The Designated Safeguarding Lead has a specific responsibility to coordinate child protection procedures and liaise with children’s service and other agencies. These could include the Police, Health Service and Education Welfare services.
Designated Safeguarding Lead
All staff need to know who their Designated Safeguarding Lead is. All cases of suspected child abuse should be referred to them in the first instance.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead must have appropriate and up-to-date training. They should know and understand:
- how to identify and understand the signs and symptoms of abuse
- when to make a referral
- the role and responsibilities of the investigative agencies and how to contact them
- the requirements for record keeping and sharing
It is the Designated Safeguarding Lead’s responsibility to:
- make sure all relevant information about a child is distributed to appropriate staff on a need to know basis and with regard to the child and family’s right of confidentiality
- make sure attendance, welfare and development of children whose names are on the Child Protection Register are monitored and inform the child’s social worker promptly of any cause for concern
- liaise with the Inclusion Coordinator (INCCO) to identify children with special educational needs
- keep up to date with local safeguarding through regular attendance at Designated Safeguarding Lead clusters and read the North Somerset early years newsletter