Safeguarding

Safeguarding unites the proactive protection of a learner’s physical, social, emotional, and psychological well-being with considered, coordinated responsiveness.

The Key Pieces

Safeguarding consists of many individual components working together to protect children from harm at school. Safer recruiting practices, background checks, staff training, proactive programming, school policies, safety drills, codes of conduct, clear procedures, dress codes, and attendance tracking are just a few. Below, are the 3 key pieces that must be at the centre of a school's safeguarding plan.

Policies

Carefully written and frequently reviewed policies set out what the school believes about the things that define the climate and culture.

They include:

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
Inclusion Policy
Digital Safeguarding Policy

To get a an idea of how to get started with a putting a policy together, CLICK HERE.

Safeguarding Team

A Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) needs a team. They cannot, and should not, go it alone. A team that meets regularly to discuss active cases, consider next steps, follow-up on actions taken and advising the school are key to ensuring no one falls through the cracks.

CLICK HERE for suggestions on the who, how, and why of a team approach.

Tracking System

A large part of safeguarding is reading patterns and keeping careful documentation. This is made easier when an easy-to-use tracking system is in place. Making sure that the details within are kept confidential and organized will allow a school to take the appropriate action as needed.

If you don't have access to a tracking system like MyConcern or CPOMS, you may need to use a homegrown version.

CLICK HERE for a free template.

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Writing Policy:

Defining culture and determining intent

Of the three key pieces, policy may be the most obvious. A clearly written Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is a must. It helps to know your goal and audience before you begin putting one together. It should be clear and define what you hold as true regarding the right to safety and security on campus as well as your school's commitment to the child once they leave for the day.

Policies, like all directive documentation, need to be constructed with a team that represents your stakeholders, be regularly reviewed to stay relevant, and must be shared. You will want to ensure that all school staff asked to revisit it frequently so that it is well understood and referenced.

The most important sections to include in a Child Protection and Safeguarding policy are:

Mission and Scope: outline your commitment, state who it directs, indicate who it protects
Definition of Key Terms: avoid confusion and create common language
Legal Foundation: consider the Rights of the Child as well as Federal and local legislation
Roles and Responsibilities: state clearly who is in charge of each part of the process to avoid negligence caused my confusion or omission
Reporting and Response: outline step-by-step actions including instructions on reporting, documentation, timelines and confidentiality guidelines
Recognising the Signs: give your team key observable signs that could signal a problem
Online Safety: use local legislature alongside your school's ICT/media guidelines to clearly outline parameters of digital conduct
Prevention: detail strategies in place to secure and educate community members (staff, students, families, board)
Outside Resources: state which local institutions/authorities will support and indicate how to reach them
Review Cycle: commit to regular review procedures

While not exhaustive, this is a good start for ensuring you have covered key components. A policy that is easy to read, well organised, and regularly revisited will provide the guidance you want in such a crucial part of student wellbeing.

The Safeguarding Team:

Shared responsibility

The role of Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Child Protection Officer (CPO) is not an easy one. This individual likely feels "on call" and is privy to the more unsavoury side of human interactions and behaviours. The pressure to stay up-to-date can be quite stressful. Going it alone should be avoided.

There are two types of safeguarding teams that will keep a school safer and limit stress and mistakes.

A Core Safeguarding Team, comprised of the DSL(s), Deputy-DSLs, and those staff members who are in a position to advise and take action will be responsible for meeting regularly to discuss cases, ensure necessary action is taken, and act as a reference point for the larger community. It is advisable to include members of the schools Special Educational Needs team, Wellbeing department, and Infirmary as they will have a unique window into some of the more vulnerable individuals on campus.

Defining each individual's role and sharing those in the relevant policy and visually on campus are important. Below are some simple descriptions that can guide you.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead:

Is the primary person responsible for Safeguarding and Child Protection. This is a whole-school role. A DSL's main responsibilities include:

Managing tracking and documentation system
Organising team meetings and ensuring minutes are taken
Making the final call based on the advice and expertise others
Follow up on task completion as assigned through tracking and documentation system
Assigning or acting as Case Manager of individual cases
Maintain confidentiality

The Deputy DSLs:

Support the DSL in Safeguarding and Child Protection practices. These individuals likely have some leadership responsibilities within the school and can make decisions regarding necessary actions needed. They may be a point of reference for the individuals with whom they work more closely. Their primary responsibilities include:

Attending the SafeGuarding meetings for their section of the school
Keeping up to date with the cases on the tracking and documentation system for their section
Helping the DSL make decisions on difficult cases
Be a reference point for staff or children in their section of the school
Complete any tasks assigned in Safeguarding meetings or through the tracking and documentation system
Maintain confidentiality

The Safeguarding Team Members:

Support the DSL and Deputy DSLs in Safeguarding and Child Protection practices specifically in Safeguarding meetings and documentation. They may also be a point of reference for the individuals with whom they work more closely but can direct more challenging cases to any of the DSLs. Their primary responsibilities include:

Attending the SafeGuarding meetings for their section
Keeping up to date with the cases on the documentation and tracking system for their section
Providing background information in meetings as needed to help create a more complete picture of the child in question
Complete any tasks assigned in Safeguarding meetings or through the tracking and documentation system
Maintain confidentiality

The Safeguarding Team Members:

Attending the SafeGuarding meetings for their section
Keeping up to date with the cases on the documentation and tracking system for their section
Providing background information in meetings as needed to help create a more complete picture of the child in question
Complete any tasks assigned in Safeguarding meetings or through the tracking and documentation system
Maintain confidentiality

Case Managers:

Assigned by the DSL through the tracking system, individuals will be assigned according to the student involved, not the action ensuring focus is on the child and their larger profile, not the individual instance. In general, this will go as follows:

Students who are already a risk for self-harm will be assigned to (insert name here)
Students who are at high risk (those who have already or will be brought to local Child Protection Services (insert name here)
In general, many cases will fall under the DSLs. If a team member has already been identified as a "trusted adult" by a child, they will likely manage that case.

Any case involving a staff member and a suspected Breach of Professional Conduct will be assigned to (insert name here)