Safeguarding
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility
Children have a right to be cared for and protected. Protecting them is everyone’s responsibility. At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School we have a duty of care to ensure that all users of the school are kept safe from harm. We are committed to providing a secure and supportive environment in which children can develop and grow into mature and responsible people. Safeguarding children is an essential part of our holistic approach to ensure that children are protected from abuse and neglect and that every child reaches their full potential. The best interests of the children will always be our priority. As such, there are times we will need to record, monitor and share information with other agencies. We will share concerns about our pupils with the child’s parents/carers unless we have reason to believe that such a move would not be in the child’s best interest.
Safeguarding is the action we take to promote the welfare of the children in our care and protect them from harm. We believe that children have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment, including the right to protection from all types of abuse. Staff are vigilant for signs of any child in distress and are confident about applying the processes to avert and alleviate any such problems. Child protection promotes the rights and welfare of all children. All schools have designated Child Protection staff members responsible for dealing with concerns that may arise. For more details, please request a copy of our Safeguarding policy. You can also find this on our website: www.stjosephs775.herts.sch.uk/statutory/policies or contact the School Office.
Parents and carers play a role in safeguarding children in their community. If you have any concerns, no matter how small, you should report them. The school is required to have a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for this purpose. Parents and children should speak to a designated safeguarding lead (DSL) if they have any concerns about a child.’
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead and Designated Teacher for Child Protection is Linda Payne.
The Deputy Safeguarding Leads and Designated Teacher for Child Protection are Sue Seaholme, Ashleigh Harper and Sarah wade.
If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999.
The Children’s Single Point of Access (CSPoA) is where to raise a concern about a child (pre-birth to 18 years old). If you want to report concerns about a child or young person, please call: 0300 123 4043.
f you believe a person in a position of trust is abusing a child or young person in any way, you can contact our Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
If you need to report an allegation, you can contact the LADO on:LADO.Referral@hertfordshire.gov.uk or call 0300 123 4043.
Four staff members have completed Level Two and Three Safeguarding Training, led by the Hertfordshire HSCB (Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board). We also highlight our responsibilities to protect children from harm online and Jenny Winterman is our E-Safety lead in the school. All staff recruitment panels include at least two people who have completed appropriate ‘Safer Recruitment in Education training.
All staff (teachers, teaching assistants, midday assistants, admin staff and the Site Manager) have completed Level One Safeguarding Training (this training is annually reviewed) and all staff, governors, students and volunteers have a clear, enhanced DBS check.
We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Child Protection Policy which can be viewed in the Policies section of our website or seen below:
.Keeping Children Safe in Education
Working Together to Safeguard Children
Positive Environments Where Children can Flourish
Sexualised Behaviour Traffic Light Toolkit
Teaching Onilne Safety in Schools
Sometimes, we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with his/her parents/ carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.
We actively support the Government’s Prevent Agenda to counter radicalism and extremism.