Final newsletter of the year: what to expect next term
Welcome to the last newsletter of this school year. As ever, a busy term ahead, perhaps the busiest. Also, the one in which many of you will also be preparing for the start of the autumn term including September INSET days. To support you, the team are updating the ‘skeleton’ Level 2 slides for you to adapt and personalise to your setting. Alongside this, our template policy is being worked on and will be shared with the Education Advisory Group (EAG) on 25th June to ratify ahead of sharing with you on our website. We appreciate this document is needed for you to share with your governing board to publish in advance of all staff needing to read and confirm their understanding and adherence to this key document. At the time of writing this newsletter, we’ve yet to have any updates on KCSiE 2025 from the DfE. We therefore may need to make changes later in the term to these documents as they become available. We will share the updated Policy template and training slides with you once KCSiE 2025 is released in draft form, ahead of becoming legislation in September. Additionally, we will provide our insights into any changes and their likely impact.
Until then, as ever, thank you for everything you do!
Summer term considerations and questions - DSL and Safeguarding Team
The final half term of the academic year can feel very overwhelming with many safeguarding aspects to consider and the last day of term looming. We hope the list below of possible considerations may help you to prioritise your ‘to do’ list (with further considerations to ponder for non-pupil day planning and moving ahead to next academic year).
Get Information sharing
- It is ok to share verbally relevant safeguarding concerns prior to September. Remember safeguarding files can only be transferred to new settings when child is on roll. This transfer needs to be completed within 5 days. Transfer can be electronic, in person or if necessary, by special delivery. Always get receipt of the transfer of safeguarding files and retain.
- Will any of your vulnerable pupils be attending holiday or charity organised clubs during the summer? Would sharing (on a need-to-know basis) appropriate safeguarding information, key contacts etc be pertinent?
Get prepped, transition
- Using the verbal information received, put plans in place for those vulnerable pupils due to start with you in September. Share those plans with current setting, pupils and parents/carers to avoid worry over the summer break.
- Ensure that those pupils leaving your setting have the best transition activities, timetable planned and put into motion prior to the summer break.
Get invited
- Reach out to pupils' current settings and get yourself (or appropriate member of staff) invited to current Early Help, core group, CP/CiN meetings etc. Meet the key professionals and parents/carers before the beginning of next term. Start building those trusted relations.
Get into your diary
- Pop in your diary key dates for the beginning of next term, e.g. when would you need to chase up safeguarding files from previous settings, locating children missing from education etc.
Get talking, check in, review and support
- Catch up with those pupils on your vulnerable pupil list, how are they feeling about the summer break, is there anything worrying them?
- Would any of your pupils benefit from safe cards – wallet /back of mobile phone cover sized cards with SW/key worker/trusted adult contact details listed or the contact details for holiday clubs, charities and organisations they have/could have access to.
- Do any of your vulnerable pupils need a safety plan/escape plan drawn up together with them prior to the summer break?
- Have you checked in on your vulnerable families/adults? What information would they benefit from prior to the summer break?
Get reflecting and planning
- Use your safeguarding systems to identify seasonal/contextual safeguarding trends in your setting and ensure PSHE, assemblies, activities and tutor sessions for the next academic year reflect your settings needs. Talk with the relevant members of staff and co-ordinators.
- CELEBRATE YOUR SAFEGUARDING SUCCESSES!
|
For those of you planning your non pupil days in September please consider:
- Ensuring that staff and adults in school have received L2 Safeguarding Awareness Training. If you want us to come along and deliver our Child Protection Raising Awareness session – please get in touch!
- When delivering L2 awareness training don’t forget to personalise to your settings/staff/pupils needs and include any changes to KCSiE 2025.
- Checking when staff last received updates on Prevent and deliver if required.
- Retaining evidence that all have read the necessary documents KCSiE part 1 (or Annex A if appropriate) alongside Annex B, your safeguarding policy, whistleblowing policy, code of conduct and other safeguarding related policies and procedures.
- For any Safeguarding policies, procedures and related documents all personnel and contact changes have been updated.
- How staff and visitors are made aware of how to log a safeguarding concern and that they all know who the DSL and safeguarding team are.
- That new employees have had safeguarding induction before or on the first day of starting at your setting (and keep a record of this).
- Inviting volunteers and governors to any safeguarding training delivered at the beginning of the year.
- Ensure you are in receipt of our Safeguarding newsletters – these will, from September, be monthly.
- Take a look at the substantive changes in KCSiE and ensure that your policies, processes and job description reflect any changes.
We haven’t come to the end of this academic year but are already thinking about 2025 - 2026! Many of the points made above will fall into this section but please also consider:
- Have you got Safeguarding Governor/Trustee visits booked in (with a standing agenda) acting as your robust and critical friend?
- Have you mapped out your safeguarding ‘drip feed’ staff CPD for the year. Consider your seasonal and contextual safeguarding themes when planning this as well as providing opportunities to refresh staff in areas such as Neglect, Low Level concerns, how to manage a disclosure etc.
- Do you, can you access supervision?
- Who are your vulnerable pupils? How do you review your vulnerable pupil list?
- Have you planned regular safeguarding team meetings throughout the year – that are protected?
- Remember to book early any Level 3 initial or refresher training that your safeguarding team requires for the academic year.
The above is not a exhaustive list - Annex C in KCSiE will also help your preparation in readiness for the end of this term and beginning of next academic year.
Many of you will be aware that this inspection took place between 30th September to 11 October 2024 and again from 13th to 16th January 2025. The report, while recognising many areas that have developed since the previous inspection in March 2020, the overall judgement remains Inadequate. This is clearly deeply disappointing to all involved who recognise the continued urgency of the work that has been ongoing since inspectors left, initially October and again in January.
As a team, we recognise the essential role we play in education, especially for our most valuable children. Our focus remains on children in care, those who are Electively Home Educated, and those not attending school due to complex reasons. Collaborating with Children’s Social Care, the Police, and Health partners is crucial to making necessary progress and ensuring all Devon’s children are safe, healthy, and thriving.
We will keep you updated on our support for Social Care colleagues. Devon will continue to work with partner LAs and the DfE, meeting periodically with senior leaders and frontline colleagues in schools and settings.
|
At a recent Child Neglect best practice event, Social Care colleagues were asked why, when assessments have been completed and do not result in an ICPC, or when a family is stepped down to Early Help, these reports are not being shared with schools - and why, when requested, this information has sometimes been denied.
We are delighted that senior leaders within CSC have recently issued the following guidance to to be shared with all Social Workers.
“Schools can, and should, have the outcome of assessments shared with them following their completion, as they play a key role in supporting families, particularly if they are being stepped down to Early Help – schools need to know the outcome and the plan because they will be key to monitoring and overseeing ongoing process and know when (and if) to refer back to us.”
Please contact the team if, after requesting such assessments or reports, they are still not being shared.
Thank you to everyone who completed the recent survey on Devon’s professional disagreement resolution process. The feedback confirms that communication between agencies remains a challenge and the current process isn’t fully meeting its goals.
We’re now working to shift our approach from ‘resolving conflicts’ to strengthening collaborative support for children and families. To better understand your experiences, another survey may be shared later this year - we appreciate your time when that happens!
At the recent Education Advisory Group, this year's summary evaluation was shared from the data schools returned in the Spring term. This highlighted many areas of strength across schools in Devon including progress in many areas such as curriculum delivery on topics linked to safeguarding and that many more schools have progressed their plans and practiced a ‘ready for anything’ drill.
Having shared the summary, the following areas have been identified as areas for development in the coming cycle:
- Working with partners across the DSCP, develop the current ‘case resolution protocol’ which enables a culture of professional dialogue to ensure that children and families are at the centre of discussions seeking outcomes that are in their best interests and fostering closer professional understanding of how we evidence ‘safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility’.
- Supporting schools and setting to develop ways to measure impact of their training, curriculum and wider safeguarding policies and practices reflecting scores given in questions rated as 2-3.
- Increase schools' completion of a Prevent Risk assessment that also raises the number of schools who have practiced a ‘ready for anything’ drill.
- Develop materials that enable schools to better understand all forms of child exploitation including extreme or harmful views such as INCEL culture.
- Develop our S175 data collection and analysis with the support of the partnership business team to further enhance how we utilise this valuable resource.
We will now begin the process of developing a plan to address these aspects and will share this with you as it becomes available.
Devon’s online community hub - connecting people to their community and promoting social action. Devon Connect is a great resource for checking out what is on offer for children and families in your school community. |
|
 |
Please do be aware that Exeter University has a branch of the student charity “Sexpression” in situ. The charity will send (DBS checked) University students (often and typically medical students) into schools to support and deliver RSE content free of charge but subject to availability. Well worth a look as it’s a near-peer led approach to RSE. It’s a volunteer-run and student-led charity. They facilitate peer-led, inclusive, and comprehensive Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) provided by their university branches. Their aim is to empower young people to make informed decisions surrounding their health and their bodies!
Low-level concerns are behaviours or actions that don’t meet the threshold for harm or a formal referral to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) who’s contact details must be within the schools safeguarding policy. Despite this, they are significant as they can undermine a school’s culture of openness, trust, and transparency. These concerns often reflect conduct that, while not overtly harmful and meet the ‘harm threshold’ as defined in part four of KCSiE, (KCSiE 2024 paragraphs 430-443 & 449-452) might make a reasonable person question the individual’s suitability to work with children or serve as a positive role model. Many schools will have created and shared a low-level concern policy considering their local context and reporting pathways.
This OMG is essential reading to consider what possible actions may be needed to ensure that all staff have a clear understanding as to their reporting duty.
Whilst the overall figure for murders with a knife or sharp object has fallen, teenagers remain disproportionally affected by knife crime and face a higher risk of murder by knife attacks than any other age group. (C/o Ben Kinsella trust and Office for National Statistics)
It is important to recognise that the number of young people carrying knives is extremely small, however they are probably some of our more vulnerable members of society. These young people are more likely to be regularly absent from education, be supported by a social worker, have had contact with the police and report that they have been in a gang. (C/o Youth Endowment Fund)
This OMG provides information on the law, busts myths and provides sign posting to helpful resources and websites.
There are many other charitable organisations offering self-testing or swabbing services to victims of sexual assault. Our advice is to direct all victims to your nearest SARC rather than engage with these organisations.
There is now guidance available to support settings with their planning and preparedness. Please also refer to the OMG No. 68 - Martyn’s Law – The Protect Duty.
The Government is creating a new ten-year National Youth Strategy to tackle the challenges for this generation of young people and ensure that every young person can thrive.
The National Youth Strategy will bring power back to young people and their communities and improve youth focused services, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach from Government.
‘Join us in encouraging and supporting thousands of young people aged 10-21 (aged 25 with SEND) to shape this once in a generation strategy.’
In collaboration with the Government, the Deliver You campaign is powered by the #iWill Movement, My Life My Say and Savanta – a partnership driven by a commitment to equipping and enabling young people to shape and lead change.
You can access Engagement and Communications Toolkit and other Resources on Google Drive!
Connecting You is an online forum where people who have experienced abuse can meet anonymously. When you join you'll be able to share your experiences and meet other people who are on their healing journey. Connecting You is an inclusive space open to all survivors aged over 18 years who live in the South West. This is a pilot phase of this initiative that may be supportive for parents or family members impacted by domestic abuse.
The “Tackling Child Sexual Abuse – Progress Update” (April 2025) is a comprehensive UK Government report outlining actions taken and future plans to address child sexual abuse (CSA), particularly in response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). Here's a summary of the key points:
Scale and Urgency
- 1 million adults in England and Wales are estimated to have experienced CSA.
- 500,000 children are estimated to be abused annually.
- 840,000 offenders pose some risk to children; 400,000 monthly searches for CSA material occur in the UK.
Government Actions Taken
Legislation:
- Mandatory reporting duty for professionals working with children.
- New criminal offence for obstructing CSA reports.
- Grooming now a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing.
- AI-generated CSA material.
- Supervision exemption removed from DBS checks.
- Three-year limitation for civil claims removed.
Policing & Enforcement:
- Strengthened CSE Taskforce and Review Panel.
- Baroness Casey audit on group-based exploitation.
- £5m fund for local inquiries.
- New police performance framework and tech investment.
Online Safety:
- New laws targeting AI CSAM, paedophile manuals, and online platforms facilitating abuse.
- Online Safety Act mandates illegal content safety duties.
Child Protection System Reform
- Creation of a Child Protection Authority (CPA).
- New multi-agency child protection teams.
- Social work reforms: new standards, training, and induction.
- Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to improve safeguarding and information sharing.
Support for Victims and Survivors
- Commitment to specialist therapeutic support.
- Funding for the CSA Centre to develop training and resources.
- Expansion of NHS mental health services.
- No national redress scheme yet, but civil claim barriers removed and apology laws amended.
Data and Accountability
- Improved data collection and multi-agency sharing.
- ONS surveys to measure CSA prevalence.
- Inspection reforms and cross-government oversight.
Public Awareness and Prevention
- National campaigns (e.g., “Look Closer”).
- Support for Crimestoppers, Lucy Faithfull Foundation, and Fearless Programme.
- Mandatory reporting to foster a culture of openness and accountability.
Children in Care and Custody
- New advocacy standards and guidance.
- Review of staff registration in children’s homes and youth custody.
- Improved vetting and training for care and custodial staff.
Next Steps
- Establishment of an Interministerial Group and victim and survivor panel.
- Continued cross-government collaboration and Cabinet-level oversight.
- Ongoing consultation and implementation of IICSA recommendations.
When to Call the Police:
This advice has been produced by the National Police Chiefs’ Council working alongside the Department for Education, Home Office and the PSHE Association. This advice covers incidents on school and college premises where students have potentially committed a crime. It provides guidance on what schools and colleges should bear in mind when considering contacting the police. This advice is non-statutory and should be read alongside the Department for Education’s (DfE) keeping children safe in education statutory guidance and non-statutory searching, Screening and Confiscation advice for schools.
We are booking up quickly for Child Protection Raising Awareness training (Level 2) in September. The whole team will be taking on sessions during the NPD and first week back, we have the following slots still available:
📅Monday 1st September (PM only)
📅Tuesday 2nd September (PM only)
📅Wednesday 3rd September (PM only)
📅Thursday 4th September (AM and PM)
📅Friday 5th September (AM and PM)
|
Space during this week is limited so we advise booking as soon as you can to access the time you would like during this week. We are available to complete this throughout the first half term and across the year should schools wish to book a staff meeting slot or future date to better suit your school needs.
Please contact any of the team if you would like to book a session or if you have any other questions about our training offer.
“I've been a DSL for 12 years I still found it helpful and thought provoking. I spent much of the training wishing that I'd been given this opportunity when I first became a DSL – the trainer shared empowering information that will allow staff to truly advocate for their pupils.”
“The parent IT session was highly informative and provides a supportive, yet realistic insight into the dangers of social media on our young people. The shared parent tips and guidance are quick and easy to implement so that parents can move towards supporting a safer and more supportive online experience for their children”
|
