School Safety
All visitors to Garnetbank Primary School should enter from the main Renfrew Street entrance and must sign in at the Janitor’s Office. A visitors badge will be given. On leaving the school the badge should be returned and the visitor will be asked to sign out.
CHILD SAFETY / PROTECTION POLICY
All educational establishments and services must take positive steps to help children protect themselves by ensuring that programmes of health and personal safety are central to the curriculum and should have in place a curriculum that ensures that children have a clear understanding of the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour on the part of another person, no matter who.
The health and personal safety programme for your child’s establishment will be fully discussed with you on a regular basis.
Schools, establishments and services must create and maintain a positive ethos and climate which actively promotes child welfare and a safe environment by:
• Ensuring that children are respected and listened to.
• Ensuring that programmes of health and personal safety are central to the curriculum.
• Ensuring that staff are aware of child protection issues and procedures.
• Establishing and maintaining close working relationships and arrangements with all other agencies to make sure that professionals collaborate in protecting children.
Should any member of staff have concerns regarding the welfare or safety of any child they must report these concerns to the head of the establishment. The head, or person deputising for the head, after judging that there may be grounds for concern regarding the welfare or safety of any pupil must then immediately advise the duty senior social worker at the local social work services area office of the circumstances.
Copies of departmental guidelines (Management Circular 57) are available from the HeadTeacher on request.
Child welfare and protection
Summary of Referral Procedures : Public Display
FOR ALL STAFF
If you have concerns about a child’s welfare or direct evidence or suspicion of a child being at risk then the only way you can protect the child or children is to report the matter. Whether you are a permanent member of staff, a supply teacher or a visiting specialist you should intimate your concerns to the Head of the Establishment or, in their absence the senior member of staff.
STEP 1 Alert the Head of Establishment or senior manager immediately to your concerns. Confirm your report by completing Appendix 3 as soon as possible and at the latest within 24 hours and forward it to the Head of Establishment.
STEP 2 Follow the guidance of the Head of Establishment or senior manager in supporting the child and co operating with subsequent actions by Social Work and Police.
In exceptional cases, where a member of staff feels that concerns about a child are not being taken seriously or followed through appropriately or with sufficient speed by the Head of Establishment, it is perfectly legitimate for a member of staff to refer the matter to the designated Child Protection Officer within Education Services or direct to Social Work Services, the Police, or the Scottish Children’s Reporter
Administration.
