Pine Ridge and Lorraine Federation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this committment.  Safeguarding is an umbrella term and covers many more aspects than just child protection.

Child Protection is protecting children from identified risks - originally focused on abuse at home, now a wider concept to include bullying, abuse through new technologies, etc.

Safeguarding is:

• protecting children from maltreatment
• preventing impairment of a child's health or development
• ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provisions of safe and effective care
• creating opportunities to enable children to have optimum life chances in adulthood

(2004 Children's Act)

School Policy

The Federation recognises the responsibility it has under Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 and the requirements of the Safeguarding Children in Education DfES/0027/2004 to have arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Through their day-to-day contact with pupils and direct work with families, staff within the Federation have a crucial role to play in noticing indicators of possible abuse or neglect and referring them to the appropriate agency, normally the appropriate Children's Team (Social Care).

Our Safeguarding Policy sets out how the school's governing body discharges its statutory responsibilities relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children who are pupils at the school.  The policy also details all relevant procedures in place.  All staff (including supply staff, volunteers and governors) must ensure that they are aware of these procedures.  Parents and carers are welcome to read the Policy which is available on the school website, or from either school office or the Children’s Centre.

Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare.  We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with their parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.

 Our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) are:

• Mrs Anna Freshwater, Head of School
• Mrs Karen Ney, Head of School
• Mrs Abi Moore, Inclusion Lead

Our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL) are:

• Mrs Claire-Louise West: Executive Headteacher
• Ms Paula Angold: Inclusion Assistant
• Miss Cheryl Cooper: Thrive Practitioner, Higher Level Teaching Assistant & DDSL

Governor responsible for Safeguarding:

• Mrs Joan Madsen

What to do if you are concerned...

If you feel a child is in immediate danger, please call 999.

If you are concerned about a child’s welfare and it is not an emergency, please record your concern, and any observations or conversation heard, and report to a DSL or one of the DDSLs as soon as possible the same day.  Do NOT conduct your own investigation.

You can report concerns to:

• Surrey Children's Single Point of Access (C-SPA) - cspa@surreycc.gov.uk or 0300 470 9100 between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

• Surrey Emergency Duty Team - 01483 517898 or edt.ssd@surreycc.gov.uk between 5.00pm and 6.00am Monday - Friday, 24hrs at weekends and over Bank Holiday periods.

• NSPCC - online at How to Report Child Abuse Without Any Worries | NSPCC, via telephone 0808 800 5000 or by email at help@NSPCC.org.uk

If your concerns relate to the actions or behaviour of a member of staff (which could suggest that they are unsuitable to work with children) then you should report this to a DSL or one of the DDSLs in confidence, who will refer the matter to the Executive Headteacher (or the Chair of Governors if the concern relates to the Executive Headteacher) - who will consider what action to take.