Safeguarding and Child Protection
Safeguarding Statement
Laneshaw Bridge Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment.
We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy which can be viewed below.
We listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us. All school staff are trained in Child Protection, and children are made aware of the adults they can talk to if they have any concerns. Staff are trained to look out for signs of physical, emotional and sexual harm or neglect and are required to report these to a member of the Safeguarding Team.
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child's welfare. All concerns are passed to trained Designated Safeguarding Officers in school in compliance with the sharing of information guidance. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils 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.
The Designated Safeguarding Leads is Gaynor Canty. She is supported by the Designated Deputy Safeguarding Leads Chloe Whitaker, Ged Isherwood and Rob Harrison. Our nominated governor for Safeguarding and Child Protection is Lisa Burnham.
If you have any serious concerns about your child or any other pupil at Laneshaw Bridge Primary School, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Designated Safeguarding Officers in school who will know who to contact for the best advice and help and are experienced in using the appropriate degree of confidentiality. You can find our contact details via our Contact Us page.
PREVENT Duty Statement
On 1 July 2015 the Prevent Duty (section 26) of The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 came into force. This duty places the responsibility on local authorities and schools to have due regard for the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.
Laneshaw Bridge Primary School is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its pupils. As a school we recognise that safeguarding against radicalisation is as important as safeguarding against any other vulnerability.
All staff are expected to uphold and promote the fundamental principles of British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We believe that children should be given the opportunity to explore diversity and understand Britain as a multi-cultural society; everyone should be treated with respect whatever their race, gender, sexuality, religious belief, special need, or disability. As part of our commitment to safeguarding and child protection we fully support the Government's Prevent Strategy.
The Prevent Lead (or SPOC - Single Point of Contact) in school is Mrs G Canty, Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Operation Encompass
Laneshaw Bridge Primary School is 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 about any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school hours, to which a young person attending our school has been exposed, and which might then have an impact on their schooling the following day. This information will be shared throughout the year, including school holidays and the weekends.
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.
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.
At Laneshaw Bridge, Gaynor Canty, our DSL is our Operation Encompass Lead, and along with Chloe Whitaker, Ged Isherwood and Rob Harrison have been trained to liaise with the police. They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that the school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children or their families. These Key Adults will keep this information confidential and will only share it on a need to know basis, for instance, to teaching staff for the child or young person.