Blaby Stokes CE Primary School fully recognises the contribution it can make to protect children and support pupils in school. The aim of our policy is to safeguard and promote our pupils’ welfare, safety and health by fostering an honest, open, caring and supportive climate. This means that staff and volunteers must be alert to possible concerns about every pupil, and to report these in a proper fashion.  

It is important for parents to be aware that:

• Staff and volunteers in the school have a duty to report concerns about a child, whether this means the child may be in need of additional support or help of some kind or whether it is thought that a child may have been abused or be at risk of abuse.
   
• There are four categories of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional, neglect. We also have a duty to be aware of peer to peer abuse, sexting, children missing from education, child sexual exploitation, so-called ‘honour based’ violence, private fostering arrangements and those vulnerable to extremism and radicalisation
   
• In some cases the school is obliged to refer children to children’s social care team, the PREVENT team or local safeguarding team, for children to be assessed for their needs or if an investigation into possible child abuse is required.  In many cases there will already have been discussions between school staff and the parents of the child, and the situation and concerns will not be a surprise to the parents.  However, parents may not be told that the school has referred their child to children’s social care if it is thought that this might put the child at risk.
   
• Children’s social care tries to carry out its enquiries in a sensitive fashion.  It has to gather information and generally it can be open with parents about the steps being taken.
   
• If you think your child may have been abused you should contact the children’s social care office.  If you think the abuse may have happened in school, contact the Head of School/ the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mrs Rachel O'Hara.  If you think your child has been hurt, arrange to visit your doctor or take them to the nearest outpatients immediately.  Comfort and reassure your child.
   
• Issues relating to domestic violence will be reported to the school via Operation Encompass to allow the police, social care and school to work together to support the family. 
   
• If school staff need to express concerns about a child or refer a child to children’s social care, it is understood that this can cause distress or anger for the child’s parents.

Designated Safeguarding Lead:

Mrs Rachel O Hara, Head of School 

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: 

Mr Steve Snelson, Executive Headteacher

Mrs Emily Ballard, Assistant Headteacher

Miss Laura Jessop, Teacher

Mrs Faye Baker, Inclusion and Behaviour Lead

Mrs Jo Preston, Behaviour Mentor and Teaching Assistant

Mrs Kristy Leach, Cluster Office Manager

To report a concern about a child please contact the school office and ask to speak to any of the above people.

To access our Learn AT Safeguarding Policy, which covers our school, please click here or see our BSP Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy below.