Risk Assessment Policy for Pupil Welfare Policy

1. Introduction

1.1. This is the risk assessment policy for pupil welfare of Ashbourne College (the College).

1.2. Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all employees of the College are aware of, and adhere to, its policies and procedures in relation to the risk assessment of pupil welfare issues.

1.3. It is drawn up and implemented in accordance with the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/3283) (the ISSRs) and in particular in relation to the Part 3 obligations of the proprietor to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the School by the implementation of a written risk assessment policy and the Part 8 obligations of those with leadership and management of the School to actively promote the wellbeing of pupils.

2. Responsibilities

2.1. The Proprietor has overall responsibility for safeguarding and promoting pupil welfare and well-being at the College.

2.2. At an operational level, Mike Kirby, the Principal will;

2.2.1. Ensure that pupil’s health, safety and well-being is adequately protected;

2.2.2. ensure that all staff are aware of, and adhere to, the College’s policies and procedures on pupil health, safety and welfare;

2.2.3. ensure that key staff have clearly established roles and responsibilities;

2.2.4. ensure that staff are appropriately trained to deal with pupil welfare issues;

2.2.5. ensure that where concerns about a pupil’s welfare are identified, the risks are appropriately managed;

2.2.6. consult with staff, pupils, parents and others, where appropriate, to find practical solutions to welfare issues;

2.2.7. ensure that standards of pupil welfare at the College are regularly monitored both at an individual level and across the whole school community to identify trends and issues of concern and to improve systems to manage these.

2.3. Those named in paragraph 3.4 are responsible for carrying out risk assessments in relation to the specific matters of pupil health, safety and welfare covered in those policies.

3. Pupil welfare

3.1. The College recognises its responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils in its care. This responsibility encompasses the following principles:

3.1.1. to support pupils’ physical and mental health and emotional well-being (as well as their social and economic well-being);

3.1.2. to protect pupils from harm and neglect;

3.1.3. to recognise that corporal punishment can never be justified;

3.1.4. to provide pupils with appropriate education, training and recreation;

3.1.5 to encourage pupils to contribute to society;

3.1.6 to protect pupils from the risk of radicalisation, extremism and being drawn into terrorism;

3.1.7 to build pupils’ resilience to radicalisation by promoting fundamental British values, enabling pupils’ to challenge extremist views;

3.1.8 to assess the risk of children being drawn into terrorism and to provide support through the Channel programme for those identified as having extremist views;

3.1.9 to ensure that pupils are provided with a safe and healthy environment (and to improve the physical environment of the School in order to improve its provision for disabled pupils); and

3.1.10 to manage welfare concerns effectively.

3.2. The College addresses its commitment to these principles through:

3.2.1 Prevention – ensuring that all reasonable measures are taken to minimise the risk of harm to pupils and their welfare by:

(a) ensuring through training that all staff are aware of and committed to this policy and the values set out;

(b) establishing a positive, supportive and secure environment in which pupils can learn and develop;

(c) including in the curriculum, activities and opportunities for PSHE which equip pupils with skills to enable them to protect their own welfare and that of others; and

(d) providing medical and pastoral support that is accessible and available to all pupils.

3.2.2. Protection – ensuring all appropriate actions are taken to address concerns about the welfare of a pupil, whether of a safeguarding nature or otherwise. This includes:

(a) sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know and involving pupils and their parents appropriately; and

(b) monitoring pupils known or thought to be at risk of harm and formulating and / or contributing to support packages for those pupils.

3.3. The College recognises that pupil welfare and well-being can be adversely affected by many matters whether in or away from school, including abuse, bullying, radicalisation, behavioural and health issues.

3.4. The College has developed this policy and the policies in the table below, which set out full details of its procedures to safeguard and promote pupil health, safety and welfare in accordance with its duties under Part 3 of the ISSRs.

Anti-bullying – Lee Kirby (Director of Studies/ HO Y13) Fran Burns, (Designated Safeguarding Lead) Health and safety policy – Mike Kirby (Principal) and Fabio Carpene – Health and Safety Officer

Policy
Responsibility for risk assessments

Safeguarding / Child Protection
FRAN BURNS

Behaviour
LEE KIRBY 

First aid policy
FABIO CARPENE / LEE KIRBY / FRAN BURNS

FRAN BURNS / FABIO CARPENE / SEAN PILLAI 

LEE KIRBY / FRAN BURNS

LEE KIRBY

4. Risk assessment

4.1. Where a concern about a pupil’s welfare is identified, the risks to that pupil’s welfare will be assessed, appropriate action will be taken to reduce the risks identified, this will be recorded and regularly monitored and reviewed. More guidance on risk assessment can be found in Appendix 1.

4.2. The format of risk assessment may vary and may be included as part of the College’s overall response to a welfare issue or by using the attached risk assessment form. Regardless of the form used, the College’s approach to promoting pupil welfare will be systematic and pupil focused.

4.3. The information obtained through this process and the action agreed will be shared, as appropriate, with other staff, parents and third parties in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of a particular pupil or of pupils generally.

4.4. Through Academic & Safeguarding share on Filemaker, Regular and on-going Middle School & PT Meetings for updating both Pastoral Care and Safeguarding issues,, the Resilience Programme, Updated Student Profiles for students with recognised vulnerabilities and direct contact with members of the Safeguarding Team.

5. Safeguarding and child protection

5.1. With regards to safeguarding risks, and in accordance with current statutory guidance, including Keeping children safe in education and Working together to safeguard children and Part 3 of the ISSRs, the College has systems in place to identify pupils who may be in need of extra help, or those who are suffering, or are likely to suffer significant harm, and will take appropriate action to address and mitigate those risks by working in conjunction with social care, the Police, health services and other services, where appropriate or necessary. And in terms of those identified as being at risk of radicalisation and being drawn into terrorism, Channel programme partners.

5.2. Full details of the College’s safeguarding procedures are set out in the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

6. Protection from radicalisation and extremism

6.1. Details of the College’s procedures to prevent pupils from becoming radicalised and/or being drawn into extremism and/or terrorism in accordance with the guidance in Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales and the Departmental advice on the Prevent Duty (DfE) are also contained within the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

6.2. The College will meet these obligations by assessing the risk of pupils being drawn into radicalisation and/or extremism and/or terrorism and putting in place control measures to support those at risk.

6.3. However, the College balances this duty against the fact that schools should be safe spaces in which children and young people can consider and discuss sensitive topics, including terrorism and the extremist ideas that are part of terrorist ideology, and learn how to challenge these ideas.

6.4. The College will ensure that the arrangements for visiting speakers, whether invited by staff, pupils or parents, are suitably risk assessed before the visit takes place and that clear protocols are in place to ensure that those visiting speakers are suitable and are appropriately supervised when on College premises.

7. Anti-bullying

7.1 The College has a written Anti-bullying Policy which covers the its approach to the management of bullying and cyber bullying.

8. Behaviour

8.1. The College has a written Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy which sets out how it promotes good behaviour amongst pupils and the sanctions to be adopted in the event of pupil misbehaviour.

8.2. This policy contains further information about the College’s performance of its duties under the Equality Act 2010 (and reasonable adjustments made for pupils with disabilities), support systems for pupils and liaison between parents and other agencies.

9. Health and safety

9.1. In accordance with its obligations under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and with Part 3 of the ISSRs, the College has a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and the health and safety of pupils and others affected by the College’s operations, so far as is reasonably practicable.

9.2. The College will meet this requirement by taking a sensible, proportionate and holistic approach to management of health and safety issues in accordance with the School’s obligations and its health and safety policies.

10. Reporting

10.1. When assessing risks to pupil welfare and well-being at the College, all staff should also consider whether the matter should be reported to outside agencies and /or regulatory bodies, including but not restricted to, Children’s Services, the Police, Ofsted, CAMHS, the Charity Commission, Channel etc.

10.2. Unless provided for otherwise in the College’s policies or in statutory guidance, the member of staff concerned should discuss the decision to report to outside agencies and /or regulatory bodies with the Fran Burns of Mike Kirby before making such a report.

11. Monitoring and review

11.1 Relevant risk assessments and any action taken in response to risk assessments will be monitored regularly by Mike Kirby or another senior member of staff.

11.2 This policy and related College’s procedures will be reviewed annually by Mike Kirby or another senior member of staff, and updated as necessary.

11.3 In undertaking the monitoring and review of relevant risk assessments and this policy (as necessary), The Principal, Mike Kirby, will seek to identify trends and understand issues of concern and to take steps to improve systems to manage these.

Appendix 1 Guidance on risk assessment

A pupil welfare risk assessment is a careful examination of what could cause harm to pupil welfare and to consider appropriate control measures, so that you can weigh up whether the School has taken adequate precautions or should take additional steps to prevent the risk of harm.

The purpose of a risk assessment is not to create huge amounts of paperwork, but rather to identify sensible measures to control real risks – those that are most likely to occur and / or will cause the most harm if they do.

When thinking about your risk assessment in this context, remember:

• a welfare issue is anything that may harm a pupil; to include cyber-bullying, abuse and the risk of radicalisation and extremism.
• the risk is the chance that a pupil could be harmed, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be if it occurs.

Step 1: Identify the issue

First you need to work out how pupils could be harmed. This will generally be set out in the concern raised about a pupil’s welfare.

Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how

Identify individual pupils or groups of pupils who might be harmed and how they might be harmed by the concern raised.

Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Decide what to do about the risks.

Compare what you currently do with what is required by law, DfE guidance or is accepted good practice. If there is a difference, list what needs to be done to protect the pupil’s welfare. Where appropriate take into account any special requirements or protected characteristics.

Step 4: Record your findings and implement them

Make a written record of your significant findings – the concern, the issues, how pupil(s) might be harmed and what arrangements the School has in place to control those risks.

There is no prescribed format for this record but any record produced should be simple and focussed on control measures and the steps the School proposes to take to manage the risk.

Step 5: Review your risk assessment and update, if necessary

Review what you are doing for the pupils identified and across the School generally and monitor and review the efficacy and /or the outcome of the measures you have put in place on a regular basis, or as required.