At J H Godwin Primary School the safety of our children is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and wellbeing of our pupils and we expect all staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment. We believe that pupils have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment, which includes the right to protection from all types of abuse. At J H Godwin, staff are vigilant for all signs of any pupil in distress and are confident about applying safeguarding processes.
Safeguarding is about ensuring that everyone is safe form harm, safe from bullying, safe from people who could abuse, safe from discrimination or harassment and that we all feel safe in our environment.
If you are ever concerned about the safety or wellbeing of someone in our school please talk to one of the school’s safeguarding team.
Our Safeguarding Team
At J H Godwin Primary we listen to our pupils and we take anything they tell us very seriously. All school staff are trained at least annually in safeguarding processes and procedures, and children are made aware that they can talk to any adult in school if they have any worries or concerns. Staff are trained to look out for signs of abuse or neglect and are required to report these to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Mrs Cartledge, Mrs Lochlin and Miss Skingsley immediately. We also use a system in school called CPOMS which enables us to log incidents and concerns.
The procedures we follow have been set out by the Chester and Cheshire West Safeguarding Children Partnership and we take account of all guidance issued by the Department for Education (DfE). The school has adopted a robust Safeguarding Policy which is available at the bottom of this page or you can request a paper copy.
Our first priority is your child’s welfare and school is required to take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of its pupils. There may be times when we have reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse and we will ensure that these concerns are discussed with the child’s parents or carers in the first instance, unless we have reason to believe that such a conversation would be contrary to the child’s welfare. In such a case, the school is required to follow the Child Protection procedures established by the Chester and Cheshire West Safeguarding Children Partnership and inform the Integrated Access and Referral Team (iART) or the Emergency Duty Team (EDT) for help and advice.
If a member of staff has concerns which relate to the actions or behaviour of another member of staff (which could suggest they are unsuitable to work with children) then they must report this to the Headteacher who will seek advice from the the Integrated Access and Referral Team (iART) or the Emergency Duty Team (EDT) for help and advice
We endeavour to maintain an ethos in school where children feel secure and where they are encouraged to talk and are listened to. Through the curriculum, opportunities are created to equip children with the skills they need to stay safe from harm.
Operation Encompass
At J H Godwin Primary School, we are committed to providing the very best support and care for our children.
Operation Encompass is an initiative to safeguard and support children in education where domestic violence occurs in their home and was originally launched in 2011. All Chester and Cheshire West schools participate in the scheme which is run in partnership with Cheshire Police.
Following a domestic violence incident attended by Cheshire Police, at which children from our school were present, Cheshire Police will notify one of our trained Key Adults prior to the start of the next school day. This enables us to provide the most effective support for our children.
The trained KEY ADULTS at J H Godwin Primary school are:
- Mrs Cartledge (Headteacher)
- Mrs Lochlin (Family Liaison)
- Miss Skingsley (Deputy Headteacher)
Useful Documents
Please take the time to read our policies and additional information, and do not hesitate to contact Mrs Cartledge (Designated Safeguarding Lead) or Mrs Lochlin (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead) or Miss Skingsley should you have any questions.
All of our school policies can be found in the Statutory Information tab on our website, in the policy section.
We actively support the Government’s Prevent Agenda to counter radicalism and extremism. Click here if you would like more information about this.
Chester and Cheshire West Safeguarding Children Partnership website has a section for parents and carers. Click here for further information.
If you would like more information about the legislation that schools have to follow then please click the following links:
- Keeping Children Safe in Education (2023)
- Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)
- The Children Act (1989)
Early Help
Early Help means taking action as soon as a problem emerges. It can be required at any stage in a child’s life from pre-birth to adolescence and applies to any problem or need that the family can’t deal with alone. Early Help means better outcomes for children and families. Effective Early Help will resolve problems before they become overwhelming.
We understand just how complicated family life can be. From time to time there may be situations where you need some extra help and support. If things aren’t right at home then please come and talk to us. We can help in many different ways. J H Godwin Primary works hard to provide Early Help to those children and families in the school community who need support to assist them at a difficult time in their life.
As an alternative to seeking help from school, Wirral have launched the Chester and Cheshire West Family Toolbox – a useful resource for parents and carers to seek out advice and support for themselves. Click here to take a look.
The NSPCC website also contains useful help and advice for parents. Click here
SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY
Report a concern
If you are a member of the public and have concerns about a child’s welfare, or feel that they may be being abused or neglected, please call the Integrated Access and Referral Team (iART) or the Emergency Duty Team (EDT) for help and advice. Alternatively you can call the police.
Telephone: i-ART – 0300 123 7047
The team can be contacted 8.30am to 5pm from Monday to Thursday and 8.30am – 4.30pm on Friday.
If you have an urgent concern outside these hours, or over a bank holiday, please call the Emergency Duty Team (out of hours) on 01244 977277*.
Alternatively call Cheshire Police: 101 for non-emergencies or 999 in an emergency
It is important children see us a being supportive and our ultimate aim is to keep them safe.