Safeguarding and Child Protection
At Holbeach Primary School we have a primary responsibility for the care, welfare and safety of all pupils in our charge. We are committed to practice that protects children from harm. Holbeach Primary School’s staff are advised to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ as far as safeguarding is concerned. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff members should always act in the interest of the child.
We encourage a culture in which all staff believe safeguarding to be of the highest importance and understand that their vigilance is critical. We want all staff to feel confident to discuss their concerns with designated staff/Governors and have clear lines of protocol in place for how to do this.
At Holbeach Primary School we explicitly teach pupils about safeguarding themselves in and outside of school, including online, through a broad and balanced curriculum. We establish and maintain a culture in which children feel secure, are encouraged to talk and are listened to.
Our Safeguarding Policy applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working in school. For more information please read our Safeguarding policy (which can be accessed by using the link below).
Roles and Responsibilities
All adults working with children have a responsibility to protect children. At Holbeach Primary School, there are, however key people within school who have specific responsibilities:
Our Safeguarding Partners
At Holbeach Primary School, we work collaboratively with other safeguarding partners, following Lewisham’s multi-agency threshold guidance document which informs agencies in Lewisham on how to assess and identify a child’s level of need and how to access the right level support. Some of the key partners we work with are:
Operation Encompass
Holbeach has been given the opportunity to take part in a project that will run jointly between schools and the Metropolitan Police. Lewisham, are amongst the first of many boroughs to roll out this project.
Operation Encompass is reporting to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has been exposed to, or involved in, any domestic incident where the police have been called. We know that children can be significantly physically or emotionally harmed when this is the case and the information received will be used to make sure the right support is available for children and their families.
Operation Encompass will ensure that a member of the school staff, known as a Dedicated Safeguarding Lead, is trained to allow them to liaise with the police and to use the information that has been shared, in confidence, while ensuring that the school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children, or their families, who have been involved in, or exposed to, a domestic abuse incident.
We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and we believe this will be extremely beneficial for all those involved. If you have any concerns or questions then please contact one of our school’s Designated Safeguarding Leads,