Safeguarding Children is Everybody's Responsibility

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as: protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from deliberate harm.  It relates to aspects of school life including:

• pupils’ health and safety
• the use of reasonable force
• meeting the needs of pupils with medical conditions
• providing first aid
• educational visits
• intimate care
• internet or e-safety
• appropriate arrangements to ensure school security, taking into account the local contex

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 consider making a safeguarding child referral.

Contact Blackburn with Darwen Children's Advice & 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 our Emergency Duty Team on 01254 587547.

You can contact the Blackburn with Darwen Local Safeguarding Children Board by following this link:

www.safeguardingpartnership.org.uk

You can also report your concerns online:

NSPCC Website: www.nspcc.org.uk

Or you can also speak to:

NSPCC 0800 800 5000

Childline 0800 1111

Report Abuse in Education

The Department for Education has commissioned the NSPCC to establish a dedicated independent helpline for people who have experienced abuse in education. The Report Abuse in Education helpline comes after a high number of anonymous testimonials were submitted to the Everyone’s Invited website, documenting abuse in all types of schools, colleges, and universities.

The helpline went live on 1 April, and will provide both children and adults who have experienced sexual abuse in schools with support and advice, including onward action such as contacting the police if they wish to. The helpline will also provide support to parents and professionals. Anyone who gets in touch through this dedicated helpline will also be signposted to other relevant support services available, including Childline, which provides ongoing support and counselling to children and young people.

The dedicated and confidential NSPCC helpline – Report Abuse in Education can be reached on 0800 136 663 or by email at help@nspcc.org.uk. 

PREVENT Strategy

As part of St Barnabas and St Paul's commitment to safeguarding and child protection we fully support the government's Prevent Strategy, and take guidance from Teaching Approaches to help build resilience to extremism.

What is the PREVENT Strategy?

The Prevent strategy is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists, supporting terrorism, fundamentalism or extremist behaviours.

It:-

• responds to the ideological challenge we face from terrorism and aspects of extremism, and the threat we face from those who promote these views
• provides practical help to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure they are given appropriate advice and support
• works with a wide range of sectors (including education, criminal justice, faith, charities, online and health).

Please see our separate section at the top of this page for further information.

Internet and E-Safety

E-Safety is an important part of keeping children safe at St Barnabas and St Paul's Primary School . We have extensive security measures in place in school to help safeguard pupils from potential dangers or unsuitable material. Internet and E-Safety is taught to all pupils explaining and demonstrating how to stay safe and behave appropriately online.

We can only be successful in keeping children safe online if we work with parents to ensure the E-Safety message is consistent. It is important that parents speak to their children about how they can keep safe and behave appropriately online.

It’s essential to be realistic - banning the internet or technology will not work and it often makes a child less likely to report a problem. Education around safe use is essential.

See the Online Safety section for further information and advice.

Useful Links for Parents