Policies & Related DocumentsSafeguarding
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is of paramount importance and is everyone’s responsibility.
It is the responsibility of every member of staff, volunteer and regular visitor to our school to ensure that they carry out the requirements of this policy and, at all times, work in a way that will safeguard and promote the welfare of all of the pupils at this school. This includes the responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.
Our Safeguarding Children Process
- I have a safeguarding concern relating to a …child, parent, member of staff
- Write down your concern on CPOMS or a cause for concern sheet if you can’t gain access.
- Inform a member of the Safeguarding Team
- Advice will be given on the next steps
- A plan will be put in place
- Feedback to the referrer
Safeguarding Leads
Safeguarding Link Governor
Our Safeguarding Link Governor is: Mr M Burrell (Acting)
Our Safeguarding Link Governor attends termly Local Governing Committee meetings and also regularly attends school to carry our Safeguarding monitoring visits.
Safeguarding Policy
Child Friendly Safeguarding Policy
Internal Contact Details
| Role | Name | Contact Details |
| Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) / Headteacher | Mr N Reeson | smi@smi.bwcet.com 0191 584 05 42 |
| Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) / Deputy Headteacher | Mrs J Robson | smi@smi.bwcet.com 0191 584 05 42 |
| Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) / Assistant Headteacher | Mrs K Bajrami | smi@smi.bwcet.com 0191 584 05 42 |
| Safeguarding Link Governor | Mr M Burrell (Acting) | smi@smi.bwcet.com 0191 584 05 42 |
| Chair of Governors | Mr M Burrell | smi@smi.bwcet.com 0191 584 05 42 |
Key External Contact Details
| Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) | designatedofficer@togetherforchildren.org.uk Danielle Rose |
| Children’s Social Care | 0191 520 5560 Out of hours: 0191 520 5552 |
| Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub | 0191 561 7007 |
| Police / Law and Order | Emergency: 999 Non-emergency: 101 Prevent: 0191 561 1591 Anti-terrorist hotline 0800 789 321 |
| NSPCC whistleblowing helpline (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm) | Address: Weston House, 42 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH Helpline: 0800 028 0285 |
| Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) | Address: PO Box 3961, Royal Wootton Bassett, SN4 4HF customerservices@dbs.gov Tel: 03000 200 |
| Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA) | Address: Cheylesmore House, 5 Quinton Rd, Coventry CV1 2WT misconduct.teacher@education.gov.uk Tel. Teacher misconduct: 0207 593 5393 |
| Ofsted | whistleblowing@ofsted.gov.uk Whistleblowing hotline: 0300 1233 155 (8am -6pm Mon-Fri) |
| Independent Schools Inspectorate | concerns@isi.net Tel: 0207 6000 100 |
Advice for Families
Online Safety
Learning how to be safe online is an integral part of education in today’s digital world. The internet is so important for children- they use it to play, learn and socialise. It is a place of fantastic opportunities; however the technology children use can cause worry regarding the potential risks they may face.
At St Michael’s we want to help our parents and children improve their own understanding of issues that may arise online. We want everyone to learn to use the internet and all digital media in a safe and secure way. We expect children to actively learn the responsible use of the internet through our ongoing work on being safe online through age-appropriate understanding of the potential risks.
This year the children have been introduced to SMART, to help keep themselves safe online:
S- SAFE– Don’t give out your own information.
M- MEET– Don’t meet up with people you have met online.
A- ACCEPTING– Only open messages from people you trust.
R- RELIABLE– Only talk to real world friends and family when online.
T- TELL– Tell a trusted adult if something you see online makes you feel uncomfortable.
You can help support your child at home by being aware of risks that may occur. Talking to your child about how they use the internet can also be beneficial. If you need more information, you may find these links helpful, or talk to your child’s teacher.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
As a healthy school we promote the health and well-being of all our pupils in school. We fully understand the role we have to help children to succeed and support them to be resilient and mentally healthy. We are aware that children can experience a range of events both happy and sad throughout their time at school. Staff at school are sensitive and skilled at working with children who may have experienced loss or separation, life changes such as moving house, a birth of a sibling and events of a traumatic nature.
At St Michael’s we have a range of support that children and families can access. We aim to work closely with parents, carers and other professionals to ensure we provide timely interventions to meet mental health needs.
If you have a concern please speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance. Alternatively, you might like to read the information about our School Counselling Service below.
Operation Encompass
What we deliver….
Operation Encompass directly connects the police with schools to secure better outcomes for children who are subject to or experience police-attended incidents of domestic abuse. Rapid provision of support within the school environment means children are better safeguarded against the short-, medium- and long-term effects of domestic abuse.
What we do….
Operation Encompass provides an efficient, confidential channel of communication between police forces and Key Adults within schools. This enables the immediate and discrete recognition of the child’s situation by the Key Adult, ensuring a secure and sympathetic environment is provided and the broader effects of abuse are addressed.
Who we are….
Operation Encompass is a charitable organisation set up in 2011, which has since enabled effective interventions to many thousands of children who’ve experienced domestic abuse. Our volunteers, trustees, and patrons are working tirelessly to ensure that police and schools throughout the country are able to address victims of domestic abuse consistently and coherently.
Prevent
THE impact of Covid-19, social isolation and a rise in hateful extremism online is creating a ‘perfect storm’ which is making more young people vulnerable to radicalisation and other forms of grooming.
But parents, friends and families can now get specialist support to stop their loved ones being drawn into harmful activities or groups, with the launch of ACT Early – a new dedicated safeguarding website and advice line from the specialists at Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP).
This new resource will provide advice, guidance and support for anyone who is concerned that someone they know may be at risk from being radicalised by terrorists or extremist content online.
Between 1st January 2019 and 30th June 2020, 17 children have been arrested in relation to terrorism offences. Some were as young as 14 years old, while nearly all will have been radicalised entirely online. In the same time period, more than 1500 children under the age of 15 were helped by the Prevent programme to choose a different path, away from hatred and violence.
Family and friends are best placed to spot the worrying behaviour changes which can indicate that a loved one is heading down a path towards terrorism, but currently just 2% of referrals into the Government’s anti-radicalisation programme Prevent come from that group of people.
Prevent is just that – a preventative programme, delivered locally by teachers, healthcare practitioners, social workers, the police, charities, and religious leaders. It places protection around people vulnerable to radicalisation, stopping them from being drawn into terrorism – regardless of the ideology.
It works in a similar way to safeguarding processes designed to protect people from gangs, drug abuse, and sexual exploitation.
And with Covid-19 preventing regular access to schools, social workers and mental health support, specialists at CTP are concerned that people who need help are not getting it – which makes it more important for friends and family to use the new ACT Early resources to understand what might be happening to their loved one and what support Prevent can provide.
“We are seeing more young people being drawn towards terrorist activity,” says the Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu.
“Last year, 12 children under the age of 18 were arrested in relation to terrorism offences, some as young as 14-years-old. That is a relatively new and worrying trend in the UK, because just a few years ago we were not seeing anyone that young amongst our casework.
“What concerns me most is this – there has been a sharp increase in extremist material online in the last few years, and Covid-19 has meant that vulnerable people are spending a lot more time isolated and online, and with fewer of the protective factors that schooling, employment, friends and family can provide.
“In my opinion that is a perfect storm, one which we cannot predict and that we might be feeling the effects of for many years to come.
“But I remain hopeful, because there is something we can do right now to try and stop this. It requires parents, friends and family to help us by acting early, by talking to their children about what they view online, and sharing their concerns and seeking support if they fear someone they know is in danger of being radicalised.
“Asking for help is a difficult and emotional step, but we must see it for what it is – action which won’t ruin their lives but may well save them.”
Someone who knows all about the dangers that extremism and radicalisation can pose is Kath Jack from Families and Extremism Support, whose son was convicted of being a member of the proscribed Right Wing Terrorism group, National Action, after being radicalised online and who now works to help other families in similar situations before it is too late.
Kath said: “My son is now trying to rebuild his life in prison after being drawn down a path by extremists. But his story could have been so different if I had had advice and support like this available to me. I did know something was going wrong in his life but didn’t know enough about what it was, how to talk to him about it without arguments or where to go for help. When the police did try to intervene he refused to engage with them because by then it was too late.
“So I would encourage any other mums, dads or wider friends and families to Act Early and seek help and support. The police and other services can help turn lives around if you tell them what’s going on soon enough.”
If you are worried that someone you know is being radicalised, visit http://www.actearly.uk/ You won’t be wasting our time and you won’t ruin lives, but you might save them.
For help and advice visit www.actearly.uk, or call the national Police Prevent Advice Line on 0800 011 3764, in confidence, and our specially trained Prevent officers will listen carefully to your concerns.
Safer Recruitment
Safer recruitment is a set of practices to help make sure our staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children and young people. It’s a vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keep our students safe from harm.
Safer recruitment should be a continuing process of improvement for every school, club, business or organisation whose work or services involve contact with children.
Thinking about applying for a job at St. Michael’s?
When we advertise and post at St. Michael’s Catholic School we send out a clear safeguarding message. Every advert for a role in the school includes a statement about the commitment to keeping children safe. Jobs within the school require a criminal record check and a clear DBS. This is always included within the job advert.
Providing an application pack ensures that people interested in applying for a role within our school have all the information they need about our school and the advertised vacancy.
We use specific application forms for all roles. This helps make sure that we get all the information that we need from each candidate.
We include an overview of your safer recruitment process so that candidates understand what information will be sought from them and why, and what will be expected of them at each stage of the process.
As part of the application process, we will perform a check on your online presence, this may lead to us having conversation with you regarding anything we find or the privacy of your content. We also hold the right to perform reasonable checks throughout your time in employment.
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Updated | 11th November, 2025 |
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The Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust is an exempt charity. It is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales under company registration number 07890590. The registered office address is Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education HQ, Barmston Court, Turbine Business Park, Nissan Way, Washington, SR5 3NY.