Safeguarding and Support for Families

Safeguarding at Hassocks

At Hassocks Infant School we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children. All staff share this commitment. Safeguarding is all the things we do to help keep children learn how to keep themselves safe, both now and in the future. Our curriculum helps our children learn how to make safe choices, how to recognise when something isn't right. For more information, please click on the curriculum links opposite.

Parent Support

Parenting can at times be challenging, and this can lead to feelings of stress, worry and anxiety. We have therefore put some key information with links on a range of topics for you to access on the list opposite. If you find that you are struggling and need further support, please come in and speak to a member of our team. We are committed to working in partnership with all parents and will provide support to any parent or carer if they feel they need support.

Key Contacts

Designated Safeguarding Lead - Kamilya Steadman - Deputy Head

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads - Adrian Bates-Holland - Headteacher & Sara Nash - SENCo
Safeguarding Governor - Jo Brumby
Co-Chair of Governors - Jenny Doyle and Michael Stansfield

Please use the contact details on the "Contact Us" page if you need to contact one of our Designated Safeguarding Leads.

Our school's Safeguarding and Child Protection policy will always be followed if a member of the school community believes that a child is at risk of physical injury, neglect, emotional or sexual abuse. This policy, alongside other policies related to safeguarding and child protection, can be found below.

Child Protection

Child protection focusses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. If you are concerned about a child's welfare, please contact West Sussex Children's Services through the 'Integrated Front Door' service. Details below:

Integrated Front Door

All enquiries and referrals are triaged upon receipt and will then be directed to the appropriate service, providing a seamless process with children receiving a service proportionate to their needs. It is always best to raise a concern if you are worried; help can then be put into place for that child if needed.

If you have a safeguarding concern for a child, you can contact the Integrated Front Door on:

Email address: WSChildrenservices@westsussex.gov.uk

Telephone number: 01403 229900

If a child is at immediate risk of harm phone the police on 999

Healthy Relationships

Relationships play a vital part in children's well-being. Healthy relationships help children to feel secure and supported. Forming healthy, positive relationships helps children feel safe and supported as they develop. At Hassocks Infant School we teach our children about healthy relationships. All our staff are equipped to recognise and respond sensitively and consistently to students who may have experienced unhealthy relationships. Staff are trained to feel confident in knowing how to teach children about healthy relationships and recognise the signs of unhealthy relationships.

Below are some of the ways we do this:

Teaching specifically about healthy and unhealthy relationships, e.g. the importance of respect, boundaries and personal space, respecting differences, happiness, improving and supporting relationships, courtesy, bullying including online bullying, seeking and giving permission.
Promoting and modelling healthy relationships.
Encouraging children to develop positive relationships with peers of all dispositions.
Allowing children to learn about ways to have healthy friendships through opportunities such as being playground friends.
Supporting children to develop their emotional literacy.
Teaching children how to communicate effectively with each other.
Supporting children to understand ways to safely deal with conflict.
Children are also taught about e-safety including healthy online relationships; further support is sent to parents and carers. The school's online environment and keeping children from online harm are regularly reviewed and monitored.

Our PSHE and Relationships curriculum, 'Jigsaw Time', focuses specifically on Healthy Relationships. It covers concepts such as: online relationships, mental wellbeing, keeping yourself safe, caring friendships, families and people who care for me. Children are taught about trusted adults and who they can speak to if they have a worry, including Childline. All children are supported to access this learning. Content for some SEND children may need to be tailored to meet the specific needs of the child.

We take a whole school approach to respectful relationships; it is incorporated within our behaviour policy, championed by every member of staff and is a central part of our culture, ethos and expectations.

Helping Hands

Children are supported to understand how they can identify and talk to a trusted adult - the people they can turn to in times of worry, stress or crisis. At the start of each academic year, the children create helping hands where they are supported to identify five trusted adults they can speak to if they have a worry. Helping hands and trusted adults are referred to throughout the year.

Children are also taught about Childline and the school Worry Monsters that can be used should they find it difficult to directly talk to an adult they know.

Prevent Strategy

Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes. The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes. As a school we have due regard to prevent people being drawn into terrorism. In order to protect children in our care, we must be alert to any reason for concern in the child's life at home or elsewhere.

Staff are trained to identify children who may be vulnerable to radicalisation and know what to do when they are identified. Protecting children from the risk of radicalisation is part of our safeguarding duties.

As a school we build our children's resilience to radicalisation by promoting British Values and how to challenge extreme views. Developing children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is at the centre of all we do. Our school is a safe space where they can understand the risks associated with extreme views and develop knowledge and skills to challenge these views. We are aware of the increased risk of online radicalisation and teach our children how to keep themselves safe online. We have suitable filtering systems in place to ensure that children are safe from terrorist and extremist material when accessing the internet in school.

Our PSHE and Relationship curriculum, Jigsaw Time, enables children to explore sensitive issues and equips them with the knowledge and skills to understand and manage difficult situations. They are taught ways to recognise and manage risk, make safe choices, and recognise when pressure from others threatens their own wellbeing. Children are taught to develop positive character traits through our school values.

For more information on the PREVENT strategy, please click the link here.

E-Safety

At Hassocks Infant School we believe it is vital to teach children about the knowledge and behaviours that can help them to use the online world safely. Our staff are trained to be aware of the risks that exist online and therefore support the specific needs of our children. Through our PSHE and Relationship and Computing curriculums children are taught about online safety in an age-appropriate way. Children are taught how to use technology safely, responsibly and respectfully. They are supported to understand where they can go for help should they have any concerns when using technology.

We have a whole school approach to online safety, and it is embedded in our ethos. We work in partnership with parents to promote online safety.

NSPCC Underwear Rule

The NSPCC have some very easy to use documents regarding safeguarding and staying safe. Teach you child the Underwear Rule and help protect them from abuse. It's a simple way that parents can help keep children safe from sexual abuse - without using scary words. The NSPCC Underwear Rule can be found by clicking:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/underwear-rule/