Safeguarding
Harris Academy Rainham is committed to providing a safe, secure and respectful environment for all children, staff and visitors. We promote a child-centred approach to wellbeing and safeguarding, ensuring that the individual rights and needs of the child are central to our decision-making and actions.
The Academy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Mrs Divakaran, Vice Principal. In Mrs Divakaran's absence another designated safeguarding officer will act as DSL, supporting the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs). The Academy Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs) are:
- Mrs French
- Mrs Kench
- Mr Whitehead
- Mrs Ingram
- Mrs Deacon
- Mrs Knowlden
How to contact the safeguarding team
Parents and members of the local community can contact the Safeguarding Team via the Academy telephone number or by email on U.Divakaran@harrisrainham.org.uk.
Students - do you have a concern? Report anonymously using our SHARP System at https://harrisrainham.thesharpsystem.com.
You can also contact the Safeguarding Team via the U.Divakaran@harrisrainham.org.uk and also hereforyou@harrisrainham.org.uk.
Please note that school emails are not monitored during out of school hours and are for non-emergencies.
A member of the safeguarding team will be in contact as soon as they are available to respond.
For emergencies 999 should be contacted.
The following are also other contact details you may wish to use if you have a concern about a child:
Havering MASH Team: 01708 433222 / 01708 433999 (out of hours) or tmash@havering.gov.uk (secure email)
Barking and Dagenham MASH Team: 0208 2273811 / 0208 5948356 (out of hours) or childrenservices2@lbbd.gov.uk
Thurrock MASH Team: 01375 652802 / 01375 372468 (out of hours) or thurrockmash@thurrock.gov.uk
Our approach to safeguarding
We foster an atmosphere of trust, respect and security by providing a caring, safe, inclusive and stimulating environment which promotes the social, moral, spiritual, cultural and physical development of all students.
We actively promote a climate in which children and adults are confident about sharing concerns about the wellbeing or safety of themselves or others. At Harris Academy Rainham, we treat all matters of safeguarding and wellbeing in a sensitive, respectful and professional manner.
Staff at Harris Academy Rainham are trained in response and reporting procedures frequently and are aware of the processes for making referrals to the HAR Safeguarding Team, Children’s Social Care and the Police.
On this page you'll find information about Child Protection and Safeguarding including topics such as e-safety, preventing harmful sexualised behaviour, PREVENT, female genital mutilation, and Child Sexual Exploitation.
Safeguarding aims
The aims of our Safeguarding policy are Prevention, Protection and Support in line with Child Protection guidelines. The Academy safeguarding procedures ensures that we:
- Support our students' development in ways that foster security, confidence and independence
- Raise the awareness and importance of recognising and reporting safeguarding, and of moral and professional responsibilities amongst all stakeholders including support and teaching staff, governors, students, visitors and parents
- Provide high-quality training and awareness campaigns for staff, and ensure that the SLT/DSL/DDSLs undertake appropriate training (including biannual Level 3 training and safer recruitment training)
- Provide a systematic means of monitoring all students, particularly those who are vulnerable or known to be ‘at risk’ of harm
- Emphasise the need for excellent communication between staff, students, parents and external agencies (including the Police, PREVENT duty teams, social services, youth offending teams and other key agencies and workers involved in supporting our students and families)
- Develop, implement and review structured procedures within the Academy so that they are effective and can be understood and consistently followed by all members of the Academy community
- Maintain vigilance and an ‘it could happen here’ attitude, and build a holistic picture of each child’s needs by paying attention to each factor or piece of information.
The HAR Designated Safeguarding Team
The staff with overall responsibility for Safeguarding across the Academy are shown in the poster below:
The nominated governors with responsibility for safeguarding are:
- Tina Staples - Chair of governors
- Nicola Graham - Nominated governor for safeguarding
The HAR Designated Safeguarding Team consists of trained and qualified staff who are highly skilled and experienced in dealing with safeguarding issues. The poster pictured above is displayed in every classroom, office and in corridors around the Academy. This is to ensure that every member of the Academy community can report and discuss matters with trained staff.
Social care contact details
Members of the public are also able to make direct referrals to Social Care. Please find below details of Children’s Services in our local area.
Havering MASH Team: 01708 433222 / 01708 433999 (out of hours) or tmash@havering.gov.uk (secure email)
HES Safeguarding Team:
- Carol Rockey 01708 431651 carol.rockey@harvering.gov.uk
- Michelle Wain 01708 431650 michelle.wain@harvering.gov.uk
Barking and Dagenham MASH Team: 0208 2273811 / 0208 5948356 (out of hours) or childrenservices2@lbbd.gov.uk
Thurrock MASH Team: 01375 652802 / 01375 372468 (out of hours) or thurrockmash@thurrock.gov.uk
The Havering LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) dealing with allegations against members of staff are Lisa Kennedy / Donna Wright. Telephone: 01708 431653. Email: LADO@havering.gov.uk
Safeguarding concerns about an adult
For safeguarding concerns about an adult, contact the person mentioned in the diagram below, depending on who the concern is about.
| If the allegation is about the Principal, Gareth Stananought | Go to: Rebecca Hickey, Harris Federation Secondary Director |
| If the allegation is about a staff member in the Academy | Go to: Gareth Stananought, HAR Principal |
| If the allegation is about a student in the Academy | Go to: Usa Divakaran, Vice Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead |
Health and safety
The strategic health and safety leads are:
- J Thompson j.thompson@harrisrainham.org.uk and
- U Divakaran u.divakaran@harrisrainahm.org.uk
The site manager and operational health and safety officer is V Stevens v.stevens@harrisrainham.org.uk
The Academy works closely with the counter-terrorism referral programme “Channel”. The programme uses a multi-agency approach to identify and provide support to individuals who are at risk of being drawn into terrorism by:
- identifying individuals at risk
- assessing the nature and extent of that risk
- developing the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned.
Prevent Lead
The Prevent Lead is:
- U Divakaran u.divakaran@harrisrainahm.org.uk
Key staff training
| Staff | Role and Email | Accreditation Training |
| U Divakaran | DSL/ Vice Principal |
|
| K French | DDSL/ Pastoral Lead |
|
| N Knowlden | Health officer |
|
Harris Academy Rainham Safeguarding Review Board
The purpose of this committee is to analyse and evaluate all aspects of safeguarding that have been reported through safeguarding systems within the academy, from external agencies or from other local trusted sources.
This is to ensure that the safeguarding measures, support and provision offered by the Academy fully meets the need that exists within the academy and local community. It will also ensure that the safeguarding provision at Harris Academy Rainham can evolve to meet new emerging safeguarding trends that may develop.
By reviewing this information, the academy leadership will be able to understand the contextual safeguarding implications and adapt the overarching safeguarding provision at the Academy. This may involve changes to the support provided to students, the curriculum that is delivered or other specific aspects of our provision.
This committee is overseen by the Principal, Mr Stananought and consists of the Vice Principal and DSL, Ms Divakaran, DDSL, Ms French, DDSL, Mr Whitehead, Ms Ingram, Ms Schapira.
The committee meets every half term and does not discuss individual safeguarding cases. A report from each meeting is provided for governors at FGB meetings.
Staying safe online
The online world is a wonderful place for young people to explore, with unprecedented opportunities for learning and creativity. But just like the real world there are risks and dangers they should be aware of, and which we can act to protect them from. Although the Academy teaches students e-safety as part of the curriculum, it is vital that parents are aware of the risks too, and what they can do to develop a culture of e-safety in the home.
This page has some helpful resources for parents that will enable you to help your child stay safe online. If you have any concerns about your child's e-safety, there is always someone at the Academy who is available to talk to you. Click HERE to view Internet Safety Awareness presentation for parent/carers
Think You Know
The Think You Know website is created by the police for parents of children at secondary school. It contains useful information about:
- what children are doing online
- how to talk to children about what they are doing online
- what risks your child might face
- what tools are there to help them stay safe.
Think You Know have also produced the Parents' Guide to E-Safety as well as the following booklets to provide parents/carers with helpful information on how to explore and monitor their children’s apps.
Sexting
The term ‘sexting’ describes the use of technology to share intimate images of yourself. It’s a word-mix of sex and texting. The content can vary, from text messages to images of partial nudity to sexual images or videos. For more information and guidance for parents and children visit the Childnet website. If you have shared something online that you are now regretting you might find the So You Got Naked Online leaflet helpful, produced by the South West Grid for Learning.
Other useful resources
Parents' guides to Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp and TikTok from the Online Safety Alliance. Download the guides.
List of helpful online resources produced by Childnet
www.childnet.com – Visit the ‘Know It All’ Section for an interactive guide about online safety
www.getsafeonline.org – Free up-to-date security advice
www.ceop.police.uk – Website of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware - the NSPCC has launched the Share Aware campaign which provides straightforward advice to parents on how to keep their 8-12-year-olds safe on social networks
https://coramvoice.org.uk/ - Coram Voice is for any child in care, leaving care, or who has a social worker or needs one. Coram Voice can tell you about your rights, make sure you get the help you need and get your voice heard. You can also call their Advocacy Helpline 0808 800 5792. Download the Get Your Voice Heard leaflet.
Squid Games - What Parents Need to Know
Download 'Online Safety Tips for Children', from National Online Safety. Click on the image to download.
Download a '9 Top Tips to Get Smart About Children's Devices', from National Online Safety. Click on the image to download.
Tracking peer-on-peer abuse and adapting educational provision
Harris Academy Rainham maintains a comprehensive peer-on-peer abuse tracker that records all incidents that relate to the follow areas:
- bullying (including homophobic, transphobic and biphobic)
- sexual harassment (including derogatory language, inappropriate touching, upskirting and intimidation)
- sexual violence
- racist incidents
- physical incidents
This information is reviewed monthly by the safeguarding review committee and the information on trends and analysis is used to evaluate and adapt our safeguarding curriculum and our assembly programme, at all key stages across the Academy.
This may result in resequencing of curriculum topics based on priorities identified from the peer-on-peer abuse tracker or by adding new safeguarding topics that have been identified within the local context or via the tracker trend evaluation.
Contextualised safeguarding
‘Contextual safeguarding’ is an approach to understanding, and responding to, young people's experiences of significant harm beyond their families. It recognises that the different relationships that young people form in their neighbourhoods, schools and online can feature violence and abuse.
HAR is located in Rainham London Borough of Havering and has bus and train links from Barking & Dagenham, Newham, Redbridge and other inner London Authorities.
At Harris Academy Rainham we place our approach to safeguarding within the context of the community safety strategies and priorities of the London boroughs of Havering, Barking and Dagenham and Thurrock.
Contextualised safeguarding in action
Different contexts appear to have different ‘weights of influence’. For example, the influence of peers may outweigh that of parents/carers. There is also an interplay between different contexts and relationships. For example, the impact that young people’s experiences have on their relationships in school, and vice versa.
Each student is allocated to a Learning Guide (LG) who they see every morning for 25 minutes. Students should go to their LG if any problems arise in school. The role of the LG is to support each student both in terms of their wellbeing but also their academic work as well.
LG support students who:
- Need support with timetables, uniform and equipment, attendance & punctuality
- Feel upset or struggle emotionally
- Struggle with friendships
- Need extra support with behaviour
- Need extra support academically/with homework
Head of Year (HOY)
HOY’s are assigned to each year group for further support. Should any students/parents have any issues or need further support then they should contact their HOY on the email addresses below:
Year 7 – k.harrison@harrisrainham.org
Year 8 – g.hill@harrisrainham.org
Year 9 – a.koyas@harrisrainham.org
Year 10 –d.norris@harrisrainham.org
Year 11 – s.constable@harrisrainham.org
Diagram: Contexts of Adolescent Safety & Vulnerability (Firmin 2013)
Young people’s engagement in extra-familial contexts can also inform, and be informed by, what is happening in their homes. Therefore, when young people are exposed to violence or exploitation in their school, community or peer group it may fracture their family relationships and undermine the capacity of their family to keep them safe.
Risk 1 - HAR continues to have high levels of concern for mental health related risks to children.
Please click HERE for a short presentation for parents to support their “Child with Anxiety”
- HAR has a mental health programme to meet needs of students and staff.
- HAR DSL Mrs Divakaran is senior leader Mental Health lead and completed this training with Trauma Informed Schools (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Policy, Practice and Leadership Department for Education Approved Senior Mental Lead Training)
- All staff have completed Trauma informed Awareness training.
- HAR has staff who are Mental Health First Aiders. These staff have been trained to spot signs of poor Mental Health and work effectively with agencies and DSL to provide immediate support.
Life coaches
We have appointed a number of life coaches to work with students on a 1-1 basis. These staff have a wealth of experience of working with secondary age children. The well-being of all our children is central to our ethos and this adds to our very strong programme of pastoral care. As well as having timetabled sessions with students, there will also be opportunities for parent/carer workshops to work closely with families and support them holistically.
Counsellor
We have appointed a counsellor to also work with students on a 1-1 basis. The counsellor uses a different technique to life coaches and focus on specific causes for child anxiety. These can be due to bereavement, trauma and other reasons. The Academy also benefits from services from Havering Bereavement services.
Suicide awareness training
Staff have completed suicide awareness training. We recommend parent/carer’s also complete this as it raises awareness of suicide and ways to prevent this - see link for details: https://www.zerosuicidealliance.com/suicide-awareness-training
Further support
In addition to the above support the following interventions are also available at HAR to support Student to BECOME:
| Interventions | Description about the intervention |
| Art Therapy | The course is designed to support students who are anxious or low on confidence; with a view to build up their self-efficacy. They will undergo a range of sessions and personalised 1-1 support. |
| Confident me | Designed to help combat low self-esteem in students. The intervention will include the following workshops: 1 Introduction and Appearance Ideals 2 Media Messages 3 Confront Comparisons 4 Banish Body Talk 5 Be the Change 6 Evaluation and feedback |
| Strengthening minds | Sessions will be delivered by the lead from strengthening minds around positive behaviour and a session around building self esteem. The sessions include some of the following topics; 1) Understanding Emotions 2) Exploring Aggressive Behaviour 3) Consequences of aggressive Behaviour 4) Taking responsibility 5) Less Stress 6) Strategies 7) The Power of Positivity 8) Mindfulness and me 9) Positive Communication 10) The joyful journey ahead. |
| Inclusion programme | Small groups bespoke intervention. The programme is designed to further develop skills in addressing behaviours and attitudes which compromise their ability to succeed. The different interventions include the following: Defiance, Violent aggressive behaviours, anger management, self-esteem, Racism, taking control. |
| ESLA | Emotional Literacy Support (ELSA) comprises of individualised support programmes to meet the emotional needs of children and young people in school. It recognises that children learn better and are happier in school if their emotional needs are also addressed. This intervention includes work on security and relationships, active listening, emotional competence, loss and bereavement, building relationships, social stories, social and friendship skills, Lego therapy, self-efficacy, self-esteem, motivation and mindset. |
| Pass score interventions | Early intervention designed to intervene systemically on attitudinal or emotional issues in students whose issues are still invisible (in some cases) before they can impact on school performance. The interventions this academic year will run about attitudes towards attendance, attitudes towards staff and confidence in learning. |
| Social Skills | Intervention for students either with an ASD diagnosis or social communication difficulties. The social skills intervention involves steps to improve a child's ability to socialise and recognise social cues. This is with the goal of functioning well in society in mind. Children with special educational needs such as Autism Spectrum Condition may benefit from a social skills intervention. |
| Talk Fitness | Talk Fitness is an innovative group intervention aimed at improving functional and cross-curricular speaking and listening skills. The video-based platform provides a rich context for teaching, focusing on real-life situations that are authentic and meaningful to young people. Pre- and post-intervention assessments provide comprehensive measures of progress. Units include Active listening, following instructions, Formal vs Informal talk, giving explanations, arguing a point and taking part in discussion. |
| 1-1 mentoring | This intervention is designed for students who require a daily / weekly check-in with a member of staff. This may be because they are new to the school, have suffered anxiety, bereavement or friendship issues. |
| Literacy | A variety of literacy-based interventions including RWFS, Reciprocal reading, precision teaching, paired reading cued spelling and guided writing, targets students who have low literacy levels on entry to the Academy in year 7. More targeted intervention in year 8 and 9 continues for those who have not made sufficient progress. |
| Dyslexia Gold | Develops literacy skills by combining successful phonological approaches with the very best of conventional, multi-sensory and structured teaching methods. |
| Handwriting | This intervention uses the handwriting rescue programme and is designed for students who have untidy and difficult to read handwriting. These students will probably use a laptop as an alternative means to record their work so students will also be shown how to touch type. |
| Numeracy | This intervention is designed to cover pre teaching and consolidation of basic maths skills following the maths curriculum. In KS4 students will complete the entry level curriculum. |
| Social Understanding | The social understanding course is designed for those students who either have an ASD diagnosis or have social communication needs. The course aims to cover the following areas:
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With this support we hope all students will be able to be self-managers of their own wellbeing, having developed the strategies and tools to be able to look after themselves, whilst also being aware that there are people available to support them should they ever feel like they need some extra help.
To discuss any concerns around Wellbeing, please contact your child’s LG in the first instance. Your child’s LG will then liaise with the relevant person within school if further intervention or support is needed.
Risk 2 - Increased financial deprivation and increase use of food banks
HAR Pastoral and Safeguarding team are here to support families with their own food and uniform banks. We work with external agencies to support families financially. Parents/carers can get in touch with us to find out ways we can support.
Risk 3 - Racism and extremism
HAR is also at risk from extremist groups (far right). HAR challenges PHSE, LG and assemblies’ propaganda material is circulated via social media in the local area.
Radicalization (or radicalisation) is a process by which an individual, or group comes to adopt increasingly extreme political, social, or religious ideals and aspirations that reject or undermine the status quo or contemporary ideas and expressions of the nation – being coerced or forced into following someone’s extremist beliefs.
The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 places a duty on us to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism, example indicators:
- Spending increasing time in the company of other suspected extremists; changing their style of dress or personal appearance to accord with the group; their day-to-day behaviour becoming increasingly centred around an extremist ideology, group or cause; loss of interest in other friends; possession of material or symbols associated with an extremist cause (e.g. the swastika for far right groups); attempts to recruit others to the group/cause/ideology; or communications with others that suggest identification with group/ cause/ ideology.
- Example indicators that an individual has an intention to use violence or other illegal means include: clearly identifying another group as threatening what they stand for and blaming that group for all social or political ills; using insulting or derogatory names or labels for another group; speaking about the imminence of harm from the other group and the importance of action now; expressing attitudes that justify offending on behalf of the group, cause or ideology; condoning or supporting violence or harm towards others; or plotting or conspiring with others. How to spot the signs of radicalisation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWa5GwmQsdM&safe=active
Risk 4 - Gangs
HAR is situated in Rainham Essex and shares its borders with Thurrock, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham. All these boroughs have established gangs who have the potential to target our students for criminal activities.
All these boroughs are easily accessible by public transport increasing the risk for county lines and other crimes. Serious youth violence is linked to child criminal (CCE) and sexual exploitation (CSE), particularly around drug dealing and county lines.
Gangs
A gang can be summarised as a group who see themselves and are seen by others as a gang, and for whom crime and violence are a central part of their activities. Children and young people face all sorts of pressures, including possibly feeling pressure to follow friends who may be in a gang. If you have any concerns or questions about gangs please do contact our safer schools police officers (see above). You might also like to read the Home Office leaflet Gangs: You and Your Child which gives advice to parents on gangs and how to help children make the right choices. Westminster Council have also produced a leaflet with advice and guidance to parents and carers about serious youth violence, knife crime and gangs.
What is a Money Mule?
More young people across the UK are being approached by criminals who want to use their bank accounts or pin numbers for criminal purposes. This is called being a ‘money mule’. A ‘mule account’ is used to hide money that comes from illegal activities. The young person may be asked to transfer money, allow access to their account or open up a new one. Sometimes criminals will try and force young people to become mules or they might offer financial incentives such as cash or mobile phone credit.
We need your support to help educate young people around this issue. Has your child been approached or asked for their bank account to be used? Check any bank statements. Is there money going in and out that cannot be accounted for? Ask questions if you are unsure about anything.
Bank accounts are private and must only be used by the account holder. Any misuse could not only be criminal but could cause serious credit issues for the account holder. Police are working in partnership with many schools across London to combat this issue. If you have any concerns, speak to your Safer Schools Police Officer (see below) and/or Action Fraud (www.actionfraud.police.uk) on 0300 123 2040.
Drugs networks ('County lines')
The National Crime Agency, the UK body charged with fighting organised crime, is very concerned that crime gangs are taking over drug networks using telephone hotlines (called 'county lines') and recruiting vulnerable people, often children, to act as couriers and to sell drugs. Please see our information sheet about 'county lines' and 'cuckooing' - the practice whereby professional drug dealers take over the property of a vulnerable person and use it as a place from which to run their drugs business.
What parents need to know about MOMO
Momo is a sinister ‘challenge’ that has been around for some time. It has recently resurfaced and once again has come to the attention of schools and children across the country. Dubbed the ‘suicide killer game’, Momo has been heavily linked with apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, and most recently (and most worryingly)... YouTube Kids. The scary doll-like figure reportedly sends graphic violent images, and asks users to partake in dangerous challenges like waking up at random hours and has even been associated with self-harm. You can download a guide for parents about MOMO, published by National Online Safety
What is Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)?
Abuse carried out by a Person(s) who hold a position of trust or authority in relation to the child.
A type of sexual abuse in which children are sexually exploited for money, power or status and most likely to be seen in children who are associated with ‘gang members’ or known to spend time with persons who are older than them. Grooming or forcing the young person into having sex.
What should you look for?
Gullible children – easily manipulated: Children or young people may be tricked into believing they are in a loving, consensual relationship. They might be invited to parties and given drugs and alcohol where they may be coerced into performing sexual acts against their will.
- They may also be groomed online. Some indicators of children being sexually exploited are: Going missing for periods of time or regularly coming home late; regularly missing education and appearing with unexplained gifts or new expensive possessions and having older boyfriends or girlfriends.
- Children who are talking about receiving gifts.
- Coming to school with new or up to date mobile phones, new trainers, cash, taxi’s and particularly in girls: false nails, hair extension or wigs.
- A child under the age of 13 is not legally capable of consenting to sex. If an individual has sex with a 13-year-old or bellow it is statutory rape – even if they have consented.
