Safeguarding & Wellbeing
Meet our Safeguarding Team
| Safeguarding Team | |
|---|---|
| Oliver Laken (Interim covering maternity leave) | Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) |
| Heather Cooke | Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) |
| Lana Whittaker | Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) |
| Lisa Woollon | Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) |
| Martin Horton | Local Partner – Safeguarding |
The Safeguarding Team can be contacted by emailing safeguarding@weareacademy.co.uk or by telephoning the school on 01934 732270.
What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
Safeguarding means:
· protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
· preventing harm to children’s health or development
· ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
· taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.
Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation apply to all children up to the age of 18.
What is Child Protection?
Child Protection is part of Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.
We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding approach, including the WLT Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, which can be viewed in the Policies section of our website and is also included below.
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with his/her parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.
Safeguarding Provision Statement
Weare Academy First School recognises that the safety and welfare of children is paramount and that we have a responsibility to protect children in all the academy’s activities. We take all reasonable steps to ensure, through appropriate procedures and training, that all children, irrespective of sex, age, disability, race, religion or belief, sexual identity or social status, are protected from abuse.
We foster a culture of vigilance amongst staff, children, parents and visitors. We always listen to children and take their concerns seriously. Please do not hesitate, if you have any concerns or queries, to contact the academy immediately and you will be directed to a member of staff who will endeavour to help you.
Weare Academy C of E First school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We share information about concerns with agencies who need to know; and involving parents and children appropriately.
Safeguarding Policies
- WLT Safeguarding (Child Protection) Policy
- WLT Safeguarding Statement 2024
- Weare Academy – Online Safety Policy
- Weare Academy Child Friendly Safeguarding Policy
More Information on…
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
It is mandatory for teachers, health and social workers to report to the police if they find, or are told, that someone under 18 has undergone FGM.
For more information please visit the Government training on FGM.
Prevent
Prevent is a national safeguarding programme that supports people who are at risk of becoming involved with terrorism through radicalisation. Radicalisation means someone is being encouraged to develop extreme views or beliefs in support of terrorist groups and activities.
There are different types of terrorism, and Prevent deals with all of them. Find out more about what terrorism means.
Prevent is run locally by experts who understand the risks and issues in their area, and how best to support their communities. These experts include local authorities, the police, charities and community organisations.
Learn more about Prevent from the people involved: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-if-youre-worried-about-someone-being-radicalised
Child on Child Abuse
Unfortunately, child-on-child abuse can and does happen in a whole range of settings that children attend. However, it often goes unseen. It might take place online, for example, or away from the school or setting. Therefore, training for professionals to help them recognise the signs, and know what to do, is essential.
At Weare Academy, we expect all our staff to be familiar with the statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’ and to apply it. Staff should understand child protection policies and use them. We expect all staff to know what to do if they come across, or are worried about, child-on-child abuse. They should know who to speak to and what action to take to make sure children are safe.
Understanding child-on-child abuse
Peer-on-peer abuse is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:
- Bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying)
- Physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling or otherwise causing physical harm (this may include an online element, which facilitates, threatens and/or encourages physical abuse)
- Emotional abuse – online or offline
- Abuse in intimate relationships between peers
- Sexual violence and sexual harassment
- Causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent
- Upskirting, which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without their permission, to obtain sexual gratification or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm
- Consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi-nude images and/or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery)
- Initiation/hazing type violence and rituals, which could include activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group, and may also include an online element
Online Safety
Our pupils are increasingly using Information Communication Technology (ICT) in schools and in the home. Online-safety (previously e-safety) is concerned with supporting our children and young people to develop safe on-line behaviours both in and out of school. We need to educate our whole school community about the risks and benefits of new technologies so that we are confident and responsible users.
- We would encourage children to use SafeSearch whilst using the internet.
- Use the links below to help you and your family with all matters of online safety, such as:
- Support for parents
- How to restrict settings on iPads and other devices
- Dealing with cyber-bullying
- Checking if games and apps are age-appropriate
- How to report issues
Useful Links for Promoting Online Safety
| Safer Internet | A website providing support and services to children and young people, adults facing online harms, and professionals working with children. |
| ThinkUknow | Information and advice for parents to help keep their children safe on the internet. |
| Childnet | Parents and Carers Toolkit – Three resources that offer practical tips and advice on different aspects of keeping your child safe online. |
| NSPCC | Keeping Children Safe Online – advice to help you learn about staying safe online as a family. |
Somerset Direct
If you are worried about a child or young person who could be in danger please contact
- Children’s Social Care on 0300 123 2224
- by email at childrens@somerset.gov.uk
- or the police 101 or in an emergency 999
More information about reporting a child at risk to the local authority can be found on the Somerset County Council website.
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Useful Links
| The Space | A local charity that supports young people aged 4-18 living with low mental health and emotional resilience and often in crisis. For more information and support visit the website or call 07940 177 399 |
| NSPCC | NSPCC is a leading charity that works to prevent child abuse and help children who have experienced it. You can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000 (available 10am–8pm Monday to Friday) or emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk |
| ACE education | ACE education runs a limited advice line service on 0300 0115 142 on Monday to Wednesday from 10am to 1pm during term time. Information can be found on the website. |
| Somerset SENDIAS | Somerset SENDIAS (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Information Advice & Support Service) provides support and information to parents and carers of children with SEN (special educational needs), this may include children with behaviour difficulties as well as those who are at risk of, or who have been excluded from school. They can be contacted on 01823 355578 |
| Samaritans | Samaritans – How can I support someone who has self harmed |
| Battle-scars | Battle-scars – support for anybody affected by self-harm |
Click on the link http://sscb.safeguardingsomerset.org.uk/