What is safeguarding?

What is safeguarding?

At Widewell Primary Academy the safeguarding of children is our priority. This means that we have ensured that everyone working in the school has successfully completed the necessary clearances to enable them to work with pupils. It also means that we have staff members who are specifically trained in Child Protection procedures. We have a wide range of policies which ensure that we are in line with current safeguarding practices.  

Principles

  • Children have a right to be safe
  • Adults have a duty of care to protect children
  • Parents have a right to be informed.

 

Partnership

The school will inform parents of any concerns about their children (providing it does not compromise their safety) and will help and support them as necessary.

 

Prevention

The school will actively seek to prevent children suffering abuse and neglect through the development of an open culture that informs children of their rights and encourages them to speak of any concerns. The school will also address the issue of children’s safety through the curriculum.

Abuse

There are four categories of abuse:

  •  Physical abuse
  •  Emotional abuse
  •  Sexual abuse
  •  Neglect

Safeguarding also covers incidents of:

  • Children with sexually harmful behaviour
  • Peer on peer sexual abuse
  • Sexual exploitation of children
  • Serious violent crime
  • Honour based violence
  • Radicalism and extremism

Signs of Abuse

There are a number of signs that may indicate abuse, these include:

  • Behaviour: A marked change in a child’s usual temperament or the display of unusual behaviour
  • Spoken disclosures: A child may say something that discloses abuse.

If this occurs, the person to whom the child has disclosed will do the following:

  • Listen to what the child says and then write down, word for word what was said as soon as possible afterwards.
  • They will use open questions and ensure they do not put words into the child's mouth
  • They may empathise with and comfort the child but will not agree to keep secret what they have disclosed.
  • The information will be passed on to Mrs Prynne, or Mrs Holder in her absence, and uploaded to CPOMS as soon as possible.

All staff are mindful of:

  • Physical injuries: Whilst young children may commonly have minor injuries, certain injuries will raise concerns that these have been caused deliberately.
  • Appearance: The manner in which a child is dressed or groomed may give cause for concern that their basic physical and emotional needs are not being met.

On rare occasions, our concern about a child may mean we have to consult other agencies, such as the Police, or Social Services. 

By working closely with everyone concerned, we firmly believe that we will continue to offer a safe learning environment for all our learners.

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Prevent duty guidance for England and Wales

Operation Encompass