At St Joseph’s RC Primary School, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We believe that we all have the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn.
At St Joseph’s we believe that 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. Therefore, all suspicious and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.
At St Joseph’s we adhere to Keeping Children Safe in Education, statutory guidance from the Department for Education (DfE).
Keeping Children Safe in Education September 2021
We are all responsible for ensuring that each child remains safe, however the Designated Safeguarding Leads in school are:
- Mrs L Ashton – Headteacher
- Mr G Fannan – Deputy Headteacher
- Mrs A Hoggarth – Teacher
Our Governor with responsibility for safeguarding is Mr W Dring. The school actively engages with the Durham Safeguarding Partnership.
In school the children are encouraged to speak to staff if they have anything that is upsetting them either at school, at home or elsewhere. The children are listened to in a sensitive and encouraging manner, and any issues are dealt with appropriately.
Training
All staff and governors undergo safeguarding training that is regularly updated. Designated Safeguarding Leads complete training at least every 2 years.
Staff training takes place regularly in staff meetings and briefings. Staff are aware of the procedures to follow and are encouraged to be vigilant in order to maintain the safety of our children.
Staff are trained 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 trained to be aware of specific safeguarding issues such as radicalisation, child sexual exploitation, children missing from education and mental health.
Safer Recruitment
Everyone working at St Joseph’s, including volunteers, undergo safer recruitment checks, including the correct level of DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. References are sought for volunteers as well as paid staff. All information is held on our Single Central Record (SCR). When we appoint new members of staff, at least one person on the appointment panel will have undertaken safer recruitment training.
All staff and volunteers undergo a robust induction programme.
Safeguarding Policies
All our policies are in line with current guidance and procedures and in order to ensure best practice is maintained. The Child Protection Policy can be accessed within our Keeping Children Safe Policy in the School Policies section.
The policies cover all areas of school life and include:
- Staff and visitors – ensuring they are vetted, informed and trained
- Children’s behaviour – promoting safer and happier lifestyles
- Parents and carers – promoting links and supporting families
- Premises – keeping them safe, clean and fit for purpose
- Curriculum – providing positive, learning experiences
- Outside school – ensuring activities and environments are safe
Within this policy there are procedures covering recruitment and selection, peer abuse, children missing education, Prevent, County Lines and mobile phone usage.
Operation Encompass
Operation encompass provides a method of sharing information between the police and local schools. Information is shared with the Designated Lead within the school when a child has been present when domestic violence has been recorded. This allows our school to provide immediate support for that child. It is designed to reinforce safeguarding and ensure children’s wellbeing is at the heart of school life.
Further information can be found via: www.operationencomplass.org
Review of Policy and Practice
In order to ensure that best practice is maintained, our policies are reviewed at least annually to incorporate the latest statutory guidance.
If you would like more information on safeguarding, please contact the school or view the policies section on our website.
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