Safeguarding

Liverpool College is committed to safeguarding children and promoting children’s welfare and expects all staff, governors, volunteers and visitors to share this commitment and maintain a vigilant and safe environment. It is our willingness to work in a safe manner and challenge inappropriate behaviour that underpins this commitment. 

Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy can be accessed through the Policies page here.

Key Safeguarding Staff
 

The Principal is: Mr Hans Broekman

The Chair of Governors is: Mrs Monica Mason

The Designated Safeguarding Lead for Child Protection is: Mr Hans Broekman

The College has a Designated Safeguarding Lead for Child Protection in each section:

• Senior School: Karen Duffy (nee McCaughey), Head of Year 8
• Preparatory School: Anne Pease, Head of Prep School
• Pre – Prep: Gail Gannon, Head of Pre Prep
• Boarding Halls: Moureen Nolan, Head of Boarding
• EYFS: Gail Gannon 
• After School Club: Gail Gannon 

The nominated Safeguarding / Child Protection Governor is: Dr Hilary Eccles

The nominated governor for dealing with allegations against the Principal is: Mrs Monica Mason
 

Communicating with Parents

The following statement is provided to parents so they are aware of Liverpool College's responsibilities:

‘The school ensures children learn in a safe, caring and enriching environment. Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, to develop positive and healthy relationships, how to avoid situations where they might be at risk including by being exploited.

The school also has a statutory responsibility to share any concerns it might have about a child in need of protection with other agencies and in particular police, health and children’s services. Schools are not able to investigate concerns but have a legal duty to refer them. In most instances the school will be able to inform the parents/carer of its need to make a referral. However, sometimes the school is advised by children’s services or police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter. We understand the anxiety parents/carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset. The school follows legislation that aims to act in the interests of the child.

The school will always seek to work in partnership with parents and other agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child and family.’

Resources for Parents to support young people and families in relation to mental health and wellbeing:

Fresh - CAMHS: http://www.freshcamhs.org/

Liverpool CAMHS: https://www.liverpoolcamhs.com/

Talk Liverpool: https://www.talkliverpool.nhs.uk/

YPAS: http://www.ypas.org.uk/

Mood Juice: http://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/

Overcoming: http://www.overcoming.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=4795

NHS Resources: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/anxiety-in-children.aspx#makes

NHS Resources: https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/low-mood-stress-anxiety.aspx

Operation Encompass

We participate in a project in partnership with Merseyside Police called Operation Encompass alongside all other schools in Liverpool.  The project, aims to support children who are affected by domestic abuse.  Each school has a member of staff (key adult) who is trained to liaise with the police, when required, whilst ensuring support is available to the child.  If you would like to speak to someone further about the project or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact our Key Adult, Miss McCaughey (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).  
 

E-Safety Advice for Parents

Statistics for 2014 show that parental concern about e-safety has doubled over the last 12 months. In the Principal’s Newsletter we advertise helpful links for parents to highlight different aspects of e-safety and they are also copied below:

1. The NSPCC campaign ShareAware is specifically aimed at ages 8-12.

2. In this modern information age, parental engagement with their children about e-safety is absolutely vital. Research has shown that simply locking children out using specialised filters or software is not enough to keep them safe. They must learn how to cope with the technology. This ability to cope starts with the adults our children rely on including parents, carers and teachers. Openness, trust and mutual agreement is the most important safeguard there is. To that end, Mr Doran hopes you will find the following two links useful:

• The first is some conversation starters for you to kick off a dialogue about e-safety.
• The second link is a Parents Factsheet which has, within it, a whole host of other useful links. Though it may appear true that children know more about social networking etc., this does not mean that they are street-smart. Indeed, in studies, it emerges quite often how naïve children can be. As parents, you should always try to familiarise yourselves with the latest trends so that you keep in touch with the potential dangers that exist.

3. Digital Parenting magazine:  In this publication, published by Vodafone, you'll find all sorts of useful information and tips about aspects of e-safety. It is an extremely well put together publication and is extremely useful for parents.

4. ChildNet International: This web page gives all sorts of useful information about how to support your children’s use of internet technologies.

5. Smartphones: As devices become more and more mobile, the peace of mind that previously came with having a family computer in a living room so you can be aware of what children are doing has more or less ended. This link will give you some useful information about smartphones and how to manage their use.

6. Parental controls. Although parental controls are not the only tool that parents should use, they are part of the solution.

7. Know the Signs: This link is very interesting for parents to know what signs to look for in children being potentially exploited online.

8. Parent Info: Nicky Morgan when Secretary of State for Education launched a new free website providing information for schools and parents about many aspects of child safety. This e-Safety link comes from there and deals with the coded way children and young adults often communicate in when on-line. This should be an eye-opener for you!

Attendance

Studies have demonstrated that there is a highly significant correlation between high levels of attendance and success at school.

Colette O’Brien, Director of Children & Young People’s Services at Liverpool Local Authority has written a letter to all parents and carers that outlines the importance of good attendance and the changes introduced to the Persistent Absence measure from September 2015. You can read a copy of the letter here.

The Government expects pupils to have a minimum level of attendance of at least 97% and all Liverpool schools will be working towards this target .

The Government requires schools to measure attendance by ‘Persistent Absenteeism’, which is defined as the number of times your child is absent during the year.  A pupil who is persistently absent is one who misses 10% or more of their schooling for any reason, from the beginning of the school year to the end of any given half term period.

Please read our Attendance and Punctuality Matters information flyer that sets out our expectations, what good attendance means, our policy approach to holidays and absences, and why attendance is important.

Please note that new regulations came in to force in September 2013 and the College is not able to authorise term time holidays.

To view the College's Attendance and Registration policy, please click here.