Safeguarding & Welfare

Our safeguarding personnel (as of September 2024) are as follows:

• Designated Safeguarding Lead: Karen Hancock
• Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Angela Harbour
• Other Designated Child Protection Officers: Rhoda Sayer & Emily Raines
• Young Career Champion: Angela Harbour
• Online Safety Coordinator: Karen Hancock
• Person responsible for children with medical conditions: Brian Hancock
• Equality & Diversity Champion: Emily Raines
• Named Safeguarding Academy Counceller: Rob Grover

Greater Peterborough UTC seeks to remove barriers to learning and achievement and is committed to the principle that every child has individual needs and has an entitlement to access the full curriculum offer and be fully included in all aspects of the life of GPUTC, irrespective of ability, race, gender or need and should be respected and valued as an individual. GPUTC will address the needs of different groups of students and deliver high quality learning and teaching practices which will allow a student to achieve their potential. When possible, UTC will adapt the environment and equipment and seek specialist advice from outside the organisation to enhance its ability to support all students. 

THE GPUTC CORE SAFEGUARDING PRINCIPLES

• It is a whole school responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children as its paramount concern.
• All children (defined as those up to the age of 18) regardless of age, gender, ability, culture, race, language, religion or sexual identity, have equal rights to protection.
• All children have a right to be heard and to have their wishes and feelings taken into account.
• All staff understand safe professional practice and adhere to our code of conduct and other associated policies.
• All staff have a responsibility to recognise vulnerability in children and act on any concern in accordance with this guidance

STAFF RESPONSIBILITY

• Provide a safe environment in which children can learn.
• Ensure all children are able to develop appropriate strategies to recognise and respond to risk and build resilience.
• Identify and recognise children who may be in need of extra help, who are suffering, or are likely to suffer significant harm.
• Provide help for children, where appropriate and reasonable.
• Take appropriate action to prevent safeguarding concerns escalating and work with other services as needed.
• Safeguard children’s well-being and maintain public trust in the teaching profession as part of their professional duties.
• Maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned and to always act in the best interests of the child.
• Respond to and refer any concerns about children or other members of the community in accordance with this policy.
• Contribute towards, read and adhering to the school policies.

All members of staff in the GPUTC know what to do if a child tells them he/she is being abused or neglected. Members of staff know to maintain an appropriate level of confidentiality whilst at the same time liaising with relevant professionals such as the Designated Safeguarding Lead, the safeguarding team at the school and other agencies as appropriate.

Members of staff know they must never promise a child that they will not tell anyone about a concern or allegation as this may ultimately not be in the best interests of the child.

MENTAL HEALTH

Please find below the link to the trust Mental Health site which the GPUTC subscribes to.

https://www.meridiantrust.co.uk/how-we-make-schools-great/mental-health-wellbeing/

REPORT

The welfare and safety of children are the responsibility of all staff in school and ANY concern for a pupil’s welfare MUST always be reported to one of the following:

• Designated Safeguarding Lead, Karen Hancock
• Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads, Michelle Bush-Batty
• We have additional DSL trained staff, some working with a specific year group others with SEND students. 

Students can be referred to a number of services to support them with their welfare and mental health.

The GPUTC keeps safeguarding and welfare files in a secure electronic record system called MyConcern. Should any parent / carer wish to know any further details about this system please visit their website or contact safeguarding@gputc.org

In school, we have 3 services available to students. Access to these services is limited however, and is operated on a basis of need:

YPCS

The Young Peoples Counselling Service is a charity based in the Peterborough area who provide counselling to 11-18year olds with highly trained counsellors.

CROPS

CROPS is a Christian Educational Trust committed to communicating and demonstrating Christian truth and life-style to this generation of children and young people

School Nurse

Offers additional support to students concerning their health, education or mental health

Schools are strongly advised to inform parents/carers of their safeguarding and child protection procedures and the requirement to refer concerns to Social Care

BELOW, YOU WILL FIND A SERIES OF DOCUMENTS AND LINKS TO HELPFUL SITES THAT COVER THE SUBJECTS OF CHILD WELFARE/MENTAL HEALTH AND SAFEGUARDING.

Keep Your Head brings together good, reliable, up-to-date information on mental health and wellbeing for children and young people, parents/carers and professionals.

Kooth provides free, safe and anonymous online help for young people.

Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem, and campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

CHUMS Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Service for Children and Young People provides therapeutic support in a variety of ways.  CHUMS has developed a unique service delivery model to ensure that children and young people are able to access a service that supports their individual needs.

Centre 33 offers a range of counselling support for young people (up to the age of 25) in Cambridgeshire. They also provide information and advice to young carers and their families, giving young carers a much needed break from their caring role, supporting families in planning ahead and enabling young carers to have the same choices as other children and young people through the Carer Choices Fund.

Barnardos aim is to provide the best outcome for every child, no matter who they are or what they have been through.

WHO TO CONTACT WHEN A STUDENT IS IN CRISIS:

Childline is free, confidential and available any time, day or night, and can help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through. You can talk about anything; whether it’s something big or small, their trained counsellors are there to support you.

Telephone 0800 1111

The Samaritans are available, day or night, for anyone who’s struggling to cope, who needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure. They give people ways to cope and the skills to be there for others, and encourage, promote and celebrate those moments of connection between people that can save lives.

Telephone 116 123

STOP Suicide is an award-winning suicide prevention campaign which reaches across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It started life in 2014 as one of four different NHS England-funded pilot campaigns across the East of England and is now continuing via other funding streams.

Young Minds Helpline offers free confidential online and telephone support, including information and advice to any adult worried about the emotional problems, behaviour or mental health of a child or young person up to the age of 25.

Telephone 0808 802 5544