Safeguarding and Internet Safety

Safeguarding

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:

• Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge;
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online;
• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical 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 have the best outcomes.

The Dorcan Academy’s first priority is the welfare of our students. We are committed to the highest standards of protecting and safeguarding the students entrusted to our care at all times.

In order to protect our students at The Dorcan Academy we aim to:

• Create an atmosphere where all students can feel safe, secure, valued and listened to;
• Recognise signs and symptoms of abuse
• Respond quickly and effectively to cases of suspected abuse.

The Dorcan Academy will support all students by:

• Promoting a caring, safe and positive environment within the Academy
• Encouraging self-esteem and self-assertiveness, whilst not condoning aggression or bullying of any kind

All adults working in our setting maintain an attitude of ‘ it could happen here’. We recognise that staff, because of their contact with and knowledge of children in their care, are well placed to identify abuse or neglect and offer support to children in need. 

We will contact parents/carers should safeguarding concerns arise about their child, unless to do so would increase the risk of harm to the child. In this instance, we take further advice and guidance from our children’s social care team.

Contact details for Children’s Social Care

Children and Families, Contact Swindon serves as the ‘front door’ to access the Council’s children’s social care services. It is available to families, residents and professionals across the Borough.

• Phone: 01793 464646  (during normal office hours which are 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday, and 8.30am to 4.00pm Friday)
• Email: contactchildrenandfamilies@swindon.gov.uk
• The Emergency Duty Service (EDS) is available outside office hours on 01793 436699

Record-keeping

We maintain contemporaneous records of all safeguarding and child protection concerns, actions and communications. We work in line with the DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe In Education’ and follow the information-sharing guidance included in this document and in ‘Information-sharing : advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers.’

Our safeguarding team

Worried about a child?

Designated Safeguarding Lead – Miss Lang klang@dorcan.co.uk

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Miss Roberts sroberts@dorcan.co.uk

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Mr Williams rwilliams@dorcan.co.uk

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Mrs Morley pmorley@dorcan.co.uk

Worried about an adult who works or volunteers with children?

Headteacher – Mrs Bareham sbareham@dorcan.co.uk

Chair of Trustees – Mrs Newitt governors@dorcan.co.uk

Below are a number of useful links and information for students and parents:

Internet Safety

The internet and other digital and information technologies are powerful tools, which open up new opportunities for everyone. Electronic communication helps teachers and students learn from each other. These technologies can stimulate discussion, promote creativity and increase awareness of context to promote effective learning. Children and young people should have an entitlement to safe internet access at all times.

The requirement to ensure that children and young people are able to use the internet and related communications technologies appropriately and safely is addressed as part of the wider duty of care to which all who work in education settings are bound. An academy e-safety policy should help to ensure safe and appropriate use.

Please download the E-Safety Guidance below.