Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility…
Safeguarding sits at the heart of everything we do at Witham St Hughs Academy. Witham St Hughs Academy fully recognises the contribution we can make to protect pupils and support them in our Academy. We aim to safeguard and promote our pupils’ welfare, safety, and health by fostering an honest, open, caring, and supportive climate. Pupil welfare is of paramount importance. We will listen to our pupils. We will not place any value judgement on their concerns or supersede their views with our own cultural or racial profiling in order to ensure we fully listen to what our pupils are saying. We will take our pupils’ health and welfare seriously, and to act with urgency to prevent harm and keep them safe. There is a ‘whole academy approach to safeguarding’ where safeguarding and child protection underpins all our relevant polices and processes. We operate with the best interests of the child at heart.
The Safeguarding Team & Reporting Concerns
We have 4 Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) at Witham St Hughs Academy. These are: Richard Stock, Emily Broadley, Michelle Dexter and Hannah Younger. This team also work closely alongside Rebecca Hyder from the central team at LEAD Academy Trust. Our chair of governors is Marcus Capell. Our safeguarding governor is Marcus Capell.
We have a robust system for recording incidents called ‘My Concern’. This online portal enables any issue raised to be recorded, at any time, by any member of staff. It provides the DSL team and Academy Governing Body with comprehensive reports, enabling challenge, which ensures staff are held to account.
Every term, our safeguarding team work alongside the Trust and Director of Schools to complete a ‘Safeguarding Audit’ which is used to ensure safeguarding practices are exemplary across the Academy. Pupil and parent voice is regularly captured to ensure that pupils feel safe in our school.
Planning always ensures at least one DSL is on site at any given time, however all staff are aware that any concerns can be called through to customer services social care team on: 01522 782111.
“My child feels safe at this school.” – 99% parents agree or strongly agree.
Parent/Carer Questionnaire – October 2023
Important Safeguarding Information
We are committed to safeguarding and meeting the needs of all our pupils. The information below provides some useful advice and information when working with our pupils.
What are your responsibilities as a visitor to our Academy?
All those who come into contact with pupils have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children.
Supply teachers/students will be briefed on arrival to site before they begin work. They will be aware of possible signs and indicators of abuse and must bring any concerns immediately to a DSL.
DBS Checks
Witham St Hughs Academy requires all adults who work in a regulated activity to be checked through the Disclosure and Barring Service. If you are volunteering we will ask you to complete various forms including references, and provide photo I.D. not only to verify your identity, but to provide contact details. You are required to inform the headteacher immediately if you become subject to any criminal investigation. You must also declare if you are living with someone who has committed an offence against children. Debarring by Association. Everyone in our Academy is asked to make this declaration as they come into contact with under 8’s.
What you should do if you are worried about a child?
Whilst working with a child, if you become worried about:
- Comments made by a child
- Marks or bruising on a child
- Changes in a child’s behaviour or demeaner
- Disclosures of any nature that may indicate risk of harm to a child
- You must report these concerns to a Designated Safeguarding Lead and log the concern on My Concern
If a child makes a disclosure to you
- Listen, allow the child to talk freely.
- Reassure but DON’T promise anything.
- DO NOT promise confidentiality.
- DO NOT interrogate, do not ask them to write it down.
- Reassure them that it was right to talk.
What if a child expresses concern about a staff member?
If a child is to do this, it must be reported to the headteacher, if it is about the headteacher it must be reported to the Chair of Governors.
Appropriate Behaviour
- As a visitor or volunteer you may well work closely with pupils. We need to have mutual trust and respect.
- You should not engage in physical contact with the children if they instigate this it should be reported to class teacher.
- Do not photograph/record the pupils and do not have you mobile phone or camera out whilst on site. Do not exchange numbers or engage on social media with any pupils.
Confidentiality
It is expected of everybody in school not to discuss anything they hear or see on site with anybody else.
Do you have a safeguarding concern?
As a parent, or member of the public, we all have a duty of care to ensure that we support the safeguarding of all young people and those who are deemed vulnerable. If you have a safeguarding concern and wish to speak to a safeguarding lead at the Academy, please call 01522 869590 and ask to speak to a DSL to raise a safeguarding concern. If your concern is beyond the school day, at a weekend or during the school holidays, any member of the public can call the customer services social care team on: 01522 782111. You will be able to share your concern with them, you can remain anonymous, however, it is helpful if you are able to share who you are, which will remain confidential. This allows them to be able to filter out malicious calls.
Our Latest Safeguarding Newsletter
Our Latest Online Safety Newsletter
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023
Safeguarding across the Curriculum – KS2
Safeguarding across the Curriculum – EYFS & KS1
Staying Safe
We use a huge variety of resources in school to support children in staying safe. A small selection can be found below. We also make use of high quality face to face connections, such as pupil and parent workshops with Healthy Minds Lincolnshire, online assemblies and workshops with ‘Speak Out Stay Safe’ and strong connections with our local PCSO team who work alongside pupils in school.
Safeguarding Newsletters
All previous safeguarding newsletters can be found on our ‘Newsletters’ tab. Here you will find safeguarding newsletters from this current academic year.
Termlet 1 Safeguarding Newsletter
Termlet 2 Safeguarding Newsletter
Termlet 3 Safeguarding Newsletter
Online Safety
Staying safe online can often be a real worry for parents and carers. Our Digital Leaders team work hard in school to support the teaching of staying safe in a digital world, whilst still enjoying all the positives the internet has to offer. We have collated some resources to support parents and carers, and our termly safeguarding newsletter always has an ‘Online Safety’ section.
Safer Schools – Parental Control Apps
Common Sense Media – Age Based Reviews
Below are a series of really useful posters from ‘National Online Safety’ which provide parents and carers with the key things they need to know about a range of apps and websites.
