Safeguarding

Introduction and Ethos:

Dover Christ Church Academy recognises its statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility and all those directly connected are an important part of the wider safeguarding system for children and have an essential role to play in making this community safe and secure.

Safeguarding Team Key Personnel:

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): 

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: 

Aspen 2 Designated Safeguarding Leads:

Aspen 2 Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads:

Our core safeguarding principles are:

Prevention - positive, supportive, safe culture, curriculum and pastoral opportunities for children, safer recruitment procedures.

Protection - following the agreed procedures, ensuring all staff are trained and supported to recognise and respond appropriately and sensitively to safeguarding concerns.

Support - for all learners, parents and staff, and where appropriate specific interventions are required for those who may be at risk of harm.

Working with parents and other agencies - to ensure timely, appropriate communications and actions are undertaken when safeguarding concerns arise.

Dover Christ Church Academy, expects that if any member of our community has a safeguarding concern about any child or adult, they should act and act immediately.

The Dover Christ Church Academy Child Protection Policy is implemented in accordance with our compliance with the statutory guidance from the Department for Education, ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (KCSIE) which requires individual schools and colleges to have an effective child protection policy. The procedures contained in the Child Protection policy apply to all staff and trustees and are consistent with those of Kent Safeguarding Children Board (KSCB).

All members of Dover Christ Church Academy staff receive annual training in child protection and aware of their responsibility to:

All members of staff in Dover Christ Church Academy know what to do if a child tells them he/she is being abused or neglected.

Members of staff know to maintain an appropriate level of confidentiality whilst at the same time liaising with relevant professionals such as the DSL and other agencies as appropriate.

Members of staff know they must never promise a child that they will not tell anyone about a concern or allegation as this may ultimately not be in the best interests of the child.

Parents can obtain a copy of the school Child Protection Policy and other related policies on request and can view them on our policies page.

Operation Encompass

At Dover Christ Church Academy, we are working in partnership with Kent Police and Children’s Services to identify and provide appropriate support to pupils who have experienced domestic violence in their household; this scheme is called Operation Encompass.

The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in or witness to a domestic abuse incident. Domestic abuse impacts on children in a number of ways. Children are at increased risk of physical injury during an incident, either by accident or because they attempt to intervene. Even when not directly injured, children are greatly distressed by witnessing the physical and emotional suffering of a parent.

Encompass has been created to highlight this situation. It is the implementation of key partnership working between the police and schools. The aim of sharing information with local schools is to allow ‘Key Adults’ the opportunity of engaging with the child and to provide access to support that allows them to remain in a safe but secure familiar environment. 

To achieve this, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub will share police information of all domestic incidents where one of our pupils has been present, with the Designated Safeguarding Lead(s) (DSL).  On receipt of any information, the DSL will decide on the appropriate support the child requires, this should be covert dependent on the needs and wishes of the child.  All information sharing and resulting actions will be undertaken in accordance with Kent Police and MASH Encompass Protocol Data Sharing Agreement.  We will record this information and store this information in accordance with the record keeping procedures outlined in this policy.

The purpose and procedures in Operation Encompass have been shared with all parents and governors. Further information can be found by clicking on the following link: https://www.operationencompass.org

At DCCA, our Key Adult is David Hunt (Vice Principal & DSL)

Agencies that could help support you and your child:

Child Sexual Abuse:

Road Safety:

Online Safety:

Gangs:

Drugs:

Bullying: