Our Safeguarding Team

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) has lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the school and is supported by trained Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Mrs Caroline Dyrda - Safeguarding Lead and Family 

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead(s)

Mrs S Addy
Headteacher

Mrs K Murray
Deputy Headteacher

Mrs S O'Brien
School Business Manager

Mrs L McDonald
Happy Daze Manager

Safeguarding Governor
Mrs E Taylor

Designated Teacher for Looked-After and Previously Looked-After Children
Mrs K Murray

 

While our safeguarding team provides specialist leadership and support, every member of staff has a responsibility to safeguard children. Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training and know how to recognise, record, report and respond to concerns.

Worried about a child? Please tell us.

If you are concerned about the safety or wellbeing of a child, however small that concern may seem, please share it with us.

You do not need to be certain that something is wrong. Safeguarding concerns are sometimes made up of many small pieces of information and sharing what you know can help us to ensure that a child receives the right support at the right time.

During the school day

Please contact a member of our Safeguarding Team:

Telephone: 01254 55639
Email: office@lowerdarwen.blackburn.sch.uk
In person: Please speak to the school office and ask for the Designated Safeguarding Lead or a Deputy DSL.

If a child is in immediate danger

If you believe that a child is at immediate risk of significant harm or requires emergency assistance, contact the emergency services by calling 999.

Concerns outside school hours

If you are concerned about a child when school is closed, please contact:

Blackburn with Darwen MASH for confidential advice and consultation. Monday to Friday 08.45-17.00 please call: 01254 666400

If you are calling outside these hours please contact the Emergency Duty Team on 01254 587547.

You can contact the Blackburn with Darwen Local Safeguarding Children Board by following this link:  BwD Safeguarding Childrens Board

You can also report your concerns online on the NSPCC Website: www.nspcc.org.uk  

Or you can also speak to:

NSPCC 0800 800 5000

Childline 0800 1111

 

Concerns about an adult working with children

If your concern relates to the conduct of an adult who works or volunteers at our school, please report this to the Headteacher.

If the concern relates to the Headteacher, it should be reported to the Chair of Governors/Trustees in accordance with our safeguarding procedures.

If you are unsure whether something is a safeguarding concern, please speak to us. It is always better to share a concern than to remain silent.

Our Statutory Safeguarding Responsibilities

Our Governing Body/Trustees have strategic responsibility for ensuring that our safeguarding arrangements comply with legislation and statutory guidance and that safeguarding is embedded within a robust whole-school approach.

The Headteacher ensures that safeguarding policies and procedures are understood and followed throughout the school. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead provides leadership for safeguarding and child protection and supports staff in meeting their responsibilities in day-to-day practice.

We work as part of the wider safeguarding system alongside children and families, Children’s Social Care, health services, the police, our Local Safeguarding Partners and other relevant agencies.

Our approach is child-centred. We listen to children, take their wishes and feelings into account and ensure that their best interests remain central to safeguarding decisions.

Our safeguarding arrangements include appropriate systems and procedures for:

• child protection, including identifying and responding to abuse, neglect and exploitation;

• providing and accessing Early Help and Family Help, and making referrals to statutory services when appropriate;

• identifying and responding to child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation, including county lines;

• preventing and responding to child-on-child abuse, including bullying, harmful sexual behaviour, sexual harassment and sexual violence;

• challenging misogyny, harmful attitudes and behaviours which may contribute to an unsafe culture;

• responding to the sharing or creation of nude or semi-nude images, including digitally altered and AI-generated material;

• recognising and responding appropriately to domestic abuse and its impact on children;

• recognising and responding to female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and other forms of so-called honour-based abuse, including fulfilling statutory reporting duties where applicable;

• fulfilling our responsibilities under the Prevent Duty and responding to concerns about radicalisation and susceptibility to terrorism;

• promoting online safety, including protecting children from risks associated with content, contact, conduct and commerce;

• maintaining appropriate filtering and monitoring systems and regularly reviewing their effectiveness;

• recognising where mental health difficulties may indicate that a child has suffered, or is at risk of suffering, abuse, neglect or exploitation;

• responding to children who are absent from education, recognising that repeated or prolonged absence can be an important safeguarding indicator;

• safeguarding children who may be at greater risk of harm, including children with SEND or certain health conditions, young carers, children with a social worker, looked-after and previously looked-after children and other vulnerable pupils;

• safeguarding pupils receiving alternative provision or education away from the school site, where applicable;

• safer recruitment, appropriate pre-employment checks and maintenance of the Single Central Record;

• ensuring the ongoing suitability of staff, volunteers, contractors and other adults working with children;

• managing allegations and safeguarding concerns about adults, including supply staff, volunteers and contractors;

• identifying, recording and responding appropriately to low-level concerns;

• maintaining effective whistleblowing arrangements so that concerns about safeguarding practice can be raised;

• appropriate information sharing, confidentiality, safeguarding record-keeping and transfer of child protection files;

• ensuring all staff receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, and understand their individual responsibilities;

• ensuring governors/trustees receive appropriate safeguarding training to enable them to provide effective strategic challenge and assurance;

• teaching pupils about safeguarding, healthy relationships and keeping themselves safe, including online;

• ensuring children know how to report a concern, are confident that adults will listen and know their concerns will be taken seriously;

• maintaining appropriate safeguarding arrangements when school premises are used by external organisations or providers; and

• effective multi-agency working, referrals and escalation with safeguarding partners and external agencies.

Key Statutory Safeguarding Guidance

Our safeguarding arrangements, policies and procedures reflect current legislation and statutory guidance and are reviewed regularly.

From 1 September 2026, our safeguarding practice is informed particularly by the following:

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026

The Department for Education's statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges. It sets out the legal duties that schools, governing bodies/trustees and staff must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026

Statutory guidance setting out how organisations and practitioners should work together to help, support, safeguard and promote the welfare of children through effective multi-agency working.

The Prevent Duty Guidance

Statutory guidance relating to schools' responsibilities under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.

Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004

Key legislation underpinning the safeguarding and child protection system, including responsibilities relating to children in need, children at risk of significant harm and effective multi-agency arrangements.

Education Act 2002

Provides an important part of the legislative framework for schools' safeguarding responsibilities, including the duty placed on relevant education bodies to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Working Together to Improve School Attendance

Statutory guidance which recognises the important relationship between attendance, wellbeing and safeguarding and establishes expectations for schools, local authorities and other partners.

Children Missing Education

Statutory guidance relating to children of compulsory school age who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at school.

Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework

Where applicable to our Nursery and/or Reception provision, the EYFS statutory framework establishes specific safeguarding and welfare requirements for children in the early years.

 

Our Safeguarding Policies

Our statutory duties and safeguarding principles are translated into clear policies and procedures which guide our everyday practice.

These include our:

• Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

• Staff Code of Conduct

• Online Safety Policy

• Behaviour Policy

• Anti-Bullying Policy

• Attendance Policy

• SEND Policy / SEND Information Report

• Whistleblowing Policy

• Health and Safety Policy

• First Aid and Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy

• Educational Visits Policy

• Data Protection and Information Sharing arrangements

• Safer Recruitment procedures

• Managing Allegations Against Adults procedures

• Low-Level Concerns procedures

• Filtering and Monitoring arrangements

• Prevent and radicalisation procedures, where incorporated within our wider safeguarding policy.

Our policies are reviewed in accordance with statutory requirements and whenever changes to legislation or statutory guidance require us to do so.

 

If you would like a copy of any policies please ask at the school office and we will be happy to assist.The Prevent Strategy is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism in all it’s form 

What is the Prevent Strategy?

The Prevent Strategy is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism in all it’s form.

The Prevent Duty

The Prevent duty requires all schools to "have due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism", under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015. The duty covers all types of extremism, whether political, religious or ideological.

What does it mean for a school?

As a school we protect our pupils from the risk of radicalisation through our wider safeguarding duties and our duty to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. We do the following:

• Promote the fundamental British values through the school’s curriculum 
• Make sure that school is a safe space for pupils to discuss sensitive topics, including terrorism and extremism
• We have robust safeguarding procedures to identify children at risk 
• We have measures in place to protect pupils from harmful online content, which includes appropriate filtering and monitoring systems
• Our staff receive training to help them identify pupils at risk, challenge extremist ideas, and know how to act if they have a concern

If you’re worried about someone

If you are worried that you or someone you know is being radicalised, the Blackburn with Darwen Prevent team can help. Their work is part of the Government’s Counter Terrorism Strategy. You can call or email them and then they we'll discuss your concerns with you. They will ask you why you think someone is at risk and decide how they can help. They may ask you to complete a referral form so that they can support the person you're worried about.

• Local Authority Prevent Team: 01254 585 260

• Email: Prevent.Team@Blackburn.gov.uk

• Police Prevent Team: 01772 413398

• Anti-Terrorist Hotline: 0800 789 321

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Additional information on the Prevent Strategy and the Government Link to report terrorism are below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance

https://www.gov.uk/report-terrorism

 

Our school setting is part of Operation Encompass.

Operation Encompass is a national police and education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children who experience Domestic Abuse.

Operation Encompass is in place in every police force in England and Wales, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar.

Children were recognised as victims of domestic abuse in their own right in the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act.

There is a legislative requirement for police forces to share information with educational settings through Operation Encompass. 

Through Operation Encompass the police will share information with our  school setting about ALL police attended domestic abuse incidents which involve any of our children who are related to either of the adults involved in the incident. This sharing of information will occur PRIOR to the start of the next school day. The notification will inform us about the context of the incident and will include the Voice of the Child.

Online Safeguarding and Web Filtering

We use a web filtering software called "Fort Analyzer" that is provided by Blackburn with Darwen LA. The DSL receives a weekly report highlighting any suspicious searches or web addresses and who was logged onto the machine at that time.

The UK Safer Internet Centre are a partnership of three leading organisations: Childnet International, Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL, with one mission – to promote the safe and responsible use of technology for young people. Forti Analyzer uses their checklist to ensure the service they provide for us is of the highest standard.

 

Keeping children safe when online or using AI

Keeping children safe online is a shared responsibility between school and home. We teach children to use technology safely, responsibly and respectfully, including helping them to understand that information they see online or receive from Artificial Intelligence (AI) may not always be accurate, reliable or appropriate.

Online safety is taught regularly and progressively throughout school and is reinforced whenever children use technology. This includes:

• Relationships and Health Education (from September 2026): children learn about healthy and respectful relationships, including online relationships; how to recognise inappropriate or harmful behaviour; privacy and boundaries; online safety and harms; and how and when to seek help from a trusted adult.

• Computing: children are taught how to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely. They learn about keeping personal information private, recognising acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and knowing where to go for help if they are worried about something they encounter online.

• AI and digital literacy: as technology develops, children are supported to understand, at an age-appropriate level, what AI is and how it may be used. They are taught not to share personal or sensitive information with AI tools and to question and check AI-generated information rather than assuming that it is always correct.

• English and wider curriculum learning: children develop the skills to question information, distinguish between fact and opinion, consider whether a source can be trusted and think critically about information, images and content they encounter online.

• PSHE and wider safeguarding: children learn about privacy, consent, respectful communication, online friendships, cyberbullying, digital footprints and what to do if someone or something online makes them feel worried, uncomfortable or unsafe.

• Across the curriculum: safe and responsible use of technology is reinforced whenever digital devices, websites, online resources or approved AI tools are used, helping children develop positive and safe habits that they can apply both in school and at home.

 

How parents can help

Parents and carers can support this learning by talking regularly with their child about what they do online, using age-appropriate parental controls and privacy settings, and encouraging children never to share personal information, images or passwords. Where children encounter AI, we encourage appropriate adult guidance and remind them that AI can make mistakes and should not be trusted with personal or sensitive information.

Most importantly, children should know that if anything they see or experience online worries, upsets or confuses them, they should stop and tell a trusted adult. We want every child to feel confident that they can ask for help and that they will be listened to and supported.

Safer Recruitment

The safe recruitment of staff in schools is the first step to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in education. Lower Darwen Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. It is recognised that this can only be achieved through sound procedures, good inter-agency cooperation and the recruitment and retention of competent, motivated employees who are suited to, and fulfilled in the roles they undertake. The school recognises the value of, and seeks to achieve a diverse workforce which includes people from different backgrounds with different skills and abilities. The school is committed to ensuring that the recruitment and selection of all who work within the school is conducted in a manner that is systematic, efficient, and effective and promotes equality of opportunity.

The school will uphold its obligations under law and national collective agreements to not discriminate against applicants for employment on the grounds of age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, race, and colour, national, ethnic origin, religion or creed. The document provides a good practice framework to comply with the principles set down in the school’s Equality Policy. All posts within school are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all applicants will be required to declare spent and unspent convictions, cautions and bind-over’s, including those regarded as spent and have an Enhanced Criminal Records Disclosure(DBS). The school is committed to ensuring people who have been convicted are treated fairly and given every opportunity to establish their suitability for positions. Having a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position. The school will:

1. Ensure that appropriate staff who undertake recruitment have received safer recruitment training.
2. Work towards every appointment panel including one member who has received safer recruitment training.
3. Implement robust recruitment procedures and checks for appointing staff and volunteers to ensure that reasonable steps are taken not to appoint a person who is unsuitable to work with children, or who is disqualified from working with children, or does not have the suitable skills and experience for the intended role.
4. Keep and maintain a single central record of recruitment and vetting checks in line with DFE requirements.
5. Ensure that the terms of any contract with a contractor or agency requires them to adopt the implemented measures described in this procedure. The school will monitor the compliance with these measures.
6. Require staff who are convicted or cautioned for any offence during their employment with the school to notify the school, in writing of the offence and the penalty.

The following pre-employment checks will be undertaken:

• Receipt of at least two satisfactory references, one of which will be from the former or most recent employer.
• Verification of the Candidates identity in line with the requirements of The Immigration, Asylum, and Nationality Act 2006.
• A list 99 check
• A satisfactory DBS clearance
• Verification of the candidates medical fitness
• Verification of qualifications
• Verification of professional registration as required by law for teachers
• Verification of successful completion of induction period (for those who obtained QTS after 7 May 1999) Roles and Responsibilities
• It is the responsibility of the Governing Body to:
• Ensure the school has effective policies and procedures in place for the recruitment of all staff and volunteers in accordance to DFE guidance and legal requirements.
• Monitor the schools compliance with them

It is the responsibility of the Headteacher and other managers involved in recruitment to:

• Ensure that the school operates safe recruitment procedures and makes sure all appropriate checks are carried out on all staff and volunteers who work at the school
• To monitor contractors’ and agencies’ compliance with this document
• Promote welfare of children and young people at every stage of the procedure.

It is the responsibility of all potential and existing workers, including volunteers to comply with this document. It is the responsibility of all contractors and agencies to comply with safe recruitment pre-employment checks. School governors may be involved in staff appointments, but the final decision will rest with the Headteacher. The Headteacher may delegate the selection process of staff outside of the leadership group to other managers in the school, but remains responsible for the decision to appoint.

To ensure equality of opportunity, the school will advertise all vacant posts to encourage as wide a field of candidates as possible; normally this will entail an external advertisement. However, where there is a reasonable expectation that there are sufficient qualified internal candidates or where staff are at risk of redundancy, an internal advertisement may be considered appropriate.

Application 

The form 

The school uses a standard application form. CVs will not be accepted. The school requires candidates to account for any gaps or discrepancies in employment history on this job application. Where an applicant is shortlisted, these gaps will be discussed at interview. Applicants should be aware that providing false information is an offence and could result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal if the applicant has been selected, and possible referral to the police and other professional regulatory bodies.  References for shortlisted candidates will be sent for immediately after shortlisting. The only exception to this is where candidates have indicated on their application forms that they do not with their current employer to be contacted. In such cases, this reference will be taken up immediately after interview and prior to any offer of employment being made. One reference will be sought prior to interview wherever possible. References must be in writing and be specific to the job for which the candidate has applied – open references or testimonials are not acceptable. The school will not accept references from relatives or people writing solely in the capacity as a friend. Only references from a trusted authoritative source will be acceptable.

Reference requests will specifically ask:

• About the referee’s relationship with the candidate
• Whether the referee is completely satisfied that the candidate is suitable to work with children and, if not, for specific details of the concerns and the reasons why the referee believes that the person might be unsuitable. Referees may also be asked to confirm details of:
• The applicants current post, salary and attendance record
• Performance history and conduct
• Any disciplinary procedures in which the sanction is current
• Any disciplinary procedures involving issues related to the safety and welfare of children including any in which the sanction has expired and the outcome of those.
• Details of any allegations or concerns that have been raised that relate to the safety and welfare of children or behaviour towards children and the outcome of these concerns.

References will be compared to the application form to ensure that the information provided is consistent. Any discrepancies will be taken up with the applicant at interview. Any information about past disciplinary action or allegations will be considered in the circumstances of the individual case. Cases in which an issue was satisfactorily resolved some time ago, or an allegation was determined to be unfounded or did not require formal disciplinary sanctions, and which no further issues have been raised, are not likely to cause concern. More serious or recent concerns or issues are more likely to cause concern. A history of repeated concerns or allegations overtime is also likely to give cause for concern.

Self-declaration of convictions by job applicants

The schools policy requires shortlisted applicants for all posts (including volunteers) to declare all criminal convictions whether “spent” or “unspent” and include any cautions and pending prosecution. Such declarations will be made on an appropriate form and should be submitted in a sealed envelope, marked ‘strictly private and confidential’ to the chair of the selection panel /Headteacher prior to the interview. The chair of the panel/ Headteacher will discuss relevant, positive declarations confidentially with the applicant at interview. The disclosure of convictions, cautions or pending cases will not necessarily prevent employment but will be considered in the same way as positive DBS disclosures.

Interviews

The selection process will always include the following:

• Face to face professional interview including a question related to safeguarding children (in line with Safer Recruitment Training)
• Proof of identity and Right to Work in the UK & Verification of Qualifications and/or Professional Status.

Shortlisted applicants for all posts will be required to provide proof of identity by producing documents on the day of interview in line with those set out in The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Similar information is also required to undertake a Criminal Records Bureau check on the preferred candidate. Shortlisted candidates will also be required to provide proof of their qualifications and professional status by producing documentation on the day of interview. The school will verify that candidates have actually obtained any qualifications legally required or deemed essential for the job and claimed in their application by asking to see the relevant certificate, or a letter of confirmation from the awarding body/institute. If the original documents are not available, the school will require sight of a properly certified copy.

Where candidates have obtained qualifications abroad, a certified comparability check will also be required. Proof of identity and other documentation will be verified by the chair of the panel/Headteacher.

Commencement of Employment prior to DBS check being received

In unusual circumstances it is permitted to commence employment prior to receiving a DBS check. However a List 99 check and risk assessment must be completed.

Employment Offer

Once all pre-employment checks have been satisfactorily completed/ received, an offer of employment will be made and the contract of employment issued. The contract will be issued. The contract will be issued as soon as possible but in all circumstances within 8 weeks of employment commencing.

Record Retention / Data Protection

The school will retain all interview notes on all applicants for a 6 month period, after which time the notes will be destroyed (ie: shredded). The 6 month retention period will allow the school to deal with any data access requests, recruitment complaints or respond to any complaints made to the Employment tribunal. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, applicants have a right to request access to notes written about them during the recruitment process. Applicants who wish to access their interview notes must make a subject access request in writing to the chair of panel/ Headteacher within 6 months of the interview date.

Personal File Records

The school will retain the following information which will make up part of the personal file of the successful candidate:

• Application Forms
• References
• Disclosure of Conviction form
• Proof of Identification
• Proof of academic qualifications
• Evidence of medical clearance (where applicable)
• Evidence of the DBS clearance

Single Central Record of Recruitment Vetting Checks

In line with DCSF requirements, the school will keep and maintain a single central record of recruitment and vetting checks. The central list will record all staff who are employed at the school, including casual staff, supply agency staff, SCITT Associate Teachers, Student teachers, volunteers, and those who provide additional teaching or instruction for pupils but who are not staff members eg: specialist sports coaches or artists.

The central record will indicate whether or not the following have been completed:

• Identity checks
• Qualification checks for any qualifications legally required for the job
• Checks of right to work in the United Kingdom
• List 99 checks
• DBS Enhanced Disclosure
• Further overseas records where appropriate

It shall also indicate who undertook the check and the date on which the check was completed or the relevant certificate obtained. In order to record supply staff provided through an agency on the record, the school will require written confirmation from the supply agency that it has satisfactorily completed the checks described above. The school does not need to carry out checks itself except where there is information contained within the disclosure. However identity checks must be carried out by the school to check the person arriving is the person the agency intends to refer to them.