Safeguarding is the number one priority for everyone at Kernow Learning. All staff access high quality training to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to identify concerns at the earliest opportunity. Our priority is building trusting relationships with our children and families so that we can fully support them.

We firmly believe that:

Every interaction is an opportunity to make a connection.

Keeping Children Safe in Education is reviewed regularly by the Government. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is updated to reflect any legislative or changes in guidance as and when they are made. 

The Trustees, Governors and all Kernow Learning staff are fully aware of the contribution they all make towards safeguarding our children. All staff, including volunteers have an active and ongoing role in protecting our children from harm and we pride ourselves in being a Trust where safeguarding is embedded into the culture of each of our schools. 

• Kernow Learning pledges that safeguarding is at the heart of our trust ethos and that all staff are supported in knowing how to recognise and respond to potential concerns at the earliest opportunity. 
• Our designated safeguarding leads (DSL) will keep the trust lead informed of any complex or serious safeguarding issues especially ongoing enquiries and police investigations. 
• Our designated safeguarding leads (DSL) will liaise with the local authority case manager or the designated officer at the local authority if a concern has arisen regarding a member of staff. 
• Our designated safeguarding leads (DSL) liaise with parents and staff on matters of safety and safeguarding and when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies. 
• All school staff will act as a source of support, advice and expertise for parents and children.

At Kernow Learning, we want all children, staff and visitors to feel safe and secure whilst enjoying the stimulating environment, promoting the social, emotional and moral development of every child. 

We aim to provide a safe environment where children can flourish and build their self-esteem and show respect for each other. Our diverse and rich curriculums within our schools ensure that children develop the building blocks for life in modern Britain. 

We aim to strengthen the connection between home life and school and will do all we can to help with that transition every day. 

The safety of our children is the responsibility of everybody.

 

Strategic Trust Safeguarding Lead: Lisa Farmer

Trust Designated Safeguarding Trustee: Derek Rushton

To access our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy (and Safeguarding Addendum - Alternative Provision), please visit our policies page.

As a Trust we are proud to be part of Operation Encompass which is a Police and Education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children and young people exposed to domestic abuse. This is just one example of the ways in which we work together with other agencies to keep children safe.

 

Here are some quick links to other relevant pages on our website:

Useful Links

eSafety

RSHE - Preventative Curriculum

Prevent

 

Safer Recruitment

At Kernow Learning we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and we follow the Safer Recruitment process for all candidates who are recruited to work within our Trust.  This means that we obtain full enhanced DBS clearance, (including overseas checks where relevant) and references for all staff and volunteers.

We also carry out online (social media) checks for shortlisted candidates and prohibition checks for new staff.

We have a full induction programme for all staff and volunteers which includes the appropriate level of Safeguarding Training and includes low level concerns. All Kernow Learning employees take part in regular safeguarding updates and we ensure that all staff know that they can report any concerns regarding any member of staff through an open-door policy. We also ensure that all staff are made aware of how to escalate concerns, the staff code of conduct, and our Whistleblowing policy at the point of induction.

 

In addition to the Trust Strategic Trust Safeguarding Lead and Trust Designated Safeguarding Trustees, each Kernow Learning school has a Designated Safeguarding Officer Lead who leads the Safeguarding effort in each academy and has developed local safeguarding measures and policies to suit their schools. Click on a school below to read about the safeguarding personnel in that school and safeguarding policies and procedures.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is the person appointed to take lead responsibility for child protection issues in school.

The DSL should:
• work with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure safeguarding is at the heart of the school ethos and that all staff are supported in knowing how to recognise and respond to potential concerns.
• liaise with the head teacher or principal to keep them informed of any safeguarding of issues especially ongoing enquiries and police investigations
• as required, liaise with the local authority case manager or the designated officer at the local authority if a concern has arisen regarding a member of staff
• liaise with staff on matters of safety and safeguarding and when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies
• act as a source of support, advice and expertise for staff.

Safeguarding Trainers

Our Trust safeguarding lead delivers Level Two safeguarding training to all staff within three months of them starting in role and Trust-wide Level Two training which is renewed on an annual basis. Our trust safeguarding Lead also delivers Level 3 safeguarding training to DSL’s and DDSL’s.

All staff receive online safety training and Prevent training at the point of induction which is refreshed on a regular basis and separate filtering and monitoring training specific to the Trust. All staff receive low-level concerns training, and their knowledge in all safeguarding areas is regularly refreshed through a range of innovative means, including 7-minute briefings and quizzes.

Reporting Concerns

It is the responsibility of all staff, whatever their role, to report any concerns they may have about a student with regard to child protection and safeguarding. We use the electronic recording system “My Concern” to log all child protection and safeguarding concerns. Staff have their own individual username and password to “My Concern”. The safeguarding team are able to then track Child protection and Safeguarding concerns easily as it keeps a chronology for each child of reports and actions taken. The safeguarding team meet formally once a week to discuss concerns and daily for check-ins about concerns that may have arisen during the day.

The DSL and all the deputies receive electronic notifications when a concern is added to the system and are able to look though the chronologies and can assign actions to staff if required. We believe this is a very effective tool in collating and monitoring child protection and safeguarding.

Any concerns about staff should be reported direct to the Headteacher or the Chair of Governors within your school, in line with the Trust ‘Whistleblowing Policy’.