Safeguarding and Child Protection

Hera House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and visitors to share this commitment. We are fully committed to ensuring that consistent, effective safeguarding procedures are in place to support families, children and staff at school.

“Leaders place a high priority on making sure that all staff understand their responsibility to keep pupils safe. Staff receive comprehensive training in the school’s systems before they begin working at the school.”               

Ofsted, 2023

If you want to know more about our procedures, please read our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy or speak to one of the following:

Claire Spedding – Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Natalie Backhouse – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Ellie Pepperell – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Melissa Marris – Headteacher

Hera House staff are committed to the following safeguarding principles:

  1. Children should feel secure in a safe environment in which they can learn and develop.
  2. Children should know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if worried or in difficulty.
  3. Children should develop realistic attitudes to their responsibilities in adult life and are equipped with the skills needed to keep themselves safe; including understanding and recognition of healthy/unhealthy relationships and support available.
  4. Children will be supported in recognising and managing risks in different situations, including on the internet, being able to judge what kind of physical contact is acceptable and unacceptable, recognising when pressure from others, including people they know, threatens their personal safety and well-being and supporting them in developing effective ways of resisting pressure.
  5. Adults will report any concerns they have, regardless of how small, in the knowledge that small concerns may add to a bigger picture.

All students have a right to be protected, respected, valued and to be heard. This will be achieved by:

  • Listening openly to students’ concerns and offering reassurance that they will be taken seriously
  • Reducing the potential risks pupils face of being exposed to violence, extremism, exploitation, or victimisation
  • Raising awareness of all staff through effective communication and training
  • The referral of all disclosures to the appropriate agencies
  • Addressing concerns at the earliest possible stage
  • Working in partnership with the Children’s Multi-Agency Resilience and Safeguarding Board (CMARS)

Causes for Concern

We have a duty of care to our students and are required to take any reasonable action to ensure their safety. If there are any causes for concern about a child’s safety, either in or out of school, these will be immediately recorded and reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, who will follow the school’s policy and procedure to determine the level of risk and involve external agencies where necessary.

Useful Contact Numbers

North Lincolnshire Children Services – 01724 296500

NSPCC – 0808 8005000

Child line – 08001111

Samaritans- 116123