Child Protection and Safeguarding
It is a legal requirement for every school to have a named designated safeguarding lead. At Hele’s School, the designated safeguarding leads are Mrs S Crawford (Senior Designated Person, Years 7-9), Mrs E Clapham (Years 10-11) and Mr K Stone (Post 16).
You are welcome to contact any member of the safeguarding team using the following email address: safeguarding@heles.plymouth.sch.uk
Contact:
crawfords@heles.plymouth.sch.uk
NEVER KEEP CONCERNS ABOUT CHILDREN’S SAFETY TO YOURSELF
Remember these three important messages:
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All children have a right to be safe no matter what their circumstance
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Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility
- We all need to listen to children even though we may not always be comfortable with what we hear
Please contact us within school hours if you have a concern. We cannot keep safeguarding concerns about children and young people confidential and may need to pass on information to Children’s Social Care or the police to investigate further.
Useful contacts
If you have an urgent concern about a child or young person, you should contact the Plymouth Gateway Service; the child or young person may be someone in your own family, or friend’s or a neighbour’s child.
Plymouth Gateway Service is made up of a team of professionals who can offer advice and support about a variety of issues, including how to keep children safe.
Plymouth Gateway Service can be contacted on 01752 668000; select Option 1 – Children’s Services.
Alternatively, you can email the Plymouth Gateway Service at: gateway@plymouth.gov.uk.
You can also contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. If a child, young person or an adult is at immediate risk of harm, please contact 999.
Our policies and procedures are consistent with South West Child Protection procedures (for further details please see here) and respond to the statutory guidance outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021.
Young Persons Guide to Keeping Children Safe
Working Together To Safeguard Children
Government guidance to support mental health and wellbeing
Looking After Yourself and Your Children
NSPCC Website — 0808 800 5000
Parental Conflict
For advice and information on coping with added family stress around the COVID-19 situation, please see https://www.relate.org.uk/relationship-help/covid-19-advice-and-information.
If you feel you are experiencing, or at risk of, Domestic Abuse please see www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk or www.womensaid.org.uk
Several associated policies are attached below.
**Please note, Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy (WeST) is for operational guidance from September 2021, to be ratified at the first governors’ meeting of the year**