Keeping children safe
Committed to Safeguarding Children
At St Christophers Academy the health, safety and well-being of every child is our top priority. We expect all staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment to safeguarding our pupils.
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 harm or neglect and are required to report these to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
On rare occasions our concern about a child may mean that we have to consult other agencies. We will ensure that all concerns are discussed with parent/carers first, before any referrals are made, unless we believe that such a move may be contrary to a child’s welfare.
We work in conjunction with Central Bedfordshire’s Operation Encompass team, where the Academy is informed about all police-attended incidents of domestic abuse, to enable us to support children who are experiencing domestic abuse.
Click on the link below for more information;
https://www.operationencompass.org/about-us
The details of the Designated Safeguarding Leads and relevant policies are below.
If you have any concerns about a child, please report them to:
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Lay - Family Liaison and Safeguarding Officer
klay@bestacademies.org.uk
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads
Mr Clarke - Executive Principal
tclarke@bestacademies.org.uk
Marianne Hayes - Vice Principal/SENCO
mhayes@bestacademies.org.uk
Mr Craig Smith is our nominated safeguarding governor. Contact can be obtained through the Clerk to governors - klay@bestacademies.org.uk
If you have ANY concerns about a child, contact us immediately.
If you are unable to make a referral to the designated lead or one of the lead persons, please contact Children’s Services on 0300 300 8585 or the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.
The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead can be found on page 170 of Keeping Children Safe in Education
All policies relating to Child Protection and Safeguarding can be found below. Paper copies can be obtained from the school office.