Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined in the guidance of Keeping Children Safe in Education September 2024 as:

• Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
• Protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online.
• Preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
• Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

Safeguarding children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is more complex than for the mainstream population. At Hedgewood we are aware of these additional challenges and ensure that all our staff receive regular safeguarding training and updates to provide them with relevant and current skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

At Hedgewood school, we put the best interests of the child at the heart of a child centered and coordinated approach to safeguarding.

Our commitment to safeguarding and the protection of children is demonstrated by:

• ensuring that there is a strong safeguarding culture within Hedgewood School
• ensuring that all necessary internal and inter-agency child protection procedures are in place as required
• being committed to identifying children and families who would benefit from Early Help
• giving all our staff training and regular updates to ensure best practice
• understanding our school’s responsibilities in the event of a concern about the conduct of a member of staff.

Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy can be found on our School Policies page

Child Friendly Safeguarding Policy

This Child Friendly Safeguarding Policy is designed for our pupils. It was created to help our pupils understand what it means to keep safe and who they can go to if they feel upset or worried.

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Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)	Ayo Akinnola (Family Services Manager)
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads	Diane Owens (Deputy Headteacher) Jo Major (Senior Family Service Worker)
Senior Staff in DSL Team	Pearl Greenwald (Co-Headteacher) Bryony Smith (Co- Headteacher) Victoria Leahy (Assistant Headteacher) Ladan Jama (Assistant Headteacher) Tara Shiki (Assistant Headteacher)
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)	Hannah Ives Tel No. 01895 250010 / 07753 431285
Link Governor for Safeguarding	Sally Channing

Hillingdon Stronger Families Hub

We work in partnership with Hillingdon Stronger Families to support families with the help that they need, when they need it most, and to protect children from abuse and neglect.

The Stronger Families Hub is also available to help and support families with information, advice and support any time of the day or night. If you’re a parent/carer in Hillingdon, they can provide you and your family with help in the following areas:

• concerns about your child’s general behaviour
• support and advice with parenting
• difficulties at home, such as daily routines
• domestic abuse
• worries about your child’s school attendance or achievement in education
• bullying or online abuse
• teenage concerns, such as going missing, taking drugs, or associations with gangs
• support if your child has (or you feel they may have) additional needs

You can also contact the Stronger Families Hub if you’re worried about another child who may be at risk.

Get in touch by emailing strongerfamilieshub@hillingdon.gov.uk or call 01895 556006.

Operation Encompass

We are part of a joint agency project with Hillingdon Council and the Metropolitan Police called Operation Encompass, to support our pupils and their families who have experienced a domestic incident.

Operation Encompass will ensure that our Designated Safeguarding Lead is informed of the incident, so that we can offer discreet support for you and your child. We aim to provide a secure and caring environment to help reduce the broader effects of domestic abuse.

Our Operation  Encompass Lead, Ayo Akinnola, can be contacted via office@hedgewood.org or 0208 845 6756​​