role of school and college staff 4. School and college staff are particularly important, as they are in a position to identify concerns early, provide help for children, promote children’s welfare and prevent concerns from escalating. 5. All staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn. 8 6. All staff should be prepared to identify children who may benefit from early help.4 Early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years. 7. Any staff member who has any concerns about a child’s welfare should follow the processes set out in paragraphs 49-55. Staff should expect to support social workers and other agencies following any referral. 8. Every school and college should have a designated safeguarding lead who will provide support to staff to carry out their safeguarding duties and who will liaise closely with other services such as local authority children’s social care. 9. The designated safeguarding lead (and any deputies) are most likely to have a complete safeguarding picture and be the most appropriate person to advise on the response to safeguarding concerns. 10. The Teachers’ Standards 2012 state that teachers (which includes headteachers) should safeguard children’s wellbeing and maintain public trust in the teaching profession as part of their professional duties.5 What school and college staff need to know 11. All staff should be aware of systems within their school or college which support safeguarding, and these should be explained to them as part of staff induction. This should include the: • child protection policy (which should amongst other things also include the policy and procedures to deal with child-on-child abuse)