How We Safeguard Children

Welcome to the safeguarding section of our website. At Hunslet Carr, we are clear that safeguarding children and young people is everyone’s responsibility.
We are committed to creating a safe, supportive environment where all children are protected from harm. We work proactively to minimise risk and collaborate closely with external agencies and partners to ensure effective safeguarding arrangements are in place. This enables us to identify, assess, and support any child who may be at risk, both within school and in the wider community.
We recognise the importance of working in partnership with parents and carers. Open communication is central to maintaining a strong safeguarding culture and ensuring the best outcomes for all children.

Leadership and Accountability

Our Governing Board takes its strategic safeguarding responsibilities seriously. Safeguarding is regularly reviewed, and governors receive termly updates from the Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to ensure effective oversight and accountability.
Paul Wray is the named Governor for Child Protection.

Designated Safeguarding Team

Safeguarding is led operationally by:

Andy Hinchcliffe – Safeguarding Lead

Andy oversees all aspects of safeguarding practice across the school, from day-to-day safeguarding practice to strategic leadership, ensuring that safeguarding systems are effective, robust, and consistently applied.

The school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), as named in statutory guidance and school policy, is:

Martin Lumb – Headteacher

As Headteacher, Martin holds overall responsibility for safeguarding and ensures that statutory duties are met.

They are supported by a team of trained staff, including:

• Charlie Sharpe - KS2 Assistant Headteacher
• Elisa Whitfield - EYFS Assistant Headteacher

In addition, the following staff are trained to DSL level and provide specialist safeguarding support through their roles:

• Lauren O'Sullivan – Parent Support Advisor
• Donna Bedlow – SENCo
• Polly Sidebottom – Rainbow Room Lead

This structure ensures that safeguarding leadership is both strategically led and operationally embedded across the school.

Supporting children to share concerns

We actively promote a culture where children feel safe, confident, and supported to share any worries or concerns.

Across the school, children are provided with a range of opportunities and systems to express their thoughts and seek help:

• Trusted Adults – Children are regularly reminded that they can speak to any trusted adult in school. This is reinforced through daily CREW sessions and the wider curriculum.

 

• Worry Clouds and ‘Ask It’ Baskets – Available in all classrooms, enabling children to share concerns in a safe and accessible way.

 

• Toot Toot Reporting System – A secure platform that allows children (and parents) to report concerns, including bullying and wellbeing issues, either named or anonymously.

 

• Daily CREW Sessions – Provide structured opportunities for children to discuss feelings, wellbeing, and safeguarding themes, helping to normalise speaking up.

 

• Therapeutic and Pastoral Support – Targeted support, including group and 1:1 interventions, ensures that more vulnerable children are supported appropriately.

 

• Inclusive Communication Approaches – We use a ‘total communication’ approach to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, are able to express their views, feelings, and concerns effectively.

These systems ensure that children's voices are heard, valued, and acted upon, and that concerns are identified and addressed at the earliest possible stage.

Training and Professional Development

The Designated Safeguarding Lead and wider safeguarding team receive enhanced training every two years, alongside regular updates, thematic training, and professional networking to remain informed of local and national safeguarding developments.

All staff, governors, and volunteers receive regular and comprehensive child protection training. This is continually reinforced through updates, briefings, and ongoing professional development to ensure safeguarding remains a consistent priority.
Multi-Agency Working
We work closely with external agencies to ensure that children receive timely and appropriate support.
As part of this, we are involved in Operation Encompass. This is a partnership between schools and the police, which ensures that the school is informed, prior to the start of the next school day, if a child has been exposed to or involved in a domestic incident.
This information is shared securely with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, enabling us to provide immediate and appropriate support to the child. All information is handled sensitively and in line with safeguarding and data protection requirements.

Risk Management and Safe Practice
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We are committed to maintaining a safe physical and procedural environment for all children and staff.

• Charlie Sharpe leads on the development of risk assessments and, as Educational Visits Coordinator, ensures that all visits are safe and well planned.
• Senior Leaders and the Inclusion Team are trained in completing robust risk assessments (BIPRA) and Intimate Care Plans, ensuring safe and appropriate support for pupils with additional needs.

Safeguarding is embedded in all aspects of school life. Through strong leadership, ongoing training, and a shared commitment across our community, we ensure that every child is safe, supported, and able to thrive.

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