Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy (Student Friendly Version)
STUDENT FRIENDLY SAFEGUARDING POLICY
CO-OP ACADEMY BEBINGTON
2023-2024
Version Number: 02
Date: May 2023
Review Date: May 2025
Co-op Academy Bebington is our academy and we want it to be a safe place. The adults in Co-op Academy Bebington will do everything they can to make sure you are protected and happy. To help them do this, they have lots of rules to follow. This policy is to help you understand what Safeguarding means to you and to help you decide what could be a “problem” and whom you should talk to.
The adults in academy think that Safeguarding means that they should:
- Protect you from harm
- Make sure nothing stops you being healthy or developing properly
- Make sure you are safely looked after
- Make sure you have the best life chances and can grow up happy and successful
They agree that to make sure they look after you they will:
- Make the academy a friendly, welcoming and supportive place to spend time in
- Be there for you to talk to if you need to and know who to ask for help
- Give you safe messages in your lessons to help you learn how to look after yourself both online and in the real world
- Have all the right rules in place to help look after you. They will follow these rules all of the time (these rules are sometimes called policies)
Abuse
When someone hurts you it can be called abuse. This is when someone does something to you that is harmful, unpleasant or painful. Things like:
- If someone deliberately hits you, hurts you, injures you or humiliates you in different ways
- If someone says or does something that makes you feel bad about yourself or hurts your feelings which makes you feel scared, sad, upset or frightened
- If someone shouts, threatens, hits or hurts someone you love whilst you are around which makes you scared, unhappy or worried
- If someone does not take proper care of you so you feel abandoned, lonely or neglected. You might not be able to eat or wash regularly, or you might not be able to come to academy every day or on time
- If someone touches you in a way that you do not like for example touching your private parts
- If someone makes you look at things which make you feel ashamed, embarrassed, uncomfortable or guilty. They may ask you to keep it a secret or give you presents
Abuse is never okay and if you are being or have been abused, you must remember it is not your fault. You must always tell someone and they will help it to stop.
In and Out of Academy
All of the staff at Co-op Academy Bebington will do their best to make sure the building is safe for you to learn in and spend time in. We will make sure that we know who everyone is in the academy by asking visitors to sign in at reception. You will always know who a visitor to the academy is because they will have signed in at reception and will wear a lanyard that will display the printed badge containing their photograph. People that we do not know will never be allowed to spend time with you on your own and will not be allowed to walk around the academy without a member of staff. The building, outside areas and fields will be as safe as they can be for you so that you do not hurt yourself, although accidents can happen if you are not careful. Staff will look after you if the fire alarm goes off and you will know what to do and where to go as we will practice throughout the year. When you leave the academy to go on a trip somewhere, the staff will make sure they can keep you safe wherever you are going.
What we will do
At Co-op Academy Bebington we will help you in the following ways:
- We will do our best to spot if there is a problem. All of the staff in the academy have had lessons and training in this
- We will work with other people (including the people at home) to help protect you and also to try to help solve any problems you may have
- We will listen to you if you want to talk to us and need our help. We will always take you seriously
- We will support and encourage you
In Co-op Academy Bebington you can talk to any member of staff, but you should know that there are some staff who are responsible for making sure you are safe and well cared for. Staff in the academy who can help you and are also known as the Safeguarding Team are:
- Miss Sleeth – Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Mrs Hayes – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Ms Kelly – Headteacher
- Your Pastoral Leader
Other staff who are able to help you are:
- Your Form Tutor
- Your Progress Leader
- Any other member of staff in the academy
It is important that you know…
- It is never your fault if someone is hurting or abusing you
- There is always someone who can help you
- If you do speak to someone, they cannot always keep what you have said to themselves, they may need to pass it onto the Safeguarding Team
- If someone is hurting you, they might also be hurting someone else so it is important that you tell someone to make it stop
- Every child should enjoy their right to a happy and safe childhood
DO NOT BE SCARED TO TELL SOMEONE STRAIGHT AWAY - WE WILL ALWAYS LISTEN
Tips for keeping yourself safe
Bullying: If you think a student or a grown up is bullying you or someone you know, you must tell your parents/carers, a member of staff or someone you can trust as soon as you can. It will not stop unless you do. You can also report any concerns by using the report button on the academy website.
https://bebington.coopacademies.co.uk/report-a-concern-7/
Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment: Your body belongs to you and not to anyone else. This means all of your body. If someone touches you on a part of your body like your bottom, private parts, chest without your consent, it is not okay. If anyone is trying to force you to do things that make you uncomfortable including taking and receiving indecent images / photographs, it is not okay. You must tell your parents / carers, a member of staff or someone you can trust as soon as you can.
https://bebington.coopacademies.co.uk/report-a-concern-7/
Physically hurting you: If a student or a grown up hits you, punches or smacks you or hurts you in any way, you must tell your parents / carers, a member of staff or someone you can trust as soon as you can.
https://bebington.coopacademies.co.uk/report-a-concern-7/
Secrets: Secrets such as surprise parties are fun, but some secrets are not good and anything that puts you or others in potential danger should never be kept. Bullying should not be kept a secret and no-one should ask you to keep a kiss, hug or touch a secret. You must tell your parents / carers, a member of staff or someone you can trust as soon as you can. Do not keep a secret, always report concerns to a member of staff or use the report button on the academy website.
https://bebington.coopacademies.co.uk/report-a-concern-7/
Presents: Presents are a good thing to get, but you should accept a present from anyone without checking with your parents / carers first. Most of the time it will be okay, but sometimes people try and trick children / young people into doing something that could be dangerous or harmful by giving making them think that they are friends and giving them presents such as sweets, money, bicycles or phones. This is sometimes called a bribe and can put you at risk. If it does not seem right, tell someone as soon as you can or share your concerns via the report button.
https://bebington.coopacademies.co.uk/report-a-concern-7/
On the computer or your phone: Computers and mobile phones help us all to share things and talk to our friends or family, but they can also make it easier for people who may not have your best interests at heart or that want to hurt you to get close to you. It is important to know how to keep yourself safe on your computer, your phone and on websites. Co-op Academy Bebington has an online safety policy that is there to protect you.
https://bebington.coopacademies.co.uk/report-a-concern-7/
If you are unhappy with any comments or photographs you’ve seen on your computer or mobile, then you can also contact www.thinkuknow.co.uk as well as adults in the Academy.
You can report any safeguarding concerns to any member of staff in the academy or use the report button on our website.
https://bebington.coopacademies.co.uk/report-a-concern-7/
Useful Numbers and Website www.kooth.com
Childline 0800 11 11 www.childline.org.uk
NSPCC: 0800 1111
Papyrus: 0800 068 4141 https://www.papyrus-uk.org/about
Youth Access: 020 8772 9900 http://youthaccess.org.uk/
Young Minds: 020 7089 5050 https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
www.welbeingenterprises.org.uk
www.nhs.uk - mental health apps, self-harm distraction techniques Academy Health