Safeguarding is everybody’s business. The safety and welfare of children, or child protection, means protecting each and every child from emotional, physical and sexual abuse, neglect or sexual exploitation. It also involves preventing children becoming subject to radicalisation.
Please read our Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy document.
If you have any concerns about a child please do not ignore these concerns. You can contact any professional involved with a child to discuss your concerns or you can talk to a duty social worker at Childrens’ Social Care.
Please understand that if a child tells an adult information that indicates that they might be at risk of being harmed then the school must share that information with Childrens’ Social Care. We are in no way making a judgement and would attempt to make every effort to contact you in the first instance.
If you need help as a parent you should talk to a teacher, health visitor or doctor to find out what’s available. They will be able to put you in touch with someone who can help.
Operation Encompass
Our school participates in the Operation Encompass partnership scheme, between local school, academies, colleges, community health agencies, and Lancashire Police.
Operation Encompass was set up to provide early reporting to schools etc., about any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school hours to which a young person attending our school has been exposed, and which might then have an impact on their schooling the following day. This information will be shared throughout the year, including school holidays and the weekends.
Information will only be shared with the school by the police where it is identified that a young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident.
A nominated member of college staff, known as an Encompass Key Adult, has been trained to liaise with the police. Our Key Adult is Mrs Thompson.
Further advice and support
It is possible that your child or children have been allocated a social worker due to issues relating to a child protection concern or to undertake an assessment of their needs.
You may want to seek advice and support from an independent organisation such as the Family Rights Group and the NSPCC for further information.
Please take time to read our Online Safety Policy
We also have a section on Internet Safety
Bullying
As a Catholic School we believe every child is unique and made in God’s image. We all know that bullying goes on in every school but it’s the way it’s dealt with which makes the difference between life being tolerable or a misery.
Bullying is hurtful and we will do our best to stop it. Helping children to recognise bullying is so important so please look through this guide with your child.
Bullies can also frighten you so that you don’t want to go to school, so that you pretend to be ill to avoid them.
How to solve the problem
If you are being bullied, tell a friend, tell a teacher and tell your parents. It won’t stop unless you do.
It can be hard to do this so if you don’t feel you can do it in person it might be easier to write a note to your parents explaining how you feel, or perhaps confide in someone outside the immediate family, like a grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin and ask them to help you tell your parents what’s going on.
Your class teacher needs to know what is going on so try to find a time to tell her when it won’t be noticeable. You could stay behind on the pretext of needing help with some work. Tell someone, often Teaching Assistants are available when your teacher is not.
https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/kids.html
Online Safety
We distribute a monthly online safety newsletter to our families.
The internet and technology are an every day and essential tool for learning and socialising. The online safety agenda continues to evolve and increase, and it continues to be crucial that we recognise online safety as a key safeguarding consideration and part of our statutory safeguarding responsibilities. This newsletter forms part of our approach to safeguarding our community online.
Please see the poster below for tips on keeping children safe online: