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Safeguarding

Please visit our Safeguarding Policy in our policy section

We have four designated persons at Fern House School for Safeguarding. These staff participate in designated safeguarding training as required.

                                                  Designated staff for Safeguarding

Laura Astarita - Designated Safeguarding Lead

Charlotte Taylor - Designated Deputy Safeguarding Lead and Child Protection Officer

John Puddefoot - Designated Deputy Safeguarding Lead and Child Protection Officer

John Emery - Child Protection Lead

All staff undertake Safeguarding training every three years, as well as internal training regularly.
We all follow our school guidelines on reporting any Safeguarding incidents to our designated member of staff.

Confirmation of Safeguarding Checks on Staff and Workers
Fern House School ensures that all relevant pre- employment checks are carried out on employees and workers directly. In particular, the following specific safeguarding checks are carried out: 

All employees/workers appointed/engaged prior to March 2002 (and with no subsequent change to their employment arrangement requiring a further check) have been subject to a check against List 99; additionally, those appointed between 1989 and March 2002 would have been subject to a satisfactory police check;

• All employees/workers appointed/engaged since March 2002 have been subject to a satisfactory Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. This check included a check against List 99;

• All employees/workers appointed/engaged since12th October 2009 have been subject to a satisfactory Enhanced CRB check, including a check against List 99/Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) Barred List;

• All employees/workers appointed/engaged since 1st December 2012 have been subject to a satisfactory Enhanced with Barred List check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Fern House School also ensures that relevant employees, and workers engaged directly are not disqualified under the Childcare Act 2006 and the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2009 from:

Management of any of the above provision.
Such employees and workers are required to sign an annual declaration to confirm that there has been no change to their criminal record and that they are not disqualified under the Childcare Disqualification Regulations.
Unsupervised, regular volunteers are also subject to the above safeguarding checks.
Supervised, regular volunteers are subject to the above safeguarding checks, with the current exception of the Children’s Barred List check.
All school staff and workers engaged directly are issued with photographic school ID.
As appropriate, visitors to the school are asked to provide Photographic ID wherever possible.
Third party organisations deploying staff or workers to the school are required to provide confirmation that pre- employment and safeguarding checks relevant to the role have been carried out. 

Confirmation of Safeguarding Checks on Staff and Workers

Fern House School ensures that all relevant pre-employment checks are carried out on employees and workers engaged directly. In particular, the following specific safeguarding checks are carried out:

  •  All employees/workers appointed/engaged prior to March 2002 (and with no subsequent change to their employment arrangement requiring a further check) have been subject to a check against List 99; additionally, those appointed between 1989 and March 2002 would have been subject to a satisfactory police check;
  •  All employees/workers appointed/engaged since March 2002 have been subject to a satisfactory Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. This check included a check against List 99;
  •  All employees/workers appointed/engaged since 12thOctober 2009 have been subject to a satisfactory Enhanced CRB check, including a check against List 99/Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) Barred List;
  • All employees/workers appointed/engaged since 1stDecember 2012 have been subject to a satisfactory Enhanced with Barred List check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Fern House School also ensures that relevant employees, and workers engaged directly are not disqualified under the Childcare Act 2006 and the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2009 from:

  •  Later Years provision – working in childcare provided by the school outside of school hours for children who are above reception age but who have not attained the age of 8. 
  •  Management of any of the above provision.

Such employees and workers are required to sign an annual declaration to confirm that there has been no change to their criminal record and that they are not disqualified under the Childcare Disqualification Regulations.

Unsupervised, regular volunteers are also subject to the above safeguarding checks.

Supervised, regular volunteers are subject to the above safeguarding checks, with the current exception of the Children’s Barred List check.

All school staff and workers engaged directly are issued with photographic School ID.

As appropriate, visitors to the school are asked to provide Photographic ID wherever possible.

Third party organisations deploying staff or workers to the school are required to provide confirmation that pre-employment and safeguarding checks relevant to the role have been carried out.

The Trust has a ‘Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders’ which is available on request. The Trust also adheres to the principles of the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice. Applicants are made aware of the Code, which can be located here