APTCOO Independent Special School Safeguarding Statement and Information
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If you have a safeguarding concern, please contact the school on 01623 629 902 and ask to speak to any of the staff members below:
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Michaela Ledsham: (Head Teacher) Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
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Abby Armstrong: (Deputy SENCO) Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
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Tracy Ford: Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
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Safeguarding and child protection is an integral part of the ethos of A Place To Call Our Own.
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A safe and caring environment helps our learners flourish into confident, happy people with a positive outlook on life.
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We listen to any concerns or worries our learners have and act accordingly to support them and make sure they are well cared for. Our links to outside agencies, our own Senior Mental Health Lead and our safeguarding team’s commitment to our learners' welfare provides the extra layer of protection that some children require.
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Our safeguarding team all have regular external training to allow them to carry out their work with skill, knowledge, and confidence. All staff working in the school have safeguarding training at least annually. This covers general safeguarding requirements, a deeper focus on a topic that is relevant at the time and a section on the Department for Education ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ guidance. This gives all staff the confidence they need to identify potential problems and raise any concerns in a timely and appropriate way.
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We think it is important to work in partnership with parents, carers, and outside agencies to support our learners achieve their full potential. There are occasions when our concern about a child may mean that we must consult other agencies. Whilst we would always aim to work in partnership with parents there may be exceptions to this when concerns are raised for the protection of a child.
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To promote a safe environment for learners, our recruitment policy includes all checks on staff and regular volunteers’ suitability, including Criminal Records Bureau checks in accordance with current legislation.
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The procedures, which we follow, have been laid down by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, and the school has adopted a Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy in line with this for the safety of all. If you want to know more about our procedures, please speak to the Headteacher.
To understand how we teach PSHE please look here for more information: https://pshe-association.org.uk/resource/planning-framework-learners-with-send
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Please visit our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy on the Policies Page: https://www.aptcoo.co.uk/important-information
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For further information
Useful links if you have a concern about a child or would like some more information:
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https://www.nspcc.org.uk/ (helpful information about how to safeguard children and links to get support) https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
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Or for more information on Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) click here