Safeguarding

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play. School staff are in a position to identify concerns early, provide help for children, promote children’s welfare, prevent concerns from escalating, and educate children on how they can keep themselves and others safe. 

As a school we aim to safeguard and promote the welfare of children by: 

• Protecting children from maltreatment; 
• Preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development; 
• Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care, and; 
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes. 

United Learning is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS (previously CRB) check is required for all staff. 

If you have any concerns about the safety of any child, please speak to a member of staff who you feel comfortable with. Alternatively, if your concerns are about the use of digital media, you can report incidents to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.

All our staff have been trained in dealing with the signs of abuse and they understand the important role they must play in protecting our pupils from harm. We follow a clear set of procedures when concerns arise, and matters are dealt with sensitively. 

This policy has been devised in accordance with North Northamptonshire County Council guidelines and: 

• Pace UK information 
• Prevent Information Guide for Parents 
• Keeping Children Safe in Education 
• Working Together to Safeguard Children 
• Keeping Children Safe Online 

Please see the links below for information on our local safeguarding partnership and signposts to local support. 

https://northamptonshirescp.org.uk 

Sexual harassment and sexual abuse in any form is unacceptable. 
If you are a student and think you are the victim of sexual harassment or sexual abuse, or if you think you have witnessed this, we are here to help you. You can either; 

• speak to a member of staff, or 
• email our student welfare team on concern@montsaye.org  

Please remember that any staff member that you speak to cannot promise confidentiality. They will listen to you and then pass information on to a member of our student welfare team.

A dedicated helpline is now open to support anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse. 
The helpline is run by the NSPCC and will provide victims of abuse with the appropriate support, advice and onward action, including on contacting professionals or the police if they wish. The helpline will also provide support to parents and professionals too.

Telephone 0800 136 663, or email help@nspcc.org.uk. 
More information can be found at: 

https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021/04/01/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-governments-newly-launched-abuse-in-education-helpline/ 

For additional information and advice on specific safeguarding areas, we have provided details below (taken from Keeping Children Safe in Education – DfE) 

Bullying 

Advice for parents and carers on cyberbullying (DfE) - Click here 

Children with family members in Prison 

National Information Centre on Children on Offenders - Barnardo’s in partnership with HM Prison and Probation Service 

Drugs 

Information and advice on drugs – talk to Frank website 

Online Safety Advice 

Childnet – parent and carers toolkit 

Internet Matters - provides age-specific online safety checklists, guides on how to set parental controls, and practical tips to help children get the most out of their digital world. 

Specialist services 

Barnardo's - UK charity caring for and supporting some of the most vulnerable children and young people through their range of services. 

NSPCC - Children's charity specialising in child protection with statutory powers enabling them to take action and safeguard children. 

Childline - provides free and confidential advice for children and young people. 

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/ Thinkuknow is the education programme from CEOP, a UK organisation which protects children both online and offline. 

https://parentzone.org.uk

https://nationalonlinesafety.com/

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/digitalparenting

https://www.internetmatters.org

https://www.themix.org.uk

WhatsApp Parents safety guide

Snapchat checklist

https://www.childnet.com/