Our school is dedicated to looking after all our children the best we possibly can. Safeguarding covers children’s physical, social and emotional well-being and runs alongside our work on health and safety and online safety.

I have a safeguarding concern or question. Who do I contact?

What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is everybody's responsibility. 

Safeguarding means:

• protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
• preventing harm to children's health or development
• ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.

Part of our responsibility in this area is to work with outside agencies such as Social Care, Childrens Centres, Health Services, the Police and Family Wellbeing Team to make sure all pupils are kept safe. This means that at times we are obliged to pass on concerns or information to these agencies. The school will always do this in consultation with parents except in circumstances where a child is at risk.

What is a Designated Safeguarding Lead and a safeguarding team?

To co-ordinate safeguarding effectively the school have a safeguarding team lead by the Designated Safeguarding Lead.  The person who co-ordinated and leads the team is known as the Designated Safeguarding Lead and they are responsible for ensuring the school to ensure the school is promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.  

The governors and staff team of the school take their responsibility to this commitment seriously and regularly review the school’s safeguarding policy and procedures to ensure that, as far as is reasonably possible, everything is being done to fulfil their duty of care. 

Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.

What to do if you have concerns about the behaviour of someone working with children?

Should you have any concerns in terms of safeguarding relating to the behaviour of a member of staff you should immediately contact a member of the safeguarding team. If the allegation concerns these individuals, you should contact: Mark Beamish, Chair of Governors at mark.beamish@meadvale.extendlearning.org

The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

The LADO manages allegations and concerns against professionals and volunteers who work with children.

You must contact the LADO immediately and within one working day if a person who works with children has:

• harmed or may have harmed a child
• possibly committed a criminal offence involving a child
• behaved in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to a child
• behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children

The LADO process manages allegations about:

• neglect
• sexual abuse
• physical abuse
• emotional abuse
• grooming

Referral and Assessment Team  – Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)  Telephone: 07795092692 or email lado@n-somerset.gov.uk

Reporting concerns about an adult | Childrens Safeguarding Board (nsscp.co.uk)

ELAN and Safeguarding

As part of ELAN, we ensure that all of our staff undergo Enhanced DBS checks regarding their suitability to work with children prior to commencing employment.  This is supplemented by annual mandatory safeguarding training to ensure that we are ALL compliant with safeguarding updates, policies and procedures. We are part of a wider safeguarding trust network which we attend regularly. Any changes to procedures or information gained from networks or changes in legislation is then disseminated to all staff by the safeguarding team as and when required.

All staff adhere to the ELAN Safeguarding Policy which is developed in line with recommendations from North Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSSCP) and Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE). The policy is reviewed annually by Extend Learning Academies Network (ELAN) and governors and is a working document that reflects our practice. Parents/carers can request a paper copy from the office.

All polices linked to keeping children safe and our Safeguarding policy can be found on our policies page:

Mead Vale Primary School Policies Page

Parent safeguarding information leaflet

Visitor information leaflet