Safeguarding

Safeguarding During Weekends/School Holidays

In case of a safeguarding concern please email office2@pinkwellschool.org and someone will contact you within 24 hours. In case of a safeguarding emergency please call the local authority safeguarding hub on 01895 556006 or call 999 for the emergency services

At Pinkwell Primary School, we regard the safeguarding of children 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.
• 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 Lead: Larissa Brown-Ejimofor or the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: Veronica Noel, Diann Powell, Sally Craig or Andrea Whitfield.

Members of Staff Responsible

Every member of staff is responsible for ensuring that each child remains safe, however the Designated Safeguarding Leads are as follows:

Areas of Safeguarding

Our safeguarding policies cover all areas of school life and include:

• Staff & Visitors - ensuring they are vetted, informed and trained.
• Children's Behaviour - promoting safer and happier behaviours and lifestyles.
• Parents & Carers - promoting links and supporting families.
• Premises - Keeping them safe, pleasant and fit for purpose.
• Curriculum - providing positive, life affirming learning experiences.
• Outside School - ensuring safer activities and environments outside school.

We have a duty to ensure that we safeguard children across wide and varied aspects of children and families needs. These are set out in the government publication; Keeping Children Safe in Education and are detailed as:

Abuse

• Physical Abuse
• Emotional Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Neglect

Plus the Specific Safeguarding Issues of:

• child missing from education
• child missing from home or care
• child sexual exploitation (CSE)
• bully including cyberbullying
• domestic violence
• drugs
• fabricated or induced illness
• faith abuse
• female genital mutilation (FGM)
• forced marriage
• gangs and youth violence
• gender based violence/violence against women and girls (VAWG)
• mental health
• private fostering
• preventing radicalisation
• sexting
• teenage relationship abuse
• trafficking

Safer Recruitment

We follow strict procedures to ensure that everyone who works with our children is vetted, keeping our children as safe as possible. All of our Senior Leadership Team and senior members of staff involved in the recruitment process are qualified in Safer Recruitment Procedures. Lisa Gannon, School Business Manager, oversees all recruitment processes in accordance with safer recruitment guidelines.

Lisa Gannon: School Business Manager

Staff Training

• Staff are trained in child protection issues and they are aware of the procedures to follow. Staff training is delivered via a variety of means: face to face; in and out of school training (including the Local Authorities Level 1 training), online refreshers and information raising, document sharing and on-going professional dialogues during staff meetings.
• Staff are encouraged to be vigilant in order to maintain the safety of our children and their concerns are discussed and handled appropriately.
• TEFAT training run by NSPCC safeguarding consultants; supervision for the safeguarding team and recent updates in relation to COVID 19 (including Online safety and safety of children relating to Child Criminal Exploitation and Child Sexual Exploitation.

Child Protection with Safeguarding Policy

All staff have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues and are able to implement the safeguarding children policy and procedure appropriately. Policies are in line with current guidance and procedures. A copy of the policy is at the bottom of this page.

Staff are able to respond appropriately to any:

• significant changes in children's behaviour;
• deterioration in their general well-being;
• unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse;
• signs of neglect;
• comments children make with give cause for concern.

Information Sharing

We have an obligation to obtain necessary information from parents in advance of a child being admitted to school, including:

• emergency contact numbers;
• the child's special dietary requirements, preferences or food allergies the child may have;
• the child's special health requirements;
• information about who has legal contact with the child; and who has parental responsibility for the child.

Written parental permission is requested, at the time of the child's admission to the provision, to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future.

PARENTS & CARERS MUST TELL US OF ANY CHANGES TO THESE DETAILS.

We take confidentiality very seriously. Any information which we hold is treated as confidential and shared on a 'need to know' basis.

Links with External Agencies

Because our first concern must be the well-being of your child, there may be occasions when we have to consult other agencies before we contact you. The procedures we have to follow have been laid down in  accordance with the local authority child protection procedures, which are included as part of our policy.

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 School Nurse, Health Practitioners, Educational Psychology, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, Behaviour Support, Social Services and Specialists in supporting Special Educational Needs.

Reporting Concerns or Complaints

Further to the above procedures, we have in place a concerns and complaints policy. A copy is detailed on our Policies page. 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 year leader. Then, if there is no resolution;
3. To the Principal. Then, if there is no resolution;
4. To the Chair of Governors. Then, if there is no resolution;
5. To the Local Authority.

Contact details are available from the school office.

If you have a safeguarding concern, then this should be brought to the attention of Mrs Brown-Ejimofor or Mrs Craig in the first instance.

Review of Policy and Practice

In order to ensure that best practice is maintained, our policies are reviewed regularly to incorporate the latest statutory guidance.

If you would like more information on safeguarding, please contact Mrs Brown-Ejimofor who will be happy to discuss matters further with you.

If you have any concerns outside of school hours, or feel it more appropriate o make a referral to Social Services directly, please contact the Local Authority 'MASH' team 01895 556644 or out of hours 01895 250111

You can also contact the Police service, who have Designated Safeguarding officers, by calling 999, or 101 for less urgent information.

E-Safety

E-Safety is a key aspect of our duty to keep children safe - both inside and outside of school. Take a look at our e-safety policy within our 'Policies' section for further detail, but for parents and carers there is a wealth of online information which can be accessed in order to help to keep children safe online.

Should school have any concerns around safeguarding and e-safety, staff have dedicated safeguarding referral forms which are shared with the Designated Safeguarding Leads - who may contact parents and carers, or Hillingdon (MASH) Team in light of information shared.