Child Safeguarding

Everyone is responsible

Keeping children safe is the responsibility of the whole school community. This means that everyone, including school staff, students, parents, volunteers, and external providers, has a responsibility to report concerns they have about the safety and well-being of a child. Child safeguarding is all encompassing, and woven into every aspect of life at ISL.

Aspects of Safeguarding

At ISL, everything we do is through the lens of child safeguarding. From hiring professional staff with excellent references to developing policies and proceedures in line with leading safeguarding practices, keeping children safe is our first priority. Children learn about keeping themselves and their peers safe through our well-being curriculum, and when issues arise, our team of Designated Safeguarding Leads, counsellors and nurses are there to help.

Do you have something to share?

Whether something you see, hear about second hand, or personally experience, reporting your concerns or safeguarding related worries is always the right thing to do. If you have a concern, you can report it with the confidential reporting form or by contacting one of the Designated Safeguarding Leads.

Submit a safeguarding concernSubmit a safeguarding concern

Your Designated Safeguarding Leads

HIGH SCHOOL, SCHOOLWIDE Sarah Gifford

sgifford@isl.ch

MIDDLE SCHOOL David Harrison

dharrison@isl.ch

PRIMARY SCHOOL Jill Weaver

jweaver@isl.ch

ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS Craig Wislang

cwislang@isl.ch

I Have a Concern… What Should I do?

Click on the questions below to find answers for concerned students and adults.

I am worried – do I have a child safeguarding concern?

Safeguarding includes protecting students from deliberate harm, and links to welfare and what we do for all children. Safeguarding involves the process of protecting children from abuse and neglect, preventing harm to a child’s or young person’s health or development, and ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care. Safeguarding issues may include incidents of emotional or psychological abuse, neglect that is supervisory, physical, medical, emotional, or educational, abandonment, peer on peer abuse, physical abuse, or sexual abuse.

I am worried about the way an adult is acting toward children. What should I do?

If you are worried about inappropriate behaviour of an adult toward children, it is always best to report concerns to a DSL, the Director, or by using the Safeguarding Disclosure Form, even if it’s just a gut feeling. These concerns are called Low Level Concerns and may include actions such as touching, being overly friendly, giving special attention, or other examples not following appropriate boundaries between adults and children.

When and how should I do something about my concern?

If you feel you have a safeguarding concern, please take action! Here are some steps to follow:

Contact the relevant Designated Safeguarding Lead for the child’s school section or fill in the Safeguarding Disclosure Form.
Do not assume someone else will take action, or will have noticed the issue.
If you do not wish to contact the School about the concern, this link provides information about filing a complaint with the police https://www.ch.ch/en/safety-and-justice/reporting-a-crime/.

Will my concern be kept confidential?

Yes, communication regarding safeguarding is kept confidential. This is why we ask that any reports be passed directly to a DSL, and are not first discussed with other members of the community. Do be aware that reports are not anonymous, as it is often necessary to ask for more information such as details about an incident or witness accounts in order to provide the best care for our students.

What will the School do if I raise a concern?

The School has a procedure in place that is activated when a child safeguarding concern is raised. Depending on the situation this will/ may include:

Ensuring for the immediate safety of the child
Asking follow up questions
Internal consultation with our child protection team
Providing resources to students and their families for external support, such as filing a criminal complaint or seeking medical advice
Contacting the Swiss Child Protective Services (Direction générale de l’enfance et de la jeunesse) in situations where abuse is suspected

What services are available at school to support students and concerned parents/ guardians?

All students and parents have access to the school nurses and counsellors should they have questions or concerns. The counsellors and nurses can provide individual care for students, and refer students and parents/ guardians to external support and resources.

What if I need help, but don’t want to talk to someone at school? What external resources are available?

If you or someone you know has experienced abuse or is suffering from mental health issues, the document “Child Protection Support Services” offers many options for external advice, support and next steps. You can download it after this FAQ section.

I will be visiting ISL as a guest or volunteer. What do I need to do?

All visitors need to sign in at reception and wear a badge while on campus. If you are a visiting guest or speaker, you will also be prompted to sign a safeguarding declaration form by your host.