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Safeguarding Briefing - 6th September 2021
Dear Colleague,
Welcome Back
Welcome back to the first Safeguarding Briefing the 2021/2022. I hope you've been able to have some kind of break, and even, dare I say it, a rest? In many places, the weather wasn't up to much for most of the summer break was it. I have no idea what the coming academic year will bring, so I'm hoping it will be less disrupted than the last couple of years.
Emma's Baby
Big office news! You may remember that our office manager, Emma, went on maternity leave in the summer. She has now had her baby, Edith, born on the 9th August 2021, weighing 7lb 7oz (3.3kg). She is a real cutie!
NEW Safeguarding In Schools Website
I spent time during the summer closure period developing a new website, including a new design for Safeguarding.Pro which has exclusive resources and content for members. The new Pro is now easier to use, has a much more collaborative community section and a great app to access Safeguarding.Pro on-the-go. I'm really pleased with how the site has started and over-time it will become even stronger.
You can find out more here: https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/newwebsite
NEW resources include:
- Safeguarding Policy CHEAT SHEET
- CPD Matrix and Requirements
- Flowcharts for managing allegations or concerns about an adult working in school
- Flowchart for managing Incidents of Sexual Violence or Sexual Harassment in school
- Video: What should I say to my staff In the September 2021 Update?
- Video: Keeping Children Safe in Education - What's new - Webinar for all
- Low Level Concerns About Staff - September 2021 (PowerPoint)
- Peer-on-Peer Abuse (PowerPoint)
- Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment 2021(PowerPoint)
- Sharing nudes and semi-nudes - Responding to Incidents (PowerPoint)
How to access the new look Safeguarding.Pro
If you are a member of Safeguarding.Pro, you were sent login details a couple of weeks ago. The username for all accounts is now your email address. You may need to use the 'forgot' password link.
If you haven't yet logged in, please go to: https://safeguarding.pro
If you don't already have an account, you can sign up here: https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/offers/g9HCKJXM/checkout
The website itself is here: https://safeguardinginschools.co.uk
IMPORTANT CHANGE to Keeping Children Safe in Education - September 2021
As you will be aware by now, the updated version of KCSIE 2021 has now been published. What you might not be aware of is that the final version has an important change from the 'for information' version uploaded on 6th July 2021. On the 29th July 2021 an update was published.
The change concerns what to do when there are low level concerns about staff. The 6th July version said that all such concerns should be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead. In the 29th July 2021 version this has been changed to report low level concerns to the headteacher.
Please ensure that you are using the most up to date version of Keeping Children Safe in Education, published 1st September 2021. (You can check you have the right version by comparing paragraph 416, see below.)
OLD VERSION SAID: Paragraph 416 (Page 97): 'Low-level concerns about a member of staff should be reported to the designated safeguarding lead (or deputy). '
NEW (CORRECT) VERSION: Paragraph 416 (Page 96): Low-level concerns about a member of staff, supply staff, volunteer or contractor should be reported as per paragraph 74.
(Paragraph 74, says: 'If staff have safeguarding concerns or an allegation is made about another member of staff (including supply staff, volunteers, and contractors) posing a risk of harm to children, then this should be referred to the headteacher or principal.')
ADDITIONAL NOTE
You must also check your local authority procedures as they may differ from Keeping Children Safe. In some authorities, local guidance is that low level concerns should be reported to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
Download the latest Keeping Children Safe in Education here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2
Translations of Keeping Children Safe in Education (LGfL)
The London Grid for Learning (LGfL) has had Part One and Annex A translated into a number of community languages to help ensure that all staff are able to fulfil their safeguarding duty. Translations are available in the following languages:
- Arabic
- Bengali
- Chinese (Simplified)
- Chinese (Traditional)
- Gujarati
- Polish
- Romanian
- Portuguese (Br.)
- Punjabi
- Somali
- Spanish
- Urdu
You can find the translations here: https://national.lgfl.net/digisafe/kcsietranslate
NEW Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills (Ofsted, September 2021)
Ofsted has published an updated version of 'Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills' to be read alongside the Education Inspection Framework. The document is only published as a webpage and not in a formatted pdf. (Ofsted say this is because of the government guidelines for accessibility.)
Ofsted say that the changes to the document are to align it to the latest version of Keeping Children Safe in Education. A new section has also been added to the inspection guidance about the outcomes from Ofsted’s review of sexual abuse between peers in schools and there are further references throughout the guidance outlining expectations of providers.
To best understand Ofsted's expectations, schools need to be familiar with their 'Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges - June 2021'.
Key points from the new Inspecting safeguarding guidance
One of the keys messages from the research was that ‘even where school and college leaders do not have specific information that indicates sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are problems for their children and young people, they should act on the assumption that they are'. Inspectors will make this assumption too so it is essential that schools have done their own internal review and have a plan for minimising the risks of abuse between peers.
Inspectors will look to see that 'safeguarding and child protection are at the forefront of, and underpin all relevant aspects of, process and policy development'. Ofsted go on to say that procedures to confidently report abuse 'should be well promoted, easily understood and easily accessible for children'.
Children know their concerns will be treated seriously, and know they can safely express their views and give feedback. Adults understand the importance of challenging inappropriate and abusive behaviours between children and learners, and not allowing them to become normalised.
In cases of sexual violence and sexual harassment, including online, between children and learners, staff should consider what support might be needed for the perpetrators as well as the victims of the abuse.
Schools should put in place a whole-establishment approach to address sexual violence and sexual harassment. This includes an effective behaviour policy with appropriate sanctions, pastoral support and a carefully planned relationships, sex and health education curriculum that covers issues of consent.
All staff have a copy of and understand the written procedures for managing safeguarding allegations/low level concerns about members of staff and other adults working in the school.
Where a child or learner is subject to multi-agency plan inspectors should explore the role, actions and participation of the school in this, including how the setting is working in partnership with external agencies to improve the child’s situation.
Download here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills
Self-care September (Action for Happiness)
It is more important than ever to be aware of our mental health. Action for Happiness is a charity founded to create a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society.
Action for Happiness have 'Ten keys to happier living':
Giving: Do things for others
Relating: Connect with people
Exercising: Take care of your body
Awareness: Live life mindfully
Trying out: Keep learning new things
Direction: Have goals to look forward to
Resilience: Find ways to bounce back
Emotions: Focus on what's good
Acceptance: Be comfortable with who you are
Meaning: Be part of something bigger
Each month the organisation publish a happiness calendar, September is Self-care Month. Whether you do the activities suggested on the right day or not; there are some really useful prompts.
Download the happiness calendar here: https://www.actionforhappiness.org/calendars
Safeguarding Handbook 2021
I'm expecting to send out the new edition of the Safeguarding Handbook at the end of this week. From past experience, I have learnt not to send the book to the printers before the final version of Keeping Children Safe in Education has come out! It has proven much more important this year to wait, as so much information has been released by the DfE and Ofsted.
The Safeguarding Handbook is available for pre-order here: https://www.safeguardinghandbook.co.uk/
Forthcoming Events
Advanced Safeguarding for DSLs
LIVE ONLINE Wednesday 8th September 2021 BOOK NOW
LIVE ONLINE Thursday 23rd September BOOK NOW
...and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your convenience BOOK NOW
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