Safeguarding
We all have a statutory duty to “promote and safeguard the welfare or children” (Section 175 Education Act 2002)
If you have any concerns about the health and safety of any child or young person in this school, or feel that something may be troubling them, you must share this information with an appropriate member of staff straight away. Some issues e.g. a child’s appearance, hygiene or general behaviour can be shared with any teacher or member of support staff here.
Do not worry that you may be reporting small matters – we would rather you tell us things that turn out to be small, rather than miss a worrying situation.
If you think however, that the matter is very serious and may be related to a child protection concern i.e. physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect, you MUST talk to one of the people below immediately.
If you are unable to contact any of them you should ask the office staff to find them and ask them to speak to you straight away on an urgent and confidential matter.
Any allegations or disclosure involving a member of staff, a child’s foster carer or a volunteer at this school MUST be reported directly to the head teacher, without delay. If the allegation involves the head teacher it must be reported to the Chair of Governors, again without delay.
The Designated Person for Child Protection is:
Mr Craig Elliott, Headteacher
Phone number: 01924 767080
The Deputy Designated Person for Child Protection is:
Mrs Kirsty Shepherd Deputy Headteacher
Phone number: 01924 767080
The Deputy Designated Person for Child Protection is:
Miss Teresa Bell, Assistant Headteacher
Phone number: 01924 767080
The Deputy Designated Person for Child Protection is:
Mrs Naseem Rashid, Parent Support Advisor
Phone number: 01924 767080
The Deputy Designated Person for Child Protection is:
Miss Becky Abernethy, SENDCo
Phone number: 01924 767080
The Chair of Governors is Mr Darren Johnson and the named Safeguarding Governor is Rev. David Gerrard. They can be contacted via the school office.
URGENT and IMMEDIATE concerns for the safety and welfare of a child or young person during office hours telephone Assessment Service:
Phone: 0345 8503 503
Minicom: 01924 303450 (type talk welcome)
Email: social_care_direct@wakefield.gov.uk
Thank you for supporting and safeguarding the children and young people at our school.
Safeguarding at Sandal Magna Community Academy
At Sandal Magna Community Academy, we recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. We make every effort to provide a safe and welcoming environment underpinned by a culture of openness where both children and adults feel secure, able to talk and believe that they are being listened to.
"Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children. School and college staff are particularly important as they are in a position to identify concerns early and provide help for children, to prevent concerns from escalating. Schools and their staff form part of the wider safeguarding system for children. This system is described in the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018.
Schools should work with social care, the police health services and other services to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm." Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021
This applies to teaching staff, teaching assistants, non-teaching staff, premises staff, Governors, volunteers and anyone else who is responsible for, or is in contact with, children in our Academy.
At Sandal Magna, our aim is to safeguard and promote our children's welfare, safety, health and guidance by fostering an honest, open, caring and supportive climate. Our school fully recognises the contribution it can make to protecting children and supporting children throughout their education. There are many opportunities for children to report incidents that make them feel unsafe and staff are well-trained in our school reporting procedures. Recording systems at our school are rigorous and are always followed up by the DSL or DDSL.
The children's welfare is of paramount importance.
The NSPCC provide a dedicated helpline for children and young people who have experienced abuse at school, and for worried adults and professionals that need support and guidance. Report Abuse in Education offers support to:
- All children and young people making current and non-recent disclosures of abuse
- Any children or young people who want to talk about being involved or witnessing any incidents
- Any adults who have experienced non-recent abuse
- Parents and carers who have any concerns about their own or other children
- Professionals who work in schools and need support in this or related issues.
- Anyone who gets in touch through this dedicated helpline will also be signposted to other relevant support services available, including Childline - which provides ongoing support and counselling to children and young people.
Wakefield Families Together
Wakefield Families Together brings services together, so that it’s easier for you to find and access the support you need, at the earliest opportunity.
We want children, young people, and families to tell us they are happy, healthy, and safe. Wakefield Families Together are about working on your behalf so that if you have a concern about your child or family member, you only need to have one conversation with us, and we can direct you to the right support. You can access this support through your child’s school, family hub, or in the local community.
To help us localise how we work with families across the Wakefield district, we have grouped our teams and partner organisations into six community ‘cluster’ areas, with nine family hubs and three Youth Hubs. You can find your local Family Hub or Youth on the Wakefield Families Together website here: Family Hubs – Wakefield Families Together and here: Youth Hubs – Wakefield Families Together
Everyone needs help and support at some point in their life. So, when you do and find it hard to deal with a difficult situation, or have worries around family relationships, behaviour, school attendance, emotional and mental health, domestic abuse, parental conflict, housing issues, or employment and debt problems, Family Hubs can help direct to the right people and services.
Sometimes the concerns you have may need a group of professionals to come together to build a package of support with you and other family members so that we have the right expertise to help the whole family. Find out more about the Team Around the School model here: The ‘Team Around’ approach – Wakefield Families Together
Website: www.wakefieldfamiliestogether.co.uk
Contact: Wakefieldfamiliestogether@wakefield.gov.uk