Safeguarding
Safeguarding at Oreston
At Oreston Community Academy the health, safety and well-being of every child is our paramount concern. We provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment where all children can thrive. Our school culture is underpinned by openness where both children and adults feel secure, able to talk and believe that they are listened to. We always take seriously what children tell us. Our aim is that children enjoy their time as pupils at our school. Oreston Community Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Oreston Community Academy take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. We recognise that all staff have a full and active part to play in protecting our pupils from harm, and that the child’s welfare is our paramount concern. This means that we have ensured that everyone working in the school has successfully completed the necessary clearances to enable them to work with pupils. We will also ensure that all adults who have contact with children in our school have been trained to undertake their safeguarding responsibilities effectively. All staff are regularly updated with key safeguarding information. We have a wide range of policies which ensure that we are in line with current safeguarding practices.
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies, such as the Police or Social Services when there are concerns about a child's welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child's welfare. The procedures we follow have been laid down by Plymouth Local Authority. By working closely with everyone concerned, we firmly believe that we will continue to offer a safe learning environment for all our learners.
We maintain an attitude that ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned. if you have any concerns, please contact the DSL team via the following email address:
Our key principles:
- Children have a right to be safe.
- Adults have a duty of care to protect children
- Parents have a right to be informed.
What to do if a child discloses abuse (‘The five Rs’)
- RECEIVE the information. Listen carefully and do not ask leading questions
- RESPOND to the child. Let them know what you are going to do next
- REPORT the disclosure as soon as possible to the DSL or DDSL using CPOMS
- REFER to Social Care without delay – the DSL should do this
- RECORD fully and accurately, as soon as possible afterwards
Child Protection and Safeguarding Team
Mrs Amy Chivers - DSL
Mrs Susanne Parker - DDSL
Mrs Lindsay Greenway - DDSL
COVID-19 school closure arrangements for Safeguarding and Child Protection at Oreston Community Academy
Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022
Safeguarding Visitor Information Leaflet
Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment
Prevent
Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes.
The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.
What is prevent? Let's talk about it.
Educate Against Hate – https://educateagainsthate.com/
This is an important government website that provide advice and information about protecting children from extremism and radicalisation.
The Prevent strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. However, it is about teaching children values such as tolerance and mutual respect.
Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss any issues so they better understand how to protect themselves.
Operation Encompass
In every force, in every school, for every child. Operation Encompass is the early reporting on to schools that a child or young person has been exposed to domestic abuse.
More details can be found at http://www.operationencompass.org/
E-Safety
ICT is all around us and everyday we use Technology to enhance our learning, find information, or for fun. At Oreston it is important that the children use ICT to enhance their learning journeys in a fun, safe and secure environment.
Thinkuknow is the education programme from NCA-CEOP, a UK organisation which protects children both online and offline.
Online videos to watch with your child
Talking to your child about online sexual harassment
Plymouth Safeguarding Children Partnership
NSPCC
Everything we do protects children today and prevents abuse tomorrow, to transform society for every childhood.