Safeguarding
Safeguarding Children
Safeguarding and Child Protection
Our school is aware of and assesses the risks/issues in the wider community when considering the well-being and safety of our pupils.
Our school follows the child protection procedures as defined by Walsall Safeguarding Children Board (https://go.walsall.gov.uk/walsall-safeguarding-partnership/) and multi-agency threshold guidance. We work with partners to ensure the best outcomes for children and young people.
This policy applies to all staff, volunteers and visitors to our school as safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Our belief is that “it could happen here” and “we have the interest of the children” as our priority.
We all have a statutory duty to “safeguard and promote the welfare of children”.
If you have any concerns about the health and safety of a child at this education setting or feel that something may be troubling them, you should share this information with an appropriate member of staff straight away. Some issues e.g. a child’s appearance, hygiene, general behaviour, can be shared with any class teacher or member of support staff in this setting. Do not worry that you may be reporting small matters – we would rather that you tell us things which turn out to be small than miss a worrying situation.
However, if you think the matter is very serious and may be related to a child protection concern where the child has been harmed or is at risk of harm e.g. physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect, you must talk to one of the people below immediately. If you are unable to contact them you can ask the school office staff to find them and ask them to speak to you straight away about a confidential and urgent matter.
The people you should speak to at St John's are:
Mr A Mills Head teacher & Designated Safeguarding Deputy
Mrs H McLeish - Deputy Head & Designated Safeguarding Lead
Operation Encompass
At St Johns, we are working in partnership with West Midlands Police and Walsall Children’s Services to identify and provide appropriate support to pupils who have experienced domestic abuse in their household; this scheme is called Operation Encompass. Details can be found at www.operationencompass.org
On receipt of any information, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (Mrs Haigh, or deputies Mr Mills and Mrs Lane) will decide on the appropriate support the child requires. All information sharing and resulting actions will be undertaken in accordance with the Operation Encompass Joint Agency Protocol for Domestic Abuse’. We will record this information and store this information in accordance with the record keeping procedures around Safeguarding the wellbeing of children and young people.
