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 Deputy Safeguarding lead Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Mrs S Burnett Mrs S-J Collins Mrs M Anderson
They are supported by the following staff who are all L3 safeguarding trained.
Mrs C Brinkhurst
Our Safeguarding Governor is Mrs Claire Prynne
Contact via main office on Tel: 365411
Please click for links to:
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023
Managing Allegations Flowchart for Staff and Parents
Operation Encompass - 10 Key Principles
Operation Encompass - Safeguarding Statement
Plymouth Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures
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.