What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.

Safeguarding means:

• Protecting children from abuse and maltreatment

• Preventing harm to children’s physical and mental health or development

• Ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care

• Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.

Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about a child.

(NSPCC, 2017)

Our Safeguarding Team

If you have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of the children of Inglehurst Infant School then inform Ms Pochin (Interim Headteacher) or, in her absence, Mrs Rayner (Interim Deputy headteacher) who are both trained as designated people for safeguarding and child protection. If neither are on site then ask at the school office for the most senior person on site for child protection.

Mrs Parker (Attendance, Welfare and Child Protection Officer) is also a trained designated person for child protection.

We also have Edwina, who is a Family Support Worker, working in the school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Safeguarding Policies and Procedures

We have a range of policies and procedures in place to protect our staff, children and their families. Please see the policies section on our website or speak to a member of the office staff to request a paper copy.