Home 9 Safeguarding at St Mary’s

Safeguarding at St Mary’s

Safeguarding

Our primary concern is to ensure that all children at St. Mary’s feel HAPPY and SAFE, both inside and outside of school. If we can achieve this, then all children will be successful in their learning journey. We ensure that all members of our safeguarding team attend regular training sessions to keep up to date and share relevant information with the rest of the staff.

Our safeguarding team is:
Mrs J Wormall – Co-Trust Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Miss L Bown – Co-Trust Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Mrs L Guy – Inclusion Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Miss K Taylor – Regional Hub Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

What is Safeguarding?

  • Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding means:
  • Protecting children from maltreatment
  • Preventing the impairment of children’s health or development
  • Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
  • Taking action to ensure that all children have the best outcomes
    Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.

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.

–        Child Protection policy
–        Behaviour Policy
–        Anti-Bullying Policy

Pupil Support

Each area of the school has Staying Safe displays with content relevant to each year group.

–        PANTS (NSPCC)
–        Childline
–        Childnet

Online Behaviours

In today’s social media age, children now have access to each other more than ever via social media and their mobile phones and devices. As a school, we strongly encourage clear boundaries on using phones and the internet, both in school and at home. Please see our online safety page for more information and helpful links.

Child Exploitation and Online protection (CEOP)

Unfortunately, there are some people that use the internet for criminal activity. If you are worried that your child is being groomed online or sexually exploited, you should report your concerns to CEOP – https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk

Parental Support

School staff are always available to provide support to our families. Our safeguarding team as well as our Pastoral Support officer will listen in confidence, answer questions, offer guidance and support and carry out safe and well visits. We can also arrange support from other professionals such as:
–        Bereavement Counsellors
–        Young Carers – support for children who are also carers
–        Women’s Aid – for support with domestic abuse
We also work with Staffordshire County Council and other local charities to provide parenting courses to parents and families.

PREVENT

Prevent is a duty to safeguard children from radicalization and extremism. This means we work together with parents to protect children from extremist and violent views in the same way we protect them from other forms of harm. Many of the things we do in school help children become positive, happy members of society. It is not just about discussing extremism itself, it is also about teaching children values such as tolerance and respect. We want to give our children the skills to protect themselves from any extremist views they may encounter, now or later in their lives.
If you are worried that your child is being radicalised, talking to your child is a good way to find out if your instincts are correct. If you prefer to, you can share your concerns with someone else first.

  • Speak to your child’s teachers, a friend or a family member. Have they noticed anything out of the ordinary?
  • The safeguarding team at the school can advise you on the best approach.
  • educate.against.hate – an online resource
  • Your local police or council can provide advice on how to protect your child. Speaking to the police will not get your child into trouble if no crime has been committed.
  • If you think someone is in immediate danger, or if you see or hear something that may be terrorist related: call 999 or the confidential Anti- terrorism hotline on 0800 789 321

Concerns

If you have concerns about any child in our community, please contact the Staffordshire Children’s Advice and Support Service (SCAS) for advice on 0300 111 8007.

–        Staffordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board

Procedure for dealing with allegations of abuse against staff

Please click here to access the St. Chad’s Whistleblowing policy. This policy, (in line with statutory guidance from the DfE) is designed to ensure that all staff, pupils and parents or carers are aware of the procedure for the investigation of allegations of abuse in order that all complaints are dealt with consistently, and as efficiently as possible.