Safeguarding at Cambourne Village College

Our safeguarding policy can be found on our policies page

 

Under the Education Act 2002 (section 175/157), schools must “make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children”.  

What is safeguarding?

• Protecting children
• Preventing harm to a child

We will endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued.

The school will therefore be alert to signs of abuse and neglect and will follow the Safeguarding Children Board procedures to ensure that children receive appropriate and effective support and protection.

Parents/carers should know that the law requires all school staff to pass on information which gives rise to a concern about a child’s welfare, including risk from neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse.  Records of safeguarding concerns may be kept about a child.  School staff will seek, in general, to discuss any concerns with parents, including referrals to other agencies. However, in situations where the child is suspected to be at risk of harm, the law says that schools may take advice from other agencies without informing parents/carers.

In accordance with legislation and local Information Sharing protocols, we will ensure that information is shared securely and sensitively.  Information will only be shared with other services where it is deemed necessary and proportionate to ensure that children and young people are safe and receive the right service. In all circumstances, the safety of the child will be the paramount concern.

Where there is a need to share special category personal data, the Data Protection Act 2018 contains ‘safeguarding of children and individuals at risk’ as a processing condition that allows professionals to share information. This includes allowing them to share information without consent, if it is not possible to gain consent, it cannot be reasonably expected that a professional gains consent, or if to gain consent would place a child at risk

Safeguarding staff at Cambourne Village College will seek advice from Social Care when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child may be suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm. Occasionally, concerns are passed on which are later shown to be unfounded.  Parents/carers will appreciate that the member of staff in the school with responsibility for child protection (known as the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Designated Person) was carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law and acting in the best interests of all children.

Under Section 3 (5) of the Children Act 1989, any person who has care of a child “may….do what is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the child’s welfare”.  This means that on rare occasions, a school may need to “hold” a child in school whilst Social Care and the Police investigate any concerns further.