Safeguarding
At Rosa Street 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 believe that adults can act as duty bearers to support children as rights holders, to respect their own and others rights. By working together, we can ensure that the welfare of children is at the heart of the school.
Safeguarding within our school
Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children. School staff are particularly important as they are in a position to identify concerns early and provide help for children, to prevent concerns from escalating. Schools and their staff form part of the wider safeguarding system for children working with social care, the police and health services both to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
Safeguarding children permeates all aspects of our work as a school, with a preventative role to inform and boost the resilience of all students by enhancing protective factors in their lives.
Safeguarding throughout school life
We aim to create and maintain a caring ethos where all children and adults feel safe, secure and valued. If children feel happy and enjoy school this will encourage good attendance and then create conditions in which they can do their best in every area of school life. Our school operates as a listening school where children are able to approach adults with concerns. These will be taken seriously and relevant Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures followed without delay if there is a risk/likelihood of, or actual significant harm.
Universal services and specialist support staff
The following professionals are also available to support individual children in school:
Inclusion Support Adviser: Claire Peat
One Point Hub – Ferryhill Broom Road, Ferryhill, County Durham. DL17 8AN Tel: 03000 261 113
The school nurse: Vicky Sutherland
Educational Psychologist: Vicky Ferguson
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
Working with parents and carers
Our school believes in effective communication with parents and carers. We welcome parent/carer views and concerns about the welfare of their children and use this feedback to regularly review our practices. Parental views are obtained in the following ways: questionnaires, parent’s evenings, family learning opportunities, speaking to parents.
We keep parents informed about important and topical issues, including child protection elements of safeguarding, in the following ways: newsletters, texting service, letters home, website, training/information sessions e.g. e-safety, bullying etc.)
Safeguarding and Child Protection training for all staff/adults working in school
Our school complies with the advice laid down in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ and ‘Keeping children safe in education’ to undertake regular training.
Training for the designated safeguarding lead and other designated teachers in school is undertaken every 2 years. The designated safeguarding lead persons are:
Helen Gibbons
Elizabeth Davison
Claire Peat
The Nominated Governor with responsibility for Child Protection is David Richardson
The Head Teacher, other staff responsible for recruitment and one Governor have attended ‘Safer Recruitment Training’.
Information Sharing
We have an obligation to obtain necessary information from parents/carers 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 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.
Staff at our school are aware of the need to share information appropriately. Our school takes care to ensure that information about a child is only given to the appropriate external people or agencies. All staff within school will be aware of the confidential nature of personal information about a child and the need for maintaining confidentiality. They will seek advice about parental responsibility issues if unsure.
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 with other agencies before we contact you. The procedures we have to follow have been laid down in accordance with the Local Authority and 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 Schools Nurse, Health practitioners, Educational Psychology, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, Behaviour Support, Education Welfare, Social Services and Specialists in supporting Special Educational Needs.