Safeguarding, Child Protection and Online Safety

Sacred Heart RC Primary School & Nursery fully recognises its responsibilities for child protection. It aims to ensure that children are effectively safeguarded from the potential risk of harm and that the safety and wellbeing of all children is of the highest priority in all aspects of the School’s work. In addition, it aims to maintain an ethos whereby staff, pupils, parents and governors feel able to articulate concerns comfortably, safe in the knowledge that effective action will be taken as appropriate.

Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy applies to all adults, including volunteers, working in or on behalf of the School and it is expected that everyone working in or for our School shares the responsibility to keep children safe from harm and abuse and reports any concerns to a Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Safeguarding needs in school are wide-ranging including domestic abuse, neglect, emotional harm, forced marriage and child-on-child abuse.

We listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us. All school staff are trained in safeguarding procedures, and children are made aware of the adults they can talk to if they have any concerns. Staff are trained to look out for signs of physical/emotional harm or neglect and are required to report these to the Designated Senior Leader(DSL).

The procedures which we follow have been laid down by the Lancashire Safeguarding Team and the school has adopted a comprehensive Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy. On occasions, our concern about a child may mean that we have to consult other agencies whom we will share information , in line with school policy guidelines. We will ensure that all concerns are discussed with parent/carers first, before any referrals are made, unless we believe that such a move may be contrary to a child’s welfare.

The Headteacher is the Designated Safeguarding Lead for Child Protection.

If you have any concerns about a child/family of our school please feel free to see the Headteacher or another member of our safeguarding team at any time.

Our Deputy Designated Senior Leads are Mrs W Whitaker and Mrs S Hands.

Our Safeguarding/Child Protection Governor is Mrs D Kenyon.

All staff undertake safeguarding/child protection training on a regular basis.

What to do if you have concerns about a child

Listed below are links to several websites which you can use to report any concerns you may have about a child:

https://www.gov.uk/report-child-abuse - this will provide you with links to the local council/police page for your area.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/reporting-abuse/report/report-abuse-online/

https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/contacting-childline/

Alternatively you can contact Lancashire Children Social Care for further advice:

0300 123 6720 / 0300 123 6722 (out of hours)

If you think a child is in immediate danger

Don’t delay – call the police on 999

Children and Family Wellbeing Service

The Children and Family Wellbeing Service, previously children's centres and Young People's Service, provide services to help with parenting and other support you may need. They offer different services across a range of locations to meet the needs of the local community including:

Support for individual children, young people or their families
Health services – ranging from health visitors to breastfeeding
Parenting advice for mums, dads and carers
Activities and groups where your baby, toddler or child can play and learn
A place to pick up Healthy Start vitamins and tablets
Advice to help you to support your child’s learning from birth
A great place to make new friends
Connecting with the local community
Access to specialist support for families with children with disabilities/additional needs
Groups for expectant mums and dads
Groups for expectant mums and dads
Advice and guidance on how to keep you and your child healthy
Sensory rooms
Information about local childcare
Groups for young people to attend
Advice for young people
Help to access adult learning opportunities
Advice on jobs, training and benefits
Opportunities for volunteering

Please find below a copy of the Children and Family Wellbeing Prospectus. For more information or to find out where your local Children's Centre is please click here

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We ALL work together to ensure every child at our school is safe and protected form harm. If you have a concern, please speak to a Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Operation Encompass

In conjunction with Lancashire Police, Sacred Heart RC Primary School & Nursery is involved in a national initiative called “Operation Encompass”. The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in, heard or witnessed a domestic abuse incident.

Following an incident, children will often arrive at school distressed, upset, worried and unprepared. Operation Encompass aims to ensure that appropriate school staff are made aware early enough to help and support children and young people in a way that means they feel safe and included.

This is a valuable initiative that means we can help and support students and their families within our school when they need us most.

You can find out more information by visiting the Operation Encompass website (click the link below) or by contacting a member of the DSL team in school.

http://www.operationencompass.org/

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Help and Advice for Parents/ Carers

As parents/carers, you want to make sure that your children develop healthily and thrive. We're here to help you with advice on how you can build strong relationships with your children and keep them safe. Here is advice and resources for helping parents to keep their children safe, advice for parents on keeping children safe out of school, at home and online, when using the internet, social networking websites and playing online games, help and advice for creating a safe and nurturing environment for your children.

For guidance, further details can be found from:
www.thinkuknow.co.uk
www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe
www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents/parent
www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/topics/stay-safe

Ways to Contact the NSPCC

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a charity campaigning and working in child protection in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
Telephone: 0808 800 5000
Text: 88858
Email: help@nspcc.org.uk