Safeguarding

Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding our Children

The NSPCC describes safeguarding as the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. It is a top priority at Ruskin Junior School.

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

Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.

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

Key People

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Mr Andrew Beadnell

Our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL) are Mrs E Mitchell, Mrs Wollen and Mrs Buckby

If you are ever concerned about the safety or wellbeing of any child, please speak directly to:

• one of the named safeguarding leaders above
• any member of Ruskin's staff team
• a member of the NSPCC safeguarding helpline on 0808 800 5000
• a member of Swindon's Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub on 01793 466903

Our Duty of Care

All staff have a duty of care to report concerns when they arise. Parents and carers will be informed of such concerns unless to do so would increase the risk to the child. 

The school uses CPOMS to record any safeguarding concerns which are transferred on to any subsequent schools the child may attend.

Our Policy

Please click here to access our current Safeguarding and Child Protection policy.

Training

• All members of staff receive Level 1 safeguarding training annually.
• Every member of staff is expected to read and understand Part 1 of Keeping Children Safe in Education
• All members of staff are expected to undertake online Prevent Duty training
• The DSL and DDSL have attended Level 3 training with Swindon's Safeguarding Partnership 
• The headteacher and specific members of the LGB and also the Senior Leadership Team, have attended Safer Recruitment training with Swindon's Safeguarding Partnership..
• In staff meetings, we regularly review safeguarding scenarios and share termly safeguarding updates from Swindon Safeguarding Partnership, Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub and other pertinent information
• The school undertakes a yearly safeguarding audit from an external provider and all outcomes are fed back to the governors and the Blue Kite Academy Trust

The Wider Context of Safeguarding at Ruskin

First Aid and Medicines

We have a team of First Aiders here at Ruskin who receive Paediatric first aid training regularly. We also work closely with our school nursing team.

Health and Safety

A team of senior staff works hard to keep our premises safe and secure. We undertake fire drills regularly and we also have an emergency plan. The Health and Safety team is also responsible for ensuring that all trips that the children attend are properly risk assessed. When on site, all visitors are expected to sign in and out and must wear a Ruskin identification badge.

Safer Recruitment

We expect all staff and volunteers to share our commitment to safeguarding. All staff and volunteers are expected to undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. We also carry out identity, professional qualification and disqualification by association checks before any person undertakes any role within our school.

E-Safety

Through the South West Grid for Learning, we apply strong filters and safety systems on all our school computers and tablets. All internet use by children is overseen by a member of staff and we actively teach children about keeping safe online through our cross-curricular Computing curriculum.

Web Links for Parents and Carers 

NSPCC Pants - The Underwear Rule 

NSPCC - Protecting children from County Lines

NSPCC - Children's Mental Health

Think U Know - a guide for parents about online safety

All actions are taken in line with the following legislation/guidance:

• Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE September 2022)
• South West Child Protection Procedures (SWCPP)
• Section 175 Children Act 2002
• Working Together to Safeguard Children (July 2018)
• Swindon Safeguarding Partnership
• What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (DfE March 2015) – non-statutory advice for practitioners
• Information-sharing:advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services (DfE July 2018)
• The Prevent duty - Departmental advice for schools and childcare providers (Updated July 2021)

Advice for parents on keeping children safe

For further reading, and additional policies linked to promotion of Safeguarding at Ruskin, please click on the following:

All staff must read the Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 document. Confirmation of this is held in the school office.