Safeguarding

Designated Safeguarding Team

Our designated safeguarding lead is Mrs K Davies (deputy headteacher) and our deputy designated safeguarding lead is Mrs C Bertoni (family support). Additionally, our governor with responsibility for safeguarding is Mr M Lappin.

Safeguarding at Middlewich Primary School

Safeguarding in schools is a fundamental aspect of creating a safe and secure environment for students. It encompasses the measures put in place to protect children from harm, abuse or neglect, and involves identifying and addressing potential risks to their wellbeing. The core goal of safeguarding is to foster an environment where individuals feel safe, respected and supported.

Achieving effective safeguarding requires a collective effort from the entire community, including parents, teachers, social workers, healthcare professionals and law enforcement. By collaborating, we can identify and address safeguarding concerns promptly and effectively, ensuring that everyone in our community is protected from harm.

At Middlewich Primary School, we are dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. To support our safeguarding efforts, we have implemented a variety of policies and procedures, including our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. This policy can be accessed under the “About us” tab on our website and clicking “Policies”.

When concerns about a child’s welfare arise, we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies. We will always strive to discuss our concerns with parents or carers first, unless we believe that doing so would not be in the best interest of the children’s welfare.

Safeguarding Children - Information for Parents and Carers

At Middlewich Primary School, we believe it is of the utmost importance to have robust systems in place for protecting children and safeguarding their welfare throughout all school activities. Our pupils have the right to be safe, respected and treated with dignity. We work effectively with outside agencies to ensure this is always the case.

As part of our safeguarding role, we educate children on how to keep themselves and others safe in an age-appropriate manner. Our RHE curriculum covers topics including personal safety, inappropriate touching, secrets, relationships, bullying, cyber bullying, internet security and drug and alcohol abuse. Children are provided with clear guidance on how to report any concerns or anything they feel uncomfortable about.

We are committed to monitoring and listening to all children to identify potential problems. When there are serious concerns about a child’s safety, we share these concerns with the relevant authorities. We collaborate closely with other agencies such as the police, social care and health services to ensure children in danger are identified and kept safe.

Families sometimes encounter difficulties that could affect their children. We work closely with these families, offering support to ensure their children’s safety and wellbeing, and signposting them to other agencies that can provide additional help and support.

It is important for parents/carers to be aware of the following:

·Duty to Report:Staff and volunteers in the school have a duty to report concerns about a child, whether it involves the need for additional support or help, or if there is a suspicion that a child has been abused or there is at risk of abuse.

·Categories of Abuse: There are four categories of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional and neglect.

·Referral to Social Care:In some cases, the school is required to refer children to children’s social care for assessment or investigation. Often, there will have been prior discussion between school staff and parents, so the situation should not come as a surprise. However, if it is believed that informing parents may put the child at risk, they may not be informed about the referral.

We understand that concerns about a child’s welfare and referrals to social care can cause distress or anger for parents/carers. It is crucial for all parties – parents and school staff – to discuss these matters as reasonably and constructively as possible to ensure the best interests of the child are met. Children’s social care also endeavoes to conduct inquiries sensitively and engage with parents/carers constructively.

Online Safety

Ensuring Safe Online Interactions

Please be vigilant about the websites and apps your children use, and regularly check their settings to ensure they are not at risk of interacting with inappropriate adults or peers. If you encounter a situation that seems inappropriate, take the following steps immediately:

1.Call the Police: Report the situation to law enforcement without delay.

2.Document Evidence:Take photographs or screenshots of any evidence of inappropriate behaviour.

Reporting Extremism and Terrorism

If you identify any websites or individuals on social media promoting terrorism or extremism, please take the following actions:

1.Log the Information with the Police: Report the details to your local police.

2.Use the Government Portal: Report the information through the government portal at https://www.gov.uk/report-terrorism.

Photographs and Videos

While many parents and carers enjoy seeing photographs and videos of their children’s school life, we must balance this with our duty of care towards all our pupils. Safeguarding is a top priority, and this extends to the use of photographic and video images.

Photographs and videos taken by parents, carers and families at school productions, sports days or other events are for personal enjoyment only. To ensure the safety and privacy of all children, these images must not be used in any way that could potentially place a child or family at risk. This includes:

·Publishing Images in Print:Avoid sharing images in any form of print. 

·Internet and Social Media: Refrain from positing images on the internet or any social media platforms.

Occasionally, we invite the local press to take photographs of school events. We like to use photographs of our children on our school website or in school documents such as newsletters or on school displays around school. Your preferences regarding the use of your child’s images are kept on file and can be updated at any time by providing a written request to the school office.

Helpful Links

• Cheshire East Safeguarding Practice information

• Cheshire East Domestic Violence information

• Pants are Private Guidance for parents regarding keeping children safe from sexual abuse.