Hollymount School is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all of our children. We expect every member of staff and all visitors to share our commitment as the health and safety of our children is paramount.
We have a safeguarding culture that promotes trust between all adults and children so that all children have a trusted adult that they can speak to about any of their worries or concerns.
At Hollymount School we believe that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility and promote this accountability with all staff. In school we have a safeguarding team that staff can liaise with and that take overall responsibility and they are:
All staff receive annual safeguarding training through the DSL, as well as weekly briefings and online training. Any new staff receive safeguarding training as part of their induction and this is delivered by the DSL.
At Hollymount School, we believe that it is unacceptable for a child to experience any kind of abuse. We recognise and understand our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children. We will provide staff and volunteers with guidance to follow when they suspect a child may be experiencing abuse or at risk of harm. We will work co-operatively with other agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with parents/carers first – unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.
We recognise and strive to maintain a school where children feel safe and are in an environment where they feel they are able to share concerns and worries, allowing us to safeguard children most effectively. As a result, we believe that early intervention support for social and emotion as well as mental health issues are of paramount importance to us. Practitioners offer targeted support for children with these needs. We also work with Play Therapists, Pastoral workers, Family Support Workers, Educational Psychologists, Young Carers and CAMHs CAST.
Our school delivers Personal Social, Health and Economics (PSHE) and Relationships and Health Education (RHE) programmes as well as British Citizenship to further support the children’s understanding of how to keep themselves safe. We invite the NSPCC in to support this.
Mrs Razwana Hussain is the Hollymount School’s Mental Health Lead who advises the DSL in school and has provided training to staff to spot signs and symptoms of common mental health issues, provide support and reassurance, and guide the child or adult to seek professional support they may need.