St Margaret's Academy is committed to playing a full and active part in the multi-agency response to child protection concerns. Additionally, the school has a legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to have a child protection policy to meet Department for Education and Skills and Department of Health requirements.
Through their day to day contact with pupils, and direct work with families, education staff have a crucial role to play in noticing indicators of possible abuse or neglect. Parents should be aware therefore that where it appears to a member of staff that a child may have been abused, the school is required, as part of the local child protection procedures to report their concern to Social Care immediately. To avoid any misunderstandings therefore, parents of children who sustain accidental injuries which result in cuts/bruises/fractures should inform the school without delay.
Principles
Children have a right to be safe.
Parents have a right to be informed.
Children are best protected when parents and school can work together.
Partnership
School will inform parents of any concerns about their children (providing it does not compromise the pupil’s safety) and will help and support them as necessary.
Prevention
School will take positive action to prevent children suffering abuse and neglect through the development of an open culture that informs children of their rights and encourages them to speak about any concerns. The school will also address the issue of children’s safety through the curriculum.
Through their day to day contact with pupils, and direct work with families, education staff have a crucial role to play in noticing indicators of possible abuse or neglect. Parents should be aware therefore that where it appears to a member of staff that a child may have been abused, the school is required, as part of the local child protection procedures to report their concern to Social Care immediately. To avoid any misunderstandings therefore, parents of children who sustain accidental injuries which result in cuts/bruises/fractures should inform the school without delay.
Principles
Children have a right to be safe.
Parents have a right to be informed.
Children are best protected when parents and school can work together.
Partnership
School will inform parents of any concerns about their children (providing it does not compromise the pupil’s safety) and will help and support them as necessary.
Prevention
School will take positive action to prevent children suffering abuse and neglect through the development of an open culture that informs children of their rights and encourages them to speak about any concerns. The school will also address the issue of children’s safety through the curriculum.
Safe Recruitment
The school operates safer recruitment procedures by ensuring there is at least one person on every recruitment panel that has completed Safer Recruitment training. Full enhanced DBS with barred list checks are obtained for all staff and volunteers. Staff working in our Early Years provision, childcare staff (before and after school provision) and their managers must also comply with the Government’s Disqualification by Association guidance.
Responding to Concerns
School will refer all allegations or concerns that a child has been or is likely to be abused or neglected to Social Care within the Children’s Services Department. School will discuss with parents any concerns they have about children (providing this does not compromise the child’s safety). Parents will be kept informed of what has happened.
Child/Child Abuse
Physical and emotional abuse of children by other children will be dealt with through the school’s anti-bullying policy. Parents will be kept informed. All concerns about possible sexual abuse will be referred to Social Care.
Child Protection Conferences
School will attend conferences and provide information about children and families. This information will be shared with parents beforehand. School will keep confidential child protection records separately from a pupil’s academic and other school records.
Confidentiality
Information from parents about possible child abuse cannot be kept confidential. Information and records about children on the Child Protection Register will be given only to those people who need it and will be kept strictly confidential by them.
Torbay Education Safeguarding Service works in partnership with schools to promote the welfare of children. As part of their work, they may receive information from partner agencies such as the police and social care. In the interest of keeping children safe, this information is sometimes shared with schools. Please see the information sharing statement below.
The school's Child Protection Policy details our procedures. We also have child friendly policies that are displayed in classrooms and discussed with the children.
The school's Child Protection Policy details our procedures. We also have child friendly policies that are displayed in classrooms and discussed with the children.
Operation Encompass
As a school we are registered with Operation Encompass. Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership. Information is shared with a school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident. This sharing of information enables appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.
Prevent Duty
Al schools have a duty to protect children at risk of radicalisation. The following document is a statement of our Prevent Duty
Al schools have a duty to protect children at risk of radicalisation. The following document is a statement of our Prevent Duty
Torbay Family Hubs
Family hubs are a new way of bringing together all the support a family may need.
The hub is the 'front door' for families from pregnancy to 19 (or 25 if your child has SEND), offering advice and support, child friendly activities and care and information on the Torbay local offer. Please see link below.