Safeguarding Policy

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Safeguarding at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Our Commitment to Keeping Children 

At St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the health, safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority. We are committed to providing a safe, caring and inclusive environment where all children feel valued, listened to and protected.

We recognise that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. All staff, governors, volunteers and visitors have an important role in promoting children's welfare and protecting them from harm.

Children are encouraged to speak openly with trusted adults if they have any worries or concerns, whether these relate to school, home, online activities or anything else affecting their wellbeing. We take all concerns seriously and act promptly to ensure children receive the support they need.

Designated Safeguarding Team

The school's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is:

Mrs Evans, Headteacher

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads:

Mr Hunt

Ms Young

Ms Cochrane

Safeguarding Governor:

Mrs Wood

If you have concerns about a child's safety or wellbeing, please contact the school office and ask to speak to a member of the safeguarding team.

Safeguarding Procedures

Our safeguarding arrangements are underpinned by current statutory guidance, including:

  • Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children

The school has robust procedures in place to identify concerns, support vulnerable children and work effectively with families and external agencies.

All safeguarding concerns are recorded and managed appropriately, with referrals made to Children's Social Care and other agencies where necessary.

Safer Recruitment

We are committed to ensuring that all adults working with children are suitable for their roles.

Our safer recruitment procedures include:

  • Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
  • Verification of identity and qualifications.
  • Employment history checks.
  • Scrutiny of references.
  • Appropriate safeguarding questions during interviews.
  • Safer Recruitment trained staff participating in recruitment processes.

A Single Central Record is maintained in accordance with statutory requirements.

Staff Training

All staff, governors and regular volunteers receive safeguarding and child protection training appropriate to their role.

This includes:

  • Safeguarding training during induction.
  • Regular safeguarding updates throughout the year.
  • Training on current safeguarding issues and statutory guidance.
  • Online safety awareness.
  • Procedures for reporting concerns.
  • Whistleblowing procedures.

Staff are expected to remain vigilant and report any concern regarding a child's welfare or the conduct of an adult working with children.

Operation Encompass

St Joseph's is an Operation Encompass school.

Operation Encompass is a partnership between schools, police and safeguarding agencies that supports children who may have experienced domestic abuse.

When police attend an incident involving domestic abuse and a child is affected, the school may receive information before the start of the next school day. This enables us to provide timely and appropriate support for the child while maintaining confidentiality.

Online Safety

Helping children stay safe online is an important part of our safeguarding responsibilities.

Through our curriculum, assemblies and wider pastoral support, children learn how to:

  • Stay safe online.
  • Use technology responsibly.
  • Recognise online risks.
  • Report concerns.
  • Protect personal information.
  • Respond appropriately to cyberbullying.
  • Understand the risks associated with social media, gaming, livestreaming and online communication.

Appropriate filtering and monitoring systems are in place to support safe internet use across the school.

Site Security and Visitors

The safety of our school site is taken seriously.

Measures include:

  • Secure access arrangements.
  • Visitor signing-in procedures.
  • Visitor identification badges/lanyards.
  • Staff supervision of visitors where appropriate.
  • Clear procedures for challenging unidentified individuals on site.

All visitors are expected to follow the school's safeguarding and site security procedures.

Attendance and Welfare

Regular school attendance is essential for children's safety, wellbeing and educational progress.

We work closely with families and external agencies where attendance, punctuality or welfare concerns arise. Our aim is always to support children and families to achieve positive outcomes.

Managing Allegations and Complaints

The school follows Durham Local Authority procedures for managing allegations against adults who work or volunteer with children.

Concerns relating to the conduct of a member of staff or volunteer are referred appropriately and may involve consultation with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

Parents wishing to raise concerns should contact the Headteacher. Concerns relating to the Headteacher should be directed to the Chair of Governors.

Curriculum and Safeguarding

Safeguarding is embedded throughout our curriculum.

Pupils are taught about:

  • Personal safety.
  • Healthy relationships.
  • Mental health and wellbeing.
  • Anti-bullying.
  • Online safety.
  • Physical health.
  • Respect and inclusion.
  • Seeking help when they need it.

Children are encouraged to become confident, resilient and responsible members of society who know how to keep themselves and others safe.

Equality, Inclusion and Wellbeing

We believe every child should feel safe, respected and valued.

We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and ensuring that all pupils, including those with additional needs or disabilities, can participate fully in school life and achieve their potential.

Whistleblowing

All staff have a professional responsibility to report concerns about unsafe practice, safeguarding failures or the conduct of colleagues.

The school promotes a culture of transparency and accountability, ensuring that concerns can be raised and addressed appropriately and without fear of reprisal.

Safeguarding Policies

Further information can be found in the following policies available on our website:

  • Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
  • Online Safety Policy
  • Behaviour Policy
  • Anti-Bullying Policy
  • Attendance Policy
  • Staff Code of Conduct
  • Whistleblowing Policy

If you have any safeguarding concerns about a child, please contact the school immediately. If you believe a child is at immediate risk of harm, contact the police on 999.