Safeguarding Children and Young People

at Roots and Shoots Learning

Our approach

Roots and Shoots Learning is unique in our ability to offer educational tuition alongside a wellbeing service as a holistic intervention, as well as a bespoke nature-based experiential learning programme in which our Eight Acre View site and other smallholdings, farms and woodland areas are frequently used as hands-on learning environments. We work hard to create the best conditions for sensory-rich input and provide considered and well-thought out sessions from a team of trained wellbeing practitioners, overseen and directed by a highly qualified and experienced teacher.

We appreciate that safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility and Roots and Shoots Learning is cognisant of the vital contribution we make to safeguard our children and young people (CYP), team members and visitors too; and to a broader culture of vigilance. We recognise that all adults, including those in the community, in alternative education settings, volunteers and visitors, have a full and active role to play in protecting our CYP from harm. The child’s welfare is our paramount concern.

One-to-one or small group supervision is provided and all sessions are quality assured by a qualified teacher and experienced Safeguarding and SEN practitioner with a full and up-to-date Enhanced DBS certificate, which can be provided upon request. Other members of the team, including Wellbeing Practitioners, Speech and language therapists, BACP Registered Child & Adolescent Counsellors, are also professionals who have undergone appropriate checks such as the Enhanced DBS, and thorough due diligence has been completed in relation to all team members.

As we work with some of the most vulnerable children and young people (CYP) from our local community; most with EHCPs, some of whom have Children’s Social Care (CSC) involvement too and the majority of our CYP require skilled therapeutic input - we are careful to safeguard the emotional, social, psychological and physical wellbeing of all CYP. By working, where possible on a one-to-one basis, we encourage all of our CYP to engage in positive and comforting interactions with one another, as well as with our team members.
 

We work closely with each school and Local authority and we are also mindful of our responsibility to communicate with local safeguarding teams such as those within CSC and MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub), as and when necessary.

Attendance is a particularly important part of safeguarding vigilance and we report to those who commission us whenever a CYP’s attendance drops below accepted thresholds. These vary on a case-by-case basis, especially dependent on the fluctuating mental health challenges that many of our CYP face - however, we pride ourselves on the open and direct lines of communication which we construct and maintain with all of our commissioners.

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) & Internal Training

The Director of Roots and Shoots Learning, Louise Sullivan, has received robust Safeguarding training since 2007.

After achieving multiple Advanced Safeguarding Awards and more specifically, Designated Safeguarding Lead training completion in 2018, L.Sullivan went onto train 300+ staff members in Safeguarding policies and procedures; Such staff members included teaching & non-teaching staff members -inclusive of theatre and leisure centre staff too. This showcases Louise’s extensive working knowledge of safeguarding and her vast experience in the role of Senior DSL across a range of educational and community-based settings - especially due to her transformative work in highly challenging contexts within the local area.

Louise’s wide-ranging experience provides Roots and Shoots Learning with a strong foundational understanding of the responsibilities which organisations have in relation to specific child protection cases, as well as the broader Safeguarding arrangements for dealing with different areas of risk. On top of Louise’s personal and professional experience with Safeguarding, many team members of Roots and Shoots Learning have extensive training and experience of working with Advanced level Safeguarding cases.

In addition, due to the continuous development of legislation and the need to remain consistently aware of concerns and risks, annual Safeguarding training is undertaken by team members to ensure that our whole team is cognisant of all recently released statutory guidance for schools and working with vulnerable children and young people (CYP).

We are not Ofsted Registered and we are an Alternative Educational Provision. We value our ability to show due regard to KCSiE (Keeping Children Safe in Education: 2025), the statutory guidance relating to schools and colleges, and provide assurance that we are in line with the expectations and duties upon all educational staff that we interact with and support with safeguarding measures.

Communication & Referral

When a specific concern arises, we promptly reach out to the relevant school contacts or multi-agency professionals. We rely on our well-established relationships and accurate contact details to ensure timely communication regarding any concerns about a child or young person (CYP) within our setting. In 1:1 sessions, if immediate contact is not feasible during the session, we ensure communication is made directly at the end of the session and always before the end of the school day. The Headteacher and SENCo are our first points of contact.

If direct contact cannot be made, and the concern meets local authority thresholds for suspected abuse or neglect, we immediately refer to the relevant MASH team. Where appropriate, we also inform key professionals simultaneously to support swift and coordinated action, particularly in high-level cases.

Allegations involving individuals working with children are referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) as required.

If allegations relate to a member of our own team, team members must inform our Designated Safeguarding Lead (Louise Sullivan) immediately.

Should concerns involve The Director/DSL (L.Sullivan), then team members must contact the LADO directly for the appropriate local authority linked to the CYP.