What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the purposes of this guidance as: protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

See the 'Policies' page for our Child Protection Policy. (Sept 23. This policy is currently under review due to the recent changes in the KCSIE)

Claybrooke's Commitment to Safeguarding and Child Protection

​At Claybrooke Primary School we are committed to safeguarding children and young people and we expect everyone who works in our school to share this commitment.

​Adults in our school take all welfare concerns seriously and encourage children and young people to talk to us about anything that may worry them. 

Who are the Safeguarding Contacts in School?

​Designated Safeguarding Leader – M. Howard

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leaders – P. Rock, L. Kelsey & C. Chick

Communication with Parents

​Our school will always discuss concerns with parents/carers and consent for any referrals should be sought unless to do so would:

The school will endeavour to ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibilities placed on the school and staff for safeguarding children.

In the best interests of safeguarding children there may be occasions when the school has to consult with other agencies without a parent or carer’s prior knowledge. Our first concern and responsibility is the child’s welfare and we have a duty to protect children first and always. Such consultation may result in a formal referral which could prompt visits from social care and/or the police. We fully understand that this can be a very distressing set of circumstances. 

Curriculum

​Child safety issues and child protection will be addressed through the curriculum where appropriate, especially through PSHE, Computing and E-Safety, Sex and Relations Education (SRE) and British Values.

We use a variety of resources and approaches to teach the children how to keep themselves safe, build their resilience and manage risks.

The curriculum, and in particular the personal, social and health education development strand of the curriculum, includes an emphasis on relationships (relationships and sex education), building confidence and resilience in pupils and in developing preventative strategies to ensure their own protection and that of others. Opportunities are provided for pupils to develop the skills and strategies they need to stay safe from abuse, including age appropriate discussions about healthy relationships, their bodies and being able to say no to requests that they do not want to carry out. Clear advice and guidance is built into the curriculum to ensure that pupils understand that there is a range of contacts they can turn to for advice and support and that they know where and how to report abuse. These include trained adults in school, 'Worry Boxes' in classes, etc.

What is Operation Encompass?

Operation Encompass is a police and education early information sharing partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support for children and young people experiencing domestic abuse. Information is shared by the police with a school's trained Key Adult (DSL) prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident thus enabling appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.

Our school is part of Operation Encompass. This is a police and education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children and young people who experience Domestic Abuse.  Operation Encompass will contact school if an incident of Domestic Violence has occurred in your child's home.

Children experiencing domestic abuse are negatively impacted by this exposure; domestic abuse has been identified as an Adverse Childhood Experience and can lead to emotional, physical and psychological harm. Operation Encompass aims to mitigate this harm by enabling immediate support, making a child's day better and giving them a better tomorrow.

Operation Encompass believes that children are victims of domestic abuse in their own right and should be acknowledged as such.

What is the Prevent Strategy?

Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes.

The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.