____________________________ Safeguarding
What are Safeguarding and Child Protection?
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
In the government’s guidance document Working together to safeguard children (updated July 2022), safeguarding can be summarised as:
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protecting children and young people from maltreatment
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preventing impairment of children and young people’s health or development
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ensuring that children and young people are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
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undertaking that role so as to enable those children and young people to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.
Child Protection is part of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
In the government’s guidance document ‘Working together to safeguard children (updated July 2022)’, child protection can be summarised as:
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an activity undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm.
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where a child is suffering significant harm, or is likely to do so, action should be taken to protect that child. Action should also be taken to promote the welfare of a child in need of additional support, even if they are not suffering harm or are at immediate risk.
What is Child Abuse?
In the government’s guidance document Working together to safeguard children (updated July 2022), child abuse is defined as ‘a form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.’
There are four categories of Child Abuse:
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Emotional harm such as making a child feel unloved or useless or constantly putting them down. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber-bullying), causing children to frequently feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children.
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Physical abuse such as hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child.
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Sexual abuse such as forcing a child to take part in any sexual activity.
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Neglect means not providing a child with enough for their basic needs e.g. enough food, clothes, medical care.
The Role of School Staff from Keeping Children Safe in Education (2022)
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School staff are particularly important as they are in a position to identify concerns early, provide early help for children and prevent concerns from escalating.
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All school staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.
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All school staff should be prepared to identify children who may benefit from early help. Early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years.
Schools play an essential role in protecting children from abuse as they have regular contact with children and young people and are in a strong position to identify signs of abuse and neglect.
Riverside Bridge School safeguard their young people by:
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creating safe environments for children and young people through robust safeguarding practices;
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ensuring that adults who work in the school, including volunteers, don’t pose a risk to children.
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making sure staff are trained, know how to respond to concerns and keep-up-to-date with policy and practice.
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teaching children and young people about staying safe within their community as well as beyond their community, which includes the worldwide web;
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maintaining an environment where children feel confident to approach any member of staff if they have a worry or problem.
Safeguarding Team
Riverside Bridge School is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for children, staff and visitors and promoting a climate where children and adults will feel confident about sharing any concerns which they may have about their own safety or the well-being of others.
Safeguarding and Child Protection is everyone’s responsibility and all adults working in our school (including visiting staff, volunteers and students on placement) are required to report instances of actual or suspected child abuse or neglect to the school dedicated Child Protection Team and Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Miss D. Walters Designated Safeguarding Lead | Miss E. Ayaz Safeguarding and Welfare Officer | Mrs K. Kojnozi Safeguarding and Welfare Officer | Mrs G. Wiseman Safeguarding and Welfare Officer |
For further information, please follow the links below:
Working Together to Safeguard Children – July 2018 and updated July 2022
Keeping Children Safe in Education – July 2022
Safeguarding and Child Protection- September 2024
Prevent Guidance
If at any time you have concerns whether for yourself and your child or for any other young person, you can contact:
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the school child protection team on 0203 946 5888 or by e-mail.
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Barking & Dagenham children’s services through their website. Please click here.
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the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 020 8227 3811 from 9.00am to 4.45pm or 02085948356 out of hours, weekends and bank holidays.
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the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) on 0208227 3811 or email at children@lbbd.gov.uk
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the NSPCC helpline counsellors, on 0808 800 5000, Monday to Friday 8am – 10pm and 9am – 6pm at the weekend or online 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at help@nspcc.org.uk