At Fishburn Primary School, we regard the safeguarding of children as our main priority. We believe that we all have the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn. We all have the responsibility to make this happen.
Safeguarding is EVERYONE’s business.
We will ensure that:
- the welfare of the child remains paramount;
- all children whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/ or sexual identity have the right to be protected from harm;
- all suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately;
- all staff and volunteers working at our school have a responsibility to report concerns to the designated leads for Safeguarding: Miss Ferguson, Mrs Leddy and Mrs Gibson
Areas of Safeguarding
Our safeguarding policies cover all areas of school life and include:
- Staff & Visitors- ensuring they are vetted, informed & trained;
- Children’s Behaviour- promoting safer & happier behaviours & lifestyles;
- Parents & Carers- promoting links & supporting families;
- Premises -keeping them safe, pleasant & fit for purpose;
- Curriculum -providing positive, life affirming learning experiences;
- Outside School- ensuring safer activities and environments outside school.
Members of Staff Responsible
We are all responsible for ensuring that each child remains safe, however the Designated Leads for Safeguarding are:
Miss Ferguson – Overall Designated Safeguarding Lead,
Mr Cornell – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead,
Mrs Murray – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead,
Mrs Leddy – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Safer Recruitment
We follow strict procedures to ensure that everyone who works with our children is vetted, keeping our children as safe as possible. Ongoing checks and ‘whistle-blowing’ are in line with current policies.
Miss Ferguson is safer recruitment trained.
Mrs Barker (Vice Chair of Governors) is safer recruitment trained.
Mrs Leddy (Office Manager) is shadowing our safer recruitment processes before being trained in May 2023
Staff Training
All staff are:
- trained in child protection issues and they are aware of the procedures to follow;
- encouraged to be vigilant in order to maintain the safety of our children;
- are directed to the document ‘KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE IN EDUCATION 2022’.
- Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022
Child Protection with Safeguarding Policy
Keeping Children Safe – Fishburn Safeguarding Policy 2022_2023
All staff have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues and are able to implement the safeguarding children policy and procedure appropriately. Policies are in line with current guidance and procedures.
Staff are able to respond appropriately to any:
- significant changes in children’s behaviour;
- deterioration in their general well-being;
- unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse;
- signs of neglect;
- comments children make which give cause for concern.
All staff are aware of the need to maintain privacy and confidentiality.
Information Sharing
We have an obligation to obtain necessary information from parents/carers in advance of a child being admitted to school, including:
- emergency contact numbers;
- the child’s special dietary requirements, preferences or food allergies the child may have;
- the child’s special health requirements;
- information about who has legal contact with the child; and who has parental responsibility for the child.
Written parental permission is requested, at the time of the child’s admission to the provision, to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future.
PARENTS & CARERS MUST TELL US OF ANY CHANGES TO THESE DETAILS.
We take confidentiality very seriously. Any information which we hold is treated as confidential and shared on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.
Links with External Agencies
Because our first concern must be the well-being of your child, there may be occasions when we have to consult other agencies before we contact you. The procedures we have to follow have been laid down in accordance with the local authority child protection procedures.
We are fortunate to be supported by a range of external agencies which can be called upon to support the work we do in school. These include School Nurse, Health Practitioners, Educational Psychology, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, Behaviour Support, Social Services and Specialists in supporting Special Educational Needs.
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass provides a method of sharing information between the Police and local schools. This provides the designated Key Adult within the school with information where a child has been present in a household where an incident of domestic abuse has been recorded. The information is aimed to be shared with the school prior to the commencement of the next school day so that the school can provide reactive support within the school environment for that pupil on that day.
Operation Encompass does not replace or supersede existing safeguarding protocols that are in place, existing safeguarding procedures and guidelines continue. A referral will be made to First Contact from the Police when they attend any incident where a child is involved.
We will provide necessary support to the child whilst in attendance at school following an incident in the home. It is designed to reinforce safeguarding and ensure children’s well-being is of paramount importance.
Miss Ferguson is the Key Adult, he receives Operation Encompass notifications.
Further information can be found in this document Operation-Encompass-Further-Information-Booklet
Reporting Concerns or Complaints
Further to the above procedures, we have in place a complaints policy. This enables children, staff and carers to report anything they feel is of concern.
Concerns should be raised in the following order.
- To the Class Teacher. Then, if there is no resolution;
- To the Head Teacher. Then, if there is no resolution;
- To the Chairman of Governors. Then, if there is no resolution;
- To the Local Authority.
Contact details are available from the school office.
Parents/Online Safety Information
Every parent wants to ensure their child is safe when they access the internet. In order to reduce the risks to children, remembering to set parental controls can minimise risks of harmful content being found by children on line. Online safety is not just about protecting children from some of the dangers of the internet – it is also about helping them to better manage their use of technology too.
Internet Matters is a site paid for by many British companies. It has a lot of good advice on different aspects of E safety, including adding parental controls to devices as well and what to look out for in terms of risks. One of the most important pieces of advice for parents is to take the time to talk to your child about the apps and games they are using. Don’t be afraid to say no sometimes!
The range of online apps changes on a regular basis. We endeavor to keep you as up to date as we can about apps or unacceptable content which children may have access to. The NSPCC have a site called Net Aware. This provides unbiased up-to-date information on current apps and sites along with advice to parents about dealing with issues should they arise and you wish to seek further guidance.
The NSPCC have teamed up with O2 to provide advice to parents and have a free helpline on 0808 800 5002. They will also give support in any O2 shop – you do not have to be an O2 customer.
ThinkUKnow is the website aimed at children and their parents from the National Crime Agency. It has lots of useful suggestions and advice on how to report issues. It also has lots of games and activities for children of all ages to allow children to explore the dangers of being online at their own pace.
Cyber Bullying is an aspect of E safety which we also take incredibly seriously at Fishburn. If your child has experience of this then it is incredibly important that they have someone they can talk to and that they know and understand that it is not acceptable. Please get in touch with our Designated Safeguarding Leads on site who will be happy to advise and help wherever possible.
Children can call Childline on 0800 1111 for advice on anything that is worrying them.
If you would like more information on safeguarding, please contact the school for all our policies or view our policies section on our website.
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