Safeguarding

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

At Oakfield, we strive to ensure that all our pupils feel safe, cared for and supported at school. We are always here to listen and to discuss you or your child’s fears, worries and concerns. We place student well-being at the heart of everything we do.  

Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is available here.

To read Keeping Children Safe in Education, please click here. 

Our Safeguarding Team

Designated Safeguarding Lead	Mrs Leanne Middleton LeanneMiddleton@oakfieldhull.co.uk
Designated Safeguarding Lead	Mrs Jayne Oakley JayneOakley@oakfieldhull.co.uk
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead / Emotional Well-being Manager	Mrs Joanne Jordan JoanneJordan@oakfieldhull.co.uk

The Child Protection Coordinators, Mrs Jayne Oakley and Mrs Leanne Middleton will be available out of hours and during the school holidays and contactable on works mobile, works email address and will attend any meetings or relevant work.

The Child Protection Coordinator will inform the Headteacher in advance if she is not available any evening or in the school holidays, so the Headteacher is available.

Early Intervention

Children and their families may experience a range of needs at different times in their lives. Therefore, it is important for children to receive the right help at the right time, to address risk and prevent issues from escalating. At Oakfield, we aim to identify where early interventions are needed to support families by closely monitoring children and highlighting any emerging issues.  If necessary, and with appropriate consent, information is shared or meetings are convened with other professionals to support effective early help assessments.

Operation Encompass

Oakfield signed up for Operation Encompass in September 2017.

A Domestic abuse notification will be sent to the Child Protection Coordinator, Jayne Oakley, by Early Help Safeguarding Hub (EHASH). This informs the school of a domestic abuse incident and whether children were present at the time of the incident. This enables the school to be aware of and support the child.

What the law says 

Children’s Act 1989, sections 27 and 47, and the Children’s Act 2004 both state that it is the duty of schools to act “to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are in need.” 

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as: 

• Protecting children from maltreatment 

• Preventing impairment of children’s health or development 

• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care 

• Undertaking that role to enable those children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully 

Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare.   

This refers to the activity which is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or are at risk of suffering significant harm. Areas of harm are defined under the following headings: 

• Physical abuse 

• Emotional abuse 

• Sexual abuse and  

• Neglect 

Where there are concerns about the welfare of any child or young person, all staff/volunteers have a duty to share those concerns with the designated child protection co-ordinator. As a parent or visitor to the school, any concerns you have should be communicated directly to the Safeguarding Team.