|
Safeguarding Briefing - 23rd January 2023
Dear Colleagues,
Defibrillators - How to Use Them
For the past decade the Oliver King Foundation has been tirelessly campaigning for the awareness of the need for defibrillators in schools. That effort has now borne fruit with the UK Government announcing the distribution of twenty thousand devices, to the country’s eighteen thousand state schools up and down the country. If you’re reading this, there is a good chance that your school will be receiving part of this shipment this year. However, it cannot be expected that every one of the country’s near half-a-million teachers will know how to use them. With this in mind, the aforementioned Oliver King Foundation, has worked in conjunction with the British Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council UK and St. Johns ambulance to formulate guidelines for their use and maintenance. Before giving you the link, however I think it’s important to give a simple outline on what a defibrillator is. Invented by Belfast doctor Frank Pantridge in the 1960s, these devices are used to treat heart-attacks at source, by introducing an electronic current which works to end the cardiac irregularities which induce heart attacks. Their use in providing a short term solution to sudden heart-attacks have saved countless lives and will be an excellent addition to your school’s medical arsenal. To get hold of the Oliver King Foundation’s guidance please follow the link below:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1130210/Automated_External_Defibrillators_Guidance_jan_23.pdf
Anaphylaxis UK - Safer Schools Programme
You may remember that last week we brought to your attention, the opportunity to embark on an allergy training course offered by The Allergy Team. We stand by our commentary last week on the issue of food allergies in schools. It's a serious issue, and the effects of which can be among the most dangerous out of any unanticipated pupil based event likely to take place in a school. In this vein we’re bringing your attention to the Safer Schools Programme, designed by the charity – Anaphylaxis UK. The organisation has been helping to prevent the most serious consequences of food allergies for just over 25 years. Their awareness activities have been widespread and on their site, you can find highly informative research to broaden your thinking on the impact of food related allergies. Their Safer Schools Programme encompasses a wide array of downloadable resources, online training and policies for schools wishing to make their establishment, a more allergy friendly place. On top of these brilliant aids, they’ll make sure your efforts are rewarded with their well regarded ‘Anaphylaxis UK AllergyWise’ school award, so that prospective parents can recognize the immense effort’s you’ve gone to engage with this vital issue. Under their current CEO, the esteemed Simon Williams – formerly of HEART UK, their output has never been more effective. So if you’re interested in getting involved in making your school a more allergy friendly place, please follow the link below:
https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/education/safer-schools-programme/
Did Someone Forward this Safeguarding Briefing to You?
If you would like to receive your own copy of the Safeguarding Briefing, simply go to: https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/safeguarding-briefing-joining-page
Sexual Abuse - Reporting Advice for Children
Talking to children and young people about sexual abuse is a mammoth task. It’s difficult as an adult to broach this subject with those whom, in an ideal world, would never have to contemplate abuse or sex until they were old enough to understand it. Except that’s not an option. It is an unfortunate fact that children and young people, due to their early stage in life are uniquely vulnerable to sexual abuse. But it is also an unfortunate fact that children who are being abused, often don’t know what to do. As much as adults feel uncomfortable discussing these intimate issues with children, children who are being abused are loath to discuss the same issues with adults. To help children understand what they should do, we are recommending that you take a look at ChildLine’s page on sexual abuse. The page, explores ways that children can speak out about the sexual abuse they may be experiencing, how they can report it to teachers, doctors or responsible adults. How they can help themselves come to terms with what has been done to them, and more. A perfect foundational page for planning a lesson on issues of sex abuse, if you’re wanting to inform your pupils about what to do and how to go about it. To find the page follow the link below:
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/abuse-safety/sexual-abuse/
Free Neglect Course from the London Grid for Learning
You might have noticed that our briefings regularly reference content from the London Grid for Learning, now these long-term friends of ours are putting on an excellent course on the impact of neglect on children. The London Grid for Learning is a charitable trust, with a focus on advancing education and generally making the UK’s learning sphere a better place to be. Although based in London, and London’s in their name their resources have provided fantastic content for safeguarding and educational staff, for years and it’s why they’re frequently promoted on the briefing. Their 2023 neglect training is no different, and we’re proud to put the course in this week’s briefing. It’ll be given by Alex Dave, a fascinating speaker whose just joined the company after a two year stint as project manager over at Surrey County Council. She’s been in education since 2006 after studying Early Childhood Education and Teaching at the University of Warwick, before moving abroad to teach in Japan as an English teacher. Since her return to the UK in 2007 she’s occupied senior management roles in organizations such as the MacIntyre organization for disabled people and Young Epilepsy. And it is her unique interest in the area of neglect which has spurred her on to deliver this course. It’s an opportunity to study under a highly experienced professional, with a wide breadth of experience in the educational world, that’s not to be missed. To sign up for the neglect course please follow the link below:
https://neglect.lgfl.net/
School Equipment and Safeguarding - Resources
When reliable, small, and efficient computing power arrived in schools they transformed education. At first it was in the form of educational games, and word processors, later portable laptops arrived so that students could work better, faster and more efficiently. In recent years, phones once a class nuisance became the bane of pupil attention spans with the unveiling of smartphones. And now schools are in a situation whereby technology is everywhere. But this has opened up educational establishments to new vulnerabilities and allowing children and young people, free reign to use computing power in the classroom has introduced them to those vulnerabilities. The question arising from this is ‘how do I safeguard my school technology?’. The South-West Grid for Learning is attempting to help you solve that all to common dilemma. Over on their site they’ve published an online safety policy for schools, containing answers which will help you with your onsite technology safety queries. The link to that page can be found below:
https://swgfl.org.uk/resources/online-safety-policy-templates/
Register for a Safeguarding Pro Members Call
The next Safeguarding.Pro Member Call will be on Wednesday 8th February 2023, 4.15 - 5.15pm.
The Member Call is only available for Safeguarding.Pro members who can register for the session here: https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/products/safeguarding-pro-resources/categories/2149313100/posts/2164860731
If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to cover, please let me know. See you there!
As ever, there will be a recording of the event available afterwards. All the previous Member Calls are also available for Safeguarding.Pro members to access. If you're not already one of our Safeguarding.Pro members, why not come and join us here: joinsafeguarding.pro
National Grid for Learning - A Contextual Safeguarding Approach to Radicalization
Engagement with the UK government’s PREVENT programme is a vital part of educating children and young people, about the dangers and vulnerabilities they may be exposed to in the wider world. This week, Mubina Asaria, Online Safeguarding Consultant for the National Grid for Learning has written an engaging article, on the relationship between safeguarding and counter-radicalization. In particular when it comes to the online space, a sphere in which your pupils will spend a significant amount of time. If you’re a curious safeguarding professional, or a member of the general educational staff the article is worth a look and can be found by following the link below:
https://educateagainsthate.com/blog/posts/adopting-a-contextual-safeguarding-approach-to-radicalisation/
Supporting and Identifying Children Involved in Modern Slavery
The world is changing. The growth of centralized states with powerful security apparatus has created an overly hostile environment for organised crime. This is particularly the case in states such as the UK and the United States. This in combination with a growth in the world’s interconnectedness and the increasing porousness of hard borders in contrast with the continuing demand for illegal goods, has led to a vast increase in trafficking of children and their enslavement. In conjunction with the exponential rise in internet speed and data capacity, has created a new threat environment for children and young people in the UK. Twenty years ago, practices such as using children for county-lines operations, or trafficking them abroad to undertake work for gang bosses, was confined to less orderly parts of the world. And the practice would not spread far. Yet today safeguarding and educational staff alike may find themselves confronted with a child who has been a victim of these reprehensible practices. At this point it would not be unreasonable to be overwhelmed with that question previously alluded to in a previous issue of the briefing – ‘what do I do?, how do I support this child?’. Last week we featured the SPACE organization, and their report into child criminal exploitation. This week, we bring you their training framework on how to approach these most difficult situations. To take a look please follow the link below:
https://www.bespaceaware.co.uk/_files/ugd/2b1bfc_232051610d9b405a917569905519cce3.pdf
Forthcoming Courses
Implementing the role of the Senior Mental Health Lead (DfE Course Code SMHL105)
This is our DfE Quality Assured course for Senior Mental Health Leads. The course offers self-paced learning using the resources in our SMHL.Pro Hub, which is available for 12 months. Each month there is a live online member check-in to catch up with your tutors and each other. The course cost £397+VAT, some schools are eligible for a grant to cover this cost.
For more details, go to: https://www.smhl.pro/course
Advanced Safeguarding for DSLs
This is a four-session course for DSLs over a full-day. The course is offered live and as a recorded replay. When the course is live, there are plenty of opportunities to contribute with observations, questions or answers. As a recording, the interactions from other people are included and feedback notes that this makes it feel like you are not on your own.
"I came to a session in Birmingham back in 2019 (the day after the GE I think) and it was superb. Today [online] was just as good, if not better. The use of video mixed with live speaking was excellent and goes way beyond what other safeguarding courses provide. You've been there and done it, and your openness with your own story is inspirational."
LIVE ONLINE Tuesday 21st February 2023 BOOK NOW
...and available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your convenience BOOK NOW
LIVE ON LOCATION remember that you can book Andrew to visit your school, cluster or MAT to share his DSL course. Please contact us for details and bookings.
Whole School Safeguarding CPD Online Session for 2022/2023
In this two and half hour online presentation aimed at staff in all roles, specialist safeguarding consultant, Andrew Hall, explores important aspects of safeguarding in schools including child protection, learning from case studies and the latest version of Keeping Children Safe in Education.
"In my excitement, I forgot to add our star rating to the Safeguarding training we have just watched. If we could, we would give it 10 stars! That was the best Safeguarding training we have ever had, thank you so much. Feedback from staff has, so far, been overwhelmingly positive…I can't thank you enough."
"I would like to extend my thanks to Andrew for his fantastic online training. It was filmed so well - almost as if he were here with us! We were kept engaged throughout and felt so well informed - a huge thank you. It was a real success, and we look forward to booking you again in the future - with the staff team saying it was the best safeguarding training they have ever had. We really appreciated Andrew's real-life storytelling and the way such sensitive information was shared - it was excellent training."
You book your online session here: www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/availablecourses
Until next time, keep safe and thank you for all the work you're doing,
Andrew Hall
Specialist Safeguarding Consultant,
Success In Schools Ltd.
|
