Your child’s safety and welfare is of paramount importance; it overrides all other considerations. If you are concerned about the well-being or safety of a particular child, please do not hesitate to contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead for Child Protection (known as a ‘DSL’), Mrs Helen Rutt. In her absence, any concerns can be directed to Abigail Smith, our Child and Family Support Worker. You can find their contact details below.
Alternatively, you can contact the Local Authority Social Services Department at County Hall or the NSPCC. In addition, concerns can always be reported to Wiltshire Council’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0300 456 0108. If you have concerns about someone who is working with a child, call 0300 456 0100 and ask for the Local Area Designated Officer for Child Protection (LADO).
Not sure who else to get in touch with? Click here to see Wiltshire Council’s list of helpful contacts.
Schools are legally required to follow set procedures, and the Local Authority instructs our DSL to report any obvious or suspected cases of child abuse. This includes non-accidental injury, severe physical neglect, emotional abuse, and/or sexual abuse. These procedures are intended to protect children who are at risk. Christ Church’s Child Protection Policy can be downloaded by clicking here, but it is also available from the school office on request.
For further information, you can download ‘Child Protection and your School’.
One of the ways we do this is by requiring a Disclosure and Barring Service certificate from anyone who works with children at our school (be it a paid or voluntary position).
Similarly, Christ Church Primary School is committed to ensuring that all staff/adults with responsibility for a child’s safety and welfare are trained to deal with incidents involving aggressive behaviour. In line with DfE and LA advice, they will only use physical intervention as a last resort. If used at all, it will be in the context of a respectful, supportive relationship with the pupil; we aim to ensure minimal risk of injury to pupils and staff. A copy of our school’s Physical Restrain Policy can be obtained on request from the school office.
Finally, the Wiltshire Children’s Safeguarding Board has produced an information booklet for parents and carers entitled ‘Keeping Your Child Safe – a Guide for Parents and Carers’. Please click here if you’d like to know more.
