Overview

Safeguarding at Clyst Vale Community College

At Clyst Vale, the safety and wellbeing of every student is our highest priority. We are proud to foster a caring and inclusive environment where young people feel safe, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. All staff, governors, volunteers, and visitors play a vital role in protecting children and promoting their welfare. We are committed to working in partnership with families and external agencies to ensure that every child receives the support they need.

Our safeguarding practices are guided by national legislation and local procedures, including:

• Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)
• Working Together to Safeguard Children
• Devon Children and Families Partnership protocols

We believe that every child has the right to feel safe, be heard, and receive help when they need it.

Meet Our Safeguarding Team

Our dedicated safeguarding team is here to listen, support, and act:

The Devon Safeguarding Board website has further information for parents, children and those working with them, and can be found at http://www.devonsafeguardingchildren.org/

Report a Concern

We encourage students to speak to any trusted adult in school if they feel worried or unsafe. Concerns are always taken seriously and handled with care and confidentiality.

At Clyst Vale, we understand that it can be incredibly difficult for students to speak up about concerns affecting their safety, wellbeing, or that of their peers. Fear of repercussions or uncertainty about being believed can prevent young people from sharing what’s troubling them. Some may wait a long time before speaking out, while others may never feel able to do so.

We want every student to know: you will be listened to, taken seriously, and supported.

To make it easier for students to raise concerns, we have introduced a Student Safeguarding Reporting Form. This form provides a safe and confidential way for students to report anything that is making them feel unsafe, worried, or uncomfortable—whether it’s happening in school, online, or elsewhere.

You can use the form to:

• Report concerns about your own safety or wellbeing
• Share worries about a friend or peer
• Ask for help or support from a trusted adult

All submissions are reviewed by our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and safeguarding team, who will take appropriate action and offer support.

LINK TO REPORTING FORM HERE https://forms.office.com/e/Ywaq76PCZv?origin=lprLink

Operation Encompass

We work with Operation Encompass to ensure that there is early reporting to schools that a child or young person has been exposed to domestic abuse or violence www.operationencompass.org/

Prevent Strategy

Prevent relates to the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 which came into force on 1 July 2015. Since 1 July 2015 there has been a duty on schools to have ‘due regard to the need to Prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’. This is called the Prevent duty.

At Clyst Vale Community College:

• All our staff have completed whole school Prevent training and understand the importance of the Prevent strategy.
• All our staff understand the duty they have to ensure British values are embedded into our curriculum and pastoral care to support healthy discussion and debate and to promote tolerance.
• All our staff understand that any concerns around potential radicalisation and/or extremism should be treated as a safeguarding issue and reported to our safeguarding team.

Our safeguarding team understand the South West Prevent Strategy and how to make a referral.

Like all schools our approach to safeguarding is directed by the Keeping Children Safe in Education document. You can find the latest version and supporting materials here.

Support outside of School

If you need help when school is closed, the following services are available:​

If you need help when school is closed, the following services are available:
 

Devon MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub)
0345 155 1071
mashsecure@devon.gov.uk
Emergency Duty Team (out of hours): 0845 6000 388

NSPCC Report Abuse in Education Helpline:
0800 136 663
help@nspcc.org.uk

Childline (for children and young people):
Tel: 0800 1111
childline.org.uk

If a child is at immediate risk, please call 999.

Useful Links