What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding covers a wide range of activities and actions taken by a number of different people and agencies. 

By ‘Safeguarding’ we mean:

• Protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
• Preventing harm to children’s mental and physical health or development
• Ensuring children are provided with safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best possible outcomes

Safeguarding is about keeping children safe at all times. Child protection is part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to activity undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.

Our full safeguarding policy can be found here.

Our Staff and Safeguarding

We believe that all staff and volunteers should provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment that promotes the social, physical and moral development of every child.  We are fully committed to ensuring that consistent, effective safeguarding procedures are in place to support families, children and staff at our school.

No single practitioner can have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances and, if children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.

At school, we have a Single Central Record (SCR) to ensure all staff and volunteers have the required checks and certificates.  Staff are trained annually to ensure they are updated on all current legislation and are clear on what to do if they have a safeguarding concern.

Visual prompts around the school remind them of this throughout the working day. There is also additional training where necessary on key elements of safeguarding e.g. FGM, CSE, Prevent, Online Safety etc.

All of our governors and staff contribute to:

• Providing a safe environment for children to learn;
• Identifying children who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm and taking appropriate action with the aim of making sure that they are kept safe both at home and in the education setting.

To achieve this, we:

• Aim to prevent unsuitable people from working with the children;
• Promote safe practice and challenge any poor or unsafe practice ;
• Identify instances where there are grounds for concern about a child’s welfare and initiate or take appropriate action to keep them safe;
• Contribute to effective partnership working between all those involved in providing services for our children.
   

Children's Mental Health

All staff are aware that mental health problems can be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse, neglect or exploitation.  Where children have suffered abuse and neglect, or other potentially traumatic adverse childhood experiences, this can have a lasting impact throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. If a member of staff has a mental health concern that is also a safeguarding concern they will follow our Safeguarding Policy and procedures.

Safeguarding in the curriculum

Our unique curriculum and values give pupils opportunities to experience life in all its diversity, to acquire resilience, knowledge, understanding and skills that significantly impact on personal development, behaviour, welfare and safety and equips every child with the knowledge and skills required for personal safeguarding.

Our PSHE curriculum covers all areas of Safeguarding including Sex and Relationships Education, Drugs And Alcohol Education, anti-bullying, relationships, citizenship and health education.  We are sensitive in our teaching and recognise that some more sensitive subjects need to taught at an age appropriate level, or at a small group or 1:1 level where a more urgent need arises.

Front Lawn Primary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Safeguarding is a priority in the school.

Every pupil, member of staff and visitor deserves to be safe and to feel safe when at school.  Safety of everyone is a priority for the Governing body, all staff, pupils and their families, volunteers and visitors, safeguarding is the responsibility of all of us.

Within our school safeguarding includes:

• Child Protection
• Online Safety
• Preventing Radicalisation
• Safer Recruitment of Staff
• General Security and Safety of the School Buildings
• Medical Policies and Procedures
• Health & Safety and Educational Offsite Visits

We believe that the safety of everyone is a priority for our whole community including the management committee, all staff, pupils and their families, volunteers and visitors. We believe safeguarding is the responsibility of all of us.

Our Designated Child Protection Team are:

Kate Couldwell: Headteacher DSL

Terri Beynon: Wellbeing Lead DSL
Amanda Grant: Deputy Head DSL
Sarah Read: Deputy Head DSL
Paul Craig: Assistant Head DSL
Charlie Ryan: SENco DSL
Beth Wilson: EYFS Lead DSL

Jan Kelleher: Family Support Worker DSL

Child Protection leads have all undertaken the necessary training and understand and follow the Hampshire County Council procedures.

Safer Recruitment training has also been undertaken by a number of Governors and the Senior Leadership Team thus ensuring procedures are in place to reduce the risks involved with recruiting new staff. The national guidelines and advice are strictly adhered to.

Please see below links to recommended websites to help support safeguarding children at home: