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Safeguarding

Policy and Procedures

Our full Child Protection Policy is available here and our Overarching Safeguarding Statement here.

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024

With regards to the specific safeguarding issues highlighted in Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2024, the academy’s Designated Safeguarding Lead will ensure that all staff and governors have appropriate training and access to up to date relevant information.

Accessing help and support within the academy

West Lakes Academy recognises the importance of providing an ethos and environment within school that will help children to feel safe, secure and respected; encourage them to talk openly; and enable them to feel confident that they will be listened to.

If you have any concerns or are worried about your child’s or anybody else’s safety or wellbeing you can contact any of the members of staff listed below:

Miss Stabler (Designated Safeguarding Lead) Stablerv@changinglives.education
Miss Shaw (Deputy Safeguarding Lead) shawe@changinglives.education
Miss Taylor (Operational Safeguarding Lead) taylorel@changinglives.education
Miss Shaw
Mrs Wilson
Ms Clements
Miss Thurston
Mrs Bennett
Miss Lightfoot
Mrs Orr
Miss Powell

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Are you concerned about a child?

If you are concerned that a child or young person is in an emergency situation you should contact the police urgently on 999.

Cumbria Safeguarding Hub

If you have significant concerns about a child please contact the Cumberland Safeguarding Hub, phone 0333 240 1727. If you are concerned that a child is in an emergency situation you should contact the Police on 999.

External Organisations

The academy works alongside the below organisations to ensure the safety and well-being of all its students:

Cumberland Safeguarding Children Partnership
Cumbria Police
Cumbria County Council Children’s Services
Cadas – A registered charity providing drug and alcohol services to individuals, family members and communities to support recovery
Mind.org
Barnardos
Young Minds – help for parents
Home Office County Lines guidance
HM Government Working Together to Safeguard Children

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass directly connects the police with schools to ensure support for children living with domestic abuse in their homes when there has been a police attended incident of Domestic Abuse. Rapid provision of support within the school environment means children are better safeguarded against the short-, medium- and long-term effects of domestic abuse. West Lakes Academy works in partnership with Cumbia Police to support our young people here and put suitable provision in place to support after a report from Operation Encompass.

More information can be found here: https://www.operationencompass.org/

Parents and carers – report any worries or concerns

Please contact us to report anything that you are worried or concerned about and our Designated Safeguarding Lead (Assistant Principal – Miss Stabler) will get back to you.

Additional information

Visitors to West Lakes Academy

All external visitors who wish to meet with students must have a current, Enhanced DBS certificate.

External agencies must provide the academy with the name of the person(s), together with their DBS certificate number and issue date before meeting with students.

No student will be seen alone unless we have verification of documentation.

Prevent

The Prevent Strategy

Prevent aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Prevent is part of the safeguarding work that West Lakes Academy undertakes. All staff have had training in regards to the Prevent duty via EduCare. Students are exposed to this strategy and understanding extremism through their Personal Development (PD) and Religion and World Views lessons.

More information on The Prevent Strategy can be found here: https://educateagainsthate.com/parents/

Reporting Abuse

The Department for Education has commissioned the NSPCC to establish a dedicated independent helpline for people who have experienced abuse in education.

The helpline will also provide support to parents and professionals.

Anyone who gets in touch through this dedicated helpline will also be signposted to other relevant support services available, including Childline, which provides ongoing support and counselling to children and young people.

The dedicated and confidential NSPCC helpline – Report Abuse in Education can be reached on 0800 136 663 or by email at help@nspcc.org.uk

Alongside this, and with all worries and concerns our young people may face, students and parents can always talk to a member of our safeguarding team who will be able to support and signpost students to relevant agencies. We are always here to help.