Welcome back!
Welcome back to the new school year! We hope that you’ve managed a break over the summer and some time to relax and enjoy time with friends and family. For those of you who were asked to share information with the team in MASH, attend meetings or indeed be in school, thank you, we know what a difference this makes to our partners at Children’s Social Care and other agencies. I’m sure by now there is the feeling of the summer break being a distant memory aided by the preparation and delivery of INSET day training, induction of new colleagues, updating materials and resources, working with Governors or Trustees and supporting children and families for whom the summer was a difficult, even dangerous time. With this in mind, we know that for many children, their return to school is their return to a place of safety made so by the care, support and nurture that you and you colleagues offer.
At the end of June many of you attended (a record 160 delegates did!) our annual safeguarding conference. The feedback has been unbelievably positive. What really resonated was how, as a community of professionals we have a huge amount of resilience and passion for those who can often be seen at the edge of society or indeed the most challenging within our school and local community. All our speakers highlighted the positive difference you, individually and collectively make to the lives of children and their families. As we look ahead, at what will be at times a long and challenging year, we again look forward to working with and alongside you to support as best we can.
Thank you for all that you do!
Jon Galling, Senior Education Safeguarding Officer
Changes to KCSiE 2023
By now all staff, volunteers and governors will have had the relevant parts of KCSiE 2023 shared with them to read alongside other key documents including policies and a Code of Conduct. Many of you will have reviewed and digested the changes from 2023 implementing where needed amendments and alterations to practice. This will include within your safeguarding policy, which for many will be using our template. You will be aware that annex F identifies the changes from 2022. As in previous years, NSPCC have provided a summary of changes overview that many will find useful to share with wider groups across your setting.
As highlighted in the information above, changes in the current KCSiE further highlight school’s and college's role around filtering and monitoring internet content. The DfE have provided guidance to clarify the role of the governing body, individual staff including senior leaders and the DSL alongside how all staff should have training to enable them to fulfil their role. Many of you will have been working closely with your internet service provider to ensure that these measures are both in place and also how the evidence of policy requirements are measured. To support schools, SWGfL have provided additional resources and guidance including a free resource to test your internet is blocking relevant materials. We advise that DSLs and school leaders ensure that governing body meeting minutes capture how these requirements are being managed including how staff understand their role in both monitoring internet use, their own expectations for the use of technology and also how children are taught about the safe use of internet as defined by the ‘four C’s’ in KCSiE. SWGfL provide a further 360 review tool to access schools are compliant within this key and growing area of safeguarding.
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Children’s attendance continues to be an ongoing theme that staff at all levels need to understand the possible connection between not being at school and safeguarding. Attendance is everyone’s responsibility is the term being utilised. Ongoing research highlights how post-pandemic attendance is a key area for schools and the DfE. KCSiE 2023 gives clarification on the difference between children missing education and children absent from education. For further information and support, please do contact the attendance improvement team.
Starts 8 November 2023 (delivered via live, interactive webinars)
Are you or anyone else working with children and young people where you’re developing PSHE? As all Ofsted inspections make judgements about personal development of pupils, you might be interested in signing up for this comprehensive PSHE programme. Everything you need from leadership through to curriculum, lesson preparation and young people's development, including any statutory RSHE changes from the Sept 23 DfE review.
Many will be very familiar with the ‘Pants’ materials shared by the NSPCC as part of your curriculum to support children’s understanding and awareness of safe touch. These materials include films, lesson plans and additional resources for schools to use, free of charge.
We have been delighted to work with so many schools and settings throughout the end of the summer term and during INSET days in recent weeks. Supporting and updating DSL’s, school staff, governors and volunteers who attend a wide and varied range of training from Safer Recruitment to Child Protection Refresher Training; Level 3 refresher and parent sessions exploring safer internet use. Both F2F and virtual sessions continue to be available and can be booked through our shop, or please do get in touch with any of the team to discuss further. If you are considering booking training for upcoming INSET days, including for September 2024, please do get in touch as we rapidly become booked-up!
“Thank you for running the course yesterday. It was without doubt the best delivery of any safeguarding training that I've attended in my 18 years of teaching! I really enjoyed the course despite the naturally 'heavy' content that a L3 safeguarding course contains”
“I found the course very informative, and I certainly have a better understanding as well as new knowledge to use moving forward. I’ve popped a note on my computer screen with the word Curious, as a gentle reminder!”
“Fantastic training, an amazing course leader. We had excellent opportunities to share best practice amongst colleagues.”
“I did want to thank you personally for your expertise and professionalism when faced with a room full on passionate - sometimes feisty DSLs - particularly at this time of year. Your heartfelt knowledge is evident, and your personable approach is extremely supportive.”
“Thanks so much for a useful and informative 2 days. I have to say my heart dropped when it was online training, but you have made it interesting and engaging at every opportunity.”
“Thank you again for the Safeguarding training you delivered at school on Monday. As always, you made a difficult subject accessible and put staff at ease, whilst ensuring the key message of safeguarding being everyone’s responsibility was heard loud and clear. The staff really benefitted from your knowledge and expertise.”
Summary of key issues and learning for improving practice around child sexual exploitation. Case reviews highlight that child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a complex issue. Professionals often struggle to identify and prevent CSE. The process of grooming and manipulation used in most cases of CSE also means the young people involved aren’t always able to understand or recognise what is happening to them.
From September 4th, 2023, the Devon Children and Families Partnership has been rebranded and is now known as the Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership. Currently this is a soft launch and the DSCP will be releasing a newsletter sharing the changes, details of any website links etc near the end of September. We will of course keep you updated as soon as we hear anything through our usual communications, Facebook page and newsletters, but keep a look out for the DSCP newsletter too!
The webpage for submitting Prevent referrals to the police has recently changed.
The Devon and Torbay Prevent Partnership has produced a really information Education Briefing document. This briefing provides an overview of key information, updates and practical resources to support the delivery of learning around radicalisation, extremism and PREVENT to colleagues, learners, parents and carers.
The Prevent Duty Guidance has been updated as of September 2023, following the Independent Review of Prevent. The guidance will come until effect on 31st December 2023 at the earliest.
These briefing notes provide more detail on changes introduced through the guidance that are specific to education:
In line with the statutory functions, we have within DCC we would like to keep up to date with professionals within schools to allow ease of communication between schools and LA.
In order to do this we're asking schools to complete the form half termly. The information provided will be held centrally in Education and Learning to aid our service users to support/ make contact with the correct personnel.
When completing the form, if the same staff member holds multiple roles, then please provide the same name and email in the appropriate role boxes.
- Monday 6th November (F2F) 9.30-11.30 – Hartnoll Hotel
- Thursday 9th November (Virtual) 13.30-15.30
To book a place on this term’s forum visit the shop.
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Don’t forget if you are a DES Safeguarding team subscribing school you can attend a termly forum as part of your subscription. Just use your voucher code at checkout.
Many of you we are sure will signpost parents, young adults at your setting and indeed colleagues to Fear-Less (formally known as Splitz). Just a little heads up to let you know that it has re branded again and is now known as Fear-Free.
The latest Educate Against Hate calendar for schools has been launched. The calendar highlights significant anniversaries and celebration days, weeks and months, as well as key dates for the education sector, along with resource suggestions that will help you to discuss different themes and topics with your learners throughout the academic year.
We have been spending the summer reading all your S175 audit submission and producing the annual report which will be added to our website once approved. As always thank you to everyone for submitting you information, it is another year of celebrating all the great things you are doing in your settings.
We continue to try and further develop the S175 audit to make it valuable to you in your setting and please feel free to email caroline.pinsent@devon.gov.uk if you would like to make any suggestions or feedback for next year’s audit.
We have tried to secure a new format for next year’s audit to make it easier to complete, however unfortunately the costs quoted were significant and due to current budget concerns we could not pursue this any further – therefore the survey will be submitted as a smart survey again this year.
We plan on producing a short video in the next month or so, to provide you with key findings from this year’s audit and we will share this year’s audit link to you after October ½ term with an end of January deadline (this is in line with the previous 2 audits). Please ensure you have updated us with DSL contact details, so the email is sent to the right person, by completing School Key Contacts survey mentioned above.
- Updated Letter of Assurance for DCC staff
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2023 Safeguarding Model Policy
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Basic Level 2 template PPT
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NEW Podcast – Devon Young Carers (Who they are and how they work with schools)
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NEW Sexualised behaviour guidance for education settings (Devon)
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NEW – KCSiE 2023 Staff Quiz (to evidence impact of training)
Don’t forget you can sign up to our closed Facebook DSL group to keep up to date with Safeguarding information, changes to guidance and new resources. To sign up follow the LINK or scan the QR code. |
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