Safeguarding

At Seaham Trinity Primary School keeping children safe is our main priority. Safeguarding is about keeping children safe by protecting them from harm, supporting their development and making sure they grow up in a safe environment. If you are concerned that a child may be suffering harm or neglect, ask to speak to our designated members of staff as a matter of urgency.

Meet Our Safeguarding Team

At Seaham Trinity Primary School

“THE WELFARE OF OUR CHILDREN IS PARAMOUNT.”

We are fully committed to safeguarding our pupils and staff. We take notice of and adhere to all national and local policies and guidance in relation to Safeguarding Children and Young People.

Safeguarding is summarised as:

• protecting children from harm
• preventing harm to children’s health, wellbeing or development
• making sure that children grow up safely, and
• taking action to make sure all children have the best start in life.

We will ensure that:

• the welfare of each child is at the core of everything that we do;
• all children whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/ or sexual identity have the right to be protected from harm;
• all suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately;
• all staff and volunteers working at our school know that they have a responsibility to report concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Leads: Mrs Lee and Miss Clayton or the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Cowgill.

At Seaham Trinity Primary School we believe that our safeguarding systems and processes are efficient in acting responsively to any issues that may arise and take a proactive approach to avoid others arising.  The Safeguarding Team works closely with external safeguarding agencies and we reflect on our own practices constantly and rigorously as well as seeking guidance and feedback from all stakeholders.  We ensure best practice by working alongside other professionals at network meetings for Designated Safeguarding Leads.

 Safeguarding Policy including Child Protection 

All staff have an up-to-date understanding of the issues relating to safeguarding children and are able to implement our safeguarding children policy and procedures appropriately. Policies are in line with current guidance and procedures. Staff are able to respond appropriately to disclosures by children or adults and know the signs to be aware of such as:

• significant changes in children’s behaviour;
• deterioration in their general well-being;
• unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse;
• signs of neglect;
• comments children make which give cause for concern.

Staff understand that the safeguarding of children is everyone’s responsibility.  All staff are aware of the need to maintain privacy and confidentiality when dealing with sensitive issues. Our Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy can be found on our  policies page along with other relevant policies such as our: Behaviour Policy, Anti Bullying Policy, Inclusion Policy and other relevant documents.

Our safeguarding policies cover all areas of school life and include:

• staff & visitors- ensuring they are vetted, informed & trained;
• children’s behaviour- promoting safer and happier behaviours & lifestyles;
• parents & carer’s- promoting links and supporting families;
• premises -keeping them safe, clean and  fit for purpose;
• curriculum -providing positive, life affirming learning experiences;
• outside school- ensuring safer activities and environments outside school.
• technology-ensuring children know how to stay safe  when using social media and the internet

We follow strict procedures to ensure that everyone who works with our children is vetted, keeping our children as safe as possible. Ongoing checks and ‘whistle-blowing’ are in line with current policy.

Staff Training

All staff are:

• trained in child protection issues and they are aware of the procedures to follow;
• encouraged to be vigilant in order to maintain the safety of our children;
• given a copy of the ‘Staff code of Conduct’ and are directed to the most undated version of ‘KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE IN EDUCATION’. This also applies to volunteers, students and any other visitors on site.

Information Sharing

We have an obligation to obtain necessary information from parents in advance of a child being admitted to school, including:

• emergency contact numbers;
• the child’s special dietary requirements, preferences or food allergies the child may have;
• the child’s special health requirements;
• information about who has legal contact with the child; and who has parental responsibility for the child.

Written parental permission, and parental agreements are requested at the time of the child’s admission to the provision, to enable us to carry out relevant checks and to make parents aware of any rules in school such as the use of Class Dojo.

PARENTS & CARERS MUST TELL US OF ANY CHANGES TO THESE DETAILS.

We take confidentiality very seriously. Any information which we hold is treated as confidential and shared on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.

Links with External Agencies

Because our first concern must be the well-being of your child, there may be occasions when we have to consult other agencies before we contact you. The procedures we have to follow have been laid down in accordance with the local authority child protection procedures at Durham Safeguarding Children Partnership, DSCP.

We are fortunate to be supported by a range of external agencies which can be called upon to support the work we do in school. These include School Nurse, Health Practitioners, Educational Psychology, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, Behaviour Support, Social Services and Specialists in supporting Special Educational Needs.

Reporting Concerns or Complaints

Further to the above procedures, we have in place a Complaints Policy. This enables children, staff, parents and carer’s to report anything they feel is of concern.

Concerns should be raised in the following order.

To the Class Teacher. Then, if there is no resolution.
To the Head Teacher. Then, if there is no resolution.
To the Chair of Governors. Then, if there is no resolution.
To the Local Authority.
Contact details are available from the school office.

Review of Policy and Practice

In order to ensure that best practice is maintained, our policies are reviewed regularly to incorporate the latest statutory guidance.

Please use the navigation bar to the right to read more about safeguarding and also find advice for parents and other stakeholders on how to safeguard children.

If you would like more information on safeguarding, please contact the school office on 019 581 3047 and ask for Miss Clayton.

Meet Our Pastoral Team

In addition, as part of our safeguarding procedures, we have members of staff who work with children and parents.  As a parent/carer, you may occasionally experience challenges when you feel like you would benefit from help for yourself, or for your child or family. School can support you with this by making a referral to the Early Help service or sign post you to other professionals and agencies.

If you would like advice on any difficulties that you or your child may be facing, or you feel like you are struggling to cope, please speak to the designated teachers or class teacher. Getting early advice and support really can help and usually resolves issues quickly.  If you have any problems or worries you can speak to any of these staff members; or your class teachers.