Safeguarding
Safeguarding - Overview
Happy and safe children learn effectively and develop well! Firstly, we have robust policies and procedures, including a staff code of conduct, to ensure all children are safe at St. Francis.
All staff receive annual training related to safeguarding and then within weekly staff meetings, we discuss various different aspects of safegaurding and child protection to ensure excellent staff awareness, understanding and knowledge, and most importantly, that staff know what to do when they are worried about a child.
Safeguarding is our duty of care and is set out in law in terms of what we are required to do. We take safeguarding very seriously. We recognise that families want to do their best for their child. We recognise that parenting is one of the hardest jobs, if not the hardest. We recognise that all families will need support at times.
We encourage families to contact school and speak with one of the safeguarding leads if they are struggling or simply in need of support. Mrs Foster and Mrs Forrest are our safeguarding leads.
All staff communicate with our safeguarding leads if they are worried about a child. A safeguarding lead (called a DSL) may telephone you to have a chat about the concerns and the impacts they believe they are seeing and support may be offered with referrals to Early Help services if these are thought to be appropriate.
At times we will offer and open a 'Family Plan' meeting. This starts by identifying the strengths and areas for development. Early Help services are identified to help with the identified areas for development and then 6 weekly meetings take place. The 'Family Plan' meeting will close when all areas for development have been met.
Our DSLs have been trained to use the NSPCC's Graded Care Profile. This may well be offered to you. This is a tool to identify strengths and areas for development.
If we believe a child to be at risk of serious hard or believe they have suffered serious harm, then we will contact Children's Social Care to seek advice. We would tell you we were going to do this first.
Safeguarding, including online safety, is a strong focus within our curriculum, particularly PSHE.
Are you concerned that a child is being abused or neglected?
If you are concerned about a child and you feel they are being abused, neglected or at risk of abuse/neglect, then you should contact one of the DSLs in school and/or make a safeguarding referral.
Contact Blackburn with Darwen Children's Advice and Duty Service (CADS) for confidential advice and consultation. Monday to Friday 08.45-17.00 please call: 01254 666400
If you are calling outside these hours please contact the Emergency Duty Team on 01254 587547.
