If you are a parent or carer, and would like help for your child or your family, please contact the school to discuss your concerns (School Office: 020 8891 2985 or via email: safeguarding@rts.richmond.sch.uk)

In Richmond upon Thames, Protection and Early Help services are provided by Achieving for Children (AfC), the Local Authority's Children's Services Provider. You can contact the Richmond Single Point of Access (SPA) as follows:

• Telephone: 0208 547 5008 / 0208 877 5000 ‘out of hours’.

In Hounslow, services are provided by Hounslow Safeguarding Children Partnership:

• Telephone: 020 8583 6600 option 2 / 020 8583 2222 'out of hours'

If you are worried that a child may be in imminent danger, please call 999.

If early help is appropriate, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), will generally lead on liaising with other agencies and setting up an inter-agency assessment as appropriate. 

The DSL will keep the case under constant review and the school will consider a referral to local authority children’s social care if the situation does not seem to be improving. Timelines of interventions will be monitored and reviewed. 

At the Richmond upon Thames School, we are prepared to identify children who may benefit from early help. Early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to teenage years. In the first instance, staff should discuss early help requirements with the DSL.

Any child may benefit from early help, but at the Richmond upon Thames School we are particularly aware of the potential need for early help for a child who:

• is disabled 

• has special educational needs (whether or not they have a statutory education, health and care plan)

• is a young carer

• is bereaved

• is showing signs of being drawn in to anti-social or criminal behaviour, including being affected by gangs and county lines and organised crime groups and/or serious violence, including knife crime

• is frequently missing/goes missing from care or from home

• is at risk of modern slavery, trafficking, sexual and/or criminal exploitation

• is at risk of being radicalised

• is viewing problematic and/or inappropriate online content (for example, linked to violence)

• is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as drug and alcohol misuse, adult mental health issues and domestic abuse

• is misusing drugs or alcohol themselves

• is suffering from mental ill health

• has returned home to their family from care

• is a privately fostered child

• has a parent or carer in custody

• is missing education, or persistently absent from school, or not in receipt of full time education

• has experienced multiple suspensions and is at risk of, or has been, permanently excluded

If early help and or other support is appropriate the case will be kept under constant review and consideration given to a referral to children’s social care if the child’s situation doesn’t appear to be improving. 

The DSL is aware of the local escalation policy and procedures. We work closely with local professional agencies including social care, the police, health services and other services including voluntary organisations to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. This includes providing a co-ordinated offer of early help when additional needs of children are identified and contributing to inter-agency plans to provide additional support to children subject to child protection plans.