Our Safeguarding Team

DSL Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Debbie Ellis (Senior Vice Principal)

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (SLT): Mr Matthew Allen (Assistant Vice Principal)

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: Ms Catherine Gibbs, Ms Emma Beer

Safeguarding Governors: Mr Geoff Prout

DSTC follows the statutory guidance for safeguarding as published by the DFE. You can find up-to-date documents here: Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)

What is Safeguarding? 

Safeguarding is about protecting everyone's health and wellbeing. We make it a priority to protect the children in our care at DSTC, enabling them to live safely. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and it is important that we all work together to prevent and reduce both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect.

Students also have a responsibility to safeguard each other, not placing each other at risk. ICE (Individual Character Education) assemblies and specially arranged sessions educate students to be able to do this.

You may be concerned about a child or young person. Abuse can take many different forms, such as neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse and even emotional abuse.

Safeguarding encompasses a wide-range of issues, including:

• Bullying
• Child Exploitation
• Domestic and Sexual violence/abuse
• Mental health and wellbeing
• County Lines
• Self-Harm
• Child on child abuse
• Neglect
• Prevent (Preventing Violent Extremism)
• Substance Misuse
• Violence Against Women and Girls (including FGM)
• E-Safety 

Safeguarding at DSTC

We listen to our students and take seriously what they tell us. All school staff are trained in safeguarding, and children are made aware of the adults they can talk to if they have any concerns. Staff are trained to look out for signs of physical/emotional/sexual harm or neglect and are required to report these to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). Students are able to report concerns to any member of staff who will take them seriously, or report concerns online via the student self/peer referral form <<HERE>>

The procedures which we follow have been laid down by the Kent Area Safeguarding Team and the Governing Body has adopted a Safeguarding (including Child Protection) Policy in line with this, for the safety of all. On occasions our concern about a child may mean that we have to consult other agencies. We will ensure that all concerns are discussed with parent/carers first, before any referrals are made, unless we believe that such a move may be contrary to a child’s welfare.

We actively support the Government’s Prevent Agenda to counter radicalism and extremism. All staff have received training in how to identify possible signs of radicalism, extremism, CME & FGM of a student.

Online Safety

At Dartford Science and Technology College, we believe online-safety is a critical part of safeguarding. The Internet is a wonderful way to discover, create and connect with people and is, increasingly, an essential tool for young people researching issues and homework topics for themselves. It is important, as part of our responsibilities of safe-guarding, that we remain extremely vigilant about e-safety and the prevention of cyber bullying, whether via email, text messaging or any social digital media.

Should you wish to get in contact with us please do not hesitate to do so at safeguarding@dstc.kent.sch.uk or via the school's main office.

It is important to understand the risks of using the Internet and how to mitigate them. There are some excellent online resources to support online safety

The Online Safety Alliance (OSA) and National Online Safety (NOS)

We are working alongside the OSA to support DSTC students with online safety. The OSA supports school with helping students understand the risks of going online. In addition, all of our staff are undertaking National Online Safety training courses as part of our long-term commitment to keep our students safe online. 

Resources

www.thinkuknow.co.uk – Online safety advice for parents

www.childnet.com – Excellent free resources for educators and parents/carers

www.net-aware.org.uk – Parents guide to social networks children use

www.childline.org.uk – Get help and advice about a wide range of issues

www.kidscape.org.uk/cyberbullying – Reporting cyber bullying

www.saferinternet.org.uk – UK Safer Internet Centre

www.vodaphone.com/parents – Excellent guide for parents on digital technologies

www.pegi.info/en/index/ – Information about age ratings of video games

www.ceop.police.uk – Website for the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre