Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is of paramount importance and is everyone’s responsibility.  

It is the responsibility of every member of staff, volunteer and regular visitor to our school to ensure that they carry out the requirements of this policy and, at all times, work in a way that will safeguard and promote the welfare of all of the pupils at this school. This includes the responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn. 

At St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, we regard the safeguarding of children as our main priority. We believe that we all have the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn. We all have the responsibility to make this happen. 

If you are concerned that a child is being harmed or neglected call: 03000 26 7979. If the child or young person is at immediate risk of harm call 999. 

Areas of Safeguarding

Our safeguarding policies cover all areas of school life and include: 

• Staff & Visitors:  ensuring they are vetted, informed & trained. 
• Children’s Behaviour:  promoting safer & happier behaviours & lifestyles. 
• Parents & Carers:  promoting links & supporting families. 
• Premises:  keeping them safe, pleasant & fit for purpose. 
• Curriculum:  providing positive, life affirming learning experiences. 
• Outside School:  ensuring safer activities and environments outside school. 

Members of Staff Responsible

All staff and volunteers working at our school have a responsibility to report concerns to the designated leads for Safeguarding: Mrs R. Hockey (DSL), Mr D. Miller (DDSL), Mrs E. Turnbull (DDSL). 

Safer Recruitment

We follow strict procedures to ensure that everyone who works with our children is vetted, keeping our children as safe as possible. 

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 given an induction, provided with details of who the safeguarding leads are and are directed to the document ‘KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE IN EDUCATION 2023’. 

Child Protection with Safeguarding Policy

All staff have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children and are able to implement the safeguarding children policy and procedure 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. 

PREVENT

St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its pupils. As a school we recognise that safeguarding against radicalisation is no different from safeguarding against any other vulnerability. 

All staff are expected to uphold and promote the fundamental principles of British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. 

On 1 July 2015 the Prevent duty (section 26) of The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 came into force. This duty places the responsibility on local authorities to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. 

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, to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future. 

PARENTS & CARERS MUST TELL US OF ANY CHANGES TO THESE DETAILS. 

We take confidentiality very seriously. Any information which we hold is treated as confidential and shared on a ‘need-to-know’ basis. 

Links with External Agencies

Because our first concern must be the well-being of your 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, Parent Support Advisor, Educational Welfare Officers, Educational Psychologists, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, Behaviour Support, Social Services and Specialists in supporting Special Educational Needs. 

Review of Policy and Practive

To ensure that best practice is maintained, our policies are reviewed regularly to incorporate the latest statutory guidance emerge. 

e-Safety

Digital safety has become an increasing concern for parents and schools over the last year as young people have had to spend more and more time online. There are many ways we can protect young people and now, more than ever, we need to be even more vigilant about their access to online platforms and social media Apps.  

To help with this we have included a link for a fantastic website that gives you detailed information about each App, including the age it is appropriate for, what harmful content may be included and what parental controls it may have. It also has a useful guide about different ways you can add your own parental controls. We found this website very useful and a bit of an eye opener about everyday Apps we think are relatively safe. Please take some time to explore the website below so we can keep our children safe. 

Computers and technology can be lots of fun. While online you can learn new things, talk to your friends and play games. Sometimes though things can happen online that make you upset or worry you.  People may say mean things which make you feel sad, or you may see something that you don’t like. It is very important that you are safe whilst you are on the computer and know what to do if you feel scared or threatened in anyway.  

If this happens, you must remember it’s not your fault.  

TELL AN ADULT YOU TRUST if you are upset or worried about something that has happened to you. 

The website below contains useful information and resources on how to stay safe online, including social media. All information can be found under the #WakeUpWednesday page: