This page provides information on the safeguarding policies and practices of the Trust.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children are of paramount importance and everyone’s responsibility.
Across our Trust, staff are in the best position to identify concerns early and provide help for children to prevent concerns from escalating. All staff are expected to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff members must always act with urgency, in the best interests of the child.
We aim to establish and maintain an ethos where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, are listened to and are safe.
All staff and regular visitors will, through training and induction, know how to recognise indicators of concern, how to respond to a disclosure from a child and how to record and report this information.
Leaders in our schools receive extensive training and support in order to ensure that the correct processes are followed to ensure that every child is safe. Leaders also ensure that our personal development curriculum provides appropriate opportunities for children to develop the skills they need to identify risks and take steps to keep safe.
We work in partnership with parents, carers and colleagues from other agencies in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024), Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) and local multi-agency safeguarding partner procedures.
The Trust commissions support from a team of independent safeguarding consultants.
The Director of Safeguarding works closely with the Strategic Lead from the consultancy and every school is allocated their own consultant.
Their range of services includes:
The Director of Safeguarding, supported by a nominated member of the Trust Board, monitors the safeguarding arrangements in our schools.
The Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust is an exempt charity. It is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales under company registration number 07890590. The registered office address is Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education HQ, Barmston Court, Turbine Business Park, Nissan Way, Washington, SR5 3NY.
