Safeguarding Briefing - 19th June 2023

FAO: All Schools

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Safeguarding Briefing - 19th June 2023
 

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Webinar: Updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023

Last week I sent out a second Safeguarding Briefing to let you know about an online presentation I have created to help understand the changes to KCSIE. In case you didn't see it, you can find that briefing here: Online Presentation Available Now. The email also contains a checklist: Are you meeting the Filtering and Monitoring Standards?

In addition, Safegarding.Pro members have access to a pack of support resources around the KCSIE changes and Filtering and Monitoring, including slide sets for use in your own information sessions for colleagues.

All the links and information can be found in this briefing here: Safeguarding Briefing - 15th June 2023 

Strategies for Violence Reduction in Schools - SOLVE CYVC 

Last week there were several news stories relating to violence happing inside schools and on school premises. Sadly this is nothing new for the education sector. Violence between pupils, from pupils to teachers and from pupils to others does occur, and it is of vital importance that we take steps to minimize this as much as possible. But violence reduction is difficult, children and young people are learning the ropes of social interaction even at an older level. At that point in their lives they are prone to easily follow pupils who have undertaken leadership roles, within their informal society. Sometimes that can lead to unwanted consequences, with peers seeking to out do each other with a view to engaging in proving behaviour which can lead into violence. It is part of our job to find ways to reduce these 'competition' systems evolving into destructive behaviour. If you're interested in taking a deeper look into violence reduction strategies, and the causes behind violence in schools, Craig Pinkey, criminologist, urban youth specialist, lecturer at University College Birmingham and CEO of SOLVE CYVC has published a video discussing the issue. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFGQTelmD24

Annual Report 2022 - Internet Watch Foundation

The Internet Watch Foundation's 2022 report is now out. The report compiles hard data on the utilization of the internet by criminals looking to exploit children during 2022. Hard data is very important to any discipline and to the Safeguarding world it is indispensable. Hard data helps us understand what we're up against, what the current trends in criminal behaviour are and informs us about what needs more attention. The Internet Watch Foundation is an organization we use frequently, and is a highly credible outfit and their report reflects that. I highly recommend giving their report a read, which you can find by following the link below: 

https://annualreport2022.iwf.org.uk/

Trauma Resources - UK Trauma Council 

Trauma within children and young people is a leading cause of vulnerability generation. It can create deep psychological scars leading to fear, uncontrolled issues with anger, feelings of helplessness and drivers of behaviours which seriously hamper their educational ability. An effect which if not tackled early will potentially lead them to poor academic performance and significantly reduced opportunities post-education. The UK Trauma Council is a project aimed at overhauling the aid available to children and young people, who have experienced traumatic events. February this year saw them publish various resources on the issue, including - guidance, lesson plans, policy frameworks, policy templates and staff training. 

On the 29th of June the council will hold a conference aimed at school leaders. The title will be 'Environments for Recovery: How Schools and Other Educational Settings can Respond Following Critical Incidents'. The conference is bound to be of immense interest to anyone involved in education, but particularly those involved in child protection. To find out more about the conference, and their resources please follow the links below: 

https://uktraumacouncil.org/

https://uktraumacouncil.org/resources/critical-incidents

https://uktraumacouncil.org/training/ci-conference

Changes to Ofsted Inspections

This week Ofsted announced changes to some aspects of its inspection process. From a safeguarding perspective Ofsted have said: 

"They will return within 3 months of an inspection report being published, and parents will be informed of this intention in the report. If the school has been able to resolve the safeguarding concerns it is likely to see its overall grade improve. From September we will offer schools greater clarity about the threshold for effective vs. ineffective safeguarding, through our inspection handbook as well as regular blogs and webinars. We will also describe ineffective safeguarding more clearly in inspection reports, to help reassure parents and others that these judgements are not made lightly."

I think that anything that helps schools understand their safeguarding role is all for the good. The statutory guidance, 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (KCSIE), has been published and annually reviewed since 2014. Ofsted publishes separate guidance: 'Inspecting Safeguarding in Early Years, Education and Skills', the latest version of this document is from September 2022. One aspect of that inspection document is headed 'Signs of Successful Safeguarding Arrangements'." 

For Further Reading: 

School Inspection Changes: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-made-to-school-inspections

Inspecting Safeguarding in Early Years, Education and Skills: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills

Did Someone Forward this Safeguarding Briefing to You?

If you would like to receive your own copy of the Safeguarding Briefing, simply go to: www.safeguardingbriefing.co.uk

Framework 23 - Independent Schools Inspectorate 

The Independent Schools Inspectorate has recently released information about how it will inspect independent schools, from September 2023 onwards. Over on their website there are four categories of documents available to help your institution understand, the changes. The first is their new inspection framework, the second is an inspection handbook to help your school prepare the best for their arrival, the third is a guide to the inspection report format and finally a page on inspection support. The latter includes webinars and an FAQ. To read these documents in full please follow the link below: 

https://www.isi.net/framework-2023/

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 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.

Last Advanced Safeguarding for DSLs Course (Online) Thursday, 22nd June 2023 10am - 4pm Book Online

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. 

 

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