Child Protection and Safeguarding
At Lavant C of E Primary School, we regard the safeguarding of children as our main priority. We believe that everyone has the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn.
We will ensure that:
-
The welfare of the child remains our top priority.
-
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 Safeguarding Leads (DSL)
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mr. Adrian King (Head Teacher).
Our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mr Dan Taylor.
Our Governor Safeguarding Lead is Mr Chris Hawker.
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 policy.
Staff Training
-
Staff are trained in child protection issues and they are aware of the procedures to follow.
-
Staff are encouraged to be vigilant in order to maintain the safety of our children.
-
All Staff & Volunteers are directed to the Safeguarding, Child Protection and Behaviour policies and to the document ‘KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE IN EDUCATION 2023’.
Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
All staff have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues and are able to implement the Child Protection policy and procedures 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 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 of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future.
Links with External Agencies
Because our first concern must be the well-being of the 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, Early Help, Behaviour Support, Social Services and Specialists in supporting SEND.
Reporting Concerns or Complaints
Further to the above procedures, we have in place a concerns and 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 or Headteacher
-
To the Chair of Governors. Then, if there is no resolution;
-
To the Local Authority.
Contact details are available from the school office or by visiting the contact us section of our website.
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.
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.
Children Services - Integrated Front Door
All enquiries/referrals for both Social Care and Early Help come through our single front door referred to as the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Integrated Front Door (known as the IFD), this is the only public contact point for Early Help and Children’s Social Care. The IFD for West Sussex Children Services will ensure that all enquiries and referrals are triaged upon receipt and directed to the appropriate service to support with the query, providing a seamless process with children receiving a service proportionate to their needs in a timely way.
This expertise of the team comprises of qualified Early Help specialists, qualified Social Care specialists, qualified managers, Customer Service Centre Agents and social care referral advisors.
The contact details for the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Integrated Front Door (Formally MASH and know as the IFD):
Telephone number: 01403 229900
Email address: WSChildrenservices@westsussex.gov.uk
Operation Encompass
West Sussex School are working with West Sussex Police Constabulary on a joint initiative called Operation Encompass.
The aim of this initiative is for the police to report to the school, prior to 9am on the next school day, when a child or young person has been exposed to or involved in any domestic incident. This disclosure will include risk information affecting the child or young person, not all information obtained by the police at the incident.
The information shared will be received by a dedicated member of the school staff, known as a Key Adult, who is appropriately trained to manage this information. In our school the staff members are Mr. King and Mr Taylor. This allows us to liaise with the police and to use the information that has been shared in confidence. This enables the school to implement support and safeguarding for children and young people affected by these incidents.
We are keen to offer the best support possible to all children and young people and we believe this will be extremely beneficial for all those involved. If you would like to know more about Operation Encompass please visit www.operationencompass.org
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) is a part of the National Crime Agency and is dedicated to tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and young people. CEOP helps children and young people under the age of 18 who have been forced or manipulated into taking part, or are being pressured to take part, in sexual activity both online and offline. The CEOP Safety Centre offers information and advice for children and young people, parents and carers and professionals. You can make a report directly to CEOP by clicking the ‘Making a report’ button on the CEOP home web page.
Childline: Childline is a free, private and confidential service where you can talk about anything. Whatever your worry, whenever you need help, we’re here for you online, on the phone, anytime by calling 0800 1111 or click on the Childline button.
NSPCC: The NSPCC provide therapeutic services to help children move on from abuse, as well as supporting parents and families in caring for their children. We help professionals make the best decisions for children and young people, and support communities to help prevent abuse from happening in the first place. You can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.
Please see below for our key Child protection and Safeguarding policies and procedures