Buckler's Mead Academy is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children.

Keeping Children Safe in Education

At Buckler’s Mead Academy we strive to make sure all our students are safe in school, at home, on line and in the community. Our staff are here to keep young people safe and secure and to promote their personal safety and wellbeing.

Our commitment to safeguarding encompasses ways which we ensure children and young people foster security, confidence and independence. The Academy has a duty of care and the right to take reasonable action to ensure the welfare and safety of its pupils. If a member of staff has cause to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill treatment, neglect or any other form of abuse, the Academy will follow child protection procedures and inform Children’s Services of its concern.

A clear policy on Safeguarding is available and is reviewed on an annual basis.

There are designated lead staff who monitor the effectiveness of the policy and, where necessary, liaise with the local authority when significant safeguarding concerns arise.

If you have a concern that a child is being harmed, is at risk of harm, or you receive a disclosure (intentionally or unintentionally) you must contact one of the designated safeguarding leads as quickly as possible. You will find the names of these members of staff below on the Academy’s Safeguarding Policy.

Students can report an issue by speaking to any member of staff within the Academy. This will be referred to the Year Co-ordinators and DSL as appropriate.

Policy and Procedures
We will ensure all policies and procedures in respect of safeguarding children are up to date and in line with latest DfE legislation. The policies are accessible to all staff on the academy network. Policies and procedures are reviewed and revised by the Academy Directors on a regular basis.

Please click here for the Trust Policy

Please click here for Buckler's Mead Academy Local Safeguarding Procedures

Disclosure & Barring Checks

Buckler’s Mead Academy meets statutory requirements in relation to Disclosure & Barring Service – all staff and volunteers who work with Buckler’s Mead Academy who meet the ‘regulated activity test’ (Freedoms Act 2012) are required to undergo an enhanced DBS check prior to employment.

Safeguarding Leads/Child Protection Officers
Buckler’s Mead Academy Directors have ultimate responsibility for Safeguarding issues. Within the Academy there is a Safeguarding team who leads on Safeguarding issues. The team is clear about their role and have sufficient time and receive relevant support, and training, which includes close contact with outside agencies including Children’s Services, the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and relevant health care organisations.

The key safeguarding contacts are:
Mark Lawrence – Headteacher
Luke Cameron – Assistant Headteacher: DSL
Aimee Harding – Deputy DSL

As you would expect, we are very aware of the need to protect our students against any threat of CSE (child sexual exploitation), and are not only working hard in the Academy to safeguard against this, but also liaising with our Local Authority (mainly via the Somerset Safeguarding Children Board).

Spot the Signs: Series of Child Exploitation and Missing Posters (Catch22)
Catch22 design and deliver services that build resilience and aspiration in people and communities across the UK. One of their aims is to improve the lives of children, young people and families by understanding the emotional and social issues that they face.

Catch22 have produced a series of posters to raise awareness of Child Criminal Exploitation in it many forms. Posters already published include:

• How gangs recruit and coerce young people
• Push and Pull Factors: what causes a child to go missing
• Different Dangers, Same Signs
• Positive relationships break the CSE cycle
• Spot the Signs– a poster for parents
• Think Boys and CSE
• Staying Safe Online

You can find the posters here: https://www.catch-22.org.uk/news/spot-the-signs-cse-awareness-poster-hub/

The internet is such an integral part of our lives these days. Over 2 Billion people on the planet now have access to the internet and this number is growing rapidly. It opens up so many educational and social opportunities, giving access to, quite literally, a world of information and experiences.Whether on a computer at school, a laptop at home, a games console or mobile phone, children and young people are increasingly accessing the internet whenever they can and wherever they are. Pupils at school now have never known a world without the internet – yet for many adults the internet is only a recent innovation. As you would protect yourself in the real world, you will want to make sure that you are safe whatever you are doing. Like learning to cross the road, online safety skills are skills for life. If you understands the risks and can make sensible and informed choices online, you can get the most from the internet and stay safe whilst doing so.

These Dangers can include:

• giving out personal information
• arranging to meet an online ‘friend’
• viewing unsuitable content e.g. hate material, adult content, sites that endorse unhealthy behaviour
• spending too much time online which can effect concentration, education, sleep and health
• becoming involved in, or the victim of, bullying, identity theft, or making and sending indecent or illegal images
• copying information from the Internet or buying work from other people to use as their own.

Password Security

1. Always keep you passwords secret and make sure they are not easy to guess. Try to include capital letters and numbers in your password. Tip: Try turning sentences into passwords – “My dog Rover is 3 years old” becomes “MdRi3yo”.
2. Change your password on a regular basis.
3. If you think someone knows your password make sure you change it.
4. If you have the option of setting a security question then do so. Make sure that it is a question that only you know the answer to.

SnapChat Update
You may be aware that the most recent Snapchat update may be a threat to child safety.

There is a new feature in which any photos/videos you take can be made public on a map for ANYONE to see including people who are not your friends.

Students will need to turn their app to ‘ghost mode’ so that strangers cannot see their pictures.

It seems the update has not been clear on how their pictures will be used but there are concerns that it can be as accurate as showing the stranger the location of the house as well as the pictures.

The link below outlines more detail about the update and how to change the settings.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/06/23/police-issue-child-safety-warning-snapchat-maps-update-reveals/amp/

IWF
IWF is a service which can support in the removal of inappropriate images from the internet for more information visit www.iwf.org.uk/

ThinkUKnow
Families can visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents to access advice and support on how to keep children safe from sexual abuse, both online and off. Articles provide guidance on topics as diverse as: challenging harmful sexual attitudes and promoting positive behaviours; helping a child with autism negotiate life online; supporting a child who has been sexually abused; and dealing with a range of online issues such as sending nude selfies and viewing pornography. Users will find films, downloadable guides and useful links to support organisations.

Recognition of BMA’s contribution to ensuring high standards of Esafety

NSPCC - Keeping Children Safe - Sexting - Click here

The Mental Health Support Team from the NHS has collected together a thorough review of the websites and apps available to support students with their Mental Health.

As well as the links in the file above, we have identified the following sites which may help:

Harmless.org.uk

Samaritans.org

Dove Self Esteem Project

Parent and Carer Toolkit

The Prevent strategy, published by the Government in 2011, is part of our overall counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. The aim of the Prevent strategy is to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. In the Act this has simply been expressed as the need to “prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”.

The 2011 Prevent strategy has three specific strategic objectives:

• respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it;
• prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support;
• work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation that we need to address.

As children grow and become more independent, it is not unusual for them to take risks, explore new things and push boundaries. Teenage years are often a time when young people will be searching for answers to questions about identity, faith and belonging, as well as looking for adventure and excitement.

This can mean that they are particularly vulnerable to extremist groups, who may claim to offer answers, as well as identity and a strong social network. Due to the fact that they know young people are vulnerable, extremist groups often target them using the internet and social media to spread their ideology. There have been a number of tragic examples where young people have been misled by extremist groups, with some travelling to Syria and others becoming involved in hate crimes against minority groups.

Every member of staff at Buckler’s Mead Academy is trained to know the signs of a child who is vulnerable and possibly susceptible to becoming radicalised. As much as we educate our children to make the right choices in life it is impossible for us to monitor their decisions and the influences around them when they are outside of the academy. It is therefore imperative that parents and carers are aware of who their children are talking to both online and face to face.

Let’s Talk About It is an initiative designed to provide practical help and guidance to the public in order to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

Let’s Talk About It has been created to provide a greater understanding of the support Prevent can offer and to challenge division and negativity in our communities through positive and effective attitude changes. By highlighting the issues and initiating discussions around the potential threats we face as a community, we can create greater understanding and wider awareness.

Lets Talk About It
(http://www.ltai.info/)

WHAT IS LET’S TALK ABOUT IT?

It is an initiative designed to provide practical help and guidance to the public in order to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

Preventing Radicalisation & extremism in Somerset, Information for Communities Family
How can I help? Family, friends and other professionals are the first people to notice early warning signs that an individual is becoming involved in violent extremism.

Share your concerns about individuals you feel are susceptible to being drawn into violent extremist activity so that early, appropriate and effective support can be arranged. Likewise, report individuals or groups where it is felt extremism is being promoted. Do you yourself feel as though you need help?

What is already in place? Practitioners in Somerset have a process in place to receive and respond to concerns of vulnerable individuals and potential offenders.
In addition, there is a multi-agency programme in place called ‘Channel’ which works to identify and reduce risks to individuals becoming radicalised. For more information see key contacts on how to get help.

Key Contacts

Police Prevent Referrals’ Team - Tel: 01179 455 536/01179 455 539 Also out of hours (9-5 Monday to Friday) Dial 101

Email: channelsw@avonandsomerset.pnn.police.uk

Website: www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report/suspicious-activity-terrorism/

Somerset County Council Community Safety Team Can offer general advice at

Email: prevent@somerset.gov.uk

Website: www.somerset.gov.uk/health-safety-and-wellbeing/prevent-in-somerset/

Report online terrorist material Home Office website:

www.gov.uk/report-terrorism

Other useful websites:

www.counterterrorism.police.uk

www.educateagainsthate.com

Preventing Radicalisation in our Communities
Prevent is part of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy and is designed to help all vulnerable people from being exposed to radicalisation, preventing the potential for future involvement in criminal activities which could involve the potential to harm others. The Prevent strategy covers all types of violent extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes. Its primary goal, is to bring people together from all agencies and members of the community, to offer support to an individual or family, who is at risk of radicalisation.

Key Terms Radicalisation
The process by which a person comes to support terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism Ideology – A set of beliefs characteristic of a group or individual Violent Extremism – Vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values such as democracy, the rule of law and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. Terrorism – a violent action against people or property, designed to create fear and advance a political, religious or ideological cause.

How to spot the signs
Vulnerable people are often exploited in a similar way to a person being groomed. Promises are made to them of rewards either materially or by providing a sense of belonging to a group that has similar ideas, which can offer empowerment, glory and confidence. For a person who is at a vulnerable point in their life and is searching for belonging to a group, that individual who maybe often doesn’t realise that they are forming an attachment with these new found beliefs. Not realising that this new sense of friendship either face to face or on line could potentially lead them down the path into extremism or possibly to commit a terrorist act. People may become – Isolated – from groups and spending time alone via social media. – Express feelings that they have no purpose in life and don’t belong – Low self-esteem – Appear to have changes in emotional behaviour – Change of routines, change in appearance or online activities – Fixated on an ideology, belief or subject – Change in language or use of words – Closed to new ideas / conversations – “Scripted” speech – Sense of grievance or injustice (anti-West, anti-capitalist, anti-Muslim or racism) Consider Islamist, Right or Left wing extremism – Sense of ‘them and us’ – Conflict with family over religious views This is not an exhaustive list but a signpost for potential radicalisation.

“It will never happen here”

It is a sad fact that radicalisation and terrorism can happen anywhere and vigilance must be maintained when considering those who may be vulnerable to radicalisation in our communities It is our responsibility as members of the community in Somerset to:

• Explore other cultures and religions and promote diversity

• Challenge prejudices and racist comments

• Developing critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity

• Promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of those in our community, as well as British values such as democracy.

Social Media and its link to radicalisation Increasingly, Social media is being used as a method of accessing individuals for the purposes of radicalisation. In addition, vulnerable individuals can use the internet to gain access to information about organisations, ideologies and events without coming to the attention of others. There are practical things you can do to protect yourself and those around you. For example, use filters on the internet to make sure access to violent extremist and terrorist material is restricted and ensure privacy settings on sites such as Facebook and Twitter are reviewed and applied appropriately to avoid personal information being shared with the public and limiting access to profiles.

Please download this leaflet

https://www.disc-net.org/uploads/attachment/attachment/26/50/32/files/Community_leaflet_web.pdf