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)

Inglehurst Infant School ensures children learn in a safe, caring and enriching environment. Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, on and off line, to develop positive and healthy relationships and how to avoid situations where they might be at risk including by being exploited.

Inglehurst Infant School has a statutory responsibility to share any concerns it might have about a child in need of protection with other agencies and in particular police, health and children’s services. Inglehurst Infant School are not able to investigate concerns but have a legal duty to refer them. In most instances, the school will be able to inform the parents/carer of its need to make a referral. However, sometimes the school is advised by Children’s Social Care or police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter. We understand the anxiety parents/carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset. The school follows legislation that aims to act in the best interests of the child.

Our Safeguarding Team

If you have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of the children of Inglehurst Infant School then inform Ms Pochin (Headteacher) or, in her absence, Mrs Maher (Deputy Headteacher), Mrs Rayner (Inclusion Manager) or Mrs Parker (Attendance, Welfare and Child Protection Officer) who are trained as designated people for safeguarding and child protection.  If these members of staff are not on site, then ask at the school office for the most senior person on site for child protection.

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

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.

Child Line - 0800 1111

NSPCC - 0808 800 5000, help@nspcc.org.uk

LADO - 0116 454 2440, Lado-allegations-referrals@leicester.gov.uk

Whistleblowing - (020) 7404 6609, whistle@pcaw.co.uk

Internet safety - www.saferinternet.org.uk