Safeguarding Referrals

Keeping Our Children Safe: A Parent and Carer’s Guide to Safeguarding Referrals
At St John’s Wood Primary School, the safety and wellbeing of your child are our highest
priorities. We believe that for children to learn and thrive, they must first feel safe and
supported. We have a number of ways that we can offer support to a family within the school
but sometimes, we may need to seek help from elsewhere. Safeguarding referrals are rare
and only used when the school has concerns - this is in line with government safeguarding
legislation - Keeping Children Safe in Education

What is a Safeguarding Referral?
A "referral" is simply the process of sharing a concern with the right professionals to ensure
children and families get the support they need. This might happen if a staff member notices
a change in a child's behaviour, if a child says something concerning or if there is a change
in circumstances at home.

How the Process Works:
We follow a clear, professional protocol to ensure every situation is handled with sensitivity
and care:
1. Observation & Recording: If a staff member has a concern about a child, they
record it privately and share it with one of our Designated Safeguarding Leads
(DSL).
2. Internal Assessment: The DSL reviews the information. In many cases, the next
step is simply a supportive conversation with the parents/carers to see how the
school can help.
3. External Consultation: If the concern meets specific professional thresholds, the
school may contact local Children’s Services for advice and guidance. This will be
linked to the borough the child resides in.
4. Action Plan: Depending on the outcome, we might offer school-based support or the
local authority may decide to provide external social care resources.

Key Things for Parents and Carers to Know
 Partnership First: In many cases, we will be able to speak with you before making a
formal referral. We want to work with you to support your family.
 Working With Children’s Services: When making a referral to Children’s Services,
the school has to act under their direction. This includes when and how we share the
details of any referral with parents and carers.
 Confidentiality: Information is shared only on a "need-to-know" basis with the
professionals involved in keeping your child safe.
 The Best Interest Principle: Every decision we make is guided by what is best for
the child’s physical and emotional health.
 We are here to listen: Parents and carers can also ask the school to refer them to
external services if they feel like more support is needed. We are always ready to
listen and support in any way we can.

We view safeguarding as a way to "wrap around" a family with support, before challenges
become crises. We are here to listen, not to judge.