Safeguarding at Desford Community Primary School

Children have the right to be cared for, protected and supported, and safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. At Desford Community Primary School, we have a duty of care to ensure that all members of our school community are kept safe from harm.

We are committed to providing a secure, nurturing and supportive environment in which children can learn, develop and grow into confident, resilient and responsible individuals. Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do and forms an essential part of our holistic approach to supporting children’s wellbeing. We are dedicated to protecting children from abuse, neglect and exploitation, and to ensuring that every child is given the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

The welfare and best interests of our children will always be our highest priority. As part of our safeguarding responsibilities, there may be occasions when we need to record, monitor and share information with other agencies in order to protect and support a child. Wherever appropriate, we will discuss any concerns with parents and carers. However, if we believe that doing so may place a child at greater risk or not be in their best interests, we may share information without prior consent, in line with our safeguarding duties and statutory guidance.

What Can You Do?

Parents, carers and members of the wider community all have an important role to play in safeguarding children. If you have any concerns about the welfare or safety of a child, no matter how small they may seem, it is important that you share them with someone who can help.

At Desford Community Primary School, our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and safeguarding team are available to listen to and act upon any concerns. Parents, carers and children are encouraged to speak to a member of the safeguarding team if they are worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child, or if they have concerns about the conduct of a member of staff.

Reporting Concerns

• If a child is in immediate danger or a crime is being committed, call 999 immediately.
• If you believe a crime has been committed but there is no immediate danger, contact Leicestershire Police on 101.
• If you suspect that a child has suffered, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm, contact Leicestershire Children’s Social Care on 0116 305 0005.

First Response Children’s Duty Team

You should contact the First Response Children’s Duty Team if you believe a child is being:

• Neglected
• Physically abused
• Sexually abused
• Emotionally abused

The First Response Children’s Duty Team can be contacted 24 hours a day on 07508 009234.

Remember, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. If you are concerned about a child, it is always better to share your concerns and seek advice than to do nothing. One conversation could make a significant difference to a child’s life.

Meet Our Safeguarding Team

At Desford Community Primary School, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Our safeguarding team is committed to ensuring that all children feel safe, supported and listened to. If you have any concerns about the welfare of a child, please contact a member of the safeguarding team as soon as possible.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Mrs Leonie Phillips
Deputy Headteacher, EYFS & KS1 Lead and Designated Safeguarding Lead

As the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mrs Phillips has overall responsibility for safeguarding and child protection within the school. She works closely with children, families, staff and external agencies to ensure that children receive the support and protection they need.

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs)

Colin Wilson
Headteacher

Maddie Chadwick
Assistant Headteacher & UKS2 Lead

Nic Bates
Year 6 Teacher and Computing & E-Safety Lead

Our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads support the DSL and ensure that safeguarding support is always available when required.

Safeguarding Governor

Viv Evans
Safeguarding Governor

The Safeguarding Governor works alongside school leaders to ensure that safeguarding policies, procedures and practices are effective and meet statutory requirements.

How to Contact the Safeguarding Team

If you have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child, please contact the school office and ask to speak to a member of the safeguarding team.

Telephone: 01455 822379
Email: office@desford.leics.sch.uk

Any concerns will be taken seriously, treated sensitively and acted upon appropriately in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Our Commitment

Every child has the right to feel safe, valued and respected. We are committed to creating a culture where children are listened to, supported and protected, and where all members of our school community understand their role in safeguarding.

If you are worried about a child, please do not assume that someone else will act. Sharing a concern, no matter how small, could make a significant difference to a child’s life.

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is a partnership between Police and Education that supports children and young people who may have been exposed to domestic abuse.

The initiative ensures that a child’s school is informed, before the start of the next school day, when the police have attended an incident of domestic abuse where a child or young person has been present, witnessed the incident, or may otherwise have been affected by it. This allows schools to provide timely and appropriate support for the child when they arrive at school.

Schools are notified of all domestic abuse incidents, not just those where an offence has been identified or where the incident is considered high risk. Operation Encompass recognises that any incident of domestic abuse can have a significant impact on a child’s emotional wellbeing, behaviour, and ability to engage in learning. Notifications may be received throughout the year, including during weekends and school holidays.

Each school has a trained member of staff known as a Key Adult, who acts as the point of contact for Operation Encompass. At Desford Community Primary School, the Key Adult is Leonie Phillips.

The Key Adult will receive and manage this information confidentially and will use it to ensure that appropriate support is put in place for the child and their family where needed. Information will only be shared with relevant staff on a strictly need-to-know basis and will never be shared with other pupils.

Operation Encompass is established across the whole of Leicestershire and Rutland. Further information can be found at www.operationencompass.org.

At Desford Community Primary School, we are committed to supporting the safety, wellbeing, and emotional needs of all our pupils. We believe that Operation Encompass plays an important role in helping us provide the right support at the right time for children and families who may be experiencing difficult circumstances.

Further Support and Access to Services

As a member of the public, you may wish to access advice and support for other agencies that can support your child, you and/or your family. Some of the services listed in this document are:

• Disabilities and Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
• Mental health and self harm
• Debt and Housing
• Family bereavement
• Domestic and Sexual Abuse
• Offending and anti-social behaviour
• Counselling and mediation
• Drug and alcohol misuse
• Carers
• Parental contact and family support

Children Services Directory.pdf

Policies and Guidance

We will ensure all policies and procedures in respect of safeguarding children are up to date and in line with the most up to date version of Keeping Children Safe in Education – Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment. The policies are accessible to all staff and form part of the annual safeguarding training that all staff receive. Policies and procedures are reviewed and revised by the Local Governing Body and/or the LiFE MAT Board of Trustees on a regular basis.

Below is a link to the relevant safeguarding policies that we publish on our school website.

Policies