Safeguarding

Safeguarding our pupils

Our approach to safeguarding is built on a foundation of strong leadership, comprehensive policies, and a child-centred ethos. 

Our leadership team is committed to fostering a culture of safeguarding. We have designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) who are well-trained and clearly understand their roles and responsibilities.

We have robust safeguarding policies that are regularly reviewed and updated. These policies cover all aspects of child protection, staff behaviour, health and safety, and safer recruitment.

All staff members receive regular training on safeguarding issues, ensuring they are equipped to recognise and respond to potential risks. This training is not a one-time event but an on-going process to keep everyone updated on best practices.

Our safeguarding practices are designed to be child-centred, ensuring that the needs and well-being of the children are always the primary focus. This includes creating a safe and supportive environment where children feel valued and heard.

We work closely with external agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach to safeguarding. This collaboration helps us address complex cases more effectively. 

Our safeguarding team comprises of Carly Wilkins as designated safeguarding lead (DSL), Emmaline Hartley-Criddle, Jackie Bagnell and Andrea Bolton as supporting members of the team. Any safeguarding concerns are reported to us and we will investigate and take action if necessary.

When a concern is raised we will talk to the child in the first instance and contact parents or carers as appropriate.

We work closely with many different outside agencies, such as the First Response Team and Early Help Hub, who can offer support to families. In some situations we will need to inform parents of our requirements to involve these agencies. First Response is the family front door for Children’s Services in Somerset. It consists of social workers Family Front Door practitioners and team managers - their role is to determine the level of intervention for a family and whether support is required from either a Family Intervention Service or Statutory Social Work team. We also liaise with the Somerset Council and Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership Board.

Responsibilities within the safeguarding team include:

• Child Sexual Exploitation

• Children Missing in Education

• Equality, diversity and inclusion

• Female Genital Mutilation

• Mental Health

• Online Safety

• Prevent

• Young Carers