encompass does not replace statutory safeguarding procedures. Where appropriate, the police and/or schools should make a referral to local authority children’s social care if they are concerned about a child’s welfare.
Please follow the link below for more information
Safeguarding and Online-Safety at BHA
Bristnall Hall Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. To achieve this commitment, we ensure continuous development and improvement of robust safeguarding and child protection processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our staff and volunteers.
Our academy has purchased parental access to Safer Schools App, recongnising our commitment to keep our pupils safer online, and making sure we work with you to achieve this.
All adults who work at our academy have a responsibility to read and understand all safeguarding policies;
- Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures
- E-Safety Policy
- Health and Safety Policy
- Looked After Children Policy
- Whistleblowing Policy
All adults are expected to read the DfE guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education September 2023. This should be read alongside the statutory guidance Working together to Safeguard Children and departmental advice What to do if you are worried a child is being abused – Advice for Practitioners.
Keeping Children Safe In Education
Working Together To Safeguard Children
What to Do if You Are Worried a Child is Being Abused
All adults at Bristnall Hall are made aware of the NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line on 0800 028 0285. This service provides support to employees needing to raise concerns about how their organisation has handled a child protection concern.
Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism or extremist causes. The strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism. All schools have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism. Bristnall Hall Academy is committed to protecting our young people from extremist and violent views, and to teaching them values such as tolerance and mutual respect. We provide a safe environment for pupils to discuss any issue so they better understand how to protect themselves.
Here is our parent leaflet on this topic: Parent Leaflet
All adults at Bristnall Hall receive Prevent Strategy training.
Here is a link to the Department of Education’s paper on The Prevent Duty – www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/439598/prevent-duty-departmental-advice-v6.pdf
Please see this NSPCC video for Parents/Carers worried about radicalisation:
Shore A Safe Space for Teenagers Worried About Sexual Health
Kooth – Online Mental Health support and counselling 11 – 25 year olds
Sandwell All Age Emotional Wellbeing And Mental Health Directory
Building Braver Minds for professionals
Building Braver Minds – for young people
Mental Health And Wellbeing Helplines
DfE Updates
Keeping Children Safe In Education 2022
Working Together To Safeguard Children Inter Agency Guidance
Further safeguarding and online safety advice
NSPCC (for adults): 0808 800 5000
NSPCC advice for parents and carers on talking about difficult topics with their children
Child Line (for young people): 0800 111
Gov UK (advice and information regarding the reporting of child abuse
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre)
Mental health and well being bank of services, supporting students, staff and parents with emotional health
Mental Health Bank of Services
Online-Safety is an important part of keeping children safe at Bristnall Hall Academy. We have extensive security measures in place in the Academy, which are monitored both internally and externally, to help safeguard students from potential dangers or unsuitable material. Any Online-Safety incidents are recorded and managed in accordance with our Online-Safety Policy. Online-Safety is taught to all pupils explaining and demonstrating how to stay safe and behave appropriately online.
Please see Online Safety Videos below:
For information on Social Media sites and their safety features for a number of platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, please follow this link to the UK Safer Internet Centre’s Social Media guides. Copies of these can also be found in the academy reception area along with other useful information.
The academy has been awarded the 360o Online-Safety Mark. More details of this will follow, including the feedback report.
We are developing software use to further safeguard our young people, through My Concern and Tootoot. We have recently changed our onsite protection as well, to enable better safeguarding reporting and more efficient and effective filtering.
All Bristnall Hall Academy staff complete regular Online-Safety training. All of Year 7 and 8 will be completing an Online-Safety qualification in 2016-2017 to ensure that they understand in detail how to stay safe online, the BSC Level 1 Award in e-safety.
Additional Support for all
In support of the well being and safety of our young people and their families please use this link during times of challenge or distress, and reach out to those who can help: https://route2wellbeing.info/
Family pressures can sometimes be difficult to manage without emotional support and guidance to help. Many people feel confused by what information is available or struggle to access services close to home.
The FamilyLine service tackles these issues in a new and innovative way by using a network of volunteers from across the country to support family members over the age of 18 through telephone calls, email, web chat and text message.
The service aims to:
- provide both immediate and long-term support
- help with practical information and guidance
- provide emotional and listening support
- help with understanding and accessing relevant services and information
- provide regular one-to-one befriending support to service users feeling isolated
- access to short term telephone counselling
- a referral into our many projects across England and Wales, where relevant.
To find out more, please go to the website below:
www.family-action.org.uk/what-we-do/children-families/familyline/
Helping Hands
Sandwell Multi Agency Assessment
Positive Behavior Support
PBS Virtual workshop outline of sessions March 2021
Parent Guides