Safeguarding
“To care for children is to care for the future of humanity.”
Child Protection Statement of Commitment
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the purposes of this guidance as:
• Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
• preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Children includes everyone under the age of 18.
(DfE September 2024)
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our pupils. The Governing Body recognises this and their duty as set out in in Section 175 / 157 of the Education Act 2002 and as schools within our Catholic Archdiocese. We recognise that:
- the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take all children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse.
- some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues.
- working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
Our schools and staff form part of the wider safeguarding system for children. Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. As such, the Child Protection Policy applies to all within our school communities and all policies produced.
St Sebastian's Safeguarding Team
| Area of Responsibility | Staff Member |
|---|---|
| Headteacher | Mrs J McCormick |
| Chair of Governors | Mr P Moloney |
| Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) | Mrs J McCormick |
| Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) | Mrs J McCormick |
| Designated Teacher for Looked-After Children (LAC) | Mrs J McCormick |
| Senior Mental Health Lead | Mrs J McCormick |
| Designated Attendance Lead (DAL) | Mrs J McCormick |
| Attendance Officer | Ms C Williams |
| Link Safeguarding | Child Protection Governor | Mrs M D Hegarty |
| Link Governor for dealing with allegations against the Headteacher | Mr P Moloney |
Safeguarding - Statutory Policies
Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy
Our school ensures children learn in a safe, caring and enriching environment. Children are taught how to identify risky, unsafe or problematic situations, how and when to seek help, how to develop positive and healthy relationships and how to avoid situations where they might be at risk including by being exploited.
St Sebastian's Catholic Primary School & Nursery also has a statutory responsibility to share any concerns it might have about a child in need of protection with other agencies and in particular police, health and children’s services. Schools are not able to investigate child protection concerns but have a legal duty to refer them.
In most instances, the school will be able to inform the parents/carers of its need to make a referral. However, sometimes the school can in certain circumstances share information without the consent of the family and may be advised by children’s services or police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter or make enquires. We understand the anxiety parents/carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset. The school follows legislation that aims to act in the interests of the child.
Safer Recruitment Policy
Whistleblowing Policy & Procedure
Safeguarding - Statutory References
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE)
This guidance sets out the legal duties you must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 in schools and colleges.
It applies to all schools and colleges, and is for:
- headteachers, teachers and staff
- governing bodies, proprietors and management committees
All school and college staff should read part one of this guidance.
Working Together to Safeguard Children
This guidance is for:
- statutory safeguarding partners (health, local authorities, and police)
- directors of children’s services
- education and childcare settings
- social workers
- health professionals
- police (including British Transport Police)
- adult social care services
- housing and homelessness services
- Prison and Probation Services
- children’s homes
- secure establishments (secure training centres and young offender institutions)
- youth offending teams
- UK Visas and Immigration, Immigration Enforcement, and Border Force
- Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass)
- the armed services
- Channel panels
- voluntary, charity, social enterprise (VCSE) and faith-based organisations, and private sectors
- sports clubs and organisations
It applies to:
- all organisations and agencies that have functions relating to children
- all education providers and childcare settings
Statutory guidance is issued by law. You must follow it unless there’s a good reason not to.
The guidance was updated in 2023, with a focus on:
- strengthening multi-agency working across the whole system of help, support and protection for children and their families
- keeping a child-centred approach while bringing a whole-family focus
- embedding strong, effective and consistent multi-agency child protection practice
PREVENT Duty
The aim of Prevent is to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
The objectives of Prevent are to:
- tackle the ideological causes of terrorism
- intervene early to support people susceptible to radicalisation
- enable people who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate
This is statutory guidance for England and Wales, issued on 7 September 2023 under Section 29 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015. It came into force on 31 December 2023, replacing the 2015 guidance which came into force in July 2015.
This statutory guidance is intended for use by:
- senior leadership teams in any of the specified authorities listed in Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the CTSA 2015
- those with dedicated Prevent and/or safeguarding responsibilities
- people in specified authorities with responsibility for how resources and funding are used, and for external partnerships
- those in a frontline role and likely to engage with people who may be susceptible to radicalisation
This guidance may also inform best practice for other sectors that are not specified authorities but may wish to consider how to prevent the risk of people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
Liverpool Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP)
Safeguarding - Information for Visitors & Volunteers
All staff and visitors alike have a responsibility for safeguarding our pupils. To ensure this we ask the following:
- All visitors must sign in at Reception upon arrival.
- Visitors will be issued with a badge that must be worn and visible at all times.
- Visitors are asked to read the Safeguarding for Visitors information in full on arrival on their first visit .
- Visitors should remain in Reception until under the supervision of a designated member of staff
- Switch off you mobile phone/device and store it in your bag
- In the event you do need to use your mobile phone or camera enabled device, please use the designated room for mobile phones (PPA Room). Mobile phones should not be accessed in any other part of the building, including classrooms, corridors, staffroom, offices etc.
- Do not take pictures, videos or sound recordings of any pupils unless you are using school devices and have sought permission from the school.
- If you are working with a child, please ensure the class teacher is aware of this, where you are working and approximately how long for.
- If you are working with a child, please do so in a space that is open, or have an open door or visible by others through a window.
What to do if you have a concern about a child or adult?
- If you have a concern about a child, please pass this on to the child’s class teacher, who will then follow our safeguarding procedures. If they are not available, please speak with one of our Designated Safeguarding Officers – Mrs J McCormick (Headteacher | DSL) or Mrs L McCormick (Deputy DSL).
- If you have a concern about another adult in school, please ask to speak to a Designated Safeguarding Officer - – Mrs J McCormick (Headteacher | DSL) or Mrs L McCormick (Deputy DSL).
- Always share concerns with school staff, no matter how small they may appear and do not keep them to yourself.
- If a child says something to you that you think could be a safeguarding concern, act as above, and if possible write down what was said immediately. Listen to the child, do not question them or promise them that it will remain confidential between the two of you. If you feel that a child may be at risk of harm but are not sure, then inform one of the Safeguarding team immediately. They will offer advice and take appropriate action. Child abuse can happen to any child regardless of elements such as gender, culture, religion, social background ability or disability.
- A copy of the schools Safeguarding policy is located on the school's website and displayed on the safeguarding board near staffroom.
If a child discloses they might be subject to abuse:
- React calmly
- Listen carefully to the child, particularly what is said spontaneously.
- Do not promise confidentiality. Explain to the child that you must pass on the information if you are worried about their safety.
- Do not ask leading questions or make judgements. Clarify and check your concern if you feel that you are not sure, by using, for example, ”tell (T), explain (E), describe (D)” but as soon as you believe that there might be a genuine issue, ask no further questions. This would compromise further enquiries.
- Only trained investigators should question a child.
- Reassure the child that they are doing the right thing.
- Record carefully what the child says in their own words including how and when the account was given. This must then be dated and signed and immediately passed to one of the Safeguarding Team.
Types of harm
We all have a responsibility to keep children (under the age of 18) safe, both at home and in school. Harm is identified in four ways:
- Physical – when a child is deliberately hurt or injured.
- Sexual – when a child is influenced or forced to take part in a sexual activity. This can be a physical activity of no-physical, e.g. being made to look at an inappropriate image.
- Emotional – when a child is made to feel frightened, worthless or unloved. It can be by shouting, using threats or making fun of someone. It can also be when children see their parents, or visitors to the home, fighting or using violence.
- Neglect – when a child is not being taken care of by their parents/ guardians. It can be poor hygiene, poor diet, not keeping appointments for additional support, not coming to school are being left home alone. REMEMBER…if in doubt…ask Please do not leave our school with
Fire | Emergency Procedures
Any person discovering a fire must:
- Operate the nearest fire alarm. (The fire service will be called immediately)
On hearing the fire signal:
- When in class, the order to evacuate will be given by the teacher, who will indicate the route to be followed.
- When not in class, form a single file and move by the most direct route to the place of assembly. Fire marshals (within each key stage) for allocated areas will direct staff | pupils accordingly.
- At all times, act quietly and calmly.
- Do not stop to collect your personal belongings.
- Once within the assembly point, please make yourself known to the Senior Leadership Team and/or Office Fire Marshall who will be wearing yellow high visibility vests.
First Aid
If a child requires first aid assistance when in school, please contact one of the first aid team. Details are displayed within first aid areas (EYFS | KS1 | KS2)
If you are feeling unwell or require first aid, please speak with the nearest member of staff who will contact relevant first-aid trained staff.
Safeguarding - External Links & Support
CEOP
CEOP is a law enforcement agency and is here to help keep children and young people safe from sexual abuse and grooming online. CEOP help thousands of children and young people every year. CEOP are unable to respond to reports about bullying, fake accounts or account hacking.
CEOP are here to help and give you advice, and you can make a report directly if you are worried about online sexual abuse or something has happened online which has made you feel unsafe, scared or worried. This might be from someone you know in real life, or someone you have only ever met online.
If you make a report to CEOP about sexual abuse or grooming online it will be read by one of our Child Protection Advisors who will get in contact with you on the phone number or email address that you give to us to make sure that you are safe. They will also discuss with you what will happen next. Please try not to worry, you have done nothing wrong and we will do all we can to help you.
CEOP work together with lots of other professionals whose jobs are also to make sure you are safe, this includes other police agencies. If a crime has been committed we will work together and use our specialist skills to identify the person or people responsible and bring them into the criminal justice system.
CHILDLINE
Childline is here to help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through.
You can talk about anything. Whether it’s something big or small, our trained counsellors are here to support you.
Childline is free, confidential and available any time, day or night. You can talk to us:
- by calling 0800 1111
- by email
- through 1-2-1 counsellor chat
Whatever feels best for you.
Liverpool Archdiocese Safeguarding
www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/department/safeguarding
The Archdiocese of Liverpool Safeguarding Department is responsible for the implementation of national safeguarding policy and procedures within the archdiocese.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool Safeguarding Section works in close partnership with all statutory agencies to ensure that any allegations of abuse are promptly and properly investigated, so that victims and survivors are supported, and perpetrators are held to account.
For more information on safeguarding within the Catholic Church, and for all the policies and procedures that the Archdiocese of Liverpool follows, please visit the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency.
NSPCC
NSPCC is the UK's leading children’s charity which has been working to stop child abuse and neglect for over 140 years. NSPCC is the only UK children’s charity with statutory powers, which means they can take action to safeguard children at risk of abuse.
NSPCC provide services across England to help give children and young people the support they need to thrive.
They have service centres in London, the South West, South East, Central and North of England. NSPCC work with children, families and professionals. They also support parents and families in caring for their children and provide therapeutic assistance to help children move on from abuse.
NSPCC also provide help and support through the NSPCC helpline, Childline and work with schools.
UK Safer Internet Centre
The UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) is a leading global partnership helping to make the internet a great and safe place for everyone.
They provide support and services to children and young people, adults facing online harms, and professionals working with children.
A bridge between Government, industry, law enforcement and society, UKSIC are the engine of the online protection landscape in the UK, dealing with both prevention and response.
UKSIC are unique. Formed of three charities, Childnet, Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL, they work together to identify threats and harms online and then create and deliver critical advice, resources, education and interventions that help keep children and young people, and adults, safe. We share our best practices across the UK and globally.
We focus our work around four functions:
An awareness centre:
Where UKSIC provide advice and support to children and young people, parents and carers, schools, and the children’s workforce.
Three helplines:
Which provide support to professionals working with children and young people with online safety issues, and support to all adults facing issues with harmful content and non-consensual intimate imagery online.
A hotline:
Which provides an anonymous and safe place to report and remove online child sexual abuse images and videos wherever they are found in the world.
A voice to young people:
UKSIC operate a Youth Advisory Board, and we nurture youth participation, providing a focus on youth voice to give young people agency to make a difference in their school communities.
Policy Statement on External Links
St Sebastian’s Website includes links to related websites which are not maintained by the school. These links are provided so that users have additional relevant information which they may wish to explore.
St Sebastian’s is not responsible for the content of external websites. The inclusion of a link to a third party website, from the school’s website, should not be understood as an endorsement.