At Brayford Academy, safeguarding the welfare and well-being of our children is our highest priority. We are committed to creating a safe, secure, and supportive environment where all children feel valued. Our staff and volunteers follow all statutory guidelines and procedures to ensure the safety of every child in our care, both inside and outside of school.

Key Safeguarding Contacts

• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Beth Carter (Director of Inclusion)
• Deputy Safeguarding Lead: Sara Leggott (Head of School)
• Trustee with Responsibility for Safeguarding: 

If you have concerns about a child's safety or well-being, please contact one of the above staff members at 01271 500300 or 01598 710345

Child Protection & Reporting Abuse

We have a legal duty to act if we believe a child may be at risk of harm. This includes reporting concerns of neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, or sexual abuse to the appropriate authorities. In some cases, we may do this without parental consent if it is in the child's best interest.

Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

MASH is a partnership between Devon County Council children’s social care, education and youth services; Devon NHS health services; Devon and Cornwall Police; and the Probation Service working together to safeguard children and young people.  When a professional, family member or member of the public is concerned about a child or young person’s safety, they can contact MASH. They deal with all enquiries/referrals where there is a child protection concern.  You can find out more about what the organisation does and how to contact them here: Making a request for support – parents, carers, and the general public - Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership

If you have serious concerns about a child or young person, or if you need help parenting your child, you can call 0345 155 1071 

(Out of hours, please call 0845 6000 388. If it's an emergency, dial 999).

Safeguarding protects children beyond the four areas of abuse which must be reported to MASH. We consider safeguarding in all aspects of school life and have procedures in place to ensure that, as far as possible, 0ur children continue to be safe from harm or neglect.

EARLY HELP

The Devon Safeguarding Children Board has an Early Help strategy to protect children or young people in Devon and provide help and advice to families as soon as they need it. Early Help is about more than child protection: it is about making sure that children living in Devon are safe, happy, healthy and well educated. Early Help co-ordinators work across Devon to ensure that those children and families needing help are receiving it from the right professionals. If you feel that your family would benefit from Early Help, please contact a Designated Offer your child’s school. Learn More About Early Help by clicking on the tab on the right. 

For additional support and advice, click on the links below to the attached documents.