What is Safeguarding?
At Kessingland Church of England Primary Academy, the child’s welfare is of paramount importance. Our academy will establish and maintain an ethos where pupils feel secure, are encouraged to talk, are listened to and are safe. Children at our academy will be able to talk freely to any member of staff at our academy if they are worried or concerned about something.
Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children. We recognise that staff at our academy play a particularly important role as they are in a position to identify concerns early and provide help for children to prevent concerns from escalating. All staff are advised to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff members must always act in the best interests of the child.
All staff and regular visitors will, through training and induction, know how to recognise indicators of concern, how to respond to a disclosure from a child and how to record and report this information. We will not make promises to any child and we will not keep secrets. Every child will know what the adult may have to do with any information they have chosen to disclose.
We provide a systematic means of monitoring children known or thought to be at risk of harm, and ensure we, the school, contribute to assessments of need and support packages for those children. We have a structured procedure within the school, which will be followed by all members of the school community in cases of suspected abuse.
All staff and visitors working within our school who have substantial access to children have been checked as to their suitability, including verification of their identity, qualifications, and a satisfactory DBS check (according to guidance) and a single central record is kept.
What should I do if I am concerned about a child?
For further information look on Suffolk Safeguarding Children Board website, or contact one of the telephone numbers below:
Useful Telephone Numbers:
Children’s Services: 0808 800 4005
IN AN EMERGENCY DIAL 999
