Safeguarding

Our Commitment To Safeguarding

At Lever Edge we are dedicated to ensuring that all pupils are kept safe at all times. We are fully committed to ensuring that consistent, effective safeguarding procedures are in place to support families, children and staff at school. Safeguarding is the responsibility of every single person at Lever Edge Primary Academy - All staff are highly

accountable for keeping all children safe.

However some staff play a key role:

Mrs Kelly James, Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Mel Tipping, Deputy Headteacher and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Carrie Wootton, Assistant Headteacher and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Jenny Broadhurst, Pastoral Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Carole Concannon, School Business Manager and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

If you have any concerns at all and wish to talk to someone please come into school and have a chat with any of the above named people.

Safeguarding principles

At Lever Edge Primary Academy the health, safety and well-being of pupils is of paramount concern to us. We listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us. Our aim is for children to enjoy their time as pupils in this school. We want to work in partnership with parents to help each child achieve their full potential and make a positive contribution to the world they will be part of in the future.

To promote a safe environment for pupils, our selection and recruitment procedure includes all checks on staff and regular volunteers' suitability, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks, as recommended by Bolton Council as governed by current legislation.

In accordance with our responsibility under section 175/157 of the Education Act 2002 and 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' 2023, we have a Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mrs Kelly James, who is the Headteacher and has received appropriate training for this role (in her absence, Mrs Mel Tipping, Mrs Carrie Wootton, Mrs Jenny Broadhurst and Mrs Carole Concannon are Designated Safeguarding Deputies). It is the Designated Safeguarding Lead's responsibility to ensure that all staff in contact with children receive child protection awareness training on a regular basis.

Occasions do arise when our concern about a student requires us to consult other agencies. Whilst we would always aim to work in partnership with parents there may be exceptions to this when concerns are raised for the protection of a child.

On very rare occasions Social Care, whilst undertaking an investigation under s47 of the Children's Act 1989, may want to speak to a child without a parent's knowledge. This would be a decision made in collaboration with partner agencies and would only be done in situations where a child might be at immediate risk. To gain consent at this point may increase the level of risk to the child or cause evidence of a crime to be lost.

The procedures, which we follow have been laid down by the Local Safeguarding Children's Board, and the school has adopted a Safeguarding Policy in line with this for the safety of all. If you want to know more about our procedures, please speak to the Headteacher, Mrs Kelly James. Our Safeguarding Policy can be found on the Policies page of our website.

Please see below for further information regarding Safeguarding children and young people. You may also find the Policies | Lever Edge Primary Academy and E-safety | Lever Edge Primary Academy section of the website useful.

Our commitment to safeguarding at Lever Edge

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

Useful Contacts

Families can sometimes need support from a wide range of agencies. We recognise that other agencies will be able to support children and families based on their specialised work. Therefore, our role is often to signpost families to the resources that will best support their needs.

Home – Bolton Safeguarding Children

Domestic Abuse and Violence Support Services - Endeavour (endeavourproject.org.uk)

Relate | The relationship people

Fortalice - Domestic Abuse Charity North West - 01204 365677

Achieve Recovery Services - services for drug and alcohol recovery in Bolton, Salford and Trafford | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT (gmmh.nhs.uk)