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Information for Parents

Safeguard Warnings for parents:

*** Please Note: ⚠️ Urgent AVAKIN Life Safeguarding Alert ⚠️

Online safeguarding experts have reviewed and tested the game, and discovered a number of potential risks to young people. The major risk is that users can easily access children and young people online via private and public chats.

 ***Personal Safety

Remind youngsters to observe our personal safety advice:

 

  • Never go off on your own with a stranger, take things from them or get in a car with them.
  • Make sure you tell your parents where you are.
  • If someone scares you, or makes you feel uncomfortable go somewhere safe, which could be your home, your school or a police station.
  • Remember to tell someone what has happened straight away.
  • Always dial 999 in an emergency.

 

*** Parents and carers, please be aware of cartoons that contain adult themes. At a glance, certain cartoons can appear innocent and similar to children's animations but TV shows such as Rick and Morty contain content which is  not appropriate for children including violence, inappropriate language and sexual content.

Communication With Parents

Our school will always discuss concerns with parents/carers and consent for any referrals should be sought unless to do so would:

 
Place the child at risk of significant harm or further risk of significant harm;
Place a vulnerable adult at risk of harm; and
Compromise any enquiries that need to be undertaken by children’s social care or the police.
 
The school will endeavour to ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibilities placed on the school and staff for safeguarding children.
 
In the best interests of safeguarding children there may be occasions when the school has to consult with other agencies without a parent or carer’s prior knowledge. Our first concern and responsibility is the child’s welfare and we have a duty to protect children first and always. Such consultation may result in a formal referral which could prompt visits from social care and/or the police. We fully understand that this can be a very distressing set of circumstances. Our school will follow the procedures required by the Walsall Safeguarding Children's Board.
 
Our school will employ the services of an interpreter if required.

Notice to Parents.

Photographs and Filming at School Events:
Parents/carers are entitled to take photographs or short films of their children at school public events, but these are for their own personal use and must not be shared on social media.

 When's the right time to talk PANTS? 

You know your child better than anyone. And you'll know when they're ready and how much detail to go into. Some parents found these moments helped them start the conversation:

  • Bathtime, applying cream or when getting your child dressed 
  • Car journeys
  • Going swimming and saying that what's covered by swimwear is private
  • During a TV show that features a sensitive storyline
  • Singing along to our PANTS song with Pantosaurus.

Follow the link below for further information:

 Clever Never Goes

There is a new campaign at the moment to promote the message ‘Clever never goes’ rather than ‘Stranger danger’. This is because often abductions are with known people. The idea is that the children learn that they must never go anywhere with someone if it is unexpected or has not been arranged. Please click on the link below for further details: 

 

Operation Encompass                     

Supporting our families by joint working with West Midlands Police.

At New Invention Junior School, we are working in partnership with West Midlands Police and Walsall Children’s Services to identify and provide appropriate support to pupils who have experienced domestic abuse in their household; this scheme is called Operation Encompass. https://www.operationencompass.org/


On receipt of any information, the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Ms Sharratt will decide on the appropriate support the child requires. All information sharing and resulting actions will be undertaken in accordance with the Operation Encompass Joint Agency Protocol for Domestic Abuse’. We will record this information and store this information in accordance with the record-keeping procedures around safeguarding the wellbeing of children and young people.

Domestic Abuse, both physical and verbal, is a traumatic experience for a child and can seriously affect them in later life. It is a sad fact that when the police are called to a domestic situation, 50% of the calls show that a child has been present in the property.

Black Country Women's Aid are also committed to this initiative and can provide support for victims as well as the children involved. You can contact them on:

info@blackcountrywomensaid.co.uk

01922649569

The Cedar Centre Walsall
The Rock Centre
27-31 Lichfield Street
Walsall, WS1 1TE

More information is available from Ms. Sharratt upon request.

If you are suffering from domestic abuse, your local pharmacy is there to help.

"Can I see/speak to ANI?"

Your nearest Pharmacy:

Lloyds Pharmacy, 18 The Square, New Invention, Willenhall. WV12 5SA

01922 475098

Opening Hours 

9am-6.30pm - Monday-Friday

9am-5pm - Saturday

 How does Ask for ANI work?

"ANI’ stands for Action Needed Immediately"

When someone uses the codeword or asks for help, the member of staff will ask the victim to accompany them to a consultation room. They will then check whether the victim is in danger and want the police to be called. If so, the staff member will offer the use of a phone to dial 999 or make the call on the victim’s behalf. This may be the only opportunity for a victim to contact the police and get immediate help, but in some cases the victim may not need emergency help and the staff member will assist them to contact a national domestic abuse helpline or local support service. They may also contact the police via 101.

 Full information can be found at: 

Useful Websites:

Useful Numbers:

Walsall Children's Safeguarding Team (MASH) - 0300 555 2866

Emergency Response Team (MASH) - 0300 555 2922

NSPCC - 0808 800 5000

National Domestic Abuse Helpline - 0808 2000 247

National Centre for Domestic Abuse - 0207 186 8270

Walsall Adult Social Care Emergency Duty Team - 03005552988 

Walsall NHS Walk-In Centre 01922 605730

NHS Direct re medical emergencies - 111

Action on Elder Abuse 0808 808 8141 

For advice during the COVID-19 Pandemic please use this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-keeping-children-safe-from-abuse-and-harm/advice-to-parents-and-carers-on-keeping-children-safe-from-abuse-and-harm

Families not able to access free school meal support if they become eligible during the summer holidays:

 Children’s minister Vicky Ford has said that given schools will be closed over the summer holidays, children that become eligible during that period will not be able to access the government voucher scheme. She encouraged families to contact “their local council to find out what services are available in their area”. In response to a written question, children’s minister Vicky Ford said school offices would be closed during the summer holiday period. “If families are facing hardship, 3 they can access the local authority emergency assistance grant … If families need urgent help, they can contact their local council to find out what services are available in their area,” she said.

 Domestic Abuse – Translated resources now available

 The following resources below have been made available on the Walsall for All Website. https://www.walsallforall.co.uk/ Domestic abuse: get help during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Guidance about how to get help if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse. Available in the following languages below: 

Arabic | Bengali | Farsi | French | Gujarati | Hindi | Italian | Mandarin Chinese | Polish | Punjabi | Romanian | Spanish | Somali | Tamil | Urdu

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