Safeguarding
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility.
Ibstock Place School (‘the School’) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people. This means ensuring safeguarding and child protection are at the forefront and underpin all relevant aspects of process and policy development at the School.
All systems, processes and policies should operate with the best interests of the child at their heart. The School has an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ and expects all staff and Governors to share this commitment.
The School will:
- provide an environment which fosters a supportive School community and an open culture where all feel able to share concerns about another’s wellbeing, know that those concerns will be listened to and acted upon effectively and sensitively;
- provide an ethos of care whereby class teachers and tutors get to know pupils such that they are more readily aware of a child in need of support or ‘changes’ which may indicate abuse or a safeguarding concern;
- raise awareness for Staff of the need to safeguard pupils and of their responsibilities to identify and report possible cases of abuse, neglect, or a child in need through guidance and training;
- provide a systematic means of monitoring children known to be in need, or who have suffered or are at risk of suffering harm;
- ensure that all vulnerable children are provided with appropriate support in School and that their needs are identified and responded to effectively;
- develop and implement procedures to be followed by all Staff in cases of suspected abuse or other child welfare concerns;
- develop and promote effective working relationships with other agencies including the Police and Children’s Services;
- to work in partnership with parents and carers in the best interests of pupils;
- ensure that all adults within the School who have access to children have been checked as to their suitability to work safely with children;
- emphasise the need for effective communication about Safeguarding issues between all members of Staff.
Safeguarding and Child Protection Teams:
Senior School
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Sarah Finch
Prep School
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Sarah Finch
Whisper
All students are encouraged to speak to staff or peers if they have concerns, but in cases where an individual does not feel confident in doing so, the school’s WhisperApp allows them to anonymously report inappropriate behaviour.
Using their phone students are able to access the app, submit their concern, and receive advice from a member of staff through the chat function.
Reporting a Concern
If you have a concern after school hours, on the weekend or during the holidays, it is extremely important that you seek the appropriate help in an emergency.
We want to support our pupils in dealing with any issues, or concerns, that you may have, but during the evening, weekends and holidays staff are not always available.
Trying to contact teachers out of hours and during school holidays will only delay you or others getting the urgent support that is needed.
- If you think that you are in danger and need urgent support, you should phone 999.
- If you think that a friend is in danger, you should also phone 999.
- Alternatively, you can inform your parent/carers, or the parents/carers of the friend.
- Pupils and/or parent cares can make the contact with the police or the local authority in which you live (MASH - Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub).
Local Authority Contact Telephone Numbers:
If you do not believe a child to be in danger and requiring of urgent report but wish to report a safeguarding concern to the School please complete this form:
Safeguarding Disclosure Form
