Safeguarding
Our duty to safeguard the children in our care is of the utmost importance to everyone in our school community. There are statutory and moral obligations to keep the children in our care and each other safe.
If you have a safeguarding concern, please speak to one of the DSL’s (Designated Senior Leaders) immediately.
Glyn Ellis, Headteacher
Karen Johnson, Deputy headteacher
Natalie McMahon, School Business Manager
Alison Fowler, Head of Key Stage 1
Laura Wallwork, SENDCo
Sarah Cameron, Lead teacher of EYFS
.
What is Safeguarding all about?
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as: protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children. School staff are particularly important as they are in a position to identify concerns early and provide help for children, to prevent concerns from escalating. In our school, staff form part of the wider safeguarding system for children. This system is described in statutory guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’. We work with social care, the police, health services and other services to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. The school has 6 designated senior leaders (DSL’s) for safeguarding named above.
Refer to our School Policies for the following documents:
- Code of Conduct for Staff
- Behaviour Policy
- Attendance Policy that includes information on Children Missing in Education (CME)
- Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
- Handling Allegations
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass is a police and education early information sharing partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support for children and young people experiencing domestic abuse. Information is shared by the police with a school’s trained Key Adult (DSL) prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident thus enabling appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.
Children experiencing domestic abuse are negatively impacted by this exposure; domestic abuse has been identified as an Adverse Childhood Experience and can lead to emotional, physical and psychological harm. Operation Encompass aims to mitigate this harm by enabling immediate support, making a child’s day better and giving them a better tomorrow.
Operation Encompass believes that children are victims of domestic abuse in their own right and should be acknowledged as such..
Early Help
Early help means providing support as soon as the need emerges, at any point in a child’s life. Staff at Haslingden Primary School recognise that any professional can provide early help. Any pupil or family may benefit from early help, but staff will be alert to the potential need specifically for early help for pupils who:
- are disabled, have certain health conditions, or have specific additional needs
- have SEND, regardless of whether they have a statutory EHC plan
- have mental health needs
- are young carers
- show signs of being drawn into anti-social or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups or county lines
- are frequently missing or going missing from care or from home
- are at risk of modern slavery, trafficking, or sexual or criminal exploitation
- are at risk of being radicalise
- is misusing drugs or alcohol
- have family members in prison, or are affected by parental offending
- are in a family circumstance presenting challenges for them, such as drug and alcohol misuse, adult mental health problems, or domestic abuse
- have returned home to their family from care
- are at risk of HBA, such as FGM or forced marriage
- are privately fostered
- are displaying harmful sexual behaviours which may pose a risk to other children and themselves
- are persistently absent from education, including persistent absences for part of the school day
- show any other early signs of abuse, neglect any other identified reason not listed above that requires extra support or intervention to improve outcomes for families and
children.
Asylum Seekers and Refugee Guidance and Support sessions.pdf
Place 2 Be - Parenting Smart flyer 2022.pdf
Place 2 Be - Parenting Smart flyer 2022 update.pdf
The DSLs will take the lead where early help is appropriate and consent has been gained. This includes liaising with other agencies and setting up an inter-agency assessment as appropriate. The local early help process will be followed as required to help provide the right, effective support at the right time.