What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding determines the actions that we take to keep children safe and protect them from harm in all aspects of their school life. As a school we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our pupils. The actions that we take to prevent harm; to promote wellbeing; to create safe environments; to educate on rights, respect and responsibilities; to respond to specific issues and vulnerabilities all form part of the safeguarding responsibilities of the school.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all staff should make sure their approach is child-centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child.

We maintain an attitude of “it could happen here” where safeguarding is concerned

Who do I contact if I have a safeguarding concern about a child at Catherington Church of England Infant school?

The school has a team of Designated Safeguarding Leads:

Mrs Burden - Designated Safeguarding Lead- Headteacher 

Mrs Anderson - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead 

Mr Dickenson-Deputy Safeguarding Lead 

All attend training regularly for this role. 

If you are concerned about a child's welfare, please contact the school office and ask to speak to a Designated Safeguarding Lead.

All staff know how to report concerns and are aware of the signs of abuse and neglect. All concerns are always addressed/or investigated.  The school works closely with other professionals because we understand that, in order to gain insights into children's needs, a multi agency approach is essential. 

We maintain a safe site, regularly risk-assess our activities, recruit our staff and volunteers rigorously, train our staff regularly, and set aside time to discuss and monitor safety. Our Governors check on safeguarding arrangements regularly too.

We adhere to all the advice and and guidance from our Local Safeguarding Children Partnership: you can find more information here

Who else can I contact?

If you think a child or young person is at IMMEDIATE risk, you should treat this as an emergency and call 999 to report your concerns to the Police.

If you think a child is being abused or neglected, please contact the MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub). You can contact the MASH during office hours on the details below:

Tel: 0300 555 1384

The out of office hours (5pm – 8am weekdays) and 24-hour emergency number on weekends and bank holidays is 0300 555 1373

When you contact the MASH please give as much information as possible about the child you are concerned about. This will help the MASH decide the best way to respond to your concern. The information you give will be kept confidential. You can remain anonymous but it is helpful if you can give your name and details.

NSPCC whistle-blowing helpline – 0800 028 0285