Safeguarding Information

Designated Safeguarding Leads

Riverside Primary Academy is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all students, staff and visitors.

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are key to ensuring that proper procedures and policies are in place and are followed with regard to child safeguarding issues. They will also act as a dedicated resource from which staff, volunteers and governors seek advice and support.

Due to the heavy workload in the area of safeguarding, our academy has five Designated Safeguarding Leads. They are:

Julie Goodfellow (Headteacher)
Lieanne Smith (Deputy Headteacher)
Jane Sumner (SLT, SENDCo and Inclusion Manager)
Ruth Knott (SLT)
Lois Wall (SLT)

: Mrs J Goodfellow

: Miss L Smith

: Mrs J Sumner

: Mrs R Knott

: Mrs L Wall

If you have any concerns relating to the wellbeing or safety of a child please speak directly to them by contacting the school office on 0191 460 1918 or by email: info@riversideprimaryacademy.org.uk.

What is Safeguarding and Child Protection?

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and prevent them from experiencing harm. This is everyone’s responsibility.

Safeguarding means:

protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
preventing harm to children’s health or development
ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.

Children includes everyone under the age of 18

In school this means – the policies and practices that we follow to keep children and adults safe and promote their well-being. E.g. safer recruitment, gate times, access to premises, security of the buildings, safeguarding and child protection policy compliance, engagement in staff training, curriculum content relating to safety, record keeping, professional discussions, identifying vulnerable and at-risk pupils, ensuring all staff are aware of legislation and KCSIE, all staff demonstrating compliance with Safeguarding responsibilities at various levels.

What is Child Protection?

Child protection is part of the safeguarding process which refers to systems and law. It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about a child.

Child protection is what is in place to protect children who have already experienced harm, abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation, or have otherwise been harmed.

Safeguarding Prevents whilst Child Protection Protects

Other useful contact numbers

Gateshead Council’s Children’s Services

https://www.gatesheadsafeguarding.org.uk/article/9179/Report-concerns-about-a-child

Childline: 0800 1111

https://www.childline.org.uk/

NSPCC:

0808 800 5000 to contact the NSPCC helpline if you’re worried about a child.

0800 1111 to contact the NSPCC if you are 18 or under

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

Young Carers Trust

https://www.carerstrusttw.org.uk/pages/category/young-carer-service

Being A young carer: your rights

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/support-and-benefits-for-carers/being-a-young-carer-your-rights/

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is a national scheme that operates jointly between schools and all police forces.

https://www.operationencompass.org/school-participation

Prevent

The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 contains a duty on specified authorities to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn in to terrorism.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance/revised-prevent-duty-guidance-for-england-and-wales