This training is mandatory for every member of staff - teaching and non-teaching - and must be completed before you work directly with pupils.
Welcome to our Whole School Safeguarding and Child Protection Training for this academic year.
My name is Mary McMahon. I am the Vice-Principal for Care, Welfare and Safeguarding, and the Deputy Designated Teacher for Child Protection here at St Paul's.
This training is mandatory for every member of staff - teaching and non-teaching - and must be completed before you work directly with pupils. If you are completing this module as part of your induction, the same applies. This is not optional.
The information in this presentation is for guidance. It should not be regarded as a complete and authoritative interpretation of the law. If you are ever in doubt about a safeguarding matter, do not try to interpret the law yourself - speak to me, to Ms Fearon, or to the Principal.
The aim of this training is straightforward: to give you the awareness and confidence to know what to do if you have concerns about the safety or welfare of a child in our care.
By the end of this module, you should be able to recognise the signs that something may be wrong, and you should know exactly who to tell and how.
Safeguarding is underpinned by a clear legal framework. The starting point is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Four articles are particularly relevant:
Article 3: The child's welfare must be the paramount consideration. Article 12: The child has the right to be heard. Article 19: The right to be protected from abuse and neglect. Article 23: A disabled child has the right to live a full and decent life.
These are not aspirations. They are rights.
The Children Order is the primary legislation for child welfare in Northern Ireland. It is built around five key principles: prevention, paramountcy of the child's welfare, partnership with parents, protection, and parental responsibility. The central message is simple - the welfare of the child comes first, always.
The Education and Libraries (NI) Order 2003 places a direct duty on our Board of Governors to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in the school.
The key policy documents are: Cooperating to Safeguard Children and Young People in Northern Ireland, the Regional Core Child Protection Policies and Procedures, and the DE guidance document Safeguarding and Child Protection in Schools. All are available on Cumarsaid.
Safeguarding is much broader than child protection. It covers everything we do to create a safe environment - from how we design our curriculum to how we supervise at lunchtime, from our anti-bullying policy to our vetting procedures.
Safeguarding begins with preventative education and the conditions that allow children to grow up safely. Child protection refers specifically to the activity undertaken to protect individual children who are suffering, or likely to suffer, harm. Both are the responsibility of every person in this school.
The key principles: the child's welfare is paramount; the voice of the child must be heard; responses should be proportionate; decisions must be evidence-based; parents should be supported.
Safeguarding issues include: domestic abuse, forced marriage, bullying, mental health, self-harm, FGM, sexual exploitation, substance misuse, sexting, peer abuse, neglect, online gambling, and adults who may pose a risk. This is not an exhaustive list. Safeguarding is a whole-school responsibility.
This section contains sensitive content about the types and indicators of child abuse. It may be uncomfortable to read. That discomfort is appropriate - but it must not prevent you from acting when you see something that concerns you.
Physical abuse is deliberately physically hurting a child - hitting, biting, shaking, burning, scalding, drowning, or suffocating. Indicators include unexplained bruises, burns with clear outlines, unexplained fractures, and repeated minor injuries.
Accidental injuries typically occur on bony prominences (forehead, chin, knees, shins) and match the history the child gives.
Non-accidental injuries typically occur on soft tissue (ears, cheeks, neck, upper arms, back, buttocks, genitals). Concerns are raised when injuries are to soft tissue, appear on both sides of the body, follow particular patterns, or when the explanation does not match.
Persistent emotional maltreatment - telling a child they are worthless, silencing them, making fun of how they communicate, bullying (including online). Indicators include depression, anxiety, self-harm, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and sudden deterioration in school performance.
Occurs when others exploit children sexually for their own gratification or gain. May involve physical contact or non-contact activities (production of sexual images, grooming). Indicators include physical signs, but also: running away, substance use, fear of a particular person, eating disorders, and unusual sexual themes in artwork or stories.
The failure to provide for a child's basic needs - food, clothing, hygiene, supervision, shelter, or emotional responsiveness. Indicators include poor hygiene, malnourishment, inappropriate dress, developmental delay, and poor attendance.
\"I woke myself up because we ain't got an alarm clock. Dug in the dirty clothes basket cause ain't nobody washed my uniform... Then when I got to class the teacher fussed cause I ain't got no pencil.\" - Joshua T. Dickerson. Our job is to see the whole picture, not just the missing pencil.
Exploitation: The intentional ill-treatment, manipulation, or abuse of power over a child for personal gain - child labour, slavery, criminal activity, trafficking.
Child Sexual Exploitation: A form of sexual abuse where an individual takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce a child into sexual activity, often in exchange for something the child needs. It can occur online.
Child Criminal Exploitation: Where children are manipulated into criminal activity - carrying drugs, weapons, involvement in gangs or county lines. The child is a victim, even if they appear to be participating willingly.
Grooming: Always abusive. Involves gaining trust through money, gifts, attention, or basic needs. Can happen face to face or online. Those involved may themselves be children acting under adult coercion.
If a child discloses abuse to you, your job is not to investigate. Your job is to listen, to reassure, to report, and to record.
Use the school's Note of Concern form - Annex D: Child Protection Record, Report to Designated Teacher. Make a verbal report first to avoid delay, then follow up in writing. Keep it brief, factual, and to the point. The form is available from the Designated Teacher and on Cumarsaid.
Fear, shame, loyalty to the abuser, not understanding that what is happening is wrong, not believing they will be believed. Our job is to create an environment where children feel safe enough to speak. That starts with how we treat them every single day - with kindness, consistency, and respect.
Allegations can be made against any member of staff - including for behaviour outside school. The Principal takes the lead in responding, working with CPSS and Employee Relations. Confidentiality is essential.
If you have a concern about a colleague's conduct, you must report it. If the concern is about the Principal, report to the DT, DDT, or Chair of Governors. This is both a legal and a professional responsibility.
The Staff Code of Conduct covers: relationships and attitudes, setting an example, physical contact with pupils, private meetings, conduct outside work, e-safety, confidentiality, and honesty. The full document is on Cumarsaid and in the Staff Handbook. Read it. Know it. Live it.
If you are subject to investigation by Children's Social Services or the PSNI, you must notify the Principal. Do not try to manage an allegation on your own.
Safeguarding work can be heavy. If something you have encountered affects you - talk to someone. Talk to a colleague on the Safeguarding Team. Debrief. Recognise the limitations of your role. Share the load.
Think safe. Be safe. Stay safe.
Safeguarding is the most important thing we do in this school. It takes precedence over everything else. If you see something, hear something, or sense something that concerns you - tell someone. You will never be criticised for raising a concern in good faith.
You have completed all seven sections of the Safeguarding and Child Protection Training module. Please confirm your completion with the Designated Teacher.
St Paul's High School, Bessbrook | Cumarsaid | TICK: Truth, Integrity, Compassion, Kindness