Keeping Children Safe in Education

At Darras Hall Primary School, we are committed to keeping our children happy, healthy and safe.   All staff are regularly trained and are aware of how to keep our pupils safe and what signs to look out for.  Our pupils are encouraged to share any concerns and we have robust policies and processes in place that underpin safeguarding.

Key People to talk to in School (Designated Safeguarding Leads)

Lead DSLs:

Ms V Parr (Headteacher)

Deputy DSLs:

Mr D Turner (Deputy Headteacher)

Mrs R Wademan (KS1 phase leader)

They receive termly training to ensure that their knowledge of local and national safeguarding issues remains current.

Child Protection

In cases where the school has reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill- treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse, the Designated Safeguarding Lead may report this concern to Children's Services and/or other appropriate agencies.

Please remember that when the school refers a concern about a child to Children's Services, it is not accusing the parents of abuse but requesting that further investigation takes place to establish whether a child is at risk.

Our Child Protection Policy is reviewed annually and is available on our Policies page.

The School has a Designated Safeguarding Governor: Mrs Clare Cooper.  They receive regular training and monitors the school’s policies and procedures to ensure that they remain robust and fit for purpose.

How the Curriculum Supports Safeguarding

We offer a secure and encouraging environment where children feel safe and their spiritual, moral and cultural development is enhanced through the delivery of our whole school curriculum,  including our Religious Education and PSHE curriculum, core values, work with external agencies, charities and the local community.  Our school ethos ensures that pupils feel comfortable approaching staff if they have any concerns.  Staff always follow up any concerns expressed by a child.

Recruitment

We carefully check that all staff and volunteers are safe to work with our children. A number of checks are made including DBS checks, references, ID and employment history.  We keep a Single Central Record of all this information and this is regularly monitored.

Visitors and volunteers are rigorously checked in much the same way as staff, before they can have access to our pupils.  Any visitors on site must read the Safeguarding Information Leaflet before being signed into the building.  All adults in school wear an ID badge, which determines the level of access they have to our building and our pupils.

Visitors and Volunteers are carefully screened to ensure that we are satisfied that they are suitable to work with our pupils.

Reporting Abuse

We have a policy that ‘it could happen here and it it likely to be happening here’ and no concern is too small to report to a DSL.  If anyone has concern that a child is being harmed as a result of abuse or neglect, they have a duty to share concerns.

Keeping children safe is everyone's responsibility

If you live in Northumberland, these are the numbers that you can ring for advice and to make a referral:

• During office hours (8.30am – 5pm Monday to Thursday, 4.30pm on Friday) call Children’s Social Services Initial Contact Point on 01670 536400
• At all other times, Emergency Duty Team on 0345 6005252
• If you have reason to believe that a child is at IMMEDIATE RISK OF HARM, contact the police on 999
• For all general enquiries, please contact Children’s Specialist Services on 01670 53640
• To report a concern about an adult’s behaviour towards a child, please contact the Local Authority designated officer via LADO@northumberland.gov.uk or on 01670 623 979

If you live in Newcastle, these are the numbers that you can ring for advice and to make a referral:

• During office hours (8.30am – 5pm Monday to Thursday, 4.30pm on Friday) call Children’s Social Services Initial Response Team on 0191 2772500
• At all other times, Social Services Emergency Duty Team on 0191 2787878
• If you have reason to believe that a child is at IMMEDIATE RISK OF HARM, contact the police on 999
• To report a concern about an adult’s behaviour towards a child, please contact the Local Authority designated officer on 0191 2774636