Mr Darren Gurr
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Mr Stuart Atkins
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play. We at Five Ashes Primary School take our Safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. This means that we ensure that everyone working in our school has successfully completed the necessary clearances to enable them to work with children.
It also means that we have staff members who are specifically trained and nominated as the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) within school.
We follow the East Sussex Child Protection Procedures and the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board local guidance and have systems in place to share concerns regarding children’s welfare with our DSLs, with parents and with relevant external agencies. Part of our legal duty to safeguard our children, may also include us needing to consult specifically with and take advice from, the Police or Children’s Social Care, should the need arise. This includes working with the Operation Encompass team (Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse).
By working closely together as a staff and with our partner agencies, we firmly believe that we will continue to offer a safe learning environment for all our children.
If you have any concerns about the safety and/or wellbeing of a child, please speak to one of our Designated Safeguarding Leads or alternatively contact Children’s Services directly on 01323 464222 or visit www.eastsussex.gov.uk/childrenandfamilies/worried-about-a-child
Operation Encompass
What is Operation Encompass
Research shows that children can be negatively impacted by experiencing or witnessing domestic abuse. Operation Encompass is a national programme operated jointly between schools and all police forces in the UK to support children who have been affected.
How it works
Operation Encompass aims to reduce the long-term impact of domestic abuse by providing early intervention and support.
When the police attend incidents of domestic violence or abuse where children are directly or indirectly involved, they notify the designated safeguarding leads at our school before the start of the next school day. A safeguarding lead will take time to understand a child’s behaviour and make sure that they get the immediate support that they need.
Our designated safeguarding leads (Mr Gurr & Mr Atkins) have been trained in Operation Encompass procedures. This allows us to use the information that has been confidentially shared with us by the police. Mayfield CE Primary School offer the best support for our pupils and being part of Operation Encompass helps us to do this.
How can you help
If you’re a parent or carer concerned about a child affected by domestic abuse, please speak to one of our designated safeguarding leads.
