THE NEVILLE LOVETT COMMUNITY SCHOOL
POLICY AND GUIDANCE ON TACKLING ABUSE, THREATS AND VIOLENCE TOWARDS MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, BY VISITORS OR TRESPASSERS, ON THE SCHOOL SITE
‘Staff’ as referred to in this document should be interpreted to mean all those employed on the site. Refer to: ‘A legal toolkit for schools’. DfES ISBN - 1 84185 772 6 . www.dfes.gov.uk Context Neville Lovett School is an orderly, safe place where relationships between the staff and visitors (who are predominantly parents) demonstrate mutual respect. There is a recognition that we share responsibility for students’ welfare and educational progress. The staff acknowledge that parental involvement is an important factor in the school’s success. Unfortunately staff also need to be aware that the potential exists for the behaviour of a tiny minority of parents to cause severe disruption or worse, resulting in abusive or aggressive behaviour towards staff. The same can be true of other intruders on school premises. Therefore, the following general guidance is offered when approaching any unauthorised person on the site: •
Any stranger found on site should be asked (politely) to leave. (Authorised visitors will be given a label).
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Under no circumstance should any attempt be made to remove someone using physical force.
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If you are threatened move away as quickly as you can and report the incident immediately.
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POLICY STATEMENT Violence, threatening behaviour and abuse against school staff and other members of the school community will not be tolerated. If such behaviour should ever occur the Headteacher and Chair of Governors will be pro-active in taking all possible action to deal with it. The Employers Role The LEA is responsible for protecting the health and safety of their staff and students in Community schools. In most cases, therefore, the LEA will initiate action on the school’s behalf, or will support the school in action that the school itself initiates as a result of an incident. It is important, therefore, that staff acknowledge the necessity to present proper evidence to the LEA when asking for specific legal action to be taken forward. Staff should understand that the LEA may seek an assurance that where necessary staff will be prepared to testify in court.
GUIDANCE All staff are advised to be familiar with the contents of the leaflet ‘Personal Safety’ (for people who work in education) prepared by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. Additional copies can be obtained from the school office. Procedures •
If the behaviour of a visitor gives staff cause to assume that a violent, threatening or abusive incident is likely to occur the person causing the disturbance should first be asked to leave or invited into an area away from other people.
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If a violent, threatening or abusive incident occurs a senior member of staff should be summoned immediately. A judgement, based on factors surrounding the incident, will need to be made regarding any immediate request for police assistance.
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Any violent, threatening or abusive incident should be recorded on an Incident Report Form available from the school office.
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Following the immediate aftermath of an incident the Headteacher will work closely with the school’s community police officer to resolve any issues that may arise.
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The Headteacher, in discussion with the Chair of Governors and appropriate colleagues, will decide what follow up action is necessary following an incident. (ie to seek the support of the LEA with legal action; whether the perpetrator should be refused entry to the premises).
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If there is any injury to staff as a result of an incident the Headteacher should contact the LEA (the employer) for guidance on the necessity to report the injury to the Health and Safety Executive.
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Following an incident the Headteacher will ensure that the member of staff involved is offered a meeting with the relevant officer from the personnel department in order to discuss the support available to them from the LEA.
Legal Framework The LEA, acting on a report from the Headteacher may use section 547 of the Education Act 1996, in letters that are sent to parents, or other intruders, after an incident. Section 547 makes it an offence for a trespasser on school premises to cause or permit a nuisance or disturbance, and allows for the removal and prosecution of any person believed to have committed the offence. A parent of a child attending a school normally has implied permission to be on school’s premises at certain times and for certain purposes but if the parent’s behaviour is unreasonable this permission may be withdrawn. A person who persists in entering school premises and displaying unreasonable behaviour can be prosecuted under section 547. Risk Assessment / Monitoring The Governors Buildings and Grounds Committee is responsible for carrying out a periodic assessment of risk to staff and others from abusive or violent visitors. Guidance is available from the Health and Safety executive and the DfES. In carrying out their assessment of risk the committee will be guided by the necessity to identify what risks are and who is likely to be at risk. After these initial steps they will consider how to manage these risks and what can be done to minimise them. Staff Training It is recognised that encouraging staff to recognise verbal and non-verbal precursors to aggression and the techniques to defuse aggression, thus preventing incidents escalating, can reduce the risk of violent attacks by visitors to the site. Those staff who wish to be offered personal safety training should discuss the matter within the performance management cycle. During the last four years the LEA has been working on a programme of Personal Awareness Training, funded through the School Security Standards Fund. The four interactive videos, that make up the programme, are available from the school office.
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………………………………………………….. Elizabeth Webb, Chair of Governors Date: …………………………….
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