Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children has an important role to play.

The Straits Primary School staff aim to identify concerns early, provide help for children, promote children’s welfare and prevent concerns from escalating. It is important all staff (including those who do not work directly with children) recognise the important role they play in protecting children.

Key Personnel

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Headteacher  is:

Mr Freear

Email: pfreear@straits.dudley.sch.uk

Telephone: 01384 818575

The deputy DSL and Deputy Head is: 

Mr Wade

Email: dwade@straits.dudley.sch.uk

Telephone: 01384 818575

The nominated safeguarding governor is:  Lewis Bourne

Email: lewis.bourne@dudley.gov.uk Telephone: 01384 818575

Safeguarding at The Straits Primary School

The school aims to ensure that:

• We establish and maintain an ethos where children feel secure and are encouraged to talk and are listened to.
• We ensure that children know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried or are in difficulty.
• We ensure that if staff have any concerns about a child’s welfare, we act on them immediately, following our organisation’s child protection policy and speak to the designated safeguarding lead (or deputy).
• We include in the curriculum activities and opportunities (specifically through PHSRE/computing) which equip children with the skills they need to stay safe from abuse (including online) and to know where to get help.
• We ensure every effort is made to establish effective working relationships with parents/carers and colleagues from other agencies.
• We operate safer recruitment procedures and make sure that all appropriate checks are carried out on new staff and volunteers who will work with children including identity, right to work, enhanced DBS criminal record and barred list (and overseas where needed), references, and prohibition from teaching or managing in schools.
• Appropriate action is taken in a timely manner to safeguard and promote children’s welfare.
• All staff are aware of their statutory responsibilities with respect to safeguarding.
• Staff are properly trained in recognising and reporting safeguarding issues.

Managing Concerns

If a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, or in immediate danger, speak directly to the DSL who will make a referral to Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and/or the police. If the DSL is not available, you may contact the police/MASH directly and then tell the DSL as soon as possible that you have made a referral directly.

Dudley Report it page:  https://safeguarding.dudley.gov.uk/tell-us/

MASH: 0300 555 0050 / Out of Hours Duty Team: 0300 555 8574

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is a process whereby the police and county council will inform a member of staff if a child or young person has experienced any domestic incident. This will be done prior to the start of the next school day. Information sharing between professional agencies allows school staff to provide emotional and practical support to their pupils experiencing domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse can broadly be defined as ‘any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour; violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who have been intimate partners or family members. This can include but is not limited to the following types of abuse – psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional.

Operation Encompass ensures that a member of the school staff, usually the Designated Safeguarding Lead, is given special training, to enable them to liaise with the police and Local Authority in receiving and using the information that has been shred, in confidence.