Safeguarding
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Lakin
Deputy Safeguarding Leaders: Mrs Cooke and Mrs Wiltshire
Safeguarding Culture
At Balby Central safeguarding is a living culture for all professionals working within the school environment. It is an expectation that safeguarding is given high priority and this is reflected in the understanding, practice, and pedagogy of the school. Our culture of safeguarding is embedded in consistency to ensure that approaches represent a living culture that all staff trust, are made aware of, and use routinely on a day-to-day basis. Any adult in the school is confident to apply the embedded strategies of the living culture.
Our purpose and priorities are to ensure that children always feel safe and that the welfare of the child is paramount. Within the school building, the environment has safeguarding at the forefront with clear security systems.
The school seeks to ensure that children have the opportunity to work with professionals on different levels through the investment of an inclusion hub made up of differing roles. Training is given high regard to ensure that professionals have layers of expertise. Staff are confident that leaders will know when to act and how to act on their concerns about children’s welfare. Children trust adults and adults trust leaders in our school; with strong trust in staff judgements and knowledge of their children. The attitudes and values of staff ensure that children are always listened to so they can respond appropriately to what children say.
There is a clear understanding of the difference between not having secrets and having confidentiality and the difference between information sharing and gossip. Openness is key, and staff understand that mistakes can be made, there is a mutual trust between leaders and staff and an avoidance of blame culture. Staff and leaders have the confidence and knowledge to challenge each other’s actions to ensure the welfare of children is at the forefront of thinking and actions.
Safeguarding training is regular and of high quality. The culture of training all staff through induction, with weekly updates for senior leaders and at professional development meetings is routine. Twice yearly training keeps the team updated with good practice, legislation, information and to learn from serious case reviews. Emphasis is given to professionals having sufficient time, funding, training, supervision, and support to fulfill their child welfare and safeguarding responsibilities effectively. A focus is given to current updates but also reminders about the basics and time to discuss, consider and think about how our school can maintain a safeguarding culture where good practice is embedded into the daily life of the school. We use Andrew Hall Safeguarding and any latest guidance from the Department for Education to inform our policies and procedures. Gooseberry Planet is also used to discuss specific areas appropriate to years groups and curriculum areas.
The challenge and understanding of growing up and living in a 21st Century world are always at the forefront of our thinking, actions, and well-being priorities. Our consistent approach within the culture of the school is to ensure that children can thrive, are safe, and that we can ‘shape lives, build futures and enable all children to be the best they can be'.
Safeguarding Statement
If concerns are raised about a child or children, it is our safeguarding duty to refer to Early Help for advice and with Children’s Services in line with Government and Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Policy, working with external agencies where required to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. We have a duty of care to report any obvious or suspected case of child abuse which includes non-accidental injury, severe physical neglect, emotional abuse, and/or sexual abuse. This procedure is intended to protect children at risk and schools are encouraged to refer for advice where there are grounds for suspicion. This does mean that there is a risk of upsetting some parents by reporting a case, which on investigation proves unfounded. In such circumstances, it is hoped that parents, appreciating how difficult it is to carry out this delicate responsibility, would accept that the school was acting in what they believed to be the best interests of the child. We all have a statutory duty to “safeguard and promote the welfare of children” If you have any concerns about the health and safety of a child in this educational setting or feel that something may be troubling them, you should share this information with an appropriate member of staff straight away.
Safeguarding Leaders
Gemma Lakin Designated Safeguarding Lead and Assistant Headteacher
Emma Cooke Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Headteacher
Helen Wiltshire Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Headteacher
For any safeguarding concerns please email safeguarding@balbycentralprimary.co.uk
Safety Squad
A team of children in Year 5 and 6 make up the school Safety Squad, leading assemblies, on the playground helping others and working with the safeguarding team to teach others about elements of safety and safeguarding. The squad work on current themes, raise awareness how to keep safe in the wider community and discuss key priorities with the safeguarding team. Questions are used to challenge thinking and to consider how our actions impact on ourselves and others around us.
Doncaster Children's Services Partnership
For urgent out of school hours concerns please phone 01302 737777
Operation Encompass
We are committed to working with South Yorkshire Police and Operation Encompass; a project introduced to support children where there has been reports of domestic abuse incidents in the home.
Operation Encompass has been designed to provide early reporting on any domestic abuse incidents, where the police have attended and that might have an impact on a child in school.
A safeguarding designated lead will be informed when a domestic abuse incident has been recorded within the previous 24 hours or over the weekend. This will enable schools to monitor children possibly affected and, where required, support if necessary.
Support from South Yorkshire Police
South Yorkshire Police provide guidance and support for victims of Domestic Abuse.
Support for victims of Domestic Abuse with additional information about agencies that can help. Doncaster Domestic Abuse Helpline 01302 737080
Working with Doncaster’s Alcohol Alliance the website’s aim is to help people make better informed choices around alcohol and inform our local population about what support is available FREE across the NHS, council and the voluntary services and how to access them. Please click on the link to access the information Rethink your drink
E-Safety
Top Tips for E Safety (Primary Age Children)
- Talk to your child about what they’re up to online. Be a part of their online life; involve the whole family and show an interest. Find out what sites they visit and what they love about them, if they know you understand they are more likely to come to you if they have any problems.
- Watch Thinkuknow films and cartoons with your child. The Thinkuknow site has films, games, and advice for children from five all the way to 16.
- Encourage your child to go online and explore! There is a wealth of age-appropriate sites online for your children. Encourage them to use sites that are fun, educational and that will help them to develop online skills.
- Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online. Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills daily. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.
- Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to, and how long they spend online. It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.
- Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space. For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across something they don’t want to see.
- Know what connects to the internet and how. Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Make sure you’re aware of which devices that your child uses connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection, or a neighbour’s wifi? This will affect whether the safety setting you set is being applied.
- Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles, and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and they are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective, and user-friendly. Find your service provider and learn how to set your controls
Age Restrictions for Social Media Platforms
Gooseberry Planet
Gooseberry Planet is an award-winning educational software platform designed to educate children, teachers, and parents about online safety. It comprises four products: Gooseberry Play, Gooseberry Guru, and two e-learning CPD courses on Safeguarding and Prevent Duty which is used for training