Child Protection: Safeguarding children – Information for Parents
Our school feels it is of the utmost importance to have good systems for protecting children and safeguarding their welfare, throughout all the activities which the school undertakes. This means that staff and volunteers must be alert to possible concerns about every student, and to report these in a proper fashion. The school has a safeguarding and child protection policy: parents may request a copy of this.
It is important for parents to be aware that:
Staff and volunteers in the school have a duty to report concerns about a child, whether this means the child may be in need of additional support or help of some kind or whether it is thought that a child may have been abused or be at risk of abuse.
There are four categories of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional, neglect.
In some cases the school is obliged to refer children to children’s social care staff, for children to be assessed for their needs or if an investigation into possible child abuse is required. In many cases there will already have been discussions between school staff and the parents of the child, and the situation and concerns will not be a surprise to the parents. However, parents may not be told that the school has referred their child to children’s social care if it is thought that this might put the child at risk.
Children’s social care tries to carry out its enquiries in a sensitive fashion. It has to gather information and generally it can be open with parents about the steps being taken.
If you think your child may have been abused you should contact the children’s social care office. If you think the abuse may have happened in school, contact the Designated Senior Lead for Child Protection, Nicola Morland (contact details are below). If you think your child has been hurt, arrange to visit your doctor. Comfort and reassure your child.
If school staff need to express concerns about a child or refer a child to children’s social care, it is understood that this can cause distress or anger for the child’s parents.
For parents’ enquiries please contact:
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Sonia Pope 0116 264 1080
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Jane Middleton 0116 264 1080
If you have an immediate concern for the safety of a young person outside of school hours please contact:
- Leicestershire First Response: 0116 305 0005 (24 hour phone line) / https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/community-safety/report-abuse-or-neglect-of-a-child
- Leicester First Response: 0116 454 1004 (open 24/7). / https://www.leicester.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/support-for-children-and-young-people/children-s-social-care/
- Police 101
The following link gives you information on how you can help if you are concerned about a child – Keeping Children Safe Is Everybody’s Business
Other useful links:
Safeguarding & child protection policy
Parent Info
Operation encompass
nspcc
thinkyouknow
