SAFEGUARDING AT PRAXIS

Safety must exist in systems, not only statements

Safeguarding will shape how Praxis assesses suitability, recruits and trains staff, plans the environment, responds to absence, shares information and makes decisions about every placement. It is not a separate policy exercise or a promise that can be completed after pupils arrive.

Pupils referred to alternative provision may have experienced disrupted education, emotionally based school avoidance, SEND, reduced trust, placement breakdown or other vulnerabilities. These circumstances do not define a pupil, but they require careful professional curiosity, reliable information and clear accountability.

Praxis is not currently operating with pupils in attendance. Before any pupil begins, Praxis must have confirmed safeguarding leadership, safer recruitment checks, staff training, reporting and recording systems, site and emergency procedures, online-safety arrangements, attendance and absence procedures and routes for managing concerns about adults.

Praxis will review its safeguarding arrangements against the legislation and statutory guidance in force at the time of operation, including Working Together to Safeguard Children and the applicable version of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

IMPORTANT STATUS NOTE

The names and contact details of the Designated Safeguarding Lead and deputy will be published before any pupil attends. Until those roles and reporting routes are confirmed, this website must not be used as an emergency safeguarding service.

BEFORE THE FIRST PLACEMENT

Safeguarding arrangements that must be confirmed

The following arrangements are readiness conditions, not descriptions of systems that are already fully operational. Evidence that they are in place must be available before a pupil begins attending Praxis.

SAFEGUARDING LEADERSHIP AND POLICY

Praxis must appoint a trained Designated Safeguarding Lead and appropriate deputy cover, define escalation routes and maintain a current child-protection and safeguarding policy. Responsibilities must remain clear whenever pupils are attending.

SAFER RECRUITMENT AND STAFF CONDUCT

Required identity, right-to-work, employment-history, reference, DBS and other role-appropriate checks must be completed before staff begin regulated work. Staff must understand the code of conduct, professional boundaries, low-level concerns and allegations procedures.

REPORTING, RECORDING AND REFERRAL

Staff must know how to recognise, record and report concerns without delay. Records must be secure, factual and appropriately restricted. Clear routes must exist for referrals to children's social care, the police, the Local Authority Designated Officer and other relevant agencies.

ATTENDANCE AND CHILDREN MISSING EDUCATION

Praxis must know when each pupil is expected, record attendance accurately, respond promptly to unexplained absence and share attendance information with the commissioner and relevant professionals. Absence must be considered as a possible safeguarding indicator, not only an administrative issue.

SITE, EMERGENCY AND ONLINE SAFETY

Premises, fire, first-aid, supervision, visitor, collection, emergency and off-site procedures must be confirmed. Devices, internet access, filtering, monitoring and acceptable-use arrangements must reflect the activities and technology pupils can access.

INFORMATION SHARING AND COMMISSIONER OVERSIGHT

Praxis must receive sufficient safeguarding, SEND, health and risk information before confirming a placement. Information sharing must be lawful, proportionate and secure. The commissioning school or local authority retains responsibility for assuring itself that the placement is safe, suitable and reviewed.

If any essential safeguarding condition is incomplete, unclear or unsupported by evidence, the placement should not begin.

REPORTING A CONCERN

What to do if you are worried about a child

IMMEDIATE DANGER

If a child is in immediate danger or a crime is taking place, call 999.

If the situation is not an emergency but you need to report a crime or contact the police, use the police non-emergency route or call 101.

CHILD-SAFEGUARDING CONCERN

If you believe that a child may be at risk of abuse, neglect or other harm, contact the children's social-care team at the local council responsible for that child.

If the child currently attends a school, college or alternative provision, you should also report the concern to that setting's Designated Safeguarding Lead, unless doing so would cause unsafe delay or increase the risk.

Report a concern

PRAXIS SAFEGUARDING ROUTE

Praxis is not currently operating with pupils in attendance. The name, role, telephone number and monitored email address for the Praxis Designated Safeguarding Lead and deputy will be published here before any pupil begins.

The general enquiry form and enquiries@praxisacademyuk.co.uk must not be used for emergencies or relied upon as an urgent safeguarding-reporting route.

Do not wait for Praxis to respond if a child may be at immediate risk. Contact the police or children's social care directly.