Our Commitment to Safeguarding

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is a term which is broader than ‘child protection’ and relates to the action taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. It includes action against bullying, including cyberbullying and online safety, treating all children equally regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or beliefs, preventing impairment of health and development, ensuring that all children are effectively cared for, and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Child protection relates to system-wide procedures for keeping children safe. This includes staff training and awareness, liaison with other agencies (e.g. Multi-Agency Team, Social Care, the police), safer recruitment (including rigorous vetting and background checks on appointed staff), and protecting children from issues such as domestic violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, children missing from education, child sexual exploitation, racism, extremism etc

Safeguarding at Arboretum

The Staff and Governors at Arboretum Primary School recognise that they have a duty to ensure arrangements are in place for Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All members of the school community (including volunteers and governors) will at all times establish and maintain a safe and stimulating environment; an environment where children feel secure, where children are encouraged to talk to adults they can trust and where children are listened to.

Keeping children safe and protecting them from harm is the most important thing we do as a school. If children are not safe, they cannot flourish, form effective relationships with adults or their peers, or achieve their full potential in life. We therefore take our responsibilities in this area with the utmost seriousness.

Parents should be aware that the school is required to take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of its pupils. In cases where the school has reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse, the Headteacher and DSL are obliged to follow the Child Protection Procedures established by the Derby & Derbyshire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership and inform Children’s Social Care of the concern.

All staff and governors are trained in Child Protection and Safeguarding, and this is updated annually. Some senior staff are trained to a higher level; the key roles in the school are:

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Helen Phillips (Headteacher)

Deputy DSL: Amanda Carvell (Pastoral Manager)

Deputy DSL: Lisa Kay (Deputy Head)

Deputy DSL: Helen Cavanagh (Assistant Head & SENDCO)

Deputy DSL: Sarah Ferguson (Assistant Head)

In their absence, the following staff are also trained to this level:

Roxy Darling (KS1 Phase Lead)

The Lead Governor for Safeguarding is Suzanne Forster

The Chair of Governors is Suzanne Forster

If there are any safeguarding concerns, Mrs Phillips can be contacted during and outside school hours on safeguarding@arboretum.derby.sch.uk

 

The Safeguarding Team