Safeguarding
Safeguarding at Victoria Road
The whole school community has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of our children. This means we have a Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and procedures in place. All staff members, including our volunteers and supply staff, ensure they are aware of our procedures and what they should do if they suspect that a child is at risk of abuse. Sometimes, we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We will endeavour to ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with their parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that this is not in the child’s best interests.
Your Safeguarding Team at Victoria Road are :
Designated Safeguarding lead
Mrs S-J Collins
They are supported by the following staff who are all L3 safeguarding trained.
Miss C Brake Mrs C Brinkhurst
Soon to complete Level 3.....
Mrs R Pitt Miss J Weatherston
Our Safeguarding Governor is Mrs Claire Prynne
Contact via main office on Tel: 01752 365411 or at office@victoriaroad.uk
If you wish to contact the Safeguarding Team
In School Hours;
If you would like to contact a member of the Safeguarding Team, email sarah-jayne.collins@victoriaroad.uk. If you would like to speak to a member of the Safeguarding Team the school will be open from 8am to 4pm to be able to take your call. Please, in the first instance, ask to speak to Mrs Sarah-Jayne Collins our school DSL on 01752 365411. However, if she is unavailable, another member of the team, will try to be on hand to support. In some cases, we may not be able to receive your call straight away. The school will always aim to return calls within 48 hours. If you feel that your safeguarding call is urgent, please see guidance below from Plymouth's MASH Team- Referral to Social Care.
Plymouth MASH Team Referral to Social Care
If You Are A Member Of The Public
If you’re worried about a child or young person, or think they’re being abused, please speak with a professional that works with children at the earliest opportunity. If possible, speak to someone that works with the child/family you are worried about. If you can’t do this or need any support, then please call 01752 668000 or email the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub at MASH@plymouth.gov.uk or outside of normal working hours, call Plymouth Out of Hours Service on 01752 346984.
Out of Hours;
When the school is closed, for example during the school holidays, safeguarding concerns will need to be shared via the MASH Referral Team. When the school has longer periods of time when it is closed, we can not guarantee that our safeguarding emails will always be responded to within the period of school closure. Therefore, we request that all safeguarding information is shared via the MASH team (see above).
Please click for links to:
Keeping Childre02150n Safe in Education 2024
Managing Allegations Flowchart for Staff and Parents
Operation Encompass - 10 Key Principles
Operation Encompass - Safeguarding Statement
Plymouth Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures
Policy
LAT Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy 2024
Operation Encompass Safeguarding Statement
Our school is part of Operation Encompass.
Operation Encompass is a national police and education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children and young people who experience Domestic Violence and Abuse and which is in place in every police force in England and Wales.
Children were recognised as victims of domestic abuse in their own right in the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act.
Operation Encompass means that the police will share information with our school about all police attended Domestic Abuse incidents which involve any of our children PRIOR to the start of the next school day.
Once a Key Adult (DSL) and their deputy/ies (DDSLs) have attended either an Operation Encompass briefing or completed the online Operation Encompass Key Adult training they will cascade the principles of Operation Encompass to all other school staff and Governors. All schools staff and Governors can undertake the online training.
Our DSL undertook L3 refresher training in February 2023
The main DDSLs undertook training in October 2022 and will complete PSCB top-ups in Autumn Term 2023.
Our parents are fully aware that we are an Operation Encompass school and we ensure that when a new child joins our school the parents/carers are informed about Operation Encompass.
The Operation Encompass information is stored in line with all other confidential safeguarding and child protection information.
As a staff we have discussed how we can support our children who are experiencing Domestic Violence and Abuse on a day-to-day basis and particularly following the Operation Encompass notification. We have used the Operation Encompass Handbooks to inform our thinking.
We are aware that we must do nothing that puts the child/ren or the non-abusing adult at risk.
The Safeguarding Governor will report on Operation Encompass in the termly report to Governors. All information is anonymised for these reports.
We have used the Operation Encompass Key Adult Responsibilities checklist to ensure that all appropriate actions have been taken by the school.
When Head Teacher, DSL or DDSLs leave the school and other staff are appointed, they will ensure that all Operation Encompass log in details are shared with the new Head Teacher /Key Adults and that the new member of staff will undertake the Operation Encompass online training.