Safeguarding

Safeguarding

Epinay Business and Enterprise School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and all staff and volunteers share this commitment. The ethos and values underpin the importance of our child centred approach, which ensures all children are safe and happy within an environment that promotes. social, emotional, physical and moral development of the individual child or young person.

All staff, governors and volunteers are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young adults. Epinay School’s ethos and values underpin the importance of our child centred, coordinated approach to safeguarding which ensures all children and young adults are taught in a safe and happy environment that promotes. social, emotional, physical and moral development of the individual child or young adult.

We recognise that all adults, including temporary staff, volunteers and governors, have a full and active part to play in safeguarding, as well as promoting the welfare of all our pupils and young adults. This requires all staff and volunteers to consider the best interests of the child or young adult at all times. This is our paramount concern.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) as:

  • protecting children from maltreatment
  • preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
  • ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
  • taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

At Epinay School, we believe having a child centred approach is fundamental to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child. A child centred approach means keeping the child in focus when making decisions about their lives and working in partnership with them and their families.

All practitioners should follow the principles of the Children Acts 1989 and 2004 – that state that the welfare of children is paramount and that they are best looked after within their families, with their parents playing a full part in their lives, unless compulsory intervention in family life is necessary.

Children and young adults may be vulnerable to neglect and abuse or exploitation from within their family or from individuals they come across in their day-to-day lives. These threats can take a variety of different forms, including sexual, physical and emotional abuse; neglect; exploitation by criminal gangs and organised crime groups; trafficking; online abuse; sexual exploitation and the influences of extremism leading to radicalisation. Whatever the form of abuse or neglect, practitioners should put the needs of children first when determining what action to take.

At Epinay Business and Enterprise School, all staff have been trained to follow procedures and understand policies which have been outlined through the Keeping Children Safe in Education (2021) publication, local guidance issued from South Tyneside’s Safeguarding Children’s Board and Clennell’s Education Services. This includes when to make referrals to children’s social care, recommendations for children who will benefit from Early Help and referrals to health services. Additional to this, the following roles have been appointed within school:

CHILD PROTECTION AND SAFEGUARDING

Our safeguarding team linked to Designated Roles

  • Designated Safeguard Lead: Lynne Murphy
  • Lead Governor for Safeguarding and Child Protection: Audrey Huntley
  • Deputy Designated Safeguard Lead: Chris Rue
  • Mental Health and Wellbeing Governor: Karl Dewing
  • E-Safety Lead: Anthony Robson
  • Multi-Agency Key Worker: Ronice Jopling

Where we have any concerns about a child or young adults welfare, we will take all appropriate action to address those concerns by working in full partnership with other agencies as outlined by the local authority and Keeping Children Safe in Education (2021) publication.

Sharing Information

On some occasions, we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child or young person’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with his/her parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child or young person’s welfare.

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Mrs L Murphy (Deputy Head) who can be contacted on lmurphy@epinay.org

Site Information

A secure site is provided for our children and visitors are asked to adhere to all our safeguarding rules. Visitors should enter only through the main pedestrian entrance and sign in at Reception where they will be greeted by a member of the office team and provided with school badges.

Safeguarding Partnership

Clennell Education Solutions is our partner for safeguarding. They offer confidential advice, information and a CPD package for staff and governors.  Further details of Clennell’s services can be found on their website via the link below:

Clennell Education Solutions Website


PREVENT - ACT Early


County Lines


 
Advice leaflets for parents/carers – click on the links below

The following safeguarding policies/documents are made available both electronically, click links below, or as a paper copy on request to the Head Teacher’s PA – Mrs S Stephenson

Specific Safeguarding Policies available are:

Specific Government Documentation are available by clicking on the links below:

 

Contact us

T: 0191 489 8949 E: sstephenson5@epinay.org