Safeguarding (for parents)
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
What does Safeguarding mean?
- protecting children from maltreatment
- preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical 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
Staff at Co-op Academy Brierley have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which your child can learn. Any staff member who has a concern about a child’s welfare should follow the academy’s child protection policy by raising the concern with the designated staff for child protection.
Our Safeguarding Team
Our DSL's are available Mon-Fri 8am-4pm during term time. Some of our DSL's also work all year round, in the school holidays, at reduced capacity.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is:
Melanie Boffey
Melanie.boffey@coopacademies.co.uk
Other Designated Safeguarding Officers (DDSL) are:
Sarah Harridge- Headteacher
sarah.harridge@coopacademies.co.uk
Jessica Hawkins - Healthcare Supervisor
jessica.hawkins@coopacademies.co.uk
Oliver Strelczenie- Teacher
oliver.strelczenie@coopacademies.co.uk
Amanpreet Kaur- Family Support Worker
How might a child be unsafe?
Staff at Co-op Academy Brierley recognise that children can be at risk of and be harmed in many ways, inside and outside of the academy and by people in their family, community and their peer groups. The academy must take action to protect children and to prevent further harm.
Here is some ways children can be harmed or would cause a concern:
- living in a house where there is domestic abuse
- being forced into a marriage
- being exploited criminally or sexually
- being drawn into extremism
- being involved in criminal activity
- bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory)
- abuse in intimate personal relationships between peers
- physical abuse which can include hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm
- sexual violence or sexual harassment, such as rape, threats, comments, jokes, initiation type violence
- causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party
- consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi nudes images and or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery)
- upskirting, which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without their permission, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm
- having an item on them that is banned at the academy that could cause harm to themselves or others
- see someone on site that shouldn’t be
Who to contact?
At Brierley we create a culture where pupils are confident to ask for help and support when they need it.
If you are concerned that they or someone they know might be at immediate risk of harm, they must tell a member of staff as soon as they can. They can approach any member of staff and share this information with them. It could be a year manager, someone from the kitchen, reception staff or a cleaner. All members of staff at Co-op Academy Brierley know the correct procedures to follow to keep everyone at the academy safe.
If you are worried about your own child then please call the Academy and ask to speak with any of the above Safeguarding Team.
If you are concerned about the welfare of another child please contact Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership on 0113 376 0336.