Approach to Safeguarding

Safeguarding our children and young people is of paramount importance – at Liberty we acknowledge that in all that we do, we must focus on our ‘pupils first’.

Liberty Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy is written in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018, ensuring that there is a consistent foundation to safeguarding practice across the trust.

The two key principles of effective safeguarding, as identified within Working Together to Safeguarding children 2018 are:

1. A child-centred approach to safeguarding - This child centred approach is fundamental to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child. A child centred approach means keeping the child in focus when making decisions about their lives and working in partnership with them and their families.
2. A co-ordinated approach – safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who works with children has a responsibility for keeping them safe. No single practitioner can have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances and, if children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.

We aim to achieve these key principles on a daily basis through embedding a culture of safeguarding in every school - where all children feel safe, all staff feel equipped and our children have the support and development opportunities that they need and deserve.

Our Safeguarding audit and review process provides assurance of compliance with guidance and legislation whilst offering opportunity for further development of practice in our schools. The Audit explores: training; Policies; day to day management of concerns; safeguarding in the curriculum; pupil voice; behaviour; attendance; site safety and post-incident reflection.

All schools use CPOMS to securely record and respond to concerns in relation to children, in a timely manner. CPOMS should be used by all staff in every school to document interactions, meetings and plans, held for children in relation to safeguarding matters. There are different levels of access to CPOMS, with DSL’s and other relevant personnel having enhanced access to records, the majority of staff are able to add concerns/records and respond to tasks assigned to them by the DSL.