Safeguarding

Poulton St Chad’s CE Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, they can be viewed below.

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are:

Mrs Nicole Bitsakaki – DSL

Mrs Suzanne Shrewsbury – Deputy DSL

Purpose of our Safeguarding Policy

Poulton St Chad’s CE Primary School’s safeguarding policy provides clear direction to all school stakeholders about expected practice in dealing with safeguarding issues.  It makes explicit the school’s commitment to the development of good practice and effective procedures, ensuring that safeguarding concerns and referrals are handled sensitively, professionally and in a way that supports and protects the needs of the child.

There are three main aims to our Child Protection Policy:

Prevention: by creating a positive school atmosphere and providing high quality teaching and pastoral support to pupils;

Protection: by following agreed procedures and ensuring staff are appropriately recruited, trained and supported to respond appropriately and sensitively to Safeguarding concerns;

Support: by providing support for pupils and school staff and for children who may have been or are being abused.

All those working in education can contribute to the safeguarding and protection of the welfare of a child in need.

According to the DfE, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:

• protecting children from maltreatment;
• preventing impairment of children’s health or development;
• ensuring children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility at Poulton St Chad’s CE Primary School.

Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers has a role to play in safeguarding children. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all professionals should make sure their approach is child-centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child.

This policy applies to all who come into contact with children at Poulton St Chad’s CE Primary School including:

• Teachers
• Teaching assistants
• Administrative assistant
• Supply teachers
• Students
• Midday supervisors
• Visitors/volunteers
• Adult helpers
• Governors
• Trustees

If in doubt, any one with concerns should seek advice from the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) Mrs N Bitsakaki, Mr J. Leeming, Mrs S. Shrewsbury, Mrs. L. Coulson or contact Children’s Services directly on 0300 123 6720 or out of hours 0300 123 6722.

All Poulton St Chad’s CE Primary School staff, governors and volunteers have undertaken their Prevent training in February 2022.

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools by the police, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has experienced, any domestic abuse.

Operation Encompass will ensure that a member of the school staff, (DSL) known as a Key Adult, is trained to allow them to liaise with the police and to use the information that has been shared, in confidence, while ensuring that the school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children, or their families, who have been experienced a domestic abuse incident.

We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and we believe this will be extremely beneficial for all those involved.57180 - Operation Encompass Poster lancs