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

Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from deliberate harm.  It relates to aspects of school life including:

• pupils’ health and safety
• the use of reasonable force
• meeting the needs of pupils with medical conditions
• providing first aid
• educational visits
• intimate care
• internet or e-safety
• appropriate arrangements to ensure school security, taking into account the local contex

Sometimes, as a school, we need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our children are discussed with their parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that this would be contrary to their welfare.

                                                Are you concerned that a child is being abused or neglected?

If you are concerned about a child and you feel they are being abused, neglected or at risk of abuse/neglect, then you should consider making a safeguarding child referral.

Contact Blackburn with Darwen Children’s Advice and Duty Service (CADS) for confidential advice and consultation. Monday to Friday 08.45-17.00 please call:

01254 666400

If you are calling outside these hours please contact our Emergency Duty Team on 01254 587547.

You can contact the Blackburn with Darwen Local Safeguarding Children Board by following this link: http://www.lscb.org.uk/

You can also report your concerns online:

NSPCC Website: www.nspcc.org.uk

Or you can also speak to:

NSPCC 0800 800 5000

Childline 0800 1111