Safeguarding
Safeguarding happens when schools take the necessary preventative measures needed to protect the physical, social, emotional, and psychological welfare of their learners.
Key Pieces
There are many things that keep children safer at school. Safer recruiting practices, background checks, staff training, programming, policies, safety drills, codes of conduct, clear procedures, dress codes, and attendance tracking are just a few. Below, are 3 key pieces that make schools safer for all.
Policies
Carefully written and frequently reviewed policies set out what the school believes about the things that define the climate and culture.
They include:
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Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
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Inclusion Policy
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Digital Safeguarding Policy
Safeguarding Team
A Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) 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.
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.