Safeguarding in Education
Introduction
Welcome to the Safeguarding in Education Professionals pages. Here you will find key information, resources and links to support you in work to safeguard children in places of education.
The objective is to provide a one-stop-shop for education professionals for resources, training and other relevant information. If there is anything you would like to find here that is not presently featured, please do let us know by sending an email to natasha.orumbie@lewisham.gov.uk.
Additional Resources
Dear Colleagues, please find below links to a range of miscellaneous resources that have either previously already been shared or could potentially be useful.
CSE/MET – Child Sexual Exploitation Risk Assesment Toolkit
Consent PPT – Year10 upwards
Supporting Young People affected by CSE Assembly PPT
CSE Awareness Parent Leaflet
FGM – nothing at the moment
Prevent – Prevent Risk Assessment Template
Second Wave Shadow Games Project
Domestic Violence – DV RIC Tool with Guidance
E-safety – E-Safety Awareness Information for Parents/Carers
Neglect - nothing yet
No Recourse to Public Funds - No Recourse Briefing Notes to Schools
NRPF Assessment Form
MASH/Early Help/Continuum of Need – http://www.safeguardinglewisham.org.uk/lscb/lscb/professionals/worried-about-a-child-suffering-from-harm
Health & Safety
Riddor – nothing yet
Logging Accidents Online – Accident and Incident Reporting Flow Chart
Wide Horizons: website; training; guidance – nothing yet
Risk Assessments – nothing yet
Audit Tools
The Local Authority will be carrying out the s11 audit using the s157/175 self-assessment tool. All headteachers will have a log in and password to complete this online. All schools must complete the ‘standard’ version and the ‘enhanced’ is an optional addition.
Click here to log in and complete the self-assessment. Deadline is 31 October 2018.
Paper version of the 2017-18 Standard self-assessment tool
Paper version of the 2017-18 Enhanced self-assessment tool
Lewisham Safeguarding Audit Tool - Potential Evidence
The audit tools below have either been created specifically for Lewisham Local Authority, or are readily available examples from other independent agencies. Where relevant, the appropriate training must be undertaken before using the tool, to ensure that it is implemented effectively. For further advice, please contact the author of the respective tools.
Safeguarding Evidence Checklist
Lewisham Section 11 (2015-16)
Domestic Abuse (DV RIC) Tool with guidance
Governor Single Central Record Monitoring Checklist – Lewisham
Governor Single Central Record Monitoring Checklist – Marvels
CSE Risk Assessment Toolkit
CP files Audit Toolkit
Single Central Record Template 2018
Historical References
The DfE have not given definitive guidance regarding how far to go back to retrospectively acquire the second reference for staff who may not have one.
At an INSET I recently attended run by Andrew Hall, Safeguarding Expert, he suggested that many schools he is aware of have chosen not to seek a 2nd reference for staff who were employed over 5 years ago. However, dependent on what Ofsted Inspector you get, their views on this can vary greatly!
He advised that schools should follow their LA guidance, which you will find below.
In light of what we know about recent historical sex offences and following the information we have been given from HMIs in the School Improvement Team, who have had experience of OFSTED Inspectors being adamant that there are 2 references in place, as a local authority we would like all schools to acquire a 2nd reference for all their employees, including existing staff.
The guidance below explains how to go about acquiring these.
DBS Risk Assessment Template
Historical References Guidance
Overseas Checks
Overseas Staff and Teachers
All applicants who have who have lived outside of the United Kingdom in a country outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerlandmust undergo the same checks as for all other staff in schools, including an Enhanced DBS check and DBS Children’s Barred List check.
This guidance document has been provided to support schools with fulfilling their statutory duty under the new guidance issued on 6 April 2017, which states that:
“All Tier 2 (General) visa applicants who want to work in specified health, education or social care sectors must provide a criminal record certificate and so for all new appointments, schools must consider additional checks, including obtaining a Certificate of Good Conduct, where staff have ever lived or worked abroad”.
The requirement is applicable to all *Tier 2 (General) staff from any country (excluding the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland),where an individual has lived or worked for more than 12 months+ either in total or continuously as well as within the previous 10 years.
*The Tier 2 (General) category is for migrant workers with an offer of a skilled job from a licensed employer which cannot be filled by a resident worker.
Schools will need to be able to demonstrate their processes for concluding that “there is a sound reason not to” undertake these checks. Senior Leadership, in consultation with their governing body can make a decision to use our guidance or an alternative means to ensure this statutory process is followed for all employees who have been employed since April 2017.
Overseas Checks for existing staff
In addition to new employees, the local authority believe it would be beneficial to implement these checks to all existing staff who have lived/worked for 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in any country outside of the United Kingdom while aged 18 years or over.
The current DfE guidance regarding additional overseas checks does not require existing staff to confirm their overseas history or provide schools with a criminal record certificate.
The current guidance is as follows:
Individuals who have lived or worked outside the UK must undergo the same pre-employment checks as all other staff in schools. In addition, schools must make any further checks they think appropriate so that any relevant events that occurred outside the UK can be considered (Keeping Children Safe in Education, DfE, September 2018, s.136).
As this is not currently a statutory requirement, the local authority cannot insist that schools proceed as we are advising, but would recommend that this is done as a good practice measure.
The Lewisham guidance produced in May 2018 provides Head teachers and staff with information about processes that would need to be implemented if schools were to adopt this recommendation, and steps to take should they choose not to. It will also provide guidance about how to identify which staff may fall into this category and then how to apply for these checks if the need arises. Templates for risk assessments have also been included, which will, if the school adopts this guidance, need to be in place where staff are awaiting the outcome of an overseas check. A separate link to editable versions of the appendices is below.
Lewisham Guidance May 2018
Editable Appendices for Lewisham Guidance
DfE Guidance
FAQ Home Office Guidance
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with Natasha Orumbie if you have any further queries or questions.
Policies
The policy exemplars below have either been created specifically for Lewisham Local Authority, or are readily available examples from other schools/local authorities that are already online. Each school/setting must take full responsibility for any policies which it uses to produce its own, ensuring that it is amended to make it relevant and appropriate for its respective context. Any relevant updates which may need to be applied are again the responsibility for individual schools/settings.
N.B. It is acceptable for Private Fostering and Separated Parents Policies to be incorporated into a school’s Safeguarding/CP Policy as opposed to having separate policies if they so choose.
LSCB Anti-Bullying Resource
Lewisham Safeguarding/CP template 2019/20
Sedgehill Staff Code of Conduct
Safe Touching
Touch and Physical Contact
Private Fostering
Separated Parents
Drop-off and collection of children
LSCB Resolving Professional Differences Protocol - Under revision
LSCB Resolving Professional Differences Record
“Wide Horizons – Educational Visits Policy – There and Back Again (TABA) September 2017”
Safeguarding Service Level Agreement
2017/18 sees the launch of a brand new Safeguarding Service Level Agreement, allowing school’s access to extensive high quality safeguarding support and guidance tailored to their individual school’s needs. This is in addition to the statutory offer that will remain in place, providing weekly updates in a safeguarding newsletter sent via the schools mailing and termly Designated Safeguarding Leads meetings for all school Designated Leads and their deputies. Click on the links below to find out what is on offer.
SLA 2017-18 Booklet - Safeguarding
Safeguarding SLA PPT
SLA Booking Form
Why sign up for the Safeguarding SLA?
Sharing Good Practice
We are very grateful to a number of Lewisham schools have kindly shared some of the proformas they are creating and using in their settings from which their colleagues can now benefit. Schools are welcome to review the items listed and consider whether or not they would like to implement similar systems. It is very important for any amendments that would need to be made to make these policies relevant to your individual contexts to be made before they are adopted and brought to the governing body for ratification.
Deptford Park – Serious Accident Log Proforma
All Saints CofE – Safeguarding Policy – Child-friendly version
All Saints CofE – Visiting Speakers Policy
Marvels Lane – Governors Single Central Record Monitoring Checklist
St Margaret’s Lee – Safer Recruitment Checklist for schools
Sedgehill – Staff Code of Conduct
Sydenham School – Case Study Template
Sydenham School – Whole School Safeguarding Analysis
Toolkits and Resources
This section will enable colleagues to access a range of toolkits and resources specifically for education settings. Please review and access according to the needs of your individual settings, and note that not all tools are relevant for every provision.
If you would like to see something featured that is not already listed, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Email Natasha.orumbie@Lewisham.gov.uk
School Mental Health Toolkit
Safeguarding Training Brochure 2018-19