Safeguarding
At The Henry Cort Community College, the safety and wellbeing of every student is our highest priority.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. We are committed to creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment where students feel valued, protected and able to thrive.
If you are concerned about the safety or wellbeing of a child, please do not hesitate to seek advice or report your concerns.
Reporting a Safeguarding Concern
You should contact the college if you:
- Are concerned that a young person is not safe.
- Are worried that a young person may be at risk of harm.
- Think a young person may be experiencing abuse, neglect or exploitation.
- Have concerns about a student's emotional wellbeing or welfare.
During College Hours
8.00am - 4.00pm
☎️ 01329 843127
📧 safeguarding@henrycort.org
Please ask to speak to a member of the Safeguarding Team.
Outside College Hours
If you need to report a safeguarding concern outside normal college hours, please complete our Report a Safeguarding Concern Form, which will be sent directly to the safeguarding team for review.
Online Safety Concerns
If you have concerns about online exploitation, grooming or inappropriate online activity involving a child, please report this to the college and to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP).
Our Safeguarding Team
Our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) are specially trained to respond to concerns and ensure appropriate support and intervention is provided.
Designated Safeguarding Leads
Dr Evans
Lead Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Johnson
Operational Designated Safeguarding Lead
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads
- Mr Carroll
- Mrs Skinner
- Ms Selfe
- Mrs Warner
If you have any safeguarding concerns, a member of the team will be available to support and advise you.
Serious Safeguarding Concerns
If you believe that a young person may be suffering abuse, neglect or is at immediate risk of harm, you should contact Children's Services directly.
Hampshire Children's Services
During Office Hours
(8.30am - 5.00pm)
☎️ 0300 555 1384
📧 childrens.services@hants.gov.uk
Out of Hours Service
☎️ 0300 555 1373
Emergency Situations
If a young person is in immediate danger or a crime has been committed, call 999 immediately.
Operation Encompass
The Henry Cort Community College is part of Operation Encompass, a national safeguarding initiative that supports children who may have experienced domestic abuse.
When police attend an incident of domestic abuse where a young person is present, the college may receive confidential information before the start of the next school day. This enables us to provide appropriate support, care and understanding to any student who may be affected.
Information is shared on a strictly need-to-know basis and in accordance with safeguarding procedures.
Staying Safe Online
Technology and social media offer fantastic opportunities for young people, but they can also present risks.
At Henry Cort, we work closely with students and families to promote safe and responsible use of technology. We encourage parents and carers to have regular conversations with their children about their online activity, digital wellbeing and online relationships.
Helpful Resources for Parents and Carers
The National Online Safety team provides a range of practical guidance for families on topics including screen time, social media, gaming and online safety.
The Children's Commissioner has also produced guidance to support parents and carers in discussing online sexual harassment and online relationships with their children.
Young people consistently advise that these conversations should begin early, ideally before a young person receives their first smartphone or creates a social media account.
We encourage all parents and carers to access these resources and use them as a starting point for ongoing discussions at home.
Safety Apps for Families
The following apps may help parents and carers support their child's safety and wellbeing.
OurPact
A parental control and family management app that allows parents to:
- Manage screen time
- Control app access
- Monitor device usage
- Locate family members
Hollie Guard
A personal safety app designed to support individuals when travelling independently.
In an emergency, the app can send location information and evidence to nominated contacts at the touch of a button.
R;pple
R;pple is designed to provide an additional layer of online protection by displaying support information when someone searches for harmful content relating to self-harm or suicide.
The software helps direct young people towards support and trusted resources when they may be vulnerable.
Statement from Hampshire Constabulary
Hampshire Constabulary will carry out thorough investigations into matters of children sharing explicit videos or photos of another child on social media, and will speak to anyone who has a connection with these incidents.
The advice from the police remains the same; if a child or young person receives an inappropriate image or video on any social media platform, be it Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp or any other channel, they should delete it immediately and tell a trusted adult, for example a teacher or parent.
It is really important that they understand that if they show an indecent image or video to someone else or forward it on to other people, they could be committing a crime and we want to stop that happening. We have been clear that we do not want to criminalise children and that they will not be in trouble if they have made a genuine mistake.
Sadly, we are seeing more offences where children and young people are being targeted by offenders who conceal their identities and know where to go online to access and initiate false friendships with children.
Unfortunately, no-one is immune to these dangers, which is why it is vital that we support children and young people in understanding how to stay safe online and minimise risks. We encourage parents and carers to discuss online safety regularly with their children and remind them that they can always speak to a trusted adult if they are worried about something they have seen or experienced online.
Young people can also contact Childline if they do not feel comfortable speaking to someone face-to-face.
Further support and advice for children, young people and parents is available through the CEOP education website: Thinkuknow Online Safety Advice
Preventing Radicalisation and Extremism
As part of our safeguarding responsibilities, The Henry Cort Community College is committed to protecting children and young people from radicalisation and extremist influences.
We promote respect, tolerance, democracy, individual liberty and mutual respect through our curriculum and wider college culture. Staff receive safeguarding training that includes recognising and responding to concerns relating to radicalisation.
If you have concerns about a young person who may be vulnerable to radicalisation, please contact a member of the Safeguarding Team.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Supporting students' emotional wellbeing is an important part of safeguarding at Henry Cort.
Students can access support through:
- Their Tutor
- Head of Year
- The Safeguarding Team
- ELSA support
- Wellbeing interventions
- External agencies, where appropriate
Useful resources for families include:
- Childline
- YoungMinds
- NHS Every Mind Matters
If you are concerned about your child's emotional wellbeing, please contact their Tutor in the first instance.
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
Safeguarding is most effective when schools, families and communities work together.
If you are ever worried about a young person, it is always better to share your concern. No concern is too small when it comes to keeping children safe. By working in partnership, we can ensure that every young person at The Henry Cort Community College feels safe, supported and able to achieve their full potential.
Further Information
Additional safeguarding information can be found within the Policies section of our website, including:
- Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies
- Behaviour Policy
These can all be accessed via the Policies section of our website.
Review Information
Last reviewed: September 2026
Next review due: September 2027