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Safeguarding

The Designated Safeguarding Leads at John Clare Primary School are Sarah Nicolson and Caroline Johnson.

Under the Education Act 2002 (section 175/157), we are required to have arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.  We are committed to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued.

Our school is therefore alert to signs of abuse and neglect and follows the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures to ensure that children receive appropriate and effective support and protection.

Please be aware that the law requires all school staff to pass on information which gives rise to a concern about a child’s welfare, including risk from neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Where concerns are raised, we will keep records of these. Should concerns arise, we will seek, in general, to discuss concerns with parents/carers, including referrals to other agencies.

Local procedures state that “Consent should always be sought from an adult with parental responsibility for the child/young person before passing information about them to Children’s Social Care, unless seeking consent would place the child at risk of significant harm or may lead to the loss of evidence for example destroying evidence of a crime or influencing a child about a disclosure made.” This includes allowing them to share information without consent, if it is not possible to gain consent, if it cannot be reasonably expected that a professional gains consent, or if to gain consent would place a child at risk.

Where there is a need to share special category personal data, the Data Protection Act 2018 contains ‘safeguarding of children and individuals at risk’ as a processing condition that allows professionals to share information.

In accordance with local Information Sharing Protocols, we will ensure that information is shared securely and sensitively. Information will only be shared with other services where it is deemed necessary and proportionate to ensure that children and young people are safe and receive the right service. In all circumstances, the safety of the child will be the paramount concern.

We will seek advice from Children’s Social Care where we have reasonable cause to suspect a child may be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Occasionally, concerns are passed on which are later shown to be unfounded. Parents/carers will appreciate that the members of staff in school with responsibility for children protection (known as the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Safeguarding Lead) was carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law and acting in the best interests of all children.

Under Section 3 (5) of the Children Act 1989, schools or any person who has care of a child “may …do what is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the child’s welfare”. This means that on rare occasions, a school may need to “hold” a child in school whilst Social Care and the police investigate any concerns further.

All of our staff and governors are aware of the content of the most recent Keeping Children Safe in Education document and share a commitment to reporting and acting upon safeguarding concerns promptly and effectively. At all times, we act in the best interests of the children.

 

Key Information to Remember: 

Any person who does not feel confident to raise their concerns with the Headteacher, a member of the the Senior Leadership Team or Chair of Governors, or does not feel that their concerns about a situation or about an adult in school has been taken seriously, they can contact the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer-Peterborough) directly on 01733 864030/01733 864790.

Should you need advice and/or support regarding safeguarding during weekend or school holidays please use this link to access further information.

The telephone number for Peterborough Children’s service 01733 864180 (office hours) out of hours 01733 234724.

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