Safeguarding Policy
Safeguarding statement 2024
The safety and wellbeing of all children who attend MJSPA is a paramount consideration.
We recognise that safeguarding children is ‘everyone’s responsibility’ and we are committed to playing our part to keep our young performers safe and well.
Our safeguarding statement has been formed in line with the Children Act 1989, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018, and through consultation of the information provided by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership https://www.surreyscp.org.uk/.
Nothing is more important than children’s welfare. At MJSPA promoting the safety and wellbeing of our young people is at the heart of what we do. We want to develop young performers who are passionate about the arts but most importantly who grow into happy and resilient young people with the knowledge of how to take steps to keep safe and positively promote their mental wellbeing.
The purpose of this statement is to provide staff and volunteers within our organisation the framework they need in order to keep children safe and secure in our school. This policy will also inform parents and carers of how we will keep children safe whilst they are in our care.
Key Personnel:
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Megan Roser & Karen Jones
Contact details: megan@mjspa.co.uk
Terminology:
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:
• protecting children from maltreatment;
• preventing impairment of children’s health or development;
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care;
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Child Protection: is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.
Staff: refers to all those working for or on behalf of the school, full or part time, temporary or permanent, in either a paid or voluntary capacity.
Child(ren): includes everyone under the age of 18.
Parents: refers to birth parents and other adults who are in a parenting role, for example step-parents, foster carers and adoptive parents.
Social Care: refers to Children’s Services in the area in which the child is resident, unless a child is a ‘Child Looked After’ (CLA) then this will be the Children’s Services in their home authority.
SPA: refers to the Single Point of Access and the Child Protection Consultation Line including in emergency duty team (out of hours team).
MJSPA Policy, Principles & Values:
. The welfare of the child is paramount.
. Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility.
. Every child has the right to feel safe and secure to help them reach their full potential.
. All children have a right to be protected from harm and abuse.
. We will ensure that all staff working within our school who have substantial access to children have been checked as to their suitability, including verification of their identity, qualifications, and a satisfactory DBS check.
. All staff have a role in the prevention of harm and abuse and an equal responsibility to act immediately on any suspicion or disclosure that may indicate a child is at risk of, or is suffering harm.
. We acknowledge that working in partnership, as per the guidance from our local children’s safeguarding board (Surrey Safeguarding Children’s Partnership), with other agencies protects children and reduces risk and we will therefore play our part in this multi organisational approach.
. If we become concerned about the safety or welfare of a child we will always aim, in the first instance, to speak with the parent or carer of that child to express our concern and agree an appropriate course of action to move forward to safeguard and support that child.
. The above may not be followed if the safety or welfare of a child is at such an immediate risk to which we would need to contact 999.
. The following steps should be considered when assessing the risk posed to a child:
– If a child is in immediate danger, we may contact the police via 999 or 101.
– If we have concerns about the safety or welfare of a child, but do not think they are in immediate danger we can contact the appropriate social care team for where that child lives. This action would not be taken without discussing our concerns with the child’s parent or carer first. Most of our children are likely to be living under the social care teams at Surrey County Council:
SPA (Single Point of Access):
Availability: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
• Phone: 0300 470 9100
• Out of hours phone: 01483 517898 to speak to our emergency duty team.
– Alternatively to contacting the local authority directly, we are able to seek advice about anything to do with child welfare by contacting the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.
. Our school will support all children. We will promote a caring, safe and positive environment within the school.
. We will establish and maintain an ethos where children feel safe and secure and always feel listened too.
. We will encourage self-esteem and resilience building through positive relationships within the school community. We will ensure that our children and young people always know who they can talk to if they are concerned or have a worry e.g. their class teacher in the first instance.
. We will offer details of helplines and additional support for children if required or requested.
e.g. Childline 0800 1111 for children or the NSPCC Helpline for parents and carers 0808 800 5000
If a parent, carer or member of staff has any concerns about another member of staff or volunteer within our school, then we would encourage them to speak out to our designated safeguarding officer or to contact the NSPCC Helpline for advice.
Intruder Policy
Following recent events we have updated our safeguarding policy with an additional ‘Intruder Policy’. The purpose of this policy is to help prevent intruders entering a studio and to inform a teacher what to do in case an intruder does enter the room. For each venue we have discussed ways to ensure the site is secure during class. The policy can be found here
Policy Agreed: April 2023
Policy Review date: August 2024