The Governors and staff of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School are fully committed to safeguarding all of the children and young people who belong to the school community. The school recognises its legal and moral duty to promote the well-being of children, protect them from harm, and respond to child abuse.

Creating a Culture of Safeguarding.

Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of each child in our care is paramount.  No child should suffer harm, either at home or at school. Everyone who works in or visits our school has a responsibility to make sure that all our young people are safe. We know our children well, and this helps us to identify when a child is not their usual self and to respond accordingly. We listen to the children; we hear their voice. We remind them regularly about safe adults they can turn to if ever they need support.

All staff, volunteers and visitors are tasked with being vigilant to the children's needs and to the signs of abuse.

All staff are required to complete annual safeguarding training.  They are required to regularly review their understanding of school policies and procedures to keep themselves alert to the responsibility we hold to keep children safe. 

The DSLs are trained in all aspects of safeguarding and regularly update their understanding and attend termly network meetings through the Surrey County Council Education Safeguarding Team.

We work in partnership with parents and carers for the safety of all children. We work in partnership with Children's Services and other support agencies when necessary.

Our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy is on the website Information page in the Policies section.  There is also a link below.

We also have a simplified version of our Safeguarding Policy, “Keeping You Safe”, written in child-friendly language to explain to our pupils the role of the Safeguarding team and how they work to keep children safe. A copy is attached below.

Children have lessons as part of their Education in Personal Relationships to teach them about how to keep themselves safe, how to resist pressure and how to seek help when needed.

Key Safeguarding Personnel:

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Miss Carolyn Scrutton (Headteacher)

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL):  Miss Jessica Devlin (Deputy Headteacher)
Contact details:  dsl@stjosephs-dorking.surrey.sch.uk
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Norfolk Road, Dorking, RH4 3JA
Telephone: 01306 883934

Chair of Governors: Mr Leslie Maruziva
Contact details:  lmaruziva@stjosephs-dorking.surrey.sch.uk

Safeguarding Governor: Mr Peter Evans
Contact details:  pevans@stjosephs-dorking.surrey.sch.uuk

Monitoring Safeguarding Concerns

We have monitoring systems in place to ensure that all statutory requirements are met.

Our school recording and monitoring system for safeguarding is CPOMs.   Staff record any safeguarding concerns on CPOMs and each incident is reviewed by the school's Safeguarding Leads. Incidents and cases are reviewed regularly to ensure that the best and most appropriate support is put in place to help a child in need.

CPOMs is now commonly used amongst local schools which ensures the accurate and timely transfer of records when children move schools.

A termly audit is carried out by Surrey Safeguarding Children's Partnership. The Governing Body also monitors aspects of safeguarding to ensure that the school meets its statutory duties and that the school's culture of safeguarding is robust.

'It could happen here' summarises our approach to safeguarding, and we do our best to be ready to counter any instances of abuse.

What should you do if you are worried about a child?

If you are worried about the safety or well-being of any young person in our school for any reason, you should contact Carolyn Scrutton, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). You can speak in person, or contact via phone or email.

On-line Safety

Please click the link on the left for more information and support regarding On-line Safety.