Our Approach to Safeguarding
Lumen Christi Catholic Multi Academy’s Board of Directors understands its safeguarding responsibilities as outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 and Working Together Safeguard Children.
The Board acts in line with the published Scheme of Delegation to ensure there is accountability for compliance throughout Lumen Christi.
Chair of the Board: | Peter Vince |
Director with responsibility for overseeing Safeguarding: | Matt Hill |
Chief Executive Officer (CEO): | Paul Collins-Smith |
Head School Improvement | Rebecca Nash |
The Head of School Improvement oversees safeguarding operations and compliance on behalf of the CEO and Board of Directors. A termly update is provided to the Director with responsibility for overseeing safeguarding with an annual update presented by the link Director to the full Board of Directors. In addition to this, the Head of School Improvement creates, in consultation with schools and the CEO, an annual Safeguarding Plan to ensure areas for development are identified, actioned and reviewed regularly. Implementation of this work is supported in each setting via the delivery of supervision which takes place at least termly.
Each school within Lumen Christi Catholic Multi Academy has a School Standards Committee comprising a Chair and Safeguarding Link Representative. Assurance visits are undertaken at least termly by each Safeguarding Link Representative and reported back to the School Standards Committee of the respective school.
Lumen Christi Schools are also required to complete the Section 175 (Education Act 2002) annually and submit a return to the Local Authority. The subsequent improvement priorities that may be generated are incorporated into the Lumen Christi-wide Safeguarding Development Plan.
Through our work and reporting, Lumen Christ Catholic Multi Academy can give assurance that:
- Our Board of Directors understands their safeguarding responsibilities as outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 and considers them of vital importance.
- There is a Board Director who is the named lead for safeguarding. The Board reviews safeguarding across the organisation at least three times a year through the work of the Curriculum and Standards Committee or via the Link Director for Safeguarding.
- Lumen Christi meets its statutory requirements in relation to the Disclosure and Barring Scheme. Our Safer Recruitment Policy ensures all employees and volunteers who work in our schools have had appropriate checks and that these are recorded – along with other relevant information – on the Single Central Record (SCR) of each school. The SCR is reviewed on a monthly basis by a member of the school leadership team and this is reported to the local School Standards Committee. An external audit of the SCR is also undertaken annually.
- Our Safeguarding policies are up to date and robust. They are reviewed regularly (at least annually) and updated dynamically in response to national guidance, guidance from Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership and, post-incident reflection.
- Each school has a named Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
- All staff have undertaken and are up to date with safeguarding training, both core knowledge and on specific subjects or themes (such as child on child abuse, sexual violence and harassment, child sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation etc). There are clear expectations of training delivery which is provided via in-school sessions and online modules.
- Schools deliver on-going training, post-incident reflection and scenario-based learning opportunities via staff briefings and INSET days.
- All schools complete and submit the annual Section 175 audit the Local Authority.
- Children are supported to self-safeguard through each schools’ delivery of the RSHE curriculum.
- Each school has a named Link Representative on their School Standards Committee with a responsibility for Safeguarding.
- All Lumen Christi schools have a named leads for online safety, mental health, Operation Encompass, Prevent and, Looked After/Previously Looked After Children.
- Behaviour and wellbeing is reported on separately to School Standards Committees for each school, to ensure a holistic view of safeguarding and welfare is presented.
- We are committed to delivering support to families in line with the Right Help, Right Time framework and utilise the Pathfinder Approach to provide early help support to our families.
- Lumen Christi schools and the executive team work together with external voluntary and statutory agencies to fulfil our safeguarding duties.
- Our safeguarding work is continually under review to identify areas of improvement and development for the benefit of the children and families attending Lumen Christi Schools.