Safeguarding and Child Protection

Gortin Primary School have a responsibility for the safeguarding and child protection of the children in our care and we will carry out this duty by providing a caring, supportive and safe environment, where each child is valued for his or her unique talents and abilities, and in which all our young people can learn and develop to their full potential. All staff, teaching and non-teaching are alert to the signs of possible abuse and know the procedures to be followed.

Key Principles of Safeguarding and Child Protection

The general principles, which underpin our work, are those set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and are enshrined in the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, the Department of Education (Northern Ireland) guidance “Safeguarding and Child Protection in Schools” and the Safeguarding Board for NI Core Child Protection Policy and Procedures (2017).

The following principles form the basis of our Child Protection Policy:

• the child or young person’s welfare is paramount

• the voice of the child or young person should be heard

• parents are supported to exercise parental responsibility and families helped stay together

• partnership

• prevention

• responses should be proportionate to the circumstances

• protection and

• evidence based and informed decision making 

We are an Operation Encompass school

Operation Encompass will help us to support and protect vulnerable children. When the Police attend an incident of domestic violence where one of our pupils is present, they will inform the school’s Designated Teacher for Child Protection at the start of the next school day. This information is shared in strict confidence and school staff are only told on a need-to-know basis.

Following any notification from the PSNI, our staff will provide immediate support to any child who has been the victim of domestic abuse. We know that when children do witness domestic abuse at home, this is a highly traumatic experience for them. By taking part in Operation Encompass, we can provide tailored and compassionate support to our pupils, in line with our school ethos. This builds on our existing commitment to child safeguarding.

Should you wish to find out more information, please contact the school’s Designated Teacher for Child Protection, Mrs Allen or alternatively you can read more about Operation Encompass atwww.operationencompass.org.

Also add the attached picture at the bottom with the other pictures and add this link to it:

www.operationencompass.org.

School Safeguarding Team

The following are members of the schools Safeguarding team:

• Designated Teacher for Child Protection: Mrs Laura Allen

• Deputy Designated Teacher / Principal: Mrs Iris Wallace

• Chair of the Board of Governors: Mr Adrian Houston

• Designated Governor for Child Protection: Mrs Jean Crawford

Refer to our Child Protection Policy in the parent’s section of this website.

Please see the following pictures for useful support agencies, click on the picture to be redirected to the website.

In the event of school closures or if your child is off school isolating, you can still contact school to speak to the Designated/ Deputy Designated Teacher on 02881648268, otherwise you can contact them via email:

Mrs L Allen - lallen521@c2kni.net (Designated Teacher)

Mrs I Wallace - iwallace417@c2kni.net  Deputy Designated Teacher/Principal)