‘Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility’

All children and young people linked with Believe Academy Trust, wherever they are, whoever they are with, whatever they are doing, have the right to protection from neglect, physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

All members of the organisation, as well as volunteers and adults permitted on school premises, have a responsibility for the protection of children and reporting concerns about a child’s welfare or safety.
Believe Academy Trust will ensure:

• Each academy has a Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputies who have overall accountability for safeguarding in their school.
• Networking and cluster meetings review and scrutinise Safeguarding as part of their responsibilities.
• Safeguarding arrangements are in place which are designed to take account of all possible safeguarding issues including: Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE), Child Financial Exploitation, County Lines, Preventing Radicalisation, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Honour Based Violence, Mental Health, Child on child abuse, Sexual violence and sexual harassment, Upskirting, Serious Violence, Contextual safeguarding risks, Domestic Abuse, Homelessness and Online Safety
• Adherence to safer recruitment practices
• Working alongside a school’s existing safeguarding processes, use MyConcern or CPOMS to record, monitor and review child protection, safeguarding and a whole range of pastoral and welfare issues.
• Arrangements for working together with other agencies and for sharing information with other professionals.
• Local authority’s procedures and practices established by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board are taken in to account and that there is compliance with any requests from that Board.
• Effective child protection, whistleblowing and staff behaviour policies and procedures are in place.
• A culture of listening to children and taking into account their wishes and feelings is developed.
• Appropriate supervision is provided and support for staff including undertaking safeguarding induction and training.
• Policies for dealing with allegations against people who work with children and those permitted on site are followed.
• Clear procedures are in place to handle allegations of abuse against children.
• Children are taught the skills they need to help safeguard themselves, including online safety through teaching and learning opportunities as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.
• Appropriate safeguarding responses for children who go missing from education are in place.
• All statutory responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children are fulfilled.

The wellbeing of our children is the paramount consideration in all circumstances.

Click here to download Believe Academy Trust's Safeguarding statement 2022-23