At New Forest Alternative Provision, we want the same as you: for your child to be safe, happy and achieve their full potential.
As such, we have a commitment and statutory duty to Safeguard and promote the welfare of all of our students.
Sometimes we have to seek advice or support from external professionals such as social care services. We always endeavour to do this transparently and with the full support of parents, however, we have a legal duty to share our concerns whether we have parental consent or not.
Our Commitment to Safeguarding
Safeguarding underpins everything we do. Our staff are trained to identify concerns early, respond appropriately, and ensure that all students are safe, happy, and able to reach their potential.
This is NEVER a personal decision, but with the best interests of each child at the forefront of everything we do. Any action taken to safeguard students is informed by government legislation, which in turn informs our policies and procedures.
Safeguarding Leads
Our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL’s) manage any safeguarding concerns raised by students, parents/carers and staff.
DSL:
Owen Burson – DSL – Headteacher
Jane White – Deputy DSL- Assistant Head
Working Together to Protect Every Child
We believe safeguarding is a shared responsibility. By working closely with parents, carers, and external professionals, we ensure that every child receives the care and protection they need to thrive both in and out of school.
Safeguarding Training
All of our staff receive annual safeguarding training which incorporates the latest version of ‘Keeping Children Safe In Education’ guidance.
Additionally, all staff receive regular update training on specific safeguarding topics, for example PREVENT duty or online safety, via face to face or online training.
All of our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL’s) undertake refresher training every two years. Our. DSL’s also undertake additional training on specific topics.
Safeguarding Governor
NFCE has an independent governors board who oversee and support all its registered schools. The governing board has a designated safeguarding governor. Their role is to ensure the school has an effective:
- Child protection policy – they’ll find our child protection checklist and model policy helpful for this
- Staff code of conduct
- Policy for handling allegations of abuse against staff and volunteers, including allegations that don’t meet the harm threshold (low level concerns)
- Safeguarding response to children who are absent from education, particularly on repeat occasions and/or for prolonged periods
- Online monitoring system and online filters
They will also:
- Ensure the school has appointed a DSL from the senior leadership team (SLT), who has the appropriate status and authority to carry out their duties, and:
- Meet them regularly to make sure policies and procedures are effective
- Make sure the DSL has the additional time, funding, training, resources and support needed to carry out the role effectively
- Ask the DSL the right monitoring questions
- Make sure all staff and governors have had the appropriate level of training (as applicable)
- Make sure the school has appointed a designated teacher to promote the educational achievement of looked-after and previously looked-after children, and that this person has appropriate training
- Make sure the curriculum covers safeguarding, including online safety, which should be a running and interrelated theme in your whole school approach to safeguarding and related policies/procedures
- Make sure checks for the single central record are happening – but note that they shouldn’t do the checks themselves because a governor’s role is strategic, not operational
- Update the governing board on how monitoring activities are going