Rothbury First School - Safeguarding at Rothbury First School

Safeguarding

Safeguarding at Rothbury First School

SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION

The safeguarding of our pupils is our main priority. We believe that we all have the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn and that we all have the responsibility to make this happen.

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 will 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 will meet their responsibility and report any concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).

AREAS OF SAFEGUARDING

We have a duty to ensure that we safeguard children across wide and varied aspects of need. These are set out in the government publication; Keeping Children Safe in Education, and are detailed as:

ABUSE

Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect

SPECIFIC SAFEGUARDING ISSUES:

Child missing from education, home or care
Child sexual exploitation (CSE)
Bullying including cyberbullying
Domestic violence
Drugs
Fabricated or induced illness
Faith abuse
Female genital mutilation (FGM)
Forced marriage
Gangs and youth violence
Gender-based violence/violence against women and girls (VAWG)
Mental health
Private fostering
Preventing radicalisation
Sexting
Teenage relationship abuse
Trafficking

MEMBERS OF STAFF RESPONSIBLE

We are all responsible for ensuring that each child remains safe, however, the Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs Cheryl Auld. The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs Helen Duffield

SAFER RECRUITMENT

We follow strict procedures to ensure that everyone who works with our pupils is vetted, keeping our children as safe as possible. At least one senior member of staff is qualified in Safer Recruitment Procedures and oversees all recruitment processes.

TRAINING

Staff training about child protection is continual throughout the year so that all staff are aware of the policies and procedures. Training is delivered via a variety of means: face to face, in and out of school (including the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board specialist courses), online refreshers, document sharing and on-going professional dialogues during staff meetings.
Staff are encouraged to be vigilant in order to maintain the safety of our children and their concerns are discussed and handled appropriately.

SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

We expect all staff to have an up-to-date understanding of the issue around safeguarding children and be able to implement the Safeguarding and Child Protection policy and procedure appropriately. Policies are in line with current guidance and procedures.

Staff are expected to respond appropriately to:

significant changes in child’s behaviour
deterioration a child’s general well-being
unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse
signs of neglect
comments children make which give cause for concern

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.

Parents and carers must tell us of any changes to their details.

We take confidentiality very seriously. Any information we hold is treated as confidential and shared on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.

LINKS WITH EXTERNAL AGENCIES

Since 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, which are included as part of our policy.

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.

REVIEW OF POLICY AND PRACTICE

In order to ensure that best practice is maintained, our policies are reviewed regularly to incorporate the latest statutory guidance.

If you would like more information on safeguarding, please contact Mrs Cheryl Auld, who will be happy to discuss matters further with you.

Emergency: If a child is in immediate danger or left alone, you should contact the police or call an ambulance on 999.

You can report abuse and neglect directly to Children Services on 01670 536 400

Non-emergency Onecall: 01670 536400

Rothbury First School works with Northumbria police on Operation Encompass. You can find more information by clicking on the link.

https://beta.northumbria.police.uk/advice-and-info/parents-and-kids/operation-encompass/

CEOP – Are you worried about online abuse of the way someone has been communicating with children online? Contact CEOP (Child Exploitation and online protection agency) You can find more information by clicking on the link.