Safeguarding
Child-focused approach to safeguarding Introduction
Fordbridge recognise our statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility and all those directly connected (staff, volunteers, governors, leaders, parents, families, and learners) are an important part of the wider safeguarding system for children and have an essential role to play in making this community safe and secure.
Fordbridge believe that the best interests of children always come first. All children (defined as those up to the age of 18) have a right to be heard and to have their wishes and feelings taken into account and all children regardless of age, gender, ability, culture, race, language, religion or sexual identity, have equal rights to protection.
Staff working with children at Fordbridge will maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff will always act in the best interests of the child and if any member of our community has a safeguarding concern about any child or adult, they should act and act immediately.
Fordbridge recognises the importance of providing an ethos and environment withinschool that will help children to be safe and to feel safe, including online. In the school children are respected and are encouraged to talk openly. We will ensure children’s wishes and feelings are taken into account when determining what safeguarding action to take and what services to provide.
We acknowledge that a child may not feel ready or know how to tell someone that they are being abused, exploited, or neglected, and/or they may not recognise their experiences as harmful. We understand that this may happen for a range of reasons but would never let it prevent us from raising concerns with the DSL. We are committed to building trusted relationships with children and young people which facilitate communication.
Our core safeguarding principles are:
Prevention
Positive, supportive, safe culture, curriculum and pastoral opportunities for children, safer recruitment procedures.
Protection
Following the agreed procedures, ensuring all staff are trained and supported to recognise and respond appropriately and sensitively to safeguarding concerns.
Support
All learners, parents and staff, and where appropriate specific interventions are required for those who may be at risk of harm.
Working with parents and other agencies
To ensure timely, appropriate communications and actions are undertaken when safeguarding concerns arise. The procedures contained in this policy apply to all staff, including and governors, temporary or third-party agency staff and volunteers) and are consistent with those outlined within KCSiE 2023.
Please refer to the policy section on the website for further information, or ask the office to print a paper copy.
Who to contact in school
Other organisations that can help
LADO
Kate Davis
0121 7884310
07795128638
lado@solihull.gov.uk
Childline
Helpline: 0800 1111
Website: www.childline.org.uk
NSPCC
FGM helpline: 0808 028 3550
Website: www.nspcc.org.uk
Crimestoppers
Helpline: 0800 555 111
Website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
Foundation for Women’s Health Research & Development (FORWARD)
Helpline: 0208 960 4000
Website: http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/
Equality Now
Telephone: 0207 304 6902
Website: www.equalitynow.org
FGM National Clinical Group
www.fgmnationalgroup.org
Fordbridge Community Primary School
Prevent
Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children. Schools have a duty of care to their pupils and staff which includes safeguarding them from the risk of being drawn into terrorism - this includes not just violent extremism but also non-violent extremism, which can create an atmosphere conducive to terrorism and can popularise views which terrorists exploit. Schools should be safe spaces in which children and young people can understand and discuss sensitive topics, including terrorism and the extremist ideas that are part of the terrorist ideology and learn how to challenge these ideas.
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 colleges and their staff form part of the wider safeguarding system for children. This system is described in statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) and Keeping Children Safe in Education (2023). Schools and colleges should work with social care, the police, health services and other services to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Radicalisation is listed as a specific safeguarding issue within this statutory guidance and is addressed within the Government Prevent Strategy. The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 places a duty on Schools to ‘have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”.
The Prevent Strategy has three main objectives:
• Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism & the threat we face from those who promote it;
• Prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support;
• Work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation which we need to address.
Prevent Risk Assessment
Fordbridge Community Primary School recognises that it has a duty under Section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act, 2015, in the exercise of its functions, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.