Student Services/Wellbeing
A message from the Headteacher
As part of our ongoing work to safeguard and protect every student at Southlands High School, there are several key pieces of information that I would like to bring to your attention.
Firstly, within the policies area of our school website, you can access all of our policies and procedures, should you need to refer to them. In particular, I am obliged to draw your attention to our ‘Behaviour’ and ‘Child Protection and Safeguarding’ policies which contain key information regarding our day to day work and practice in these fundamental areas.
In addition, as a school, we are required to identify our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs). These staff are responsible for addressing and responding to any issues that arise of a safeguarding or child protection nature in school. Parents should be aware that the school may have to make referrals about suspected cases of abuse and neglect to Children’s Social Care. At Southlands High School, our Designated Safeguarding Leads are:
- Mrs L Hardman – Deputy Headteacher with responsibility for Pastoral Care (DSL)
- Mrs A Forshaw – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Should you have any concerns regarding the safety of a student at school, please do not hesitate to contact one of the above named staff. In the event that these staff are unavailable, please feel free to discuss concerns with the child’s Year Manager/Year Leader in the first instance, who will be happy to advise the best course of action. You can also email your concerns to safeguarding@southlands.lancs.sch.uk.
May I also ask that, should you change any contact details or information, you notify school, in writing, as soon as possible. It is imperative that we hold accurate contact details for all students, including current parent/carer mobile phone numbers, in case of emergency. Additionally, we also use a text messaging service to inform parents of key information including alerts and guidance.
E. Safety
E-Safety is about the protection of children whilst they are using the internet and digital technologies. This includes risk telling and inappropriate behaviour by children and young people; risks and inappropriate by others to children and young people and illegal activity.
I would like to ask for your support in being vigilant and monitoring your child’s online/social media activity. Working together to ensure our young people are safe online is key, we therefore ask for your support in monitoring your child’s online and social media activities. If you have any concerns in this area please contact the names individuals above for support and guidance or at find further information and support at https://www.childnet.com/
Thank you for your ongoing support.
NSPCC
How to get in touch if you have a concern?
If you have any concerns about a child and wish to report it you can do this via the dedicated school safeguarding email address or via the NSPCC line here:
We are a telling school, so if your child would like to raise a concern, they can do so to any member of staff or they can report it via they school SHARP system located on the school website.
Prevent
Prevent duty guidance was published by the government under section 26 of the 2015 Counter Terrorism and Security Act. It places a duty on “specified authorities” to have ‘due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.’ These authorities include schools, registered childcare providers and further education colleges.
Prevent is about safeguarding our children from all forms of extremism. Prevent safeguards people who are vulnerable to radicalisation in a similar way to safeguarding processes designed to protect people from gangs, drug abuse and physical or sexual abuse.
Given the rise of extremist voices through areas such as social media, prevent is embedded as part of our schools wider safeguarding policies. The prevent duty is not about spying on students or intruding unnecessarily into their families, it is about making sure we can identify worrying behaviour and refer those students who may be at risk of radicalisation for appropriate support. For more information on how you can talk to your child about extremism and radicalisation click on this link: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/parents/
Have you heard of ‘County Lines’?
It’s been in the national news lately as it’s affecting families and communities up and down the country.
‘County lines’ is when urban gangs use children and vulnerable adults to expand their illegal drugs businesses into other towns.
In Lancashire we see pockets of county lines gangs coming in from Manchester, Merseyside, London, and West Yorkshire. We’re working proactively to dismantle these gangs from the top and protect the young and the vulnerable.
You might know someone who needs your help.
They might be a family member, neighbour, or someone else in your community.
Gangs recruit and force vulnerable adults and children to work as couriers, transporting drugs and cash for them. They often set up a base in towns in other counties, taking over the home of a vulnerable person and sending runners to stay there. These are ways gangs distance themselves from criminal activity so that their victims carry the risk.
Look out for children and teens who are:
- Going missing from home/school without explanation
- Mixing with new friends their parents don’t know
- Using more than one mobile phone
- Appearing nervous, scared, evasive, and/or secretive
- Suffering injuries they can’t explain
- Holding tickets for train or coach travel.
Look out for vulnerable adults who:
- Have withdrawn from family, the community or social services support
- Have lots of different visitors at unusual hours
- Are in a relationship with someone controlling
- Have their curtains or blinds closed most of the time
- Have more anti-social behaviour close to their home.
Report any concerns anonymously to Crimestoppers
It can be hard to report concerns about someone as they may have committed offences. We’re working with Crimestoppers to make it easier.
Whether you phone them on 0800 555 111 or report your concerns online Crimestoppers won’t pass on who you are, or give any information that might suggest who you could be. We simply receive the information we need to stop these gangs and protect vulnerable people.
