St. Bernard's Catholic Primary School is committed to providing a safe, caring and welcoming environment where every child is able to reach their full potential free from harm, abuse and discrimination. All staff and volunteers are expected to discharge their safeguarding responsibilities effectively and recognise that high self-esteem, confidence, peer support and clear lines of communication with trusted adults helps all children, especially those at risk of or suffering abuse, to thrive.

SAFEGUARDING - DSL TEAM on SCHOOL SITE - PHOTOS

Our school will therefore:

• Establish and maintain an ethos where children feel safe, secure, valued and respected and feel confident as are encouraged to talk, believing they will be effectively listened to.
• Ensure that children know that there are adults in the school who they can approach if they are worried or are in difficulty.
• Provide a systematic means of monitoring children known or thought to be at risk of harm, and ensure we, the school, contribute to assessments of need and support for those children.
• Include in the curriculum activities and opportunities for PSHE which equip children with the skills they need to stay safe and / or communicate their fears or concerns about abuse.
• Include in the curriculum material which will help children develop realistic attitudes to the responsibilities of adult life, particularly with regard to childcare and parenting skills.
• Ensure that every effort will be made to establish effective working relationships with parents and colleagues from other agencies.
• To ensure that all staff working within our school who have substantial access to children have been checked as to their suitability, including verification of their identity, qualifications, and a satisfactory DBS check (according to guidance) , and a single central record is kept for audit. 

Our Designated St. Bernard's Safeguarding Leads (DSL) are: 

Mr. P Foley - Headteacher & Mr. M Stephenson - Deputy Headteacher 

Mrs. O'Brien & Miss Reely - Phase Leads

Mrs. Quinn - EYFS / Mrs. Smith - Teacher 

Safeguarding Governor - Mr. J McTernan 

Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership that replaces the Local Safeguarding Children Board launched on the 1st April 2019.

The Children and Social Work Act 2017 defines three ‘Safeguarding Partners’ to oversee and lead the arrangement to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. In Birmingham, the Local Authority, Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group and West Midlands Police will share equal responsibility for developing and leading the partnership arrangements.

The partnership builds on the strong foundation and substantial improvements made by the Local Safeguarding Children Board, to have a common purpose and agreed behavioural values to reinforce shared priorities set out in our school documentation.

They recognise that to be strong and effective, the Partnership must engage the right people. They have worked collaboratively with a wide range of partners across the city to identify the organisations and agencies which need to be involved to safeguard and promote the welfare of Birmingham’s children.

They view ‘partnership’ as a verb and agencies will be expected to work together to share and co-own the vision of how to achieve improved outcomes for vulnerable children and young people in Birmingham. Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership will promote appropriate support and challenge between partners, ensuring that leaders and staff within every organisation are held to account. They will also create the conditions to develop a transparent learning culture, driving best collaborative practice for good and outstanding outcomes for children and young people.

All their work will be underpinned by a consideration of the views and experiences of Birmingham’s children and young people. They also acknowledge that the new arrangements will only be effective if they make a difference to the wellbeing of Birmingham’s children and young people and ask for help from professional partners and citizens of Birmingham in making this a reality.

Worried about a child?

Please contact the Children’s Advice and Support Service (CASS) on 0121 303 1888 or visit their website.

Outside of normal office hours call the Emergency Duty Team on

0121 675 4806

https://www.birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk/report-a-concern

Visiting St. Bernard's Catholic Primary School

click on the following links...

VISITOR SAFEGUARDING information for your immediate ATTENTION

St. Bernard's current 2024/2025 SAFEGUARDING plan

TERMLY SAFEGUARDING NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2024

TERMLY SAFEGUARDING NEWSLETTER - AUTUMN 2024

PARENT - ONLINE SAFETY NEWSLETTER - MAY 2024

PARENT - ONLINE SAFETY NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2024

PARENT - ONLINE SAFETY NEWSLETTER - JULY 2024

PARENT - ONLINE SAFETY NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 2024

PARENT - ONLINE SAFETY NEWSLETTER - OCTOBER 2024

PARENT POWERPOINT - LATEST ONLINE SAFETY NEWS & TRENDS - OCTOBER 2024

Additional Children's Commissioner information - key safeguarding knowledge for you and your child

Online Sexual Harassment

Understanding Anxiety

IMPORTANT (click link below)

ST. BERNARD'S IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 'OPERATION ENCOMPASS' AGENCY SUPPORT

Supporting children exposed to domestic abuse - working with the West Midlands Police & Birmingham Authority