Information for schools
Dorset Safer Schools and Communities Team have collated a number of their own produced resources and those from national and local services to offer specialist support and advice on a wide range of needs, concerns and topics. These resources can be used to educate, guide and support children and young people in keeping safe.
Dorset Police policies and guidance
Where it is appropriate and there are no aggravating factors, schools and other education facilities are encouraged to deal with incidents of sexting following recent guidance issued by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) in response to ‘youth produced sexual imagery’.
Home Office counting rules require all forces to formally record any reported incidents of sexting as crimes under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. All incidents of 'sexting' where children are involved must in the first instance primarily be treated as a safeguarding issue whilst following Home Office Counting rules.
The taking, making or distributing indecent photographs or possession of an indecent photograph of a child is a criminal offence and therefore all reported offences of youth produced sexual imagery to Dorset Police will be recorded as a crime. However, the guidance to forces also allows the police to use their discretion as to the best means of then resolving that crime report.
In instances where there are no aggravating factors a closing outcome of 'Outcome 21' can be assigned to crimes which states; ‘further investigation, resulting from the crime report, which could provide evidence sufficient to support formal action being taken against the suspect is not in the public interest – police decision.’
This means that even though a young person has broken the law (and the police could provide evidence that they have done so), the police can record that they chose not to take further action as it was not in the public interest.
The use of 'outcome 21' on a crime means that the young person does not have a criminal record and it is unlikely that the incident would be shared on future Disclosure and Barring Services checks - unless future incidents occurred which suggested a pattern of behaviour.
This policy document aims to provide guidance to operational police officers and police staff on the Force response to incidents which occur on school premises and specifically:
- Outline schools’ responsibilities when incidents occur.
- Give clarity on how the incident should be handled if the police need to be involved.
- Give guidance on the type of incidents where the police should be involved and those that should be dealt with by the school.
It also intends to develop an agreed set of reporting standards to:
- Ensure a consistent approach to dealing with school related incidents throughout Dorset.
- Provide accurate data on school related incidents.
National advice and information
Drugs: advice for schools is from the Department for Education and the Association of Chief Police Officers. It is non-statutory.
It has been produced to help answer some of the most common questions raised by school staff. The guidance includes managing drugs, drug-related incidents within schools, and pastoral support for pupils.
Section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 outlines the following:
The measures which the head teacher [of a relevant school in England] determines under subsection (1) may, to such extent as is reasonable, include measures to be taken with a view to regulating the conduct of pupils at a time when they are not on the premises of the school and are not under the lawful control or charge of a member of the staff of the school.
Young people and the law from GOV.UK provides information on topics such as the age of criminal responsibility, what happens if a child under 10 breaks the law, and what happens if your child gets in trouble with the police.
When to call the police: Guidance for schools & colleges from the NPCC covers incidents on school and college premises where students have potentially committed a crime.
It provides guidance on what schools and colleges should bear in mind when considering contacting the police.
This advice covers the following situations:
- Assault
- Criminal damage
- Cyber crime
- Drugs
- Harassment
- Sexual offences
- Theft
- Weapons
This advice aims to support schools and college to make defensible decisions when considering whether to involve the police.
Prevent young people becoming involved in terrorism by raising your concerns and making a referral. You may have concerns about a potentially vulnerable institution that is being exploited for the purpose of promoting an extremist ideology. In either case, a dedicated team is ready to help.
If there is an immediate threat to life always dial 999.
With the rise of sexting incidents involving young people, this guidance about responding to and managing sexting incidents in schools from SWGfL aims to help schools identify sexting incidents, manage them and escalate appropriately.
Searching, screening and confiscation at school guidance from the Department for Education is intended to explain schools' powers of screening and searching pupils so that school staff have the confidence to use them. In particular, it explains the use of the power to search pupils without consent.
It also explains the powers schools have to seize and then confiscate items found during a search. It includes statutory guidance which schools must have regard to.
Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people is a publication is from the UK Council for Internet Safety. It provides guidance and advice for professionals and covers:
- risk assessing situations
- safeguarding and supporting children and young people
- handling devices and imagery
- recording incidents, including the role of other agencies
- providing education on the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes