Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means:
- Protecting children from maltreatment
- Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
- Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Children includes everyone under the age of 18 years.
Child Protection is part of this definition and refers to activities undertaken to prevent children suffering, or being likely to suffer, significant harm.
Abuse is a form of maltreatment of a child and may involve inflicting harm or failing to act to prevent harm.
Neglect is the ongoing failure to meet a child’s basic needs and the most common form of child abuse. A child might be left hungry or dirty, or without proper clothing, shelter, supervision or health care. This can put children and young people in danger. And it can also have long term effects on their physical and mental wellbeing.
Emotional abuse is any type of abuse that involves the continual emotional mistreatment of a child. It’s sometimes called psychological abuse. Emotional abuse can involve deliberately trying to scare, humiliate, isolate or ignore a child. Emotional abuse is often a part of other kinds of abuse, which means it can be difficult to spot the signs or tell the difference, though it can also happen on its own.
Physical abuse is when someone hurts or harms a child or young person on purpose. It’s important to remember that physical abuse is any way of intentionally causing physical harm to a child or young person. It also includes making up the symptoms of an illness or causing a child to become unwell.
Sexual Abuse is when a child or young person is sexually abused, they’re forced or tricked into sexual activities. They might not understand that what’s happening is abuse or that it’s wrong. And they might be afraid to tell someone. Sexual abuse can happen anywhere – and it can happen in person or online. It’s never a child’s fault they were sexually abused – it’s important to make sure children know this.
Procedure if you have concerns about a child’s welfare (no immediate danger)
If you have concerns about a child you should follow the procedure here.
We have a number of people in school who can help you with a Safeguarding concern. You can find our current school contacts here.
You should always make a referral to children’s services and or the police immediately if you think a child is in danger or at risk of harm. Anyone can make a referral.
Referrals to children’s services for Oldham Local Authority are made to the MASH team on 0161 770 7777 child.mash@oldham.gov.uk
Alternatively, you can complete an online referral on Oldham Council’s website here.
You can find our full Safeguarding policy here.