The document ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (2023) defines Safeguarding as:
- providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
- protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
- preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
- ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- promoting the upbringing of children with their birth parents, or otherwise their family network through a kinship care arrangement, whenever possible and where this is in the best interests of the children
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in line with the outcomes set out in the Children’s Social Care National Framework.
In schools this refers to areas including:
- Child protection procedures
- Recruitment of staff and volunteers
- Safety
- Health and safety
- Anti-bullying
At Highburton C.E First Academy, we pride ourselves on working closely with parents and carers for the benefit of our pupils and to keep them safe. If you have any concerns about the safety or well-being of a child please contact one of our Designated Safeguarding Leads.
Designated Safeguarding Leads in School are:
Mr G Booth
Miss G Lane
Mrs J Illingworth
Mrs J Glossop
If you wish to contact them, please contact the office direct – office@highburton.enhanceacad.org.uk
All staff, including temporary staff and volunteers in school are subject to stringent background checks including clearance with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure their suitability for working with children. We maintain a Single Central Register containing details of all adults in regulated activity. This is audited regularly.
The named Governor for Safeguarding is Mrs L Brown.
We review our policies and procedures regularly and value the contribution that pupils make to this through sharing their ideas in groups such as School Council, Befrienders and Pyramid Schools.
We encourage children to share any worries and concerns at home or with the range of adults in school.
We follow the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board procedures. Please see the links below:
http://www.kirkleessafeguardingchildren.co.uk/
Safeguarding Policy
We work with West Yorkshire Police as part of Operation Encompass. This project supports children and families by reporting to schools, prior to the start of the school day, if a child has experienced any domestic abuse. This allows us to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children or their families.