Safeguarding
Guiding policies
Charter Academy aims to:
- Ensure we practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children.
- Raise awareness of child protection issues and equip children with the skills needed to keep them safe.
- Have in place procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse, working alongside outside agencies to protect our students.
- Support students who have been abused in accordance with his/her agreed child protection plan.
- Establishing a safe environment in which children can learn and develop.
- Be vigilant for signs of abuse.
- Our policy applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working in the school.
Practice and guidance
The Safeguarding Policy at Charter is based on the principle of fully recognising the academy’s responsibilities for child protection.
We recognise that because of the day to day contact with children, academy staff are well placed to observe the outward signs of abuse. The academy will therefore:
- Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to.
- Ensure children know that there are adults in the academy whom they can approach if they are worried.
- Include opportunities in the PSHE curriculum for children to develop the skills they need to recognise and stay safe from abuse.
We will follow the procedures set out by the Local Safeguarding Children Board and take account of guidance issued by the DCSF to:
- Ensure we have a designated senior person for child protection who has received appropriate training and support for this role.
- Ensure we have a nominated governor responsible for child protection.
- Ensure every member of staff (including temporary and supply staff and volunteers) and governing body knows the name of the designated senior person responsible for child protection and their role.
- Ensure all staff and volunteers understand their responsibilities in being alert to the signs of abuse and responsibility for referring any concerns to the designated senior person responsible for child protection.
- Ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibility placed on the academy and staff for child protection by setting out its obligations in the academy prospectus.
- Notify social services if there is an unexplained absence of more than two days of a student who is on the child protection register.
- Develop effective links with relevant agencies and co-operate as required with their enquiries regarding child protection matters including attendance at case conferences.
- Keep written records of concerns about children, even where there is no need to refer the matter immediately.
- Ensure all records are kept securely, separate from the main student file, and in locked locations.
- Develop and then follow procedures where an allegation is made against a member of staff or volunteer.
- Ensure safe recruitment practices are always followed.
