Safeguarding and Child Protection


What we do​

​Whilst there is a dedicated team of staff at Okehampton College who have extra training to deal with safeguarding and welfare, safeguarding is also part of every member of staff’s duty as well.  We put the safety and well-being of all those within our community at the heart of our work, seeing safeguarding as being everyone's responsibility.  All people have the right to be free from: Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Domestic Violence and Abuse, Discriminatory Abuse, ​Neglect, and we all have a responsibility to report or pass on any concerns.  
 
All staff here have training every year to support them to support students with their safeguarding and welfare.  Where things are going wrong for a child then we work hard with families and other agencies to improve things for that child.  We also focus on educating students about how to keep themselves safe, and hold assemblies on different aspects of safety at least once a term.  This year students have had assemblies on Online Safety and Exploitation and Radicalisation.  We also have outside speakers and theatre companies who come and deliver to students on a range of topics, the most recent being a focus on County Lines for Year 9 students.  We can offer or signpost extra support for students who are young carers, who have experienced trauma or bereavement or who are in Care.  We can also support families through the ‘Early Help’ framework, where additional services or support are required.

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Who we are
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Safeguarding Training

At Okehampton College, the safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities. All staff undergo comprehensive statutory safeguarding training in accordance with our Trust's Safeguarding Policy and the latest guidance from Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE). This ensures that every member of our team is equipped to identify, respond to, and support students facing safeguarding concerns. 
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As part of the September staff training, safeguarding training takes precedence with the DSL leading updates to KCSiE and provide a refresher on the importance of vigilance and professional curiosity to recognise the signs of child abuse. 
Through ongoing professional development, we maintain the highest standards of care, creating a secure and supportive environment where every student can thrive. Safeguarding is a shared responsibility, and our commitment to best practices ensures that students receive the protection and guidance they deserve.

The following compulsory training for all staff takes place online via completing nationally recognised courses on Educare. Additional to this, advanced training is completed by the safeguarding team using the NSPCC or similar.
  1. Child protection in Education - Annually
  2. Safeguarding young people - 3 yearly
  3. The Prevent duty - 2 yearly
  4. Online safety - Annually

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What you can do

​Encourage your child to talk to you about things that worry them as part of your normal family routine.  Monitor their use of the internet and social media.  Report things that concern you – all social media sites have a reporting option.  Encourage healthy sleeping, eating and exercise routines.  Take your child to the GP if you have concerns over mental health as well as physical health.  Seek advice online – there are lots of really helpful websites that tackle many of the common issues that pre-teen and teenagers go through.  Visit our website – you will find our Safeguarding Policy plus other useful information.

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Who to contact

​If you believe that a child or young person is at immediate risk, you should treat this as an emergency and call 999.

You may wish to contact the College:  ​
Designated Safeguarding Lead ● Ross Corkell ● 01837650910 ● [email protected]

In the rare event of none of the above staff being available, please contact Devon Child Protection Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 155 1071 or email [email protected], giving as much information as you can.  Local offices are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am to 4pm on Friday.  If you need to make contact with MASH outside office hours, at weekends and public holidays, please contact the Emergency Duty Service on 0345 600 0388.

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Whistleblowing

Anyone with any concern around adults who are working with children should immediately raise this concern with Gareth Smith, Principal.

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​Information
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Working Together to Safeguard Children
DfE (2022) Keeping Children Safe in Education
Safeguarding Children and Young People
NSPCC Support Services Contact details
The Devon Children and Families Partnership Button Text
Young Minds: Online Safefty Support and Advice