Meet our 'Safeguarding Team' for Child Protection. 

Our Child Protection Governor is Mr B.Winterburn

Grosvenor Park Primary School is committed to safeguarding children and promoting children’s welfare. We expect all staff, governors, volunteers and visitors to share this commitment and maintain a vigilant and safe environment. Everyone has a responsibility to act without delay to protect children by reporting anything that might suggest a child is being abused or neglected. It is our willingness to work in a safe manner and challenge inappropriate behaviour that underpins this commitment.

Through the day to day contact with children, staff in the school are well placed to observe outward signs of abuse, changes in behaviour or failure of a child to develop. Parents need to be aware that where it appears to a member of the school staff that a child may have been abused, the school is required to report its concerns to Children’s Social Care.

This is a legal duty placed on the school and one we take very seriously.

All visitors must wear a visitor’s badge provided by reception. Any adult without a badge will be accompanied to the school’s reception to confirm they have signed in.

If you have ANY concerns about a child’s welfare or well being or have a concern about the behaviour of any adult within the school towards a child:

• Discuss your concerns without delay with the Designated Safeguarding Lead or a member of the safeguarding team.
• Remember it is important to share your concerns even if you are unsure.
• Anyone can make a referral to Lancashire Children’s Social Care, tel: 0300 123 6720
• The Local Authority Designated Officer (L.A.D.O.) for Managing Allegations Against Staff can be contacted on 01772 536694. The school office can provide you with a copy of the school’s procedures for Managing Allegations Against Staff.

What to do if a child makes a disclosure to you:

• Avoid being shocked or embarrassed.
• Listen to the child without interrupting them.
• Do not promise to keep a secret.
• Do not ask the child any leading questions.
• Reassure them that ‘it is not their fault and they have done the right thing to tell you’.
• Immediately following the disclosure report your concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (see above) and write down what the child said using the child’s own words and phrases. Sign and date this document and hand it to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Consider how best to manage your own feelings
• Following reporting your concerns remember that the disclosure and the child’s identity should remain confidential

If you are working with children remember to: 

• be a positive role model to young people
• dress appropriately ensuring your clothing is not likely to be viewed as offensive or revealing
• treat all members of the school’s community with respect and tolerance
• work with children so that you are visible by a member of the school staff
• respect a child’s privacy and dignity
• always be able to justify any physical contact you have with a young person
• always report any situations that arise that you may feel may give rise to a complaint or misunderstanding in respect of your own actions.

Never: 

• Photograph a child without the school’s permission
• Never use your personal mobile phone in areas used by young people
• Ignore inappropriate behaviours  towards children either by other children or adults
• Share personal details with a child
• Meet or contact the child out of school including by text, email, Facebook or other social media or give a child a lift home
• Discuss the school, children or adults working within the school on social media
• Make inappropriate comments to a child including racist, homophobic, sexist or sexualised comments
• Give gifts to a young person (unless part of the school’s agreed rewards policy or with the agreement of your line manager) or show them preferential treatment.

Our school is now participating in the Operation Encompass partnership scheme, between local schools, academies, colleges, community health agencies, and Lancashire Police.

Operation Encompass was set up to provide early reporting to schools etc., about any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school hours to which a child attending our school has been exposed, and which might then have an impact on their schooling. This information will be shared throughout the year, including school holidays and the weekends.

Information will only be shared with the school by the police where it is identified that a young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident.

A nominated member of school staff, known as an Encompass Key Adult, has been trained to liaise with the police. In our school, this adult is Mr Fern (as the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead). Mr Fern will be able to use information that has been shared with him, in confidence, to ensure that the school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children or their families. Information will remain confidential and will only be shared on a need to know basis.

Operation Encompass was first introduced in Plymouth in February 2011 and has proved very effective in providing appropriate and timely support to young people affected by domestic abuse. This initiative has been implemented across the whole of the Lancashire Police area.  If you would like some more information about it, you can view it online at www.operationencompass.org.

We are keen to offer the best support possible for our pupils and a recent review of Operation Encompass showed that it is beneficial and supportive to all those involved.