LRGS is committed to ensuring the welfare and safety of all our pupils. We believe that pupils have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment which includes the right to protection from all types of abuse; where staff are vigilant for signs of any pupil in distress and are confident about applying the safeguarding processes to avert and alleviate any such problems. 

Safeguarding is about ensuring that everyone is safe from harm, safe from bullying, safe from people who could abuse, safe from radicalisation, discrimination or harassment, and that we all feel safe in our environment. 

We hold off complacency by having an ‘it can happen here’ attitude and ensuring we use ‘healthy scepticism and cautious optimism’ in our practice when making assessments and decisions about the safeguarding of young people. 

We favour an early intervention strategy and favour putting a package of support together early as issues arise. We understand that children and young people face a range of pressures and challenges in life and our aim is to guide them to make the right decisions and be there for them when they make the wrong ones.

We have a good relationship with support workers at We Are With You who work with young people who offer confidential support with alcohol, drugs or mental health. 

We are clear that peer-on-peer abuse is not an inevitable part of school life and that this means being alert to any concerns about behaviour of both children and adults. We have recently scrutinised and updated our peer-on-peer abuse policy with the help of pupil groups so that we can be sure they have a voice in the messages we communicate. 

Key Safeguarding Staff 

If you are ever concerned about the safety or well‐being of someone at our school please talk to one of the school’s Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and Prevent Officers. If you have a non-urgent safeguarding question you can email them on: safeguarding@lrgs.org.uk Alternatively, you can ring the school and ask to speak to one of the Designated Safeguarding Leads: 

• James Hallsworth (Designated Safeguarding Lead; Prevent Officer; Operation Encompass Lead) 

• Jonny Millatt (Deputy-DSL; Prevent Officer; Operation Encompass Lead) 

• Chris Pyle (Back-up DSL) 

• Kathryn Page (Back-up DSL) 

• Scott Young (Back-up DSL) 

• David Rowe (Back-up DSL) 

• Governor Safeguarding Lead Dr. Nina Parekh via Clerk to the Governors 

• Christine Moghaddam (Back-up DSL)

• Within Boarding, Housemasters (Mr Atkinson, Mr Loney and Mr Viney) and other boarding staff act as key pastoral workers with particular pastoral / safeguarding responsibility to boarders.

 

Statement Regarding Peer-on-Peer Abuse 

The school take very seriously the challenge to work on the concerns around peer-on-peer abuse. We aim to have an open dialogue within the school, including with pupils, and have worked with them to develop a Pupil Relationships, Sexual Violence, and Sexual Harassment Between Children Policy. 

Within that policy we state the aims of the school to be that the school:   

• is clear that sexual violence and sexual harassment is not acceptable, it will never be tolerated, and it is not an inevitable part of growing up; 

• will not tolerate or dismiss sexual violence or sexual harassment as “banter”, “part of growing up”, “just having a laugh” or “boys being boys”; 

• will challenging behaviour (potentially criminal in nature), such as grabbing bottoms, breasts and genitalia and flicking bras and lifting up skirts. 

• understand that dismissing or tolerating such behaviours risks normalising them; 

• understand that all of the above can be driven by wider societal factors beyond the school, such as everyday sexist stereotypes and everyday sexist language, therefore a whole school approach (especially preventative education) is important; 

• understand that children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are three times more likely to be abused than their peers. 

School Systems 

The school use CPOMS to record and track any worries or concerns about pupils, allowing us to have a clear overview of what’s happening for a young person in our care. 

Similarly, we use CPOMS StaffSafe to make sure our staff meet high levels of compliance and training in the best interests of the LRGS community. 

We also use auditing tools such as the SWGfL’s 360 Degree Safe as a tool to help us review our online safety policy and practice and our school network is monitored and filtered to keep pupils safe from harmful content. 

The school's main pastoral and safeguarding policies can be found here. 

The most relevant policies are: 

• Behaviour of Pupils 

• Preventing Radicalisation Policy 

• Visitors Policy 

• Registration and Attendance Policy 

• Drugs & Alcohol Education & Management Policy 

• Anti Bullying Policy 

• Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy 

• Whistleblowing Policy 

• Pastoral Care Policy 

 

Who Else Do We Work With? 

The school also link in with other safeguarding initiative and agencies: 

We’re part of Operation Encompass where the Police share information with the school’s Designate Safeguarding Lead. If the Police attend an incident where domestic abuse involved children related to either of the adult parties, Operation Encompass notifies James Hallsworth (DSL) and Jonny Millatt (Deputy DSL) who make sure the young person involved is greeted and supported when they return to school. 

Sally Senior is the school’s Senior Family Support Worker from the Child and Family Wellbeing Service who works with many of our families and young people. 

We have good relationships with We Are With You who help us support young people if we’re worried about their drug or alcohol use. 

We’re also part of the Mental Health Champions Network and work closely with colleagues from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and other mental health charities. 

 

What Should You Do If You’re Worried About a Young Person? 

You may wish to contact the school and speak to one of our DSLs if you are worried about one of our young people. Alternatively, if you are concerned about a child you can also contact Lancashire Children’s Social Care directly yourself - there’s more information here or call 0300 123 6720 or out of hours 0300 123 6722. 

If you think a child is in immediate danger – Don't delay:  Call the Police on 999. 

The NSPCC website has advice about the signs, symptoms and effects of child abuse and neglect. 

There’s a range of guidance and information on safeguarding themes on Lancashire Children’s Safeguarding Assurance Partnership website.  

If you are worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with your child online you can report your concern to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). Both the pupils and parents can report incidents if they fear they are in danger of online abuse, for more information see their website.