Safeguarding

At Springfield junior School, we regard the safeguarding of children as our main priority.

In case of a Safeguarding (Child Protection) issue, you will need to contact Mrs Viner (Designated Safeguarding Lead) straight away. In her absence, please see Mr Rycraft (ADSL), Mr Baker, Mrs Westgate or Miss Taylor.

Mrs Viner and any of the alternate DSLs can be contacted within the school day from 8.30am until 4.00pm via the front office on 01473 741300 or office@springfieldjuniors.net

We believe that we all have the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn. We all have the responsibility to make this happen.

We will ensure that:

The welfare of the child remains paramount
All children whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/ or sexual identity have the right to be protected from harm
All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately

We have a duty of care to refer to Social Services if there are any concerns regarding safeguarding. In some circumstances, this may happen without the consent or knowledge of parents/carers.

All staff at Springfield Junior School are trained to government requirements related to safeguarding children. This includes our volunteers. Four designated members of staff and a designated governor have received full training in respect of safeguarding issues.

Designated Senior Person: Mrs Viner
Alternate Designated Persons: Mr Rycraft
The named Safeguarding Governor: Mrs Green
School Online Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Viner
Designated Teacher for Children in Care (CiC): Mr Baker

We support our children’s use of the internet and seek to underpin their knowledge of safe use and protection. We provide our students with an awareness of how to stay safe online both in the school environment and beyond.

For more information please see the Children's Endeavour Trust Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy or Information Leaflet below. A hard copy can also be requested from the school office.

To speak to a member of staff about a safeguarding issue, please contact the school office on 01473 714300

The following policies may also be useful and can be found on our policies page:

Guidance and advice for parents and carers can be found on the Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership website.

Online Safety

Guidance, advice and links to other organisations for online safety can be found here on the Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership website.

Early help

At Springfield Junior, we understand that, from time to time, family life can have its complications. There may be times when you need some extra help and support. To support and advise you at such times, we have an Early Help Offer.

Who should I contact if I need help?

The first person to contact is your child's class teacher who will know who is best placed to help you. It may be that they can solve your problem straight away.

If you are concerned that a special educational need may be affecting your child's progress, please contact Mrs Gaffer, our SENDCo.

You may also choose to contact Mr Rycraft, our Family Support Worker, directly if you are having problems at home in relation to parenting strategies, financial concerns, sleep or anxiety. He will be able to support you and put you in contact with additional services who may be able to support you and your family.

What can we offer in response to your concerns?

There are a range of ways we can support families. We may arrange informal pastoral meetings, provide telephone support, use behaviour plans and risk assessments to support individual pupils. Depending on the nature of the concern, we can refer to outside agencies for support, such as the mental well-being hub and the Early Help Team.

We have a member of staff who is Thrive trained. The Thrive programme programme equips staff with the skills and resources to provide direct individual and small group support to students with social, emotional or mental health difficulties. Miss Whitmore runs bespoke interventions to support individual pupils.

For attendance concerns, support through school will be offered and, if necessary, the Educational Welfare Officer will be brought in for further help.

How will safeguarding procedures be effective in supporting families?

Springfield Junior School has six Designated Safeguarding Leads. However, all staff are trained to identify and report safeguarding concerns. Where there are concerns raised, the school will follow the school reporting procedures. The team will work with families and all relevant agencies through Child in Need or Child Protection teams to reduce and remove identified risks to children. Support will be given to families by social workers and other relevant agencies, including school.

How will children learn to keep themselves safe?

Curriculum provision, especially through PSHE lessons and additional work from outside agencies including NSPCC and the police, support our children in learning how to keep themselves safe. Childline posters are displayed in school.

Who might the school refer to for more help?

The Early Help Team
Children and Young People's Services
The In Year Fair Access Panel
Specialist Education Services (SES)
Counselling
Speech and Language Therapist
Educational Psychologist
Young Carers
Educational Welfare Officer
Citizen's Advice Bureau
Occupational Therapists
Food Banks
Children's Centres
Suffolk Family Information Services
Wellbeing Hub
Childnet Resources/Think U Know

Are you concerned about a child?

Everyone has a part to play in protecting and safeguarding children. For more information, click on the link: http://www.suffolkscb.org.uk/

If you need URGENT safeguarding assistance outside of school hours, you should contact Customer First on 0808 800 4005