Safeguarding
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY
Safeguarding and Keeping Children Safe
Designated Safeguarding Lead / SENDCO - Clare Sutton
Designated Safeguarding Lead - Debbie Smith
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads - Sarah Murphy, Felicity Salisbury, Leanne Brown, Therese Harris
At Our Lady and St. Edward's Catholic Primary School, safeguarding children is at the heart of everything we do. It is everyone's responsibility, and every individual who comes into contact with children and families has an essential role to play in keeping them safe.
The welfare of our pupils is our paramount concern. The governing body ensures that our school will safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils. We work closely with other agencies to ensure that our school has robust arrangements in place to identify, assess, and support those children who may be suffering or are at risk of harm.
As a school community, we believe that safeguarding is a shared responsibility. All those directly involved with the school—staff members, governors, parents, families, and pupils - play a vital role in creating a safe and secure environment for our children.
Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy
To learn more about how we protect and support our pupils, please read our Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy on the policies page of the school website.
Prevent Strategy
The Prevent Duty
At Our Lady and St. Edward's Catholic Primary School, we are committed to providing a secure environment where children feel safe and are kept safe. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and all adults in our school, regardless of their role or level of direct contact with children, recognise this duty.
What is the Prevent Strategy?
The Prevent strategy is a government initiative designed to stop people from becoming involved in terrorism or supporting extremist causes. It aims to safeguard individuals from the risks associated with radicalisation, ensuring that children and young people are not drawn into extremist or violent ideologies.
The Prevent strategy addresses all forms of terrorism and extremism.
For more information, visit Educate Against Hate.
How does the Prevent strategy apply to schools?
All schools have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism, just as we protect them from other forms of harm, such as drugs or gang violence.
As part of this duty, we must take steps to ensure that our pupils are not exposed to extremist views or radical ideologies. Our school is committed to educating pupils about the dangers of radicalisation and providing them with the skills to critically evaluate different ideas and perspectives in a safe and supportive environment.
The Prevent strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not always be suitable for younger children. It’s also about teaching fundamental values such as tolerance, mutual respect, and understanding.
Providing a Safe Space
Importantly, we aim to create a safe space where pupils can openly discuss any concerns or issues they may have. This gives them the opportunity to better understand how to protect themselves and make informed decisions in a world where they may encounter a range of different views.
The Governing Body fully acknowledges the school’s responsibility to implement the Prevent Duty. For a detailed overview of our approach, please refer to our policy on the policies page of the school website, which outlines the school’s duties under the Prevent Duty.
Operation ENCOMPASS
Our school is part of Operation Encompass, a national police and education early intervention safeguarding partnership designed to support children and young people who experience domestic violence and abuse. This initiative is in place across every police force in England and Wales.
What is Operation Encompass?
Operation Encompass allows the police to share information with our school about any police-attended domestic abuse incidents that involve our children before the start of the next school day. This partnership ensures that we can provide timely support to children who may be affected by domestic abuse, helping them feel safe and supported in school.
Under the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act, children are now recognised as victims of domestic abuse in their own right, and Operation Encompass plays a crucial role in ensuring that schools are informed and able to take appropriate actions to protect and support them.
How does Operation Encompass work at Our School?
Once a Key Adult (Designated Safeguarding Lead - DSL) and their deputies (DDSLs) have attended an Operation Encompass briefing or completed the online Operation Encompass Key Adult Training, they are responsible for cascading the principles of Operation Encompass to all other school staff and governors.
All school staff and governors are encouraged to complete the online Operation Encompass training, which provides vital information on how to support children affected by domestic abuse and how we can work together to ensure their well-being.
Click on this link to access the WIRRAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN PARTNERSHIP website.
Useful Safeguarding Links
NSPCC https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
NSPCC’s helpline number for children and young people who’ve experienced abuse at school, and for worried adults and professionals that need support and guidance. NSPCC helpline Report Abuse in Education on 0800 136 663 or email [email protected]
Talk PANTS With the help of a friendly dinosaur Pantosaurus, Talk PANTS is a simple conversation to help keep your child safe from sexual abuse. It helps children understand that their body belongs to them, and they should tell someone they trust if anything makes them feel upset or worried.https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/pants-underwear-rule/?utm_source=vanity&utm_medium=vanity&utm_campaign=2016+pants
Childlinehttps://www.childline.org.uk/
CEOP'shttps://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
CEOP Parent Zonehttps://parentinfo.org/
