Safeguarding

We all have a statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children and young people in our care.  We have safeguarding policies and systems in place to help their safety and ensure a consistent approach to practices throughout our provision.

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We are committed to working closely with parents and carers, schools, social care, multiagency services, local authorities, OFSTED for the benefits of our children.  We also work with a range of professionals to support our children and their families to get the right help at the right time.

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All our staff have completed safeguarding training to a legal standard.  

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Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Tracy Rodgers, Managing Director

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Contact Details: 07714 253061/0114 473 5396

hugihubmanager@outlook.com

First point of contact, including out of hours. 

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Our Designated Safeguarding Deputy (DSD) is Ruby Cunliffe, Lead Children and Families Practitioner

 

 

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Contact Details: 07858 641610/0114 473 5396

hugihubruby@outlook.com

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Our Centres’s opening times are 8.00am until 4.00pm Monday to Thursday, 9:00-11:30 Fridays.   Outside of these times, and during school holidays, you will still be able to contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead or the Designated Safeguarding Deputy by email or mobile.  Any messages left on the landline voicemail will be responded to when we return at the next opening time. 

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If you have any concerns about the welfare of a child or young person during these times, please contact the Sheffield Safeguarding Hub on 0114 273 4855 (24-hour service). 

If you think a child or a young person is in immediate danger, please call the Police on 999 at any time.

If you are a child or young person and are worried or feel unsafe then you can get help from Childline a free, private and confidential service.  You can chat online or on the phone, 0800 1111, any time.

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Sheffield's Early Help Offer 

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/social-care/early-help-for-children-families

 

Sheffield Safeguarding Hub 

https://www.safeguardingsheffieldchildren.org/scsp 

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We fulfil our legal duties under: 

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• DFE Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022

• ​Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 

• Statutory responsibilities as set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 (updated July 2022)

• The Care Act 2014

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DFE: Keeping children safe in education 2023

Statutory guidance for schools and colleges

1 September 2022, latest update June 2023

'Children with special educational needs and disabilities or health issues

199. Children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or certain medical or physical health conditions can face additional safeguarding challenges both online and offline. Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure their child protection policy reflects the fact that additional barriers can exist when recognising abuse and neglect in this group of children.

These can include:

• assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the child’s condition without further exploration

• these children being more prone to peer group isolation or bullying (including prejudice-based bullying) than other children

• the potential for children with SEND or certain medical conditions being disproportionally impacted by behaviours such as bullying, without outwardly showing any signs, and

• communication barriers and difficulties in managing or reporting these challenges.

• cognitive understanding – being unable to understand the difference between fact and fiction in online content and then repeating the content/behaviours in schools or colleges or the consequences of doing so.

200. Any reports of abuse involving children with SEND will therefore require close liaison with the designated safeguarding lead (or a deputy) and the SENCO or the named person with oversight for SEND in a college.

201. Schools and colleges should consider extra pastoral support and attention for these children, along with ensuring any appropriate support for communication is in place.

202. Further information can be found in the department’s:

• SEND Code of Practice 0 to 25, and

• Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions.

  And from specialist organisations:

  • Mencap - Represents people with learning disabilities, with specific advice and information for people who work with children and young people

  • Council for disabled children - Every local area has an information, advice and support service, providing information, advice and support to disabled children and young people, and those with SEND, and their parents.'

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Online Safety

Children and young people use the internet regularly and may be involved in more online activity than their parents and carers.  Some children and young people may have greater technical knowledge than their parents and carers, but they may be unable to identify the risks of giving too much personal information online, and may be unable to spot scams as readily as adults.  So, take time to get involved with your child’s or young person’s internet use and teach them about online safety which includes the following.  

More detail is on the information commission website https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/online/social-networking/

 

Staying Safe Online

 1)      Don’t post any personal information online – like your address, email address or mobile number.

2)      Think carefully before posting pictures or videos of yourself.  Once you’ve put a picture of yourself online most people can see it and may be able to download it, it’s not just yours anymore.

3)      Keep your privacy settings as high as possible

4)      Never give out your passwords

5)      Don’t befriend people you don’t know

6)      Don’t meet up with people you’ve met online.  Speak to your parent or carer about people suggesting you do

7)      Remember that not everyone online is who they say they are

8)      Think carefully about what you say before you post something online

9)      Respect other people’s views, even if you don’t agree with someone else’s views doesn’t mean you need to be rude

10)   If you see something online that makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or worried: leave the website, turn off your computer if you want to and tell a trusted adult immediately.

 

Useful Information and Links

 

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is an initiative which enhances communication between the police and schools where a child or young person is at risk from domestic abuse.  The purpose of the information-sharing is to ensure schools have more information to support the safeguarding of children and young people.  By knowing that the child has had this experience, the school is in a better position to understand and be supportive of the child's needs and possible behaviours.  Operation Encompass will complement existing safeguarding procedures. Please see the link below for further details: 

 

Operation Encompass

Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership

The Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership works to ensure:

Every child and young person in Sheffield grows up free from fear of abuse or neglect

Improvements in the safety of all children and young people in Sheffield.

The joint leaders of the partnership are:

Sheffield City Council

South Yorkshire Police

Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group

Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership - scsp (safeguardingsheffieldchildren.org)

 

CEOP – Online Safety

If children or young people or parents or carers are worried about the way someone has been communicating with a child or young person online, you can visit Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command online to make a report and seek support using the link below:

 

CEOP Safety Centre

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