Safeguarding and Child Protection
Every Child Matters
‘Every Child Matters’ raised five key issues that were deemed essential in the complete development of each and every child. Every child:
- must be and stay safe
- must be healthy
- must be able to enjoy and achieve
- must be able to achieve economic well-being
- must make a positive contribution
Every child deserves to be happy and secure in their activities. Parents send their children to school each day with the expectation that school provides a secure environment in which their child can flourish. Parents and carers need to feel sure that the people in charge of their children within the school community are trustworthy, responsible and will do everything they can to keep their child safe from harm. Trinity School fully recognises its responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all its children and to work together with other agencies to ensure adequate arrangements within our school to identify, assess, and support those children who are suffering harm.
At Trinity School, we ensure that arrangements are in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils by:
- Providing a safe, healthy learning environment that allows them to develop to their full potential;
- Identifying children who are suffering, or likely to suffer significant harm, taking appropriate action to safeguard their welfare, particularly those pupils who are most disadvantaged, with the aim of ensuring they are kept safe at home and school;
- Providing pupils with opportunities to discuss issues and report problems affecting their safety and welfare;
- Ensuring safe recruitment practices;
- Ensuring robust procedures for recognition and referral when there are welfare or child protection concerns;
- Monitoring and supporting pupils who are subject to child protection plans and contributing to the implementation of their plan;
- Raising awareness amongst staff of child protection issues and ensuring staff are equipped to deal with concerns;
- Teaching children to keep themselves safe and ensuring they know who to approach for help;
- Promoting partnership working with parents/carers and professionals;
- working with the Children and Family Hub and other services when there are concerns about a child and their care or well-being.
Trinity school safeguarding information and procedures
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Mrs Katy McMahon, Mrs Sally Sleath, Mrs Emma O'Connell and Mrs Sally-Ann Fillieul
How Safeguarding concerns are recorded:
We log concerns on an online system called ‘My Concern’. All teaching staff can log in. Non-teaching staff can record their concerns on forms that are handed to the DSL or the class teacher who then logs it. When the concern has been reported, the DSL’s receive an email and then log in to review the concern and action anything that is required.
Training
All staff receive annual safeguarding refresher training. All staff are required to read and sign to say they have read Keeping Children Safe in Education and all the safeguarding policies at the beginning of the academic year.
Safer Recruitment
Mrs McMahon and Mrs Sleath have completed the Safer Recruitment training and one or both of these members of staff are always present in recruitment interviews. One or two safeguarding questions are always asked during an interview.
Visibility
Throughout the school site there are safeguarding posters indicating who to report safeguarding concerns too. All Trinity staff wear green identity lanyards around the school.
Visitors
All visitors must sign in at the office and wear their ID whilst on the school site. Regular volunteers have an initial induction meeting with Mrs Cutting where safeguarding and confidentiality is discussed. Adults without an enhanced DBS certificate are never left on their own with children.
Policies
Please see Trinity School's Policy webpage for all safeguarding policies.
Children and Family Hub and Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
When necessary we refer safeguarding concerns to the Children and Family Hub or MASH team. We do this either over the phone or using their online form. If we were ever concerned about the immediate safety of a child then the police would be called. Parents are informed when we make a referral to the Hub or MASH team unless we feel this knowledge would put the child at further risk of harm.
Please see the information below for more information about MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub).