Safeguarding

At The Radclyffe School, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to providing a safe, supportive and inclusive environment where all students feel valued, listened to and protected.

We ensure that concerns are identified early and that appropriate support is provided when needed.

What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding is about protecting children and young people from harm and ensuring they have the support they need to thrive.

This includes:

• Protecting children from abuse, neglect and exploitation
• Supporting their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing
• Providing a safe and secure environment in which they can learn and develop
• Identifying concerns early and taking appropriate action
• Working with families and external agencies to support children when needed
• Helping all young people achieve the best possible outcomes

CET Safeguarding Policy

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Our Safeguarding Team

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads and wider safeguarding team are trained to support students and families with any concerns relating to safety, welfare or wellbeing.

Things to look out for

Children and young people can sometimes find it difficult to talk about concerns they may be experiencing. While these signs do not always indicate a safeguarding issue, they may suggest that a child needs support. Some indicators may include:

• Sudden changes in behaviour or mood
• Becoming withdrawn, anxious or unusually upset
• Changes in attendance or engagement with school
• Unexplained injuries
• Changes in friendships or social groups
• Signs of bullying, including online bullying
• Excessive tiredness, hunger or poor personal care
• Talking about feeling unsafe, frightened or isolated
• Increased secrecy around online activity
• Changes in mental health or emotional wellbeing

Areas of safeguarding

Our safeguarding work covers a wide range of issues, including:

• Child protection, abuse and neglect
• Bullying, cyberbullying and peer-on-peer abuse
• Online safety and digital wellbeing
• Mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Child sexual exploitation (CSE) and child criminal exploitation (CCE)
• Domestic abuse and harmful relationships
• Sexual harassment and sexual violence
• Missing education and attendance concerns
• Substance misuse
• Radicalisation, extremism and hate-related incidents
• Harmful practices, including forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM)

Reporting a concern

If you are concerned about the safety, welfare or wellbeing of a child, we encourage you to report this as soon as possible. You do not need to be certain that a child is at risk to seek advice. All concerns are taken seriously and handled sensitively by our team.

Students can also speak to any trusted member of staff, who will ensure concerns are passed on and acted upon appropriately.

During school hours and term time call us on 0161 622 3200 and please ask to speak to a member of our Safeguarding Team.

Outside school hours or during school holidays you can contact Oldham Social Care on 0161 770 7777, non-emergency police on 101 or call 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm.