James Brindley is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We will endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where all are respected and valued. We will be alert to signs of abuse and neglect and will follow our procedures to ensure that all our young people receive effective support and protection.

Safeguarding legislation and government guidance defines safeguarding as:

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcome

We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our whole School Safeguarding Policy.

We also adhere to the following three DFE safeguarding documents:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
• Keeping Children Safe in Education June 2022
• The Prevent Duty 2021 + Prevent Guidance 2021

All staff receive annual Child Protection and Safeguarding training and attend refresher sessions throughout the year. As a staff body, we are fully aware of the signs that may indicate a child is at risk of neglect or abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) and understand the procedures for referring concerns to relevant external agencies.

Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies, when there are concerns about a child's welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child's welfare.

Our Academy's Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Charmaine Parry, Assistant Principal.

Our DSLs are:

• Hardip Bissell – Principal
• Tosin Gabriel – Vice Principal
• Lisa Valentini – Assistant Principal
• Mark Thorogood – Interim Assistant Principal
• Sammy-Jo Lowe – Dovedale Centre Leader
• Emma-Lee Thomason – Dovedale SENCO
• Sophie Bartlett – Parkway Centre Leader
• Julia Smith – Northfield Centre Leader
• Janine Zablocki – Hospitals/STP Centre Leader
• Arpinder Bains – Hospitals Assistant Centre Leader
• Nicola Winslow – Newbridge
• Simon Lee – Ardenleigh
• Suzy Bradbury – Willows
• Iqra Mansell – STP Co/Pastoral Manager

Our Deputy DSLs are:

• Lucy Kimberley – Parkway Pastoral Manager
• Eunice Obeng-Oppong – Northfield Pastoral Manager
• Joan Arnett – Dovedale Pastoral Manager
• Louise Connor – Dovedale Pastoral Manager

Our Academy’s Safeguarding Trustee is Fay Holland.

All staff must maintain an attitude of “it could happen here” where safeguarding is concerned.  If staff have any concerns they are to raise them with their relevant DSL or the Children's Advice & Support Service (CASS) who can be contacted on 0121 303 1888 or out of hours on 0121 675 4806 for the Emergency Duty Team.