St. Helen's Safeguarding Statement

St. Helen’s CoE School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We recognise that all adults including temporary staff, volunteers, parents and Local School Committee members have a full and active part to play in the protection of our pupils.

We believe that St. Helen’s CoE School should provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating learning environment that promotes the fair and just principles of British values to support the social, emotional, physical and moral development of each child.

People to contact at St. Helen's regarding Child Protection and Safeguarding:

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Mrs Rebecca Northcott Headteacher
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) Mr Ben Kent Class 3 Teacher
Safeguarding Team Member Mrs Caren Dickinson SENDco
Local Schools Committee Safeguarding Lead Mrs Sally Akam LSC member

 

If you have any safeguarding concerns please let us know on 01237 475276  or ring MASH on 0345 155 1071

If you are concerned about a child or young person in Devon and want to speak to someone contact our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 155 1071 or email mashsecure@devon.gov.uk and give as much information as you can

 

We follow the Local Authority’s Safer Recruitment protocols and the Department for Education Guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, ‘What to do if you are worried that a child is being abused’, ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’

We actively support the Government’s 'Prevent’ agenda to counter radicalisation and extremism.

The School Nurse (SN) Service is working in partnership with Alumnis Trust to strengthen communication and support. As part of this exciting project members of the SN team have joined the Alumnis Social Inclusion Team, forming a multi-agency approach that is integrated within the school community while remaining employed by Devon County Council within the wider School Nursing Service. Plymouth Marjon’s University are conducting an impact evaluation study on this pioneering approach.

All adults working in school have enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance together with safeguarding checks in accordance with policy. All staff have regular safeguarding training.

 

If you are concerned about a child’s welfare please record your concern and any observations or conversations heard and report to Mrs Rebecca Northcott (Designated Safeguarding Lead) or Mr Ben Kent (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead) as soon as possible. If you do find yourself needing to report a concern, we stress the need for absolute confidentiality to be observed and maintained at all times.

 

We have an Online Safety Committee who meet regularly to monitor and review the school’s strategy and protocols regarding online safety.

The Computing and Online Safety Lead is Mr Ben Kent (Teacher).

Our commitment to online safety is demonstrated through the deployment of the ‘Report an Issue’ button on our school website. This links to the South West Grid for Learning’s ‘Whisper’ reporting system, and enables pupils, parents and members of the public to instantly report any online content giving cause for concern.

 

Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with their parents / carers first unless we have reason to believe that this would be contrary to the child’s welfare.

 

Further information on Safeguarding children in Devon

can be found on the Devon Safeguarding Children Boards website.

Useful Links

"SelfieCop is a useful tool that can help parents safeguard their children's online activities."
A.Jackson, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC, Ireland)

You can read more about SelfieCop and download it HERE

SPCC 'Underwear Guide' for Parents to talk with their children about

 

 

Safeguarding reminder for Devon

Child abuse. If you think it, report it.

We all have a responsibility to report any concerns of abuse or neglect and get help to vulnerable children and young people quickly.

Whether you’re the neighbour, the teacher or the concerned relative, everyone has a role to play in tackling child abuse and neglect. You don’t have to be absolutely certain either, information is usually gathered from many sources, and yours could be the missing piece needed, so it is very important.

The advice to anyone in Devon who may have suspicions of child abuse or neglect is to contact Devon’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 155 1071, or email mashsecure@devon.gov.uk and give as much information as you can