SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD PROTECTION
Safeguarding Contacts at Lumiar School
Designated Senior Person for Safeguarding Children (DSL): Claire Walker (Head of Education)
Deputy Senior Person for Safeguarding Children (DDSL): Marie Hobson (Tutor) Jess Ware ( Support Tutor - Maternity Cover)
Nominated Governor responsible for Child Protection: Craig Brown (Safeguarding Governor)
Contact Numbers
For urgent Child Protection/Safeguarding advice:
Designated Officer (previously LADO) for Wiltshire: 0300 456 0100
NSPCC whistle-blowing helpline: 0800 028 0285
Emergency/Contingency plan:
If a member of staff is at all uncertain about what to do about a safeguarding concern and the DSL and DDSL are unavailable for any reason, Wiltshire Multi-Agency Safeguarding Children Board will be contacted for advice: 0300 456 0108 (Weekday normal working hours), Emergency Duty Service 0300 456 0100 (5pm - 8.45am). If a child is in immediate danger or left alone, police or an ambulance will be called on 999.
What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding means:
protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
preventing harm to children’s health or development
ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.
Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.
What is Child Protection?
Child Protection is 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 Child Protection Policy
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16V-W_bNamqWpP2uOfEOUyWdq0ewwSafg
Staff/volunteers are expected to have an understanding of key safeguarding issues in line with our Safeguarding policy. A series of key questions and answers are included in our staff training and inform discussions with staff on safeguarding matters. It is this aspect (as reflected in KCSIE Sep 2023) where schools are expected to demonstrate and provide evidence that ‘mechanisms are in place to assist staff to understand and discharge their role and responsibilities’. Assessing and providing evidence that staff has understood key information/statutory guidance/procedures will be through:
Online CPD/courses/training attendance
Through daily practice
Information leaflet for visitors
Weekly staff meeting focus on safeguarding
Training for Board members
Mandatory Reporting of FGM and HBA - Procedural information
From 31 October 2015 it is mandatory for teachers, health and social workers to report to the police if they find, or are told, someone under 18 has undergone FGM or Honour Based Abuse. Please click here to obtain more information on the correct procedure to follow. A flowchart , prepared by the Department of Health and NHS England, can be found by clicking here and further clarifies the process and responses which must be made.
Online Safety
Lumiar Stowford recognises the benefits and opportunities which new technologies offer for teaching and learning. We encourage the use of technology in order to enhance skills and promote learning. However, the accessible and global nature of the internet and variety of technologies available mean that we are also aware of potential risks and challenges associated with such use. To find out more please read our E-Safety policy by clicking here. Alternatively please click here to access an NSPCC best practice guide on online safety.
Use of reasonable force in schools
The following guidance from the DFE (click here) provides clarification on the use of force:
to help school staff feel more confident about using reasonable force when they feel it is necessary
to make clear the responsibilities of school leaders and governing bodies in respect of this power
Keeping Children Safe in Education - September 2023
Please click here to access the statutory guidance from the Department for Education. The guidance above affirms that 'all staff members should be aware of systems within their school or college which support safeguarding and these should be explained to them as part of staff induction. This should include:
the child protection and safeguarding policy;
the staff behaviour policy (sometimes called a code of conduct); and
the role of the designated safeguarding lead (See Annex B/Page 58) or click here for more information.
It is imperative that all staff (including volunteers) read this guidance (Have to read at least Part 1) and provide consent that they have done so (a register exists to determine this). Schools must have regard to the guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This document contains information on what schools should do and sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply.
The Prevent Duty
Schools' "Prevent" duties to safeguard children from extremism were placed on a statutory footing by the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (CTSA 2015), which was accompanied by guidance from the Home Office and Department for Education.
It is important to remember that issues in regard to radicalisation and extremism are safeguarding issues, and the same level of risk assessment and proportionate response are required.
Please click here to access departmental advice for schools on the Prevent Duty (DFE). Alternatively you can also refer to (Keeping Children Safe in Education) above for further information or our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy. Staff have been completing a series of online training modules - A register exists to determine which staff have completed the training.
At a local level, we have refined the referral route for schools to clarify the contacts for additional support:
Contact PREVENT team Wiltshire Council on 0300 4560 100
Procedure for dealing with allegations of abuse against staff
The Safeguarding policy (in line with statutory guidance from the DFE) is designed to ensure that all staff (including supply agency, part time staff and volunteers), students and parents or carers are aware of the procedure for the investigation of allegations of abuse in order that all complaints are dealt with consistently, and as efficiently as possible.
After School Procedure for Uncollected Children/children missing
Please click here to access the procedure for uncollected children/children missing/absent at the end of the day which is outlined in our Attendance Policy.
Online Training CPD (CP/Safeguarding)
Staff can access a variety of online training courses here. The courses which are run by Virtual College, an online safeguarding, duty of care/education law and guidance learning service.
Children Missing Education (To be read alongside Attendance/Punctuality Policy)
All schools – are required to inform the LA when they are about to remove a pupil’s name from the admissions register.
Schools also have to inform the LA within 5 days of registering new pupils
For a pupil who has not returned after 10 days, the amended regulations require the school and LA to make those enquiries collaboratively, not separately. Schools should ensure that they consult with the LA before any decisions are made to de-register a child without a clear destination having been established and agreed. The Pupils Registration Regulations make reference to ‘jointly making reasonable enquiries’.
Schools are advised to:
Record the Future Address and address Start Date for the pupil/student or contact;
Record the destination school in the Destination Institution field in the School History panel of the - pupil/student record;
Record the start date in the Destination Expected Start Date field in the School History panel of the - pupil/student record; and
Use the Communication Log or Linked Documents to store any evidence.
Further Resources
Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE Guidance)
Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE Guidance)
Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools