Our Statement

At Hackness and Wykeham CE Schools’ Federation, we recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. We make every effort to provide a safe and welcoming environment underpinned by a culture of openness where both children and adults feel secure, able to talk and believe that they are being listened to.

'Nothing is more important than children’s welfare. Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, stable, and loving home. Children who need help and protection deserve high quality and effective support. This requires individuals, agencies, and organisations to be clear about their own and each other’s roles and responsibilities, and how they work together. In this guidance, a child is defined as anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. ‘Children’ therefore means ‘children and young people’ throughout. The term practitioner is used in the guidance to refer to individuals who work with children and their families in any capacity, including a range of professionals, such as qualified social workers and those who work for the statutory safeguarding partners or in education settings. Whilst it is parents and carers who have primary care for their children, local authorities, working with partner organisations and agencies, have specific duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in their area. The Children Act 1989 1 sets out specific duties to provide services to children in their area if they are in need and to undertake enquiries if they believe a child has suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm.'

Working together to Safeguard Children 2023

This applies to teaching staff, teaching assistants, non-teaching staff, premises staff, governors, volunteers and anyone else who is responsible for, or is in contact with, children in our schools.

Our aim is to safeguard and promote our pupil’s welfare, safety, health and guidance by fostering an honest, open, caring and supportive climate.

The pupils’ welfare is of paramount importance. We fully recognise the contribution it can make to protecting children and supporting pupils in schools.

If you are concerned about the safety of your child, or a child you know, you should act without delay.

Our designated safeguarding leaders are:

Mrs Janet Spittal (Executive Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead)

Mrs Louise Peers (Deputy Safeguarding Lead - Hackness CE Primary)

Mrs Rowena Thorp (Deputy Safeguarding Lead - Wykeham CE Primary)

Mrs Karen Price (Child Protection Governor)

Safeguarding Information for Parents

As a federation we fully recognise the responsibility we have to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. An overwhelming majority of parents agree or strongly agree that their child is safe at our schools (Parental Survey October 2023) because we have children's safety and well-being as a key priority and have strong safeguarding procedures including:

• Working together with other agencies to ensure adequate arrangements within our school to identify, assess, and support those children who are suffering harm. 
• Safer recruitment practices when appointing new staff and volunteers.
• Regular training for our staff and governors to ensure the welfare and safety of our children.
• Clear guidance for staff and volunteers on how to behave and work with children and young adults. 
• Staff are highly vigilant and report and log any concerns they have about a child's well-being swiftly. 
• An ethos where concerns are discussed with parents, and children know that they can talk about their worries to an adult they trust.
• Safe computer access, with secure filtering and training for children and staff in e-safety. 
• Safeguarding procedures which follow the recommended procedures by North Yorkshire County Council.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding the safety of a child please contact our designated safeguarding leaders on the number above.

Where there are significant immediate concerns about the safety of a child, you should contact the police on 999.

Everyone has a responsibility to refer a child when it is believed or suspected that a child:

• Has suffered significant harm and /or;
• Is likely to suffer significant harm and/or;
• Has developmental and welfare needs which are likely only to be met through provision of family support services (with agreement of the child’s parent).
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If you believe the situation is urgent but does not require the police, please call 0300 131 2 131 to make a telephone contact.

Should your call be outside of business hours (Monday – Friday / 9am-5pm) please still call 0300 131 2 131 to speak to the Emergency Duty Team.

For further information please visit: http://www.safeguardingchildren.co.uk/

For information on domestic abuse please visit the following websites:

Women’s Aid http://www.womensaid.org.uk/ or IDAS www.idas.org.uk/

For Internet Safety Support please go to the Useful Links section in Information for Parents. 

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass, has been designed to provide early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of normal school hours and that might have had an impact on a child attending our school the following day. This information will be shared at the earliest opportunity between Monday and Friday. When an incident occurs over the weekend the school will be notified on the Monday by the police. A nominated member of school staff, known as a key adult, will receive the information from the police. They will be able to use the information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that our school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children or their families. Information will be shared where it is identified that a child or young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident. 

Allegations against staff 

In accordance with Working Together (2023), if you are concerned or wish to make an allegation that a volunteer or member of staff who works with children has:
– behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;
– possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child; or
– behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children; or
– behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children

You should contact the Duty Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) on 01609 533080.

A referral should be sent to the LADO within one working day using the LADO Referral Form, giving as much detail as possible.  Completed LADO Referral Forms should be emailed using secure mail to the lado@northyorks.gov.uk or if you do not have a secure email address please contact 01609 533080 within office hours.