Safeguarding

West Lakes Academy recognises the importance of providing an ethos and environment within school that will help children to feel safe, secure and respected; encourage them to talk openly; and enable them to feel confident that they will be listened to. Our full child protection policy is available here.

If you have any concerns or are worried about your child’s or anybody else’s safety or wellbeing you can contact any of the members of staff listed below:

Miss Relph (Designated Safeguarding Lead) RELPHM@westlakesmat.org.uk 
Miss Dunne (Deputy Safeguarding Lead)  DUNNEK@westlakesmat.org.uk
Ms Tuck
Miss Kelly
Mrs D Brown
Ms Clements
Ms Wightman
Mrs Williamson
Ms Robson

Students can  contact the following organisations if they have any concerns or are worried about their own or anybody else’s safety or well-being:

Are you concerned about a child?

If you are concerned that a child or young person is in an emergency situation you should contact the police urgently on 999.

Cumbria Safeguarding Hub

If you have significant concerns about a child please contact the Cumbria Safeguarding Hub, phone 0333 240 1727.

NB – In the unlikely event that this number is unavailable due to a fault please call 01768 895019. This should only be used in exceptional circumstances and should not be used during office hours (9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4.30pm Friday).

Outside office hours – The Emergency Duty Team (EDT) operates an out of hours service. The Emergency Duty Team is one social worker covering the whole county. The EDT service is an emergency only response with the social worker available to provide a response where the needs of the child indicate this.

The academy works alongside the below organisations to ensure the safety and well-being of all its students:

Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership

Cumbria Police

Cumbria County Council Children’s Services

Cadas – A registered charity providing drug and alcohol services to individuals, family members and communities to support recovery

Mind.org

Barnardos

Young Minds – help for parents 

Home Office County Lines guidance 

HM Government Working Together to Safeguard Children 

With regards to the specific safeguarding issues highlighted in Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2020 , the academy’s Designated Safeguarding Lead will ensure that all staff and governors have appropriate training and access to up to date relevant information in relation to the following:

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

Bullying, including Cyber-bullying

Domestic Violence (DV)

Drugs and substance misuse

Fabricated or Induced Illness

Faith Abuse

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Forced Marriage (FM)

Gangs and Youth Violence

Gender Based Violence/Violence against Women and Girls

Mental Health

Private Fostering

Radicalisation

Sexting

Teenage Relationship Abuse

Trafficking

Operation Encompass:

Operation Encompass directly connects the police with schools to ensure support for children living with domestic abuse in their homes when there has been a police attended incident of Domestic Abuse. Rapid provision of support within the school environment means children are better safeguarded against the short-, medium- and long-term effects of domestic abuse. West Lakes Academy works in partnership with Cumbia Police to support our young people here and put suitable provision in place to support after a report from Operation Encompass.

More information can be found here: https://www.operationencompass.org/

Parents and carers – report any worries or concerns

Please use the form to report anything that you are worried or concerned about and our Designated Safeguarding Lead (Vice Principal – Miss Relph) will get back to you.

All external visitors who wish to meet with students must have a current, Enhanced DBS certificate.

External agencies must provide the academy with the name of the person(s), together with their DBS certificate number and issue date before meeting with students.

No student will be seen alone unless we have verification of documentation.

The Prevent Strategy
Prevent aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Prevent is part of the safeguarding work that West Lakes Academy undertakes. All staff have had training in regards to the Prevent duty via Educare. Students are exposed to this strategy and understanding extremism through their Personal Development (PD) and Religion and World Views lessons.

More information on The Prevent Strategy can be found here:

https://educateagainsthate.com/parents/

West Lakes Academy – Prevent Information and Guidance 2020-2021