Safeguarding in Schools and Key Policies

What is Safeguarding in Schools?

Safeguarding in schools means making sure children are safe, healthy, and treated well. Key safeguarding school policies help protect their rights and ensure the school is a safe place to learn. It also involves identifying and addressing any risks that could harm students, while promoting their overall well-being.

Schools are in a key position to keep children safe by spotting and addressing any risks to their well-being. This includes creating a safe environment, training staff to recognise signs of abuse, working with families and outside agencies, and promoting the overall welfare of children through policies and support.

Safeguarding in schools is more than just having policies; it means making safety a part of the school’s culture, values, and everyday activities.

Safeguarding in schools includes protecting students from abuse, neglect, and harm, while making sure they stay healthy and develop well. It also means making sure they grow up in a safe place and and get the help they need to succeed in life.

Table of contents

• What is Safeguarding in Schools?
• Key Parts of School Safeguarding
• How can schools ensure that their safeguarding policies are compliant with current legislation?
• The Most Common Challenges Schools Face When Implementing Safeguarding Policies.
• Practical Examples of Safeguarding Practices in Schools
• How can schools effectively train staff in safeguarding?
• About Caring for Care Training

Key Parts of School Safeguarding

1. Leadership and Policies
   • Strong leaders who make sure protecting students is a top priority.
   • Clear rules to keep children safe.
   • Guidelines on how teachers and staff should behave.
2. Staff Training and Awareness
   • Teachers and staff need regular training to spot and report any concerns.
   • Staff should know how to help children who may need extra support.
3. Safe Recruitment
   • Careful checks are done on staff and anyone working with children to make sure they are trustworthy.
4. Reporting and Communication
   • There should be clear rules about how to report any problems or concerns about a child’s safety.
   • Good communication between school staff, parents, and outside help such as social workers.
5. Curriculum and Environment
   • Teaching students how to stay safe and protect themselves.
   • Making sure the school is a safe, supportive place for all students.
   • Keeping track of students’ attendance and following up when they are absent.

Working Together with Other Services

Schools also work with other groups like social services, the police, and healthcare workers to keep children safe. They often work together in something called Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH), which helps organise and support children in need.

Best Practices for Safeguarding in School

1. Clear Communication
   • Make sure everyone in the school knows the rules about safety and protection.
2. Reviewing Policies
   • Schools should regularly check and update safety policies to keep them effective.
3. Creating a Safe Culture
   • Schools should encourage everyone to be aware of safety and watch out for any risks.
4. Empowering Students
   • Students should feel comfortable sharing their concerns and speaking up if something feels wrong.
5. Online Safety
   • Schools should make sure children are safe when using the internet by teaching online safety rules.

Following these safeguarding rules, schools can create a safe and supportive environment for children to learn and grow, helping them feel secure, perform well in school, and build a better future.

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📌Related Post: Understanding Safeguarding Concerns and How to Address Them

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How can schools ensure that their safeguarding policies are compliant with current legislation?

To make sure safeguarding policies follow the current law and regulations, schools should:

• Review and update policies regularly: Check and update safeguarding policies every year to include any changes in the law and best practices. This should also involve getting feedback from staff and others.
• Stay updated on changes in the law: Keep up with the latest laws and rules, like “Keeping Children Safe in Education” (KCSiE), which is updated each year. Make sure all school governors and leaders read and understand the important parts of KCSiE.
• Appoint a safeguarding lead (DSL): The DSL should keep up with the latest rules and meet with the school leaders to make sure safeguarding policies are being followed.
• Provide complete training: Make sure all staff, including temporary staff and volunteers, get proper safeguarding and child protection training when they start, and regular updates after that. This training should cover the current laws and best practices.
• Work with outside agencies: Work closely with local partners, like social services, health services, and the police, to make sure the school’s policies match up with the wider support systems.
• Set up clear reporting procedures: Have clear steps for reporting concerns, handling complaints about staff, and dealing with possible abuse or neglect.
• Make sure the governing body checks everything: The school’s governing body should be in charge of safeguarding, making sure the school follows the current laws and that safeguarding is done properly. They should approve policies and check that everything works well.
• Do regular checks: Regularly check the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures to find any areas where things could be improved.

By doing these things, schools can make sure their safeguarding policies follow the law and keep students safe.

The Most Common Challenges Schools Face When Implementing Safeguarding Policies.

Schools face several challenges when putting safeguarding policies into practice:

• Staff training and awareness
  • Making sure all staff get regular, good-quality training
  • Keeping staff up to date with new safeguarding issues and laws
  • Helping staff feel confident in spotting and reporting concerns
• Creating a culture of awareness
  • Encouraging everyone in the school to take responsibility for safeguarding
  • Promoting open communication about concerns
  • Balancing being alert to risks while keeping a positive school atmosphere
• Policy implementation and compliance
  • Turning policies into everyday actions
  • Making sure rules are followed the same way across the school
  • Keeping policies updated with new laws and advice
• Resource limitations
  • Finding enough time and money for safeguarding activities
  • Giving enough support to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
  • Balancing safeguarding work with other school priorities
• Working with other agencies
  • Building good partnerships with outside groups like social services and the police
  • Following rules about sharing information
  • Coordinating responses to safeguarding concerns
• Online safety
  • Keeping up with new online risks
  • Educating students, staff, and parents about digital safety
  • Setting up good systems to monitor and block harmful online content
• Dealing with complex issues
  • Responding to new dangers like child criminal exploitation
  • Supporting vulnerable groups, such as students with special needs or LGBTQ+ students
  • Managing allegations against staff
• Involving parents and the community
  • Sharing safeguarding policies and procedures clearly with parents
  • Getting parents involved in keeping students safe
  • Understanding cultural differences around certain safeguarding issues
• Keeping accurate records
  • Setting up strong systems for recording and tracking concerns
  • Keeping information private but still sharing when needed
  • Managing the growing amount of safeguarding data
• Safeguarding in the curriculum
  • Including safeguarding topics in lessons that are suitable for students’ ages
  • Balancing teaching safeguarding with academic goals
  • Addressing sensitive topics in a way that helps students understand without scaring them

By solving these challenges, schools can create a safer and more effective safeguarding environment for everyone.

Practical Examples of Safeguarding Practices in Schools

1️⃣Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL):

Example: In a school, the headteacher appoints a specific teacher as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). This person ensures that all staff follow the school’s safeguarding rules and procedures. If any staff member has concerns about a child’s welfare, they report it directly to the DSL, who will take the necessary steps, including contacting social services if needed.

2️⃣Staff vetting:

Example: Before hiring a new teacher, the school runs a background check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure they do not have any criminal history, especially any that could pose a risk to students. Volunteers who help on school trips also undergo the same checks.

3️⃣Regular staff training:

Example: Every two years, all staff members attend a safeguarding training session. During this training, they learn how to spot signs of abuse, such as unexplained injuries or behavioral changes in students, and how to report these concerns to the appropriate authorities.

4️⃣Secure premises:

Example: The school has a tall fence around its playground and locked gates during school hours. Security cameras are placed at entrances, and visitors must sign in at the office before entering the building, ensuring only authorised people can access the school.

5️⃣Clear policies:

Example: The school has a written child protection policy, which all staff must read and understand. This policy explains how staff should behave around students, the steps to take if they suspect abuse, and what actions will be taken if a student is harmed.

6️⃣Attendance monitoring:

Example: The school uses an electronic attendance system to mark students’ presence each morning. If a student is absent without notice, the school contacts the parents within an hour to check why they are not in school. If the absence is unexplained, the school may notify local authorities.

7️⃣Safe recruitment practices:

Example: When hiring a new lunch supervisor, the school checks the candidate’s references from previous jobs, makes sure they have passed a DBS check, and interviews them to ensure they understand child protection policies and how to report any concerns about student safety.

8️⃣PSHE curriculum:

Example: During a Personal, Social, and Health Education (PSHE) lesson, a class is taught how to identify unsafe situations, such as online bullying, and are shown how to seek help if they feel unsafe. The lesson might include role-playing situations where students practice asking for help from an adult.

9️⃣Open communication:

Example: A teacher notices a student seems upset and asks if they want to talk. The teacher lets the student know they are always available to listen and that the school has support services, like a counselor, if the student needs help. The student feels comfortable sharing their concerns.

🔟Risk assessments:

Example: Before taking students on a field trip to a museum, the school conducts a risk assessment, considering factors like travel, student behavior, and the safety of the museum environment. This ensures the trip is well-planned and minimizes any potential dangers.

11️⃣Parental engagement:

Example: The school holds a meeting at the beginning of each year to inform parents about its safeguarding policies, including how the school keeps children safe and how parents can communicate with staff if they have any concerns. Parents are also given a handbook with this information.

12️⃣ Online safety measures:

Example: The school uses software to block students from accessing harmful websites or social media during school hours. Teachers also teach students about the importance of privacy and staying safe online. The school has a policy that students should not share personal information over the internet.

These examples show how schools can put safeguarding measures into action to keep students safe in different situations.

How can schools effectively train staff in safeguarding?

Schools can train staff in safeguarding effectively with an ongoing and complete approach:

• Induction training: All new staff should get safeguarding and child protection training when they start. This can be online or in-person training.
• Regular updates: Staff should get yearly updates on safeguarding, including online safety. This helps them keep their skills and knowledge up to date.
• Comprehensive training: The training should cover important areas like:
  • Recognising signs of abuse and neglect
  • Understanding how to report concerns
  • Knowing the school’s safeguarding rules and systems
  • Online safety
  • Creating safe learning environments
• Role-specific training: Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) should get special training every two years to stay updated on their roles and responsibilities.
• Working with others: Training should follow advice from local partners, like the local council, health services, and police.
• Practical skills: Include hands-on practice and interactive sessions to help staff feel confident in dealing with safeguarding issues.
• Continuous development: Provide ongoing opportunities like workshops and online courses to keep staff informed on the latest safeguarding information.
• Clear communication: Make sure all staff understand the safeguarding rules and procedures to help create a culture of awareness and care.

By using these methods, schools can create an effective safeguarding training programme that gives staff the knowledge and skills they need to protect children well.

About Caring for Care Training

Caring for Care Safeguarding Training helps people learn how to recognise and deal with signs of abuse or neglect in children.

Schools can benefit from courses like Safeguarding Children Training, DLS (Designated Safeguarding Lead) Training, Safeguarding Training for Managers, and Safeguarding for Named Practitioners.

Rules change often, and adding a safeguarding train the trainer course has been a good options for many schools and care homes. This ensures quick update for team members.

These courses teach staff how to protect children and create a safe school environment. By getting everyone trained, school staff can feel confident in their role, ensuring every child gets the care and protection they need.

Take action today and help make schools safer for all students.