All staff in educational establishments in South Lanarkshire Council are required to receive an annual update and follow the advice and guidance contained within the Education Operating Procedures. All staff must also complete a Learn On Line Course “Child Protection in Education.”
The vision for children and their families in South Lanarkshire is to ensure that they live in a community where they are safe, healthy, active, achieving, respected, responsible and included. They should be part of a society where they have the opportunity to maximise their full potential and have access to good health care, education and leisure services. In order to achieve this, South Lanarkshire’s Children’s Services and its partners will work jointly to support children, young people and their families and are committed to continuously improve our services to ensure children, young people and their families get the support that is appropriate for them.
The Chief Officers and Child Protection Committee are the driving force for ensuring that agencies individually and collectively work to protect children and young people as effectively as possible.
The Council has a duty in law to report any suspicions that a child may have been abused or is at risk of harm, abuse or neglect. Therefore, Council staff have a professional and contractual obligation to report concerns to the head of establishment or the child protection coordinator immediately.
Education Resources staff and visitors from other agencies and services are required to follow these Child Protection Procedures to protect and support children and to fulfil their professional obligations to report all allegations or suspicions of child abuse.
For more information, or if you have a concern of a child protection nature, please contact the head of the educational establishment which your child attends.
The Child Protection Committee’s website has a range of information for parents/carers on how to help ensure their child is safe. The website is: www.childprotectionsouthlanarkshire.org.uk
