Safeguarding

To contact our safeguarding team please email safeguarding@harristottenham.org.uk. Telephone: 020 3772 4243

The Governor with Responsibility for Safeguarding and Student Welfare is Farida Momtaz (Parent Governor).


Haringey contacts

Haringey Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Service:

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Manager is Finola Owens.

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) is Sharon Ackbersingh.

Haringey Council,

Haringey LADO Service

Engagement, Safeguarding, Quality Assurance (ESQA)

River Park House

225 High Road

London N22 8HQ

You can contact the LADO via LADO@haringey.gov.uk

You can also contact the Local Safeguarding Children Board at: 
Email: lscb@haringey.gov.uk
Enquiries: 020 8489 3145
Training:  020 8489 1470

All children and young people have the right to live in safety, without emotional cruelty, neglect, violence, or sexual abuse. If you are worried about the safety or welfare of a child please share your concerns so that someone can help. 

If the child is in immediate danger then you should telephone emergency services on 999.

If you have concerns that a child or young person under the age of 18 might be being harmed, please contact Haringey Council Children's Services: Monday to Thursday 8.45am to 5pm; Friday 8.45am to 4.45pm: Tel: 020 8489 4470. Out of office hours, including weekends: Tel: 020 8489 0000.

The SHARP system is a tool used to report any safeguarding or welfare concerns, in an anonymous way. The tool is monitored by staff at the Academy, and enables both students and families to report any concerns. Click HERE to go to the SHARP website.

	Call Childline on 0800 1111 to get through to a counsellor, they’re there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about. You can also visit www.childline.org.uk.
	If you're worried about a child, even if you're unsure, you can speak to the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 about your concerns. You can also visit www.nspcc.org.uk.

Our PREVENT duty means that our staff are trained to be able to identify students who may be vulnerable to radicalisation. At Harris Academy Tottenham we have a designated Prevent Duty Lead. This is Helen Livermore, Vice Principal and DSL.

Protecting students at from the risk of radicalisation is seen as part of our statutory safeguarding duty whether these the risk comes from within the family or are the product of outside influences.  Further details on PREVENT can be found in our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy or here in the “Educate against hate” Campaign.

The Prevent duty has two specific objectives to safeguard our students against radicalisation, extremism, and any actions or beliefs that are contrary to British Values and our Academy ethos:

1. Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those that promote it.
2. Prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support.

At Harris Academy Tottenham we work alongside the counter-terrorism referral programme “Channel”. Channel is a programme which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. The programme uses a multi-agency approach to protect vulnerable people by:

• identifying individuals at risk
• assessing the nature and extent of that risk
• developing the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned.

Please refer to our Safeguarding Policy (at the bottom of this page) for the full procedural framework on our Safeguarding and Child Protection duties. PC Andre Smith and PC Dan Woods are the Counter Terrorism Local Operation Officers who lead on all safeguarding concerns relating to radicalisation and terrorism. Based at Hornsey Police Station – 020 8345 1807. Christina Andrews is the Strategic Lead for Communities and Will Robey is the Prevent Education officer within Haringey – 020 8489 1280.

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 officer (contact details below). You might also like to read the Home Office leaflet Gangs: You and Your Child. This gives advice to parents on gangs and how to help children make the right choices. 

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.

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.

Cuckooing is 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.

Harris Academy Tottenham has a Safer Schools Police Officer. There are now over 450 Safer School Partnerships operating throughout England and Wales, with police officers and community support officers based in schools to work closely with staff and students. Our Safer Schools Police Officer supports the local community and raises awareness with regard to personal safety in school.

The officer is outside the academy at the start and end of every school day. If any member of the local community has concerns regarding the welfare or safety of a child or student they can contact the Safer Schools Police Officer.

Although the Academy teaches students e-safety, 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.

Below are some helpful resources for parents/carers that will enable you to help your child stay safe online

The online world is becoming vaster with young people using social media sites and the Internet, to explore opportunities for learning and creativity. However, while the Internet is a great resource, as always, there are risks and dangers that every student should be aware of to help protect themselves and be safe online.  The Academy teaches e-safety via our PSHE curriculum, but you may also find the below resources useful.

• Keeping your child safe online - a checklist for parents and carers
• Keeping your child safe online - a checklist for parents and carers
• Cyberbullying - what it is and what to do about it
• Accessing inappropriate websites
• Facebook - parents' guide
• Online grooming - the risks children face online
• bbc_tips_on_scary_stuff.mp4

We have our own library of information posters about online safety which you can view using the links lower down this page.

A wealth of additional information on the Think You Know website which was 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.

Although the Academy teaches students e-safety, 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. If you need further advice please contact Ms Stevens or your childs' Head of Year.

We know some parents feel confused by the Internet. It’s constantly changing, and it can be hard to keep up with the latest apps and trends.

NSPCC have put together a guide to reassure you, and give you the information and advice you’ll need to keep your child safe online. The Internet's an amazing place, so we want to help your child to get the most out of it, and to do that safely.

The guidance is actually really simple - it’s all about talking to your child, getting the family involved. You can find the guide at learning.nspcc.org.uk/media/1489/share-aware-parents-guide.pdf.

As we start to move towards exam season, Young Minds have launched advice for parents about supporting their children. Tips include:

• Encourage your child to take revision breaks and find a balance between studying and doing things they find enjoyable and relaxing
• Make sure they are eating and drinking at regular intervals
• Reassure them – reinforce that you are and will be proud of them no matter what happens
• Remain positive and hopeful!
• Let them know their feelings are valid and normal, but also offer support and solutions where possible
• Anxiety is often worst at night and this means it is useful to encourage good bedtime routine
• You can find out more here: https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-guide-to-support-a-z/parents-guide-to-support-exam-time/

• Bullying - KidScape
• Sex and relationships - NHS Live Well
• Drugs - Talk To Frank
• NSPCC - Call 0808 800 5000, Text 88858, Email help@nspcc.org.uk
• Childline - Call 0800 1111
• childnet.com – Visit the ‘Know It All’ Section for an interactive guide about online safety
• getsafeonline.org – Free up-to-date security advice
• cybermentors.org.uk – Online support for children
• ceop.police.uk – Website of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
• bbc.co.uk/onlinesafety – guidance about how to make the most of being online while staying safe.
• 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
• saferinternetday.org  - a day that is used to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, but they also provide year round training days
• gov.uk/government/groups/uk-council-for-child-internet-safety-ukccis - The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS)
• parentinfo.org/article/the-5-digital-parenting-rules-that-really-matter - Parent Info - From CEOP and Parent Zone - 'The 5 digital parenting rules that REALLY matter.'
• parentinfo.org/article/setting-safety-and-privacy-settings-for-social-media-apps - Parent Info - From CEOP and Parent Zone - 'Setting Safety and Privacy settings for Social Media Apps.'
• nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/ - Online Safety - NSPCC
• nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/sexting/ - Sexting - NSPCC
• nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/ - Share Aware - NSPCC
• nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/questions-parenting-digital-age/ - 12 Questions answered about parenting in the digital age - NSPCC
• getsafeonline.org/ - Get Safe Online
• ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ - CEOP Educate against hate

The school has been given the opportunity to take part in a project that will run jointly between schools and the Metropolitan Police. This is called Operation Encompass.

This means that if police are called out to a domestic abuse incident the school will be notified so that they can care for your child’s needs the following day. Operation Encompass has been designed to provide early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school but which might have an impact on a child attending school the following day. This information will be shared on school days during the school term. When incidents occur on a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday, the police will contact the relevant school the following Monday.

At the academy the information is only shared with the Designated and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads. They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that the school is able to support children and their families. Information will be shared where it is identified that a child or young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident.

We always endeavour to offer the best support possible to our pupils and believe that Operation Encompass is going to be beneficial and supportive for all concerned.

If you would like more information about this new initiative, details can be viewed online at www.operationencompass.org

A confidential helpline has been launched for families worried a loved one may be becoming radicalised during the pandemic after concerns that reporting has reduced during COVID.

London Prevent, which seeks to identify and help people at risk of radicalisation, has seen a reduction in referrals by sectors such as health and education since the first lockdown. From the start of lockdown on Monday, 23 March to Monday, 22 June, referrals decreased by 31 per cent compared with the same period in 2019.

Relatives and friends are best placed to spot worrying behaviour at an early stage and can help the person they care about get the support they need to move away from extremism, yet only four per cent of referrals in the past year were made by friends and families. This is particularly troubling during a period when people are spending more time at home and not in places – like schools – where worrying behaviour might otherwise be spotted.

The process of radicalisation can happen incredibly quickly – we’ve seen cases where it has happened within weeks – so I would really urge families to pick up the phone or go to the new website for advice as soon as they identify something may be wrong.

The new national Police Prevent Advice Line is 0800 011 3764 and it is staffed around the clock. They don’t have to provide their details or the details of their loved ones if they would prefer not to, although this information may help ensure appropriate support is provided.

One phone call to the this line could be the difference between a loved one ending up hurting themselves and others, or them getting the help they need to choose a positive life path, away from harmful activities and people.

I can understand the idea of ringing the helpline may seem daunting but I would reassure you that it’s staffed by specially-trained officers – many of them parents themselves – who are ready and waiting to listen and provide expert advice.

The team’s role is to assess whether there is something to be concerned about and, if there is, how we and our partners can help the person involved and their families. Whether they choose to receive support is entirely a matter for them – it’s completely voluntary.

Sometimes it turns out there is nothing to be worried about, in which case we can give the worried caller peace of mind. Other times there may not be a risk of radicalisation but we identify a different safeguarding concern instead. In those cases, we work with our partners to ensure the individual gets offered the opportunity for the right support from the appropriate professionals.

Whatever happens, we’ll never tell the person you’re worried about that you called us, unless you say we can.

Advice on radicalisation – including the signs to look for – can also be found on the new ACT Early website at https://actearly.uk/