Safeguarding Overview

What is safeguarding? 

Safeguarding is 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; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes. 

We are all responsible for the welfare of children and keeping the environment safe.  

What to do if you have a concern 

If you have a concern about your child, a relative or another pupil at The Birley Academy, please contact: 

You can also speak to any other member of the safeguarding team using the main school number: 01925 755458. 

Safeguarding checks 

At the Birley Academy, we take safeguarding very seriously. When recruiting any member of staff, we adhere to the guidance laid down in keeping children safe in education (KCSIE). 

All adults who work on our site are required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This is to prevent any unsuitable people from working with Birley Academy pupils.  

All visitors are supervised when on site. 

Staff training 

Our staff are vigilant for all kinds of safeguarding concerns, including bullying, online safety, emotional or other abuse or extremist behaviour.  

They have read and understood the first section of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and attend regular child protection training. In addition, they have access to a wide range of safeguarding training through the online national college training portal. Staff can revise trust or school training resources at any time.  

We have clear procedures in place where any potential safeguarding concerns are identified. We share information with other public bodies – within agreed protocols. 

Staff awareness: 

Staff are alert to any signs that may indicate that a student is being subjected to abuse.  Signs could include: – 

  • Physical marks, for example, bruises, cuts etc 
  • Things said or written by the student or those who know them. 
  • Changes in behaviour or demeanour. 
  • A reluctance to go home. 
  • Inappropriate sexual behaviour/language or promiscuity. 
  • Destructive behaviour for example, self-harm, eating disorder, alcohol/substance abuse, lack of self-care. 
  • Neurotic behaviour. 
  • Poor attendance. 
  • Signs of neglect e.g., constant hunger, tiredness, unkempt, dirty, untreated ailments etc 
  • Lack of supervision. 
  • Reluctance to change for physical education (PE) 
  • Lack of trust in adults 
  • Staff must also have regard to their Prevent Duty, the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.  Students can be susceptible to radicalisation in the same way as they are susceptible to grooming. 

Whenever staff are dealing with a potential safeguarding issue, the welfare of the student will always be put first. 

What does a member of staff do if a student tells them they are being abused? 

This is known as a disclosure.  A disclosure is the process by which children and young people start to share their experiences of abuse with others. This can take place over a long period of time – it is a journey, not one act or action. 

Staff will  

  • never offer confidentiality.   
  • explain to the student that any concerns regarding their welfare will be passed on so that support can be given to improve the situation. 
  • stay calm and listen to what the student is saying.   
  • allow the student to tell them as much as they feel comfortable without pressing them for more information. 
  • not try to investigate.  
  • never put words into a child’s mouth or ask leading questions for example, “did your parent hit you?”.  
  • Not delay in passing on what has been said at the end of the disclosure, to the designated senior lead for safeguarding. This is because the staff member could be the only person who has a piece of information that could be added to other concerns already held about the child. 

Staff distinguish between fact and opinion and avoid their own judgements when reporting a safeguarding concern.  

Further advice can be found here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-to-do-if-youre-worried-a-child-is-being-abused–2

What should staff do if they discover concerns in the evenings or at the weekend? 

  • If a member of staff discovers something in the evening or at the weekend which leads them to believe that a student’s welfare could be in imminent danger, they must take advice from the duty social worker at Sheffield Safeguarding Hub on 0114 273 4855 (24 hours)
  • If the information received is a concern but the child’s welfare is not under imminent threat, the concern should be logged on My Concern.  If there is any doubt, staff should ring the number (above) for advice. 
  • If a member of staff has concerns about poor or unsafe practices/procedures within the school, they should use the Trust whistleblowing policy. This policy can be found in the policies section of the school website. It provides guidance on how to whistle blow and also gives Trust contacts.  
  • Further advice can be obtained from the NSPCC on their website or on 0808 800 5000. 

Policies 

We have many policies in place that support our commitment to safeguarding, including a child protection, and safeguarding policy. Each of these policies can be found on our policies page. These include: 

  • Attendance Policy 
  • Anti-bullying policy 
  • Behaviour policy 
  • Child Protection and Safeguarding policy 
  • Online safety policy 
  • Whistle Blowing Policy 

Remember, we are here to help. Please contact the Academy if you would like to talk to somebody and a member of the Safeguarding Team will return your call. 

Useful Links

Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2

Sheffield Local Safeguarding Children’s Board website

https://www.safeguardingsheffieldchildren.org/scsp