Safeguarding
Safeguarding statement
At Cleeve Prior, we believe that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
Mrs Sarah Laughlin (Head of School) is our Designated Safeguarding Lead. Mrs Karen Norden (Willow Class teacher) is our Deputy Designated Safeguarding lead. The Governor with responsibility for child protection is Mrs Jane Foster.
Cleeve Prior C of E Primary School believes that it is completely unacceptable for a child to experience abuse of any kind. We recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children. We provide staff and volunteers with guidance to follow when they suspect a child may be experiencing abuse or at risk of harm. We work co-operatively with other professionals and external agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. We ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with parents/carers first – unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.
As a school, we recognise the power of early intervention and Early Help, with the aim of supporting concerns and issues before they escalate into more serious Child Protection concerns and have a robust Early Help offer to give additional support to our families when they need it.
We recognise and strive to maintain a school where children feel safe and are in an environment where they feel they are able to share concerns and worries, allowing us to effectively safeguard all children. We have a School Counsellor (Pete English) who engages in play therapy with our children to build their confidence and resilience and allows their troubles to be shared.
Our school delivers comprehensive Personal, Social, Health and Economics, (PSHE) lessons, which are guided by the Heartsmart Programme. These further support the children’s understanding of how to keep themselves safe. It also broadens their understanding of strategies to develop their resilience, as well as their awareness of their own mental health and approaches to keep this aspect of their lives healthy.
As set out in Part one of Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), all staff working with children maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ and will address inappropriate behaviour (even if it appears to be relatively innocuous) with the intention of preventing problematic, abusive and/or violent behaviour in the future.
https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/council-services/childrens-social-care/virtual-family-hub
NSPCC | The UK children's charity
Talk PANTS: Conversation to help keep children safe | NSPCC
Operation Encompass
As a school, we are part of the national Operation Encompass scheme which is the reporting to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has experienced domestic abuse. Information sharing between professional agencies allows school staff to provide emotional and practical support to their pupils experiencing domestic abuse.
Further Information
If you are concerned about a child’s safety or well-being, or would like to know more about Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures at Cleeve Prior, please do not hesitate to contact the school on 01789 772276.