Safeguarding

At Ashlands Church of England Primary School, safeguarding is of the greatest importance. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A duty is placed on the school and governing body to protect and promote the welfare of children. At Ashlands C of E Primary School we are committed to promoting the safety and wellbeing of the children within our community by following the guidelines offered by the Somerset Safeguarding Partnership. When necessary we work in partnership with other agencies such as Social Care and Health, the local Health Authority, Parent and Family Support and the Police to keep children in our care safe. 

If there is any cause for concern over the wellbeing of a child within our school community, all staff, pupils, volunteers and parents should be aware of who to contact within the school staff. 

The designated person for Safeguarding and Child Protection issues within Ashlands is the Headteacher, Miss Nicola Ball. In case of her absence or unavailability, the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is Kay Dawson.    

The school governor with responsibility for Safeguarding and Child Protection is Mr David Harvey.  

All staff have undertaken basic safeguarding awareness training and have been alerted to the signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect in children. Staff are also aware of the PREVENT duty to reduce the risk of extremist behaviour and radicalisation. If a child discloses any concerning information to an adult working in our school, the adult is asked not to question the child or comment on the disclosure. A designated child protection person is informed as soon as possible and a factual record of the disclosure is made. All concerns which are brought to our attention are recorded confidentially as recommended by the Somerset Safeguarding Children’s Partnership. 

Disclosures made which compromise the safety of an individual cannot be kept a secret. Somerset Direct (Children’s Social Care) can be contacted directly on 0300 123 2224. 

As a school we work with our families offering help and support. We offer Early Help and Early Help Assessment. We also offer support from our Parent and Family Support Advisors. We work in partnership with a wide range of other services to support our families. 

To view or download our Policy for Safeguarding and Child Protection, which is reviewed and adopted annually by the Governing Body – Please go to our Key Documents and Policies page using the link below 

Key Documents & Policies Page

 

Useful Safeguarding Links:

Childline: 0800 1111
https://www.childline.org.uk

NSPCC: 0808 800 5000
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

NSPCC sexual exploitation helpline: 0800 136 663
This is a dedicated, confidential helpline available to current or past victims as well as parents, carers, or professionals with concerns.

Young Minds provide free support to young people experiencing mental health crisis 24/7.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
Text YM to 85258

Children’s Social Care: 0300 123 2224 (Emergency out of hours – 0300 123 2327)
http://www.somerset.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/

South West Grid for Learning – swgfl.org.uk

Childnet – http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers

Somerset Safeguarding Children’s Board: 0300 123 2224.

Lords Larder Food Bank – Chard

Lords Larder Food Bank – Yeovil

 

To visit the Somerset Safeguarding Children’s Board Website – Click on the image below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Information leaflet about the PREVENT Duty and how the school is looking to minimise extremism and radicalisation – Click here: PREVENT &  Racial Harassment In Schools

 

Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme (Sarah’s Law)

This scheme gives members of the public (eg parent, carer, guardian, or another interested party) a formal mechanism to make enquiries about individuals who are in contact with children. If police checks show the individual has a record for offences that might put the child at risk, the police will consider sharing this with the person(s) best placed to protect the child. For more information click the Home Office Leaflet below.