1. Policy Statement

[School Name] is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people in our care. We believe that every child deserves to be safe, healthy, and supported to reach their potential.

We recognise that safeguarding and child protection are the responsibility of every member of staff, volunteer, and governor. This policy applies to all adults working with or on behalf of the school, including supply staff, contractors, and volunteers.

The school will fulfil its statutory duty to safeguard children by:

• Creating a culture of openness, vigilance, and concern for children's welfare
• Ensuring all staff receive appropriate safeguarding training
• Following safe recruitment procedures for all staff and volunteers
• Reporting all concerns promptly to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and, where appropriate, to Children's Social Care
• Maintaining appropriate records in line with information-sharing principles

2. Roles and Responsibilities

The Headteacher

• Ensures a DSL is appointed and has sufficient time and resource to fulfil the role
• Ensures all staff read and understand Part One (and, where applicable, Annex A) of KCSIE 2025 annually
• Ensures this policy is reviewed and updated annually, or when statutory guidance changes
• Refers allegations against staff to the LADO within one working day

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The DSL is [name], [role]. In their absence, the Deputy DSL(s) [name(s)] will assume the responsibilities of the DSL.

• Manages all safeguarding referrals to Children's Social Care, the police, or other agencies
• Acts as the first point of contact for staff concerns and disclosures
• Maintains secure, chronological records of all safeguarding concerns
• Attends and contributes to multi-agency child protection conferences
• Undertakes DSL training every two years and updates knowledge regularly
• Ensures staff are trained appropriately and aware of safeguarding procedures

All Staff

• Understand their duty to report concerns — they must not investigate themselves
• Report concerns to the DSL without delay, including concerns about colleagues
• Read and sign to confirm understanding of Part One of KCSIE 2025 annually
• Follow the school's safe working practices as set out in the Staff Code of Conduct

Governors

• Ensure the school has an effective safeguarding policy, reviewed annually
• Appoint a Named Governor for Safeguarding to champion the board's oversight role
• Ensure the Single Central Record (SCR) is maintained and regularly audited
• Receive a safeguarding report from the DSL at least annually

3. What is Child Abuse?

Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment. A child may be abused by a parent, a carer, or any other person who has contact with them. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm or by failing to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family setting, in an institution, or in a community setting.

Category	Description	Indicators may include
Physical abuse	Hitting, shaking, throwing, burning, scalding, biting, or causing physical harm	Unexplained bruising, burns or injuries inconsistent with explanation; fear of going home; flinching
Emotional abuse	Persistent emotional maltreatment causing severe and persistent adverse effects on the child's emotional development	Extreme behaviour (aggression or withdrawal); lack of self-esteem; delayed development; excessive fears
Sexual abuse	Forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities; includes non-contact activities such as exposure to pornography	Age-inappropriate sexual knowledge; physical symptoms; self-harm; sexualised behaviour or language
Neglect	Persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs	Poor hygiene; hunger; inappropriate clothing; tiredness; untreated medical conditions

The school is also alert to the following specific safeguarding issues: child sexual exploitation (CSE); child criminal exploitation (CCE) including county lines; domestic abuse; female genital mutilation (FGM); forced marriage; honour-based abuse; modern slavery and trafficking; online/digital harm; radicalisation and extremism (Prevent); serious violence; and children missing from education.

4. Procedures When a Concern Arises

4.1 Responding to a disclosure

• Listen carefully and remain calm. Do not express shock or disbelief.
• Do not promise confidentiality — explain that you may need to share what is said.
• Do not investigate — ask open questions only (e.g. "Tell me more about that.") Avoid leading questions.
• Record the child's exact words as soon as possible, in a factual, non-interpretive way.
• Refer to the DSL immediately, or in their absence to the Deputy DSL.

4.2 Making a referral to Children's Social Care

Where a child is at risk of harm, the DSL will make a referral to [Local Authority] Children's Social Care at [telephone number]. If the child is in immediate danger, the DSL will call 999.

The DSL will follow up any verbal referral in writing within 24 hours. If, after consultation with Children's Social Care, no referral is made, the rationale will be recorded.

4.3 Allegations against staff

Any allegation that a member of staff has harmed a child, or may pose a risk to children, must be reported to the Headteacher immediately. If the allegation is against the Headteacher, it must be reported to the Chair of Governors. The LADO, [name and contact], will be informed within one working day. Staff must not investigate such allegations themselves.

5. Record Keeping and Information Sharing

All safeguarding concerns will be recorded on [school's recording system, e.g. CPOMS/MyConcern/paper Concern Log] and held securely. Records are not included in general pupil files and will be transferred separately if a child moves to another school, sent to the new school's DSL within five days of a child leaving.

Information will be shared with other agencies in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR, and the information-sharing guidance in Working Together 2023. The welfare of the child is the primary consideration when determining whether to share information.

6. Safer Recruitment

The school follows safer recruitment procedures in line with KCSIE 2025, including:

• Verifying identity and qualifications of all appointees
• Obtaining enhanced DBS certificates with Children's Barred List check for all staff in regulated activity
• Checking the prohibition from teaching list and, where applicable, the childcare disqualification declaration
• Taking up and scrutinising at least two references, including one from the most recent employer
• Maintaining a Single Central Record (SCR) of all pre-employment checks

7. Online Safety

The school takes online safety seriously as a safeguarding issue. [School Name] has an Online Safety Policy that sets out how the school manages and filters internet access, educates pupils about online risks, and responds to online safety concerns. Online safety incidents are reported to the DSL and, where appropriate, to CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command).

8. Policy Review and Monitoring

This policy will be reviewed at least annually by the DSL and Headteacher and presented to the Governing Body for approval. It will be reviewed earlier if new statutory guidance is issued. All staff will be made aware of any significant changes.

Template provided by The Safeguard Hub (safeguard-hub.org) · Aligned with KCSIE 2025 and Working Together 2023 · Review before use with your DSL