THE DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEAD FOR CHARLTON SCHOOL IS ANGELA BITHELL
“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.”
Charlton School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. To achieve this commitment, we ensure continuous development and improvement of robust safeguarding and child protection processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our staff and volunteers.
If you have any concerns or worries whilst you are in school, you can always speak to a member of the staff who will ensure that a member of the safeguarding team is immediately alerted to your concern or worry.
Key Staff – Safeguarding Team
The Designated Safeguarding Lead is:
Mrs Angela Bithell, Assistant Vice Principal
The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads are:
Mrs A Vickers, Vice Principal
Mr P Wakelin, Assistant Vice Principal
The Governor with responsibility for Safeguarding is:
Mrs Ricki Thiara
The Designated Safeguarding Lead and all three Deputy DSLs accessed their training through the Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership.
Of our safeguarding deputies has also completed training in Mental Health through the DFE accredited provider Altruist and is the senior lead for this in school.
In addition, a number of key staff (including Pastoral Managers, Heads of Year, Senior Leadership Team), have completed the Level 3 DSL Training Course via the National College website.
Our Pastoral Managers and Heads of Year have also completed Further Safeguarding Training and are supported by Miss K Littleford who has responsibility for online safety.
The Safeguarding Team is the focus for school staff, and others, who may have concerns about an individual child’s safety or well-being and is the first point of contact for external agencies.
Staff at our school are alerted to the fact that, whilst some concerns are broadly safeguarding issues, there may be some instances where a child or children may be at immediate risk of harm or neglect. For example; this could be due to a child displaying risky behaviours in terms of the activities they are involved in or the groups they are associated with or staff may be aware of information about a child’s family that may equally place a child at risk of harm. (These examples are for illustration and are not definitive or exhaustive) Therefore all adults working at our school (including visiting staff, volunteers, contractors, and students on placement) are required to report instances where they believe a child may be at immediate risk of harm or neglect to the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Headteacher.
Safeguarding Training
Charlton staff receive regular training in safeguarding and are given the latest updates as they emerge by a member of the Safeguarding Team. As a school we recognise that safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility.
Role of Governing Body
The Governing Body will undertake appropriate training to ensure that they are clear about their role and the parameters of their responsibilities as Governors, including their statutory safeguarding duties. The Governing Body of our school will support the ethos and values of our school. Governors will review the child protection policy at least annually and may amend and adopt it outside of this timeframe in accordance with any new legislation or guidance, or in response to any quality assurance recommendations pertaining to the delivery of this policy and the overall safeguarding arrangements made. The Governor with responsibility for Safeguarding is Mrs Ricki Thiara.
