Safeguarding
Child Protection
POLICY STATEMENT
St.Francis Catholic Primary School fully recognises the responsibility it has under section 175 (Section 157 for Independent Schools and Academies) of the Education Act 2002 to have arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We also have a responsibility with regard to the Prevent Duty statutory guidance and the complimentary Department of Education Guidance held with this policy, and the Department of Health FGM Risk and Safeguarding Guidance for professionals.
“Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and has a role to play. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all practitioners should make sure their approach is child centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child”, Keeping Children Safe in Education September 2023.
No single practitioner can have a full picture of a child's needs and circumstances. If children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with then has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as
- protecting children from maltreatment
- preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
- ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
All our staff maintain a culture of vigilance in all areas of school life. We have robust policies in place for ensuring the wellbeing of our children. These policies underpin our practice and values shared by every single member of staff in our school.
Any concerns about children are passed through our Safeguarding Team: members of staff who are trained as 'Designated Safeguarding Leads' in the school, in compliance with the 'sharing of information' guidance.
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Rhona Miccoli
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Robert Maxfield
Designated Safeguarding Link Governor
Clare O'Donnell