Safeguarding

At McKee College our staff understand that;

"Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. ‘Children’ includes everyone under the age of 18. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all practitioners 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." (KCSIE Sep 25)

Amanda Brindle is our Designated Safeguarding Lead, and we have a designated lead governor for child protection on our Local Governing Body.

Our Safeguarding Team

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. This means:

Protecting children from abuse and maltreatment

Preventing harm to their health or development

Ensuring they grow up with the provision of safe and effective care

Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes

Protecting children from maltreatment and preventing impairment of their health or development is necessary, but not sufficient to ensure that they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.

These aspects of safeguarding and promoting wellbeing all contribute to these key outcomes:

• Stay safe
• Be healthy
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic wellbeing

All adults who regularly work on our site are required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to prevent unsuitable people from working with children, and all other visitors are closely supervised.

Our staff are trained to be vigilant for all kinds of safeguarding concerns, including bullying, online safety, emotional or other abuse, exploitation or extremist behaviour. We have clear procedures in place where any potential safeguarding concerns are identified and appropriate action is taken.

If a student is deemed to be at significant risk and we need to involve other agencies, we share information with other public bodies such as Children’s Social Care. Where information is shared, we work within the agreed local information sharing protocols to make sure that information is shared in line with local and national rules.

Where safeguarding concerns are raised that relate to any adults in school, we work closely with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to make sure we follow the correct procedures, and ensure all concerns are investigated and followed up appropriately.

Our students are taught about how to keep themselves safe and we regularly have external speakers and guests working with students on key issues such as gangs, knife crime, healthy relationships.

Child Protection

Child protection focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about a child. Safeguarding and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.

Operation Encompass

We participate in Operation Encompass. A Police and Education early intervention safeguarding partnership which ensures that we are informed, prior to the start of the next school day, that there has been an incident of Domestic Abuse to which the child or young person has been exposed, and which might then have an impact on them in school the following day.

A nominated member of staff, known as a Key Adult, has been trained to liaise with the police. Our Key Adult is Amanda Brindle as our Lead DSL

They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that the school makes provision for possible difficulties experienced by children or their families.

The Key Adult 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. It will not be shared with other school students.

Social Media Bullying - Childline                                                                                                                                                                   

 Bullying doesn’t stop at the school gates. Social media means children can face harassment anytime, often without adults knowing. Teachers are in a key position to notice, respond and signpost support.

Childline has useful advice for children about online bullying, giving them practical steps on reporting abuse, blocking bullies, and coping strategies.

Sharing this resource are reflecting on these issues in assemblies and lessons helps pupils feel supported, know where to turn, and understand that bullying is never their fault. You can find their advice here: https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/types-bullying/bullying-social-media