Safeguarding
Designated Safeguarding Lead & Designated Teacher for Looked After Children (LAC) & Post LAC Children: Mrs Sophie McGeoch
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Miss Dani Mace
Governor Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Annabelle Hughes
Keeping Safe
What to do if you are concerned about a child - ‘The welfare of the child is paramount’
At Meadlands, keeping pupils safe and ensuring that every child reaches their potential underpins everything we do. Occasionally, things go wrong for our children and their families and we take our responsibility for the children in our care very seriously and we are here to help, support and guide as best we can. You can read our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and our Online Safety Policy and our most recent Safeguarding Audit on our policies page here.
You can tell us about a child, young person or parent/carer that needs support in some way by contacting our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mrs McGeoch via the School Office or alternatively speaking to Miss Mace, the Deputy Safeguarding Lead. You may be concerned about the child's developmental needs, issues that the parent or carer is experiencing, or you may suspect a child is being neglected or subjected to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.
Our duty is outlined in detail within the document ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’, 2018, HM Government here. In essence, we have a duty to record and report concerns and work alongside local agencies to ensure children are adequately safeguarded from harm.
All details are treated confidentially and will only be shared if there are concerns that a child is at risk. It is always our aim to share our concerns transparently with the child’s parent or guardian before making a referral. However, we reserve our right to refer without consent if we are sufficiently concerned about a child’s safety or we are unable to contact the parent/guardian after reasonable attempts have been made.
Single Point of Access (SPA)
You can also tell Richmond and Kingston Children’s Services, managed by Achieving for Children, about a child, young person or parent/carer that needs support in some way by contacting their Single Point of Access Team (SPA).
Richmond and Kingston SPA (Single Point of Access)
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Call 020 88547 5008 during office hours.
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Call the out of hours Duty Team (evenings and weekends) on 020 8770 5000.
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Report your concerns online
- In an emergency, if you think a child is in immediate danger, you should call 999.
- If you need to speak to someone urgently outside office hours, please call the Duty Social Worker 020 8744 2442.
Useful links for Parents and Carers:
Further information : Mental Health
If you or someone you know is suffering with mental health problems there are many professionals who will be able to help you. You are very welcome to come in to school to speak to Mrs McGeoch, Miss Mace or Miss Davies, we may encourage you to seek support from your GP. Alternatively you may find these links helpful:
Further information : Domestic Abuse
If you or someone you know would like help with issues related to abuse, again you are welcome to seek support through school, your GP or the Police. You may also find these links helpful:
Safeguarding Outreach work
Each year we hold a safeguarding event for parents known as 'In Safe Hands'. In Safe Hands is a community safeguarding initiative, recognised by the NSPCC, LSCB and leading Child Protection law firm Farrer & Co, as an example of innovative practice. In Safe Hands seeks to ensure that the whole community, including the children themselves, understand what safeguarding children is. Secondly, it seeks to ensure that parents and professionals become well-networked, in order that children, young people and their families seek help and support early so they know where to find aid if they are experiencing difficult times. The model is now being disseminated across Richmond and Kingston and beyond, with the most recent events at Hollyfield and Ham Youth Centre. This year at Meadlands, our event welcomed Ted Talk Speaker and Vlogger Tom Boon, amongst others, to discuss digital resilience and keeping our young people safe online.
Parents are surveyed months in advance of the event to find out what the community's key issues are; from this the content is planned and speakers booked. Please look out for more information in the autumn term.
