Safeguarding

At Sunnybrow Primary School, we regard the safeguarding of children as our main priority. We believe that we all have the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn. We all have the responsibility to make this happen.

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.
• We respect and value each child as an individual.
• We encourage an environment where children are confident that there is someone they can talk to and that they will be listened to.
• 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 leads for Safeguarding.

Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Policy – 2023

Areas of Safeguarding

• Staff and visitors – ensuring that they are appropriately vetted, informed and trained.
• Children’s behaviour – promoting safer and happier behaviours and lifestyles. Ensuring that children know how to keep themselves safe.
• Parents and Carers – promoting links and supporting families.
• Premises-  ensuring a safe and secure building and grounds. Providing a pleasant environment that is fit for purpose.
• Curriculum – providing positive, lie affirming learning experiences that suits the needs of our pupils.

Staff Responsibility

The Designated Lead for Safeguarding in school is Mrs C Sim. In her absence, the Deputy Safeguarding Leads in school are Mr C Vincent. and Miss K Murphy. However, it is the responsibility of all staff to ensure the safety and well being of pupils in school.

Safer Recruitment

We follow strict procedures to ensure that everyone who works with our children is thoroughly vetted, keeping our children as safe as possible. On-going checks and ‘whistle blowing’ are in line with current policy. Several members of the interview panel have completed safer recruitment training.

Staff Training

• Staff regularly undergo Safeguarding and Child Protection Training which is conducted by the Local Authority. They are aware of the correct procedures to follow which complies with the advice laid down in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ 2023 and ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ 2023.’
• Safeguarding and Child Protection is regularly the focus of discussion during our staff meetings to review policy and procedure.
• All staff and volunteers are given a Code of Conduct and Acceptable Use policy which contains practical advice and guidance for safeguarding and child protection in school.

Information Sharing

We have an obligation to obtain necessary information from parents / carers in advance of a child being admitted to school. This will include:

• emergency contact numbers
• the child’s special dietary requirements
• the child’s special health requirements, including known allergies
• information about who has legal contact with the child and who has parental responsibility for the child
• written permission is requested at the time of admission to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment should the need arise.

PARENTS AND CARERS MUST KEEP US INFORMED OF ANY CHANGES TO THESE DETAILS.

Confidentiality is taken very seriously. All information which we hold is treated as confidential and only shared on a need-to-know basis. We take care to ensure that information about a child is only passed on to the appropriate external agencies. Staff will take names of people contacting us via telephone for information and will ring back via a main switchboard if they are not certain of who they are speaking to. All staff within school are aware of the need for maintaining confidentiality.

Links with External Agencies

Because our first concern  must be the well-being of the child, there may be times when we have to consult other agencies before we contact you. The procedures we have to follow are laid down in accordance with the Local Authority Child protection Procedures.

We are fortunate to be supported by a range of external agencies which can be called upon to support the work we do in school. These include: the School Nurse, Health practitioners, educational Psychology, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Behaviour Support, Education Welfare, Social Services and Specialists in supporting Special Educational Needs.

Operation Encompass

Our school is part of the Operation Encompass programme. This means that Durham Police will make a notification to school if there has been a domestic violence incident during which one of our pupils was present. This means that we are able to offer timely and appropriate support to that pupil following the incident. Members of staff have completed Operation Encompass training to ensure that: we know what to do in the event of a notification, that we respond appropriately and so that we know what support can and should be offered.

Reporting Concerns or Complaints

Further to the above procedures, we have in place a Complaints Policy. This enables children, staff and carers to report anything they feel is of concern. Concerns should be raised in the following order:

1. To the class teacher. Then if there is no resolution:
2. To the headteacher. Then if there is no resolution:
3. To the Chair of Governors. Then if there is no resolution:
4. To the Local Authority.

Pupil Voice

On 02.10.23, we carried out a Safeguarding pupil voice activity. We asked 14 children, ranging in age from Nursery to Year 6 some safeguarding questions. Click on the documents below to see how the children replied. We were blown away with their knowledge around safeguarding and their mature and thoughtful responses.

Pupil voice Sep 2023 (1) Pupil voice Sep 2023 (2)

 

Concerned about an adult

Call Social Care Direct 24 hours a day on 03000 267 979 – a trained officer will listen carefully to your concerns, give advice, and accept a safeguarding adults report if necessary, even if you want to remain anonymous.