Safeguarding and Child Protection

Here at Swanmore Primary School we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are fully committed to ensuring that consistent, effective safeguarding procedures are in place to support families, children and staff at school.
To ensure prompt communication between staff, we use CPOMS; an online system that allows us to monitor safeguarding, well-being and pastoral issues. This enables swift communication between all parties in a secure way.
 
We follow the procedures set out by Hampshire Children’s Services and take account of all guidance issued by the Department for Education.

School Safeguarding Team
If you want to know more about our procedures or have a concern you would like to discuss, please speak to one of the following: 

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Miss Parker
Deputy DSL: Mr Paterson and Mrs Burdett
Safeguarding Governor: Mrs Lee

Cause for Concern
Our first priority is of course your child’s welfare and school is required to take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of its pupils. However, there may be occasions when we have reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill-treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse. We will ensure that our concerns about a child are discussed with his/her parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare. In this case school is obliged to follow the Child Protection procedures established by the Hampshire and inform Children’s Services of the concern.

How to Report Safeguarding Concerns
If you have any safeguarding concerns about a child you must report them. If you believe the child is in immediate danger, don’t delay. Call the police on 999 straight away. Furthermore, under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, you must call the police if you are informed that a girl under 18 has undergone FGM.
You can also report concerns in the following ways:

• Contact NSPCC on 0808 800 5000. They will then pass the concern onto the local child protection team who will investigate it.
• Report your concern directly to Hampshire Children’s Services:

Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm
Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm, phone 0300 555 1384

At all other times, contact the out-of-hours service, phone 0300 555 1373

• Report it to Designated Safeguarding Team
• Call the NSPCC’s Whistleblowing advice line on 0800 028 0285 or email them on help@nspcc.org.uk. They offer free advice and support to anyone who’s concerned about how child protection issues are handled in an organisation.

Our commitment to safeguarding
We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

• Valuing them, listening to and respecting them
• Appointing a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), for children and young people, Deputies and Safeguarding Governance
• Adopting child protection and safeguarding practices through procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers (See our policies for more information)
• Developing and implementing an effective e-safety policy and curriculum and related procedures
• Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures
• Recruiting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made
• Recording and storing information professionally and securely, and sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children, their families, staff and volunteers via leaflets, posters, one to one discussions
• Using our safeguarding procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents, families and carers appropriately
• Using our procedures to manage allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately
• Creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise
• Ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place
• Ensuring we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people, staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance

Support for children
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Support for Parents and Carers

We understand just how complicated family life can be. From time to time, there may be situations where you need some extra help and support.
If things are not right at home, please come and talk to us.
 
Families can sometimes need support from a wide range of agencies. We recognise that other agencies will be able to support children and families based on their specialised work. Therefore, our role is often to signpost families to the resources that will best support their need.

• https://home-starthampshire.org.uk/
• https://stopdomesticabuse.uk/victim-of-domestic-abuse
• https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/publichealth/mentalwellbeinghamp
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• https://www.simonsays.org.uk/
• https://pbs.hants.gov.uk/wellbeing-support-service

https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/childrenandfamilies

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/