Safeguarding

Meet the safeguarding team

Padgate Academy operate a safeguarding team approach with a split focus on both early help and child protection.  The team meet every half term to discuss and take action to safeguard the most vulnerable children in the academy. 

The team members are key support staff who work closely with all year groups to ensure all students are safe both inside and outside of the academy.  

The team is as follows:

Designated Safeguarding Leads

• Mr D Vickery - Assistant Principal
• Ms K Jones - Designated Safeguarding, Mental Health & Wellbeing Lead

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

• Mrs K Bretherton - SENDCo
• Mrs K Mills - Pastoral Lead - Year 10
• Miss R Cooke - Attendance Officer

Safeguarding Team

• Miss S McKittrick - Inclusion Manager and Family Support Liaison
• Mrs J Smith - Lead Practitioner, Designated Provision 
• Mrs J Hawley - Director of Studies - Student Support
• Mrs C Houghton - Teaching Assistant
• Miss N Parkinson - Pastoral Lead - Year 7
• Miss J Lyons - Pastoral Lead - Year 8
• Mrs J Hunter - Pastoral Lead - Year 9
• Miss K Garner - Pastoral Lead - Year 11
• Mrs D Balmer - Director of Studies - Basics

Key functions of the safeguarding team:

The DSL will lead the safeguarding team and allocate tasks to safeguarding team members via regular team meetings.  The DSL will have management oversight of the safeguarding work completed by the safeguarding team. 

Below is a list of the some of the tasks that the DSL will undertake:

• Contribute to professional assessments for cases open to Early Help, Child in Need & Child Protection.
• Complete DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking, Harassment & Honour Based Violence) risk assessments.
• Complete & submit screening tools, eg. CCE, CSE & neglect.
• Make contact with Warrington Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) when there is an identified child protection issue.
• Make referrals to appropriate statutory and non-statutory services for support.
• Provide support to children and their families by taking the lead professional role on Early Help Assessments where appropriate.
• Attend and deliver safeguarding training to all members of staff within the academy.
• Challenge practice and decisions in line with the LSCB Escalation Policy where appropriate.
• Have a thorough understanding of the thresholds for support from children’s social care.
• Support members of the safeguarding team through debriefing & supervision opportunities.
• Champion and know who your vulnerable children are. The safeguarding risk register should be reviewed at safeguarding team meetings on a regular basis.

The safeguarding team approach to safeguarding children:

The team approach is considered the best practice to managing safeguarding at academy level. Practically, there is always cover for absence and a number of professionals trained to know what to do if there were concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child. It also encourages a culture of working collaboratively and making decisions together, with the child at the heart of the team’s practice. 

Importantly, the DSL leads the safeguarding team and on a day to day basis, decisions will be made by the DSL. Team members are clear of their role within the team and what is expected from them. Debriefing and reflective practice is an important part of safeguarding, and is routinely built into safeguarding team meetings. 

Advice for parents/carers

If you have a concern about your child, a relative or another pupil who attends Padgate Academy please contact Mr D Vickery (Designated Safeguarding Lead) or Ms K Jones (Designated Safeguarding, Mental Health & Wellbeing Lead) on 01925 822632, or email dvickery@padgateacademy.co.uk or kjones@padgateacademy.co.uk.

You can also speak to any other member of the safeguarding team by contacting them on 01925 822632.  If they are unavailable, please leave a message and we will get back to you at the earliest opportunity.

Signposting & agencies we work with

• KOOTH
• Samaritans
• Happy OK Sad
• St Joseph's
• Amparo 
• Papyrus
• Childline
• My Life Warrington
• CEOP (Child Exploitation & Online Protection)
• Stonewall
• RASASC (Rape & Sexual Assault Support Centre)