Should you have any concerns relating to the safety and welfare of a child at the school you should immediately contact our safeguarding team at:
Liam Olpin - Safeguarding@lha.clf.uk - 07543 508111 – Designated Safeguarding Lead Weston
Zoe Jenkins - Safeguarding@lha.clf.uk - 07742 768433 – Designated Safeguarding Lead Nailsea
Natalie Sweet - Safeguarding@lha.clf.uk - 07701 259374 – Principal
Or through the main school line: 01275 595501 and request to speak with someone in the safeguarding team.
You can also contact North Somerset Children’s Social Care directly on 01275 888808.
Should you have any concerns in terms of safeguarding relating to the behaviour of a member of staff, you should immediately contact the Principal - Natalie Sweet, natalie.sweet@clf.uk.
Should you feel that your concerns have not been dealt with appropriately by the school or Chair of Governors you should contact the Designated Officer for Allegations (DOFA), Ally Donovan lado@n-somerset.gov.uk
If you have any concerns regarding the safety of the school site, please contact the Academy Operations Manager.
The councillors and school staff team are committed to keeping our children safe and we regularly review our school policies and procedures to ensure that everything is being done to fulfil our duty of care. All staff are familiar with the government’s guidance for schools – Keeping Children Safe in Education
The Safeguarding Policy can be found along with all other Academy Policies on the Policies page under the Key Information menu
We are an equal opportunities employer. At least one member of every interview panel has had Safer Recruitment training. All offers of employment are subject to a disclosure and barring check (DBS), medical clearance and satisfactory references.
At Lime Hills Academy we aim to equip our students with the knowledge, understanding and skills to use information and communication technology creatively and purposefully. A key aspect of this lies in being digitally literate. Online technologies play a huge role and so providing a broad and balanced e-safety education is vital to ensuring that students can navigate the online world safely and positively.
E Safety Leads - Liam Olpin Secondary / Zoe Jenkins Primary
Safeguarding at Lime Hills Academy includes a clear responsibility to protect pupils from the risk of radicalisation and extremism. This work is guided by the Prevent Duty, which forms part of the government’s wider counter-terrorism strategy and applies to all schools.
Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, schools must have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. At Lime Hills Academy, this duty is embedded within our safeguarding framework and informs staff training, curriculum planning and day-to-day practice.
Our Prevent work is proportionate, educational and safeguarding-led. We focus on early identification, supportive intervention and helping pupils build resilience. This includes:
Our approach is not about restriction or surveillance. It is about support, understanding and prevention, ensuring pupils feel safe, heard and able to develop a positive sense of identity and belonging.
Lime Hills Academy recognises that domestic abuse can have a profound impact on children and young people, even when it is not directly witnessed or disclosed. Domestic abuse can take many forms, including emotional, physical, sexual, financial or controlling behaviour, and can affect families from all backgrounds.
We understand that experiences of domestic abuse are often complex and sensitive. Our role as a school is to prioritise safety, offer support and help families access the right help at the right time.
If domestic abuse is affecting a pupil or their family, support can be accessed through the academy in a safe and confidential way. Concerns may be shared with a trusted member of staff or directly with the safeguarding team. In response, we will:
Staff are trained to recognise indicators that a child may be experiencing distress linked to domestic abuse, even if they are unable or unwilling to speak about it.
Families and young people can also access confidential support directly from specialist services:
Next Link
Provides specialist domestic abuse support across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, including helpline advice, outreach services, refuge accommodation and support for children and young people.
Freephone: 0800 4700 280
Website: www.nextlinkhousing.co.uk
National Domestic Abuse Helpline (24 hours)
Freephone: 0808 2000 247
Website: www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
In an emergency
If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999.
Domestic abuse is never the fault of the child or family experiencing it. Support is available, and help can be accessed at any stage — whether concerns are current, historic, or emerging.
If you are unsure who to speak to, the academy safeguarding team can help guide you to appropriate support.
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a form of child sexual abuse. Sexual abuse may involve physical contact and or noncontact activities, such as involving children in the production of sexual images, forcing children to look at sexual images or watch sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways or grooming a child in preparation for abuse including via the internet.
CSE can occur over time or be a one-off occurrence and may happen without the child’s immediate knowledge for example through others sharing videos or images of them on social media. CSE can affect any child who has been coerced into engaging in sexual activities. This includes 16- and 17-year-olds who can legally consent to have sex. Some children may not realise they are being exploited for example they believe they are in a genuine romantic relationship.
Whilst all staff should speak to the designated safeguarding lead (or deputy) with regard to any concerns about female genital mutilation (FGM), there is a specific legal duty on teachers. If a teacher, in the course of their work in the profession, discovers that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl under the age of 18, the teacher must report this to the police.
Bullying : Bullying UK- familylives.org.uk
The National Bullying Helpline website and helpline is run by Volunteers. We are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. As a voluntary run organisation, we operate with limited resources and funds. Please be patient if you are unable to get through first time. https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/
Freephone - 0300 323 0169
Telephone - 0845 225 5787
Eating Disorders: Beating Eating Disorders - Beat Eating Disorders
E-safety: Keeping safe online resources for parents available through Anna Freud.
https://sites.google.com/seaside.blackpool.org.uk/pshe/information-for-parentscarers
UK Safer internet centre - guidance on safe use of the internet is available. - Safer Internet
Childnet - helping make the internet a great and safe place for children and young people. - Childnet
Gender & identity (including LGBTQIA+) - Intercom trust support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities covering south west - Intercom Trust
Helpline: 01392 201018
Mindline Trans+: is an out of hours confidential helpline that offers emotional support and information to anyone who identifies as a trans+ - Mindline Trans
Switchboard: Provides an information support and referral service for Lesbian, Gay men and bisexual and Trans people, including anyone considering issues around their sexuality - Switchboard
CALM we're Campaign against living miserably (CALM) and we're united against suicide - Calm
Cruse Bereavement Care: 08088081677 - Cruse
Harmless support people who self - harm, provide information about self-harm. Also raise awareness and challenges myths around self-harm. - Harmless
Kooth: An anonymous online community of young people finding their way to better mental health. Sign up for free. - Kooth
Off The Record: Offers mental health support for young people aged 11- 18 in north somerset. Offering free wellbeing support and information through different projects and services. - Off The Record
Mind in Somerset: 03003305463- Offer specialised 24hr support for coping with Bereavement after suicide - Mind in Somerset
OK Talk Counselling: Offering professional counselling services to families, young people and schools in North Somerset. - Ok Talk
Samaritans 116 123 Talk in confidence to a volunteer for a non - judgemental ear - Samaritans
WellSprings Wellspring: Provides affordable professional counselling for adults in North Somerset as well as donation - based counselling and low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy. (CBT) for young people aged 11 – 18 - Wellspring Counselling
Young Minds: 08088025544 digital guides for parents, professionals and young people on self - harm and parents' telephone helpline. - Young Minds
PAPYRUS: Prevention of suicide in young people. If they are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned for a young person who might be you can contact HOPELINEUK (papyrus-uk.org) for confidential support and practical advice. Free call or text - Papyrus
Stay Alive: Stay alive app is a pocket suicide prevention resource, packed full of useful information to help stay safe. - Stay Alive
Suicide Prevention Bristol: Supportive listening service for anyone with thoughts of suicide. The team use skills in crisis intervention to start a dialogue and to encourage more hopeful solutions than suicide. In a life - threatening emergency, always call 999 first. - Suicide Prevention Bristol
Childline: 08001111, a specialist service fir young people under 18 who have experienced childhood sexual abuse - Childline
The Greenhouse: is a service for survivors of childhood sexual abuse - The Greenhouse
Kinergy: is a specialist counselling agency offering support for survivors of sexual abuse and sexual violence. - Kinergy
Safeline: is a specialist charity for sexual abuse and rape. They offer counselling and support services for men, women and children who have been affected by sexual abuse and rape for those around them who may also need help. - Safeline
SARSAS: Somerset & Avon rape and sexual abuse support. Helpline: 08088010456(Women/girls) 08088010464 (Men/ Boys) - SARSAS
The Sleep charity is a national award-winning charity empowering the nation to sleep better. - The Sleep Charity
Bristol Drugs Project: (BDP) is a charity providing harm reduction and treatment services to people experiencing problems with drugs or alcohol. - Bristol Drugs Project
We are with you: Free confidential support and information for alcohol, drugs and mental health - We are with you
There is a wealth of resources online to support wellbeing:
The Five ways to wellbeing are simple things that we can all do to improve our emotional health and wellbeing:
Connect
Be active
Take notice
Keep learning
Give
Connect: Spend time with family and friends. Enjoy doing things together and talking to each other.
Be active: It keeps you physically healthy, and makes you feel good
Keep learning: Try something new. Try a new hobby, or learn about something just because it interests you.
Take notice: Take a break to see how you feel. Relax and look around you or listen to music, take a few deep breaths.
Give: Do something for a friend or relation/adult, as well as making them feel good, it can make you feel good too!
Naturewell 16 - 25
NSPCC - 08088025544
The children society: Services help young carers, families and those who work with young carers. - The Children Society
KIDS: Provide support to young carers underage of 18 whose lives are restricted in some way because they are supporting a person who is ill, has a disability, mental health or misusing a substance. - Kids
