Safeguarding at Our School

 

At  Thorndown Primary School, the safeguarding of our children and families is fundamental. We believe that we all children have the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn.

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We will ensure that:

• the welfare of the child remains paramount;

• all children whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/ or sexual identity have the right to be protected from harm;

• all suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately;

• all staff and volunteers working at our school have a responsibility to report concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Team

 

Our Designated Safeguarding Team

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and staff receive regular training to ensure they are confident and competent in recognising, reporting and addressing any concerns. Please contact our experienced safeguarding team if you have any concerns about the safety or welfare of any child – no matter how small they may seem.

• Mr Chris Snape, Headteacher
• Miss Emily Bedford, Deputy Headteacher
• Miss Emily Broadhurst, Assistant Headteacher
• Mrs Lucy Hamilton, Assistant Headteacher & SENCO
• Mrs Sara Harris, Pastoral Child and Family Support Worker

 

What to do if you are concerned about a child

If you have any concerns about a child, please speak to a member of the school’s designated safeguarding team. You can do this by phone, email, or in person via the school office. If the concern involves a member of staff, you can ask to speak directly to the Headteacher or Chair of Governors.

If a child is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services on 999 straight away.

If you are concerned a child is at risk please contact the Local Authority: Telephone: 0345 045 5203 (8-6pm Monday to Friday)  01733 234 724 (out of hours) or Email: referralcentre.children@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

You can also seek advice from the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.

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​Safeguarding Statement

Under the Education Act 2002 (section 175), schools must “make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children”

We will endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued.

The school will therefore be alert to signs of abuse and neglect and will follow the Safeguarding Children Partnership Board’s (SCPB) procedures to ensure that children receive appropriate and effective support and protection.

Parents/carers should know that the law requires all school staff to pass on information which gives rise to a concern about a child’s welfare, including risk from neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse.  The school should make parents/carers aware that records of safeguarding concerns may be kept about their child.  They should be informed that school staff will seek, in general, to discuss any concerns with them including referrals to other agencies.

Local procedures state that “Consent should always be sought from an adult with parental responsibility for the child/young person before passing information about them to Children’s Social Care, unless seeking consent would place the child at risk of significant harm or may lead to the loss of evidence for example destroying evidence of a crime or influencing a child about a disclosure made.”  This includes allowing them to share information without consent, if it is not possible to gain consent, if it cannot be reasonably expected that a professional gains consent, or if to gain consent would place a child at risk.

Where there is a need to share special category personal data, the Data Protection Act 2018 contains ‘safeguarding of children and individuals at risk’ as a processing condition that allows professionals to share information.

In accordance with legislation and local Information Sharing protocols, we will ensure that information is shared securely and sensitively.  Information will only be shared with other services where it is deemed necessary and proportionate to ensure that children and young people are safe and receive the right service. In all circumstances, the safety of the child will be the paramount concern.

Schools will contact Children’s Social Care when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child may be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Occasionally, concerns are passed on which are later shown to be unfounded.  Parents/carers will appreciate that the member of staff in the school with responsibility for child protection (known as the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead) was carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law and acting in the best interests of all children.

Under Section 3 (5) of the Children Act 1989, any person who has care of a child “may….do what is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the child’s welfare”.  This means that on rare occasions, a school may need to “hold” a child in school whilst Social Care and the Police investigate any concerns further.

Nothing is more important to us than the safety and welfare of our pupils. We take rigorous steps to ensure that children stay safe and do not come to any harm. We work closely with parents / carers and a range of professional external agencies in order to secure this.

 

Please refer to our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy for more information.