Safeguarding

Here at Moreton Say We believe that:

• All children have the right to protection from all types of abuse, neglect and exploitation.
• Everyone has a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practice in a way that protects them.

This means that we will:

• Not tolerate the abuse, neglect or exploitation of children. This includes never accepting and always challenging or raising concerns about words or actions which downplay, justify, or promote abuse, neglect and exploitation. This applies to anyone who is part of, comes into or works with our school.
• Be child centred and ensure that we consider the best interests of children in everything that we do. This includes ensuring that we enable children’s voices and experiences to be heard (using communication tools and advocacy if necessary); and that children are involved in and informed about the decisions being made about them.
• Ensure we provide a safe environment for children to learn, grow and develop and feel able to raise any concerns they may have for themselves or others.
• Look out for and respond promptly and appropriately to all identified concerns, incidents or allegations of abuse, neglect or exploitation of a child.
• Ensure no child or group of children are treated less favourably by us than others.
• Be aware of and take extra positive actions that may be needed to safeguard and promote the welfare of a child(ren) who we know are more vulnerable to experiencing abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination.
• Work in partnership with our children, their parents, carers, and other agencies.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility

If you have a concern that a child is in danger or that their well being is being damaged, then please do not hesitate and report it. You can either report it directly to Social Services by telephoning First Point of Contact 0345 678 9044 or report your concerns to the school. Mrs Henney (Executive Head Teacher) is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and her Deputy Safeguarding Leads are Mrs Baillie, Miss Archer, Mrs Rawsthorne, Mrs Smith and Mrs Tearle. You could inform any teacher at the school or support staff and they will report it through. If you have any doubt, please report it as it may be an important piece of information in a bigger picture.

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 abuse and maltreatment
• preventing harm to children’s health or development
• ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.

Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about a child.

Safeguarding and The Curriculum

Our curriculum is designed to teach children about keeping safe. This will include topics such as Road Safety, Fire Safety, Keeping Safe on Line, Recognising Signs of Abuse, Healthy Relationships and Anti Bullying. This will be taught through small groups, whole classes and through assemblies. It may well be supported by external agencies such as the NSPCC, The Police and Fire Brigade .

Safeguarding and Recruitment of Staff, Governors and Volunteers

When recruiting staff, the school follows the guidance outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education. Safer recruitment practice includes completing an application form, taking up references, checking any gaps in employment and obtaining an appropriate DBS check. Some roles or individuals may require further checks.

Governors and volunteers will be risk assessed. If their role requires working with children regularly or without close supervision from a member of staff, then a DBS check will be completed.

Safeguarding and Staff Training

All staff are required to have read and understood Keeping Children Safe in Education – Part 1. This outlines their responsibility in reporting concerns of child abuse. Staff are all required to do a minimum of Basic Safeguarding Training at least every 3 Years. Across the AddMore Federation, this is supplemented with at least annual updates and scenarios to work through.

Designated Safeguarding Leads are required to do further training and attend termly updates. The school must also have someone trained in safer recruitment. Safeguarding is an agenda item at every staff meeting.

Safeguarding and Policy and Procedures.

As well as careful recruitment, the school has a number of policies designed to safeguard our pupils. These include policies, such as Safeguarding, Health and Safety and Use of Mobile Phones, as examples. Risk assessments will be completed for trips, events and some aspects of the curriculum. The school has regular fire drills, and school rules which are enforced to ensure the safety and well being of all our pupils.

Working in Partnership

As we operate in Shropshire; we engage and co-operate with our local safeguarding arrangements. Our local safeguarding partnership is the is the Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership (SSCP). We engage and co-operate by:

• Ensuring we work with other agencies and comply with other pieces of relevant statutory guidance in safeguarding Children potentially at greater risk of harm.
• Ensuring we effectively safeguard and promote the welfare of children living in Shropshire in line with Working together to safeguard children and the Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership local criteria for action and assessment; as outlined in the SSCP Threshold Document.  Where children do not live in Shropshire but attend our school; we will work in line with the relevant local arrangements in their home area.
• Supplying information and co-operating in multi-agency forum/meetings, audit or learning reviews as requested by the safeguarding partners.
• Working closely with Shropshire Council Learning and Skills Services and other Shropshire Council Services/partnerships to ensure we are providing high quality education and support to children in Shropshire.
• Participating in the local Operation Encompass Protocol; an arrangement where police notify schools when a child who attends their school may have been subject or witness to police-attended incidents of domestic abuse. This enables us to provide appropriate emotional or practical support to a child/ren who may have been witness to and victim of domestic abuse. All new parents/carers are sent a letter informing them of our participation in Operation Encompass.