Safeguarding

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.

Safeguarding is everybody's responsibility.

Our school is dedicated to looking after all our children the best we possibly can. We fully recognise our responsibility under section 175 of the Education Act 2002 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to work together with other agencies to ensure adequate arrangements within our school to identify, assess, and support those children who are suffering harm. 

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.

Safeguarding means:

• protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
• preventing harm to children's health or development
• ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes

This runs alongside our work on health and safety and online safety

All staff adhere to the ELAN Safeguarding Policy which is developed in line with recommendations from North Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSSCP) and Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE). The policy is reviewed annually by Extend Learning Academies Network (ELAN) and governors and is a working document that reflects our practice. Parents/carers can request a paper copy from the office.

Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.

As part of ELAN we ensure that all of our staff undergo Enhanced DBS checks regarding their suitability to work with children prior to commencing employment.  This is supplemented by annual mandatory safeguarding training to ensure that we are ALL compliant with safeguarding updates, policies and procedures. We are part of a wider safeguarding trust network which we attend regularly. Any changes to procedures or information gained from networks or changes in legislation is then disseminated to all staff by the safeguarding team as and when required.

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Please the statutory guidance from the Department for Education on their website.  It is imperative that all staff (including volunteers) read Part 1 and Appendix A of this guidance and sign that they have done so (a register exists to determine this).  Schools must have regard to the guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.  This document contains information on what schools should do and sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply. 

Places to go for support

If someone has hurt you, or someone (a child or adult) has done something that makes you feel upset or scared, tell somebody. It is important for you to get the support and protection you need.

There are two ways you can contact someone for help

• the council's Single Point of Access Team
• Childline

You don't have to give your name if you don't want to.

Single Point of Access team 01275 888 808 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Ask to speak to the duty social worker.

Childline 0800 1111 More information is available on the Childline website. All calls are free and confidential. 

Useful contacts and information

• Locking Primary School main office: 01934 822867

• If you have any concerns about the behaviour of someone working or volunteering with children please contact the LADO – Local Authority Designated Officer via the Referral and Assessment Team  – Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)  Telephone: 07795092692 or email lado@n-somerset.gov.uk

• Reporting concerns about an adult | Childrens Safeguarding Board (nsscp.co.uk)

• Out of hours social care Emergency Duty team: 01454 615165

• North Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership https://www.nsscp.co.uk/

• Samaritans:  116123 https://www.samaritans.org/
• Next Link: Domestic Violence Hotline: 08082000247 https://www.nextlinkhousing.co.uk/northsomerset/
• Young Minds (resource for young person's mental health): 0300 1233393 https://youngminds.org.uk/
• Kooth (resource for young person's mental health) https://www.kooth.com/
• Action for Children: 0300 123 2112 ask.us@actionforchildren.org.uk
• NSPCC: 0808 800 5000 help@nspcc.org.uk
• Mermaids (Help for gender diverse children and young people) 0808 801 0400 https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/
• Young Victims (help and support to young people (aged five to 18) who have been victims of crime, anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse) https://www.youngvictims.org.uk/

Should you need to be signposted to any other agency, please contact school directly.