Safeguarding

Contact no: 01204 33 25 33

Email: DSL@bsca.tbft.uk

At Bolton St Catherine's Academy, the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. We are committed to creating a secure, supportive environment where every child feels safe, valued, and respected. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), Mr Hill, plays a key role in overseeing all aspects of safeguarding across the school.

Working closely with staff, parents, and external agencies, the DSL ensures that effective policies, procedures, and training are in place to protect students from harm. Through a culture of vigilance, clear reporting systems, and ongoing support, we are dedicated to keeping every child safe in our care. 

Meet the Team

Contacting the Safeguarding Team

Please note that during the school day, our staff may be supporting students and unable to accommodate walk-in appointments. To ensure we can give proper time and attention to any safeguarding concern, we kindly ask parents and carers to contact the main school reception on 01204 332533. Once connected, please request a call back from the Safeguarding Team. When leaving a message, include your full name, your child’s full name and year group, and a contact number.

Please be aware that we cannot discuss any student with anyone who is not listed as a named contact for that child.

If you have an urgent safeguarding concern about a child at our school outside of school hours, please contact the Police immediately by calling 999.

 

For additional information or support from Children’s Social Services, please follow this link:

Worried about a child? – Bolton Safeguarding Children

 

More information for parents and carers

We strive to ensure that all our students remain safe and free from harm, and we are committed to playing a full and active part in the multi-agency approach to child protection concerns.

Additionally, we have a legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, and to have a child protection policy and procedures in place, which should be shared with you, to address concerns about the safety and protection of children and young people. Through our day-to-day contact with students, and direct work with families, our staff have a crucial role to play in noticing indicators of possible abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Parents/carers should be aware therefore, that where it appears to a member of staff that a child or young person may have been abused, we are required, as part of the local child protection procedures to report this concern to Children’s Social Care (known as the Integrated Front Door) immediately. Therefore, to avoid any misunderstandings, parents/carers of students who sustain accidental injuries such as cuts/bruises/fractures should inform us without delay and explain the cause.

Principles Children and young people have a right to be safe. Parents/carers have a right to be informed of any concerns. Children and young people are best protected when we work together with parents/carers.

Partnership Parents and carers are encouraged to speak to us if they have any concerns. We will inform parents/carers of any concerns we have and will offer help and support as necessary. We will involve parents/carers and actively encourage them to participate in any meetings regarding their child. We will consult with other agencies when we have concerns that a child or young person may have been abused, neglected, or exploited. When it is practical and safe to do so, we will attempt to speak to you regarding sharing information, providing this does not put anyone at risk.

Prevention We aim to offer help and support at the earliest opportunity as needs emerge (Early Help). We have a comprehensive PSHE curriculum that teaches our students about keeping safe. We will take positive action to prevent children and young people from abuse, neglect, and exploitation through the development of an open culture that informs children and young people of their rights and encourages them to speak about any concerns. We will provide parents/carers with information to help you to keep your child safe out of school.

Responding to Concerns We will listen to parents/carers who raise concerns about their child and offer support. We will refer all allegations or concerns that a student has been, or is likely to be, abused, neglected, or exploited to The Integrated Front Door. We will put support in place if we are aware of any concerns this may include completing an Early Help Assessment.

Child on Child Abuse

• Physical and emotional abuse of children by other children will not be tolerated and will be dealt with. Parents/carers will be kept informed of actions taken. Concerns that meet the significant harm threshold will be referred immediately to Children’s Social Care (The Integrated Front Door).
• Parents/carers or students can report abuse by contacting social care on 01204 335100 or report through the NSPCC Helpline.
• We will ensure students are believed and listened to and support is put in place. This may include a safety plan. Sanctions will be put in place for students accused where required.

Emotional health and wellbeing

• We aim to support any students who experience any difficulties with their emotional health and wellbeing. Please speak to a member of staff for more details and support can be accessed at Be Kind to My Mind here.

Domestic Abuse

• Our school is part of Operation Encompass, a national initiative that helps schools provide support to children who may have been affected by domestic abuse. This partnership between schools and the police ensures that when officers attend an incident of domestic abuse where a child is present or normally resides, the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), Mr Hill is informed before the start of the next school day. This early notification allows us to offer appropriate and confidential support to the child in a safe and nurturing environment. The aim is for us to offer advice and support.
• Parents and carers are encouraged to speak to us about domestic abuse.
• If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, help is available. You are not alone. Local Services can be accessed at Fortalice 0800 2000247 and 01204 365677 and Endeavour 01204 394842. Alternatively you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 - free and available 24/7. In an emergency, always call 999.

  If you have any concerns or would like to speak to someone in school about support, please contact our Safeguarding Team via the main school reception.

   For further information, click the links below:

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Online Safety

• Children can be harmed and abused online and therefore we have measures in place to protect them. We also teach students how to keep safe online.
• It is important that Parents/carers have adequate safety measures in place at home, that children receive consistent messages of how to keep safe online and that they are appropriately supervised.
• Parents and Carers - UK Safer Internet Centre

Child Protection Strategy Meetings and Conferences

• If circumstances require, a member of our staff will attend strategy meetings and child protection conferences and will share information. This information will be shared with parents/carers beforehand where possible. We will keep confidential child protection records separately from a student’s academic and other records. And these will be transferred to their future school/college.

Confidentiality

• Information from any source, including parents, about possible child abuse cannot be kept confidential however this will only be shared with relevant appropriate professionals.
• Information and records about children who have a Child Protection Plan will be given only to those people who need it and will be kept strictly confidential by them.

Bolton Christian Community Cohesion

 

You can also look at the Bolton Christian Community Cohesion booklet for lots of useful information and contacts. This includes:

 General advice

Housing advice/issues and homeless issues

Children and Young People’s Services

Drop-in Centres

Foodbanks

Immigration Advice

Human Trafficking

Debt management

Job Support

Care for the Elderly

Mental Health Support

Counselling Services

Addiction Support and Advice

Suicide Support/Domestic Abuse/Hate Crime

Other health related services

Faith-based Contacts

Other useful contacts

 Click here to view the booklet: Bolton Christian Community Cohesion booklet

 

 

Child Criminal Exploitation

 If you are worried about Child Criminal exploitation:

Child criminal exploitation advice for parents | LiveSafe

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

safeguarding and child protection policy.pdf