Safeguarding and Child Protection

“Every child must be protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and mistreatment.” (Article 19 - United Nation Convention on the Rights of a Child).

Role	Name
Designated Teacher	Mrs A Good
Deputy Designated Teachers	Miss S Armstrong & Mr A Young
Board of Governors Chairperson	Mr K O’Kane
Designated Governor	Mrs L McAleece
Principal	Mr A Young

PDF (Include child protection/safeguarding policy)

PDF (Reporting a concern flow chart)

PDF (Complaints policy)

Safeguarding and Child Protection Contacts

Child Protection Support Service (CPSS): 028 95 985 590 (Mon – Fri 9.00am – 4.30pm)

Gateway Northern Team: 0300 1234 333

Regional Emergency Social Work Service (Out of Hours): 028 9504 9999

Regional Emergency Social Work Service (RESWS)

The RESWS provides an emergency social work response across Northern Ireland on an out of hours basis:

5.00pm – 9.00am weekdays

24 hours at weekend and bank holidays

Wherever you live in Northern Ireland, Out of Hours Social Workers can be contacted through one central telephone number: (028) 0800 197 9995. This is an emergency service to be used only when you need a social worker urgently, after hours.

PSNI

The Central Referral Unit (CRU) based in Antrim Road PSNI Station is part of the Public Protection Unit and is the central referral point for child sexual and physical abuse allegations.

The office is open Monday to Friday 8.00am to 9.00pm and weekends and public holidays 9.00am to 5.00 pm.

Email: cru@psni.police.uk

Childline: 0800 1111

At Cookstown Primary School we have a primary responsibility for the care, welfare and safety of the pupils in our charge. We will carry out this duty through our ‘Pastoral Care’ policy, which aims to provide a caring, supportive and safe environment, valuing individuals for their unique talents and abilities, in which all our young people can learn and develop to their full potential. One way in which we seek to protect our pupils is by helping them learn about the risks of possible abuse, helping them to recognise unwelcome behaviour in others and acquire the confidence and skills they need to keep themselves safe.

All our governors, staff and volunteers have been subject to criminal record checks. The staff of Cookstown Primary School have also adopted a Code of Practice for our behaviour toward pupils.

The purpose of our Child Protection / Safeguarding Children Policy is to protect our pupils by ensuring that everyone who works in our school - teachers, non-teaching staff and volunteers - have clear guidance on the action, which is required where abuse or neglect of a child is suspected. The overriding concern of all caring adults must be the care, welfare and safety of the child.

Cookstown Primary School participates in Operation Encompass.

Operation Encompass is an early intervention partnership between Police and Schools. It is aimed at supporting children who are victims of domestic violence.

Operation Encompass is already established across all of England and Wales and is now coming to Northern Ireland. It is a very simple idea, but one that will help us to support and protect vulnerable children. When the Police attend an incident of domestic violence where one of our pupils is present, they will inform the school’s Designated Teacher for Child Protection at the start of the next school day. This information is shared in strict confidence and school staff are only told on a need-to-know basis.

Following any notification from the PSNI, our staff will provide immediate support to any child who has been the victim of domestic abuse. We know that when children do witness domestic abuse at home, this is a highly traumatic experience for them. By taking part in Operation Encompass, we can provide tailored and compassionate support to our pupils, in line with our school ethos. This builds on our existing commitment to child safeguarding.