Ensuring Safety, Well-being and Respect for All

TRUST SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT OF INTENT

SHINE Academies is committed to ensuring the safety, well-being, and protection of all individuals, particularly vulnerable groups, within our care and service. We recognise the fundamental rights of every person to live free from harm, exploitation, and abuse. The Trust is dedicated to fostering an environment where safeguarding is at the forefront of all practices, and where everyone feels respected, valued, and protected.

The Trust expects all staff to uphold the highest standards of care and vigilance. This ensures that every child in our care is protected from harm, abuse, and neglect. Our expectations of staff include:

Knowledge and Compliance:

Familiarity with and adherence to our safeguarding policies and procedures.
Understanding and following relevant legislation and guidance, such as the Children Act 1989/2004, Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children.

Vigilance and Proactivity:

Being alert to signs of abuse or neglect and recognising potential risks to children.

Taking swift and appropriate action to report concerns, no matter how minor they may seem.

Training and Development:

Attending regular safeguarding training to remain up to date with best practices and legal requirements.

Demonstrating a commitment to continuous professional development in safeguarding matters.

Professional Conduct:

Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and relationships with children.

Acting as positive role models, promoting a safe and inclusive environment.

Collaboration and Communication:

The Designated Safeguarding Lead/ Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead to work closely with parents/carers, and external agencies to ensure the best outcomes for children.

Sharing information responsibly and in line with data protection laws when it concerns the welfare of a child.

Accountability and Transparency:

Being open and honest about any safeguarding issues or incidents.

Reporting any lapses in safeguarding to the designated safeguarding lead immediately.

This framework ensures that every staff member across our trust has a duty to contribute towards children’s safety and well-being.

TRUST SAFEGUARDING STAFFING STRUCTURE

The members and trustees are all suitably trained having read and understood Keeping Children Safe in Education, Working Together to Safeguard Children and what to do if you’re worried a child is being abused: advice for practitioners.

Suki Baran is the Designated Safeguarding Lead for SHINE Academies. It is the role of the Trust Designated Safeguarding Lead to deliver a safeguarding report to trustees that includes the safeguarding culture across our schools. The Designated Safeguarding Lead will also complete a series of safeguarding audits to ensure schools are compliant within their statutory duties in keeping children safe and is always available to support and advise schools on safeguarding matters where required.

SHINE Academies has developed its own safeguarding strategy and has a designated safeguarding team across the trust to drive the delivery.

Trust Safeguarding Team:

Caroline Nightingale (Trustee) – Safeguarding Link Trustee
Suki Baran – Trust Designated Safeguarding Lead
Lissie Elliot – Trust Family Services Manager with Attendance responsibility

INDUCTION/SAFER RECRUITMENT

SHINE Academies is committed to ensuring that all our staff, trustees, governors, volunteers, and third-party staff complete safer recruitment pre-employment checks. This includes having an enhanced Disclosure and Barring service (DBS) check, verified references, prohibition order check (teaching staff) and a section 128 check (where applicable). Our leadership teams are required to complete mandatory safer recruitment training to ensure a full understanding of the necessary pre-employment safeguarding checks required during a recruitment process. Our safer recruitment policy is reviewed regularly to ensure compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Pre-employment checks are recorded and updated in each school’s single central record (SCR). The trust has access to all SCRs to ensure they are compliant and effective.

Managing Safeguarding Allegations Against Staff

SHINE Academies has a robust procedure in place if safeguarding allegations are made against a member of staff. The Managing Safeguarding Allegations Against Staff Policy is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Headteachers are aware of the process to follow should an allegation be made, this includes a robust fact-finding procedure, a risk assessed suspension to minimise any further risk, referral to other agencies such as the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), wellbeing support for the staff involved, and referral to formal HR processes where necessary. Headteachers can access HR advice whenever needed from the trusts internal HR support. Should an allegation be made against a Headteacher, this will be referred to the Chief Executive Officer.

TRUST SAFEGUARDING DELIVERY

The Trust Designated Safeguarding Lead has the responsibility to ensure all school are compliant within safeguarding policies and procedures. The following monitoring pathways are in place across our trust of schools:

Safeguarding learning walk led by the designated safeguarding lead
Reflective journey of the child- deep dive monitoring
Monitoring the impact of targeted interventions led by the Family Service Manager
Safeguarding audits completed by an independent provider

TRUST MONITORING AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trust leadership and Trustees have the following recognised responsibilities:

To ensure that safeguarding and associated policies are in place across our schools
To ensure that all staff meet the requirements of keeping children safe in education, working together to safeguard children and the statutory framework for early years foundation stages
Ensure safer recruitment procedures are followed in all our schools
To ensure that trustees have attended appropriate training
To ensure that best practice for safeguarding is shared across the trust
To ensure that appropriate funding is available to deliver all aspects of safeguarding education and training
To monitor child on child abuse between children, attendance, and other key indicators of the current safeguarding position
To ensure a full understanding of GDPR obligations
To ensure that safeguarding is on the agenda for all appropriate meetings

SHINE Schools Safeguarding Teams:

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