Safeguarding

Safeguarding our children in school

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding means the actions we take and the systems we have in place at Purbrook Infant School to promote the welfare of our children and to protect them from harm. We ensure that safeguarding permeates all aspects of our school life. There can be no issue of greater importance to our staff, governors and parents and carers, than the safety of our children.

We ensure that the following underpins everything we do:

• Protect our children and learners from maltreatment,
• Prevent impairment of our children’s and learners’ health or development,
• Ensure that our children and learners are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care,
• Undertake a role so as to enable those children and learners to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.

 

Who do I contact if I have a Safeguarding concern about a child at Purbrook Infant School?

Designated Member of Staff for safeguarding: Mrs Lisa de Carteret

Deputy Designated Members of Staff for Safeguarding: Mr Paul Stray (Assistant Headteacher) & Mrs Zoe Bailey(Assistant Head Teacher and SENCo) 

Additional Deputy Designated Safeguarding leads include:

Jacqui King (Family Liaison Officer) and Emma McMillan and Rhiannon Gilmore (ELSA)

 

Who else can I contact?

If you think a child or young person is at IMMEDIATE risk, you should treat this as an emergency and call 999 to report your concerns to the Police.

If you think a child is being abused or neglected, please contact the MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub). You can contact the MASH during office hours on the details below:

Tel: 0300 555 1381

The out of office hours (5pm – 8am weekdays) and 24-hour emergency number on weekends and bank holidays is 0300 555 1373

 

When you contact the MASH please give as much information as possible about the child you are concerned about. This will help the MASH decide the best way to respond to your concern. The information you give will be kept confidential. You can remain anonymous but it is helpful if you can give your name and details.

 

NSPCC whistle-blowing helpline – 0800 028 0285

 

What is Child Protection?

Child Protection is part of Safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.

Keeping Children Safe In Education

 

Please see below for access the statutory guidance from the Department for Education. The guidance affirms (page 6) that ‘all staff members should be aware of systems within their school or college which support safeguarding and these should be explained to them as part of staff induction. This should include:

 

• The Child Protection Policy
• The Staff Behaviour Policy (Sometimes called the Code of Conduct); and
• The role of the Safeguarding Lead (See Annex B/Page 58)

It is imperative that all staff (including volunteers) read this guidance (Have to read at least Part 1) and provide consent that they have done so (A register exists to determine this).

Schools must have regard to the guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This document contains information on what schools should do and sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply.