SAFEGUARDING TEAM

Headteacher: Mrs K Farmer

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mr S McKelvie

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs L Foster

Safeguarding and LAC Officer: Miss M Dolan

PURPOSE

The academy recognises that protecting and safeguarding children and young people is a shared responsibility and depends upon effective joint working between agencies and professionals that have different roles and expertise. Individual children and young people, especially some of the most vulnerable children and those at greatest risk of social exclusion, will need coordinated help from health, education and children’s social care services. The voluntary sector and other agencies also have an important role in protecting and safeguarding children.

Winifred Holtby Academy has a responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of children and young people they come into contact with. The need for guidelines and procedures is important to ensure that this is done with understanding and clarity. The academy follows the guidelines provided by The Hull Safeguarding Children Board.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

Children’s Act 1989, section 17 and 47, and the Children’s Act 2004 both state that it is the duty of schools to act “to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are in need".

• Protecting children from maltreatment.

• Preventing impairment of children’s health or development.

• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.

• Undertaking that role, so as to enable those children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.

Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. 

This refers to the activity which is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or are at risk of suffering significant harm. Areas of harm are defined under the following headings:

• Physical abuse

• Emotional abuse

• Sexual abuse and Neglect

Effective child protection is essential to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All agencies should aim to proactively safeguard and promote the welfare of children, so that the need for action to protect from harm is reduced.

Where there are concerns about the welfare of any child or young person, all staff/volunteers have a duty to share those concerns with the designated child protection co-ordinator. As a parent or visitor to the academy, any concerns you have should be communicated either directly to the child protection co-ordinator. Further information about safeguarding can be found in our policies section.

Please click here to read Keeping Children Safe in Education.