The Education Secetary, Michael Gove, has informed the Commons Education Committe of his plans to focus on child protection services and delegate his school reform agenda to others.  Gove outlined his plan to modernise social work by developing greater flexibility and more emotional intelligence amongst workers; to result in swifter interventions to protect children and a more streamlined adoption process.

Further information on this story can be found at www.publicservice.co.uk

An improvement notice imposed on Salford council in 2010 has been lifted following a recent Ofsted inspection. Inspectors found that good improvement had been made in the child protection department. Improvements identified included better support being given to children and families, improved social worker retention and better communication with the police about missing children.

The latest Ofsted inspection, which took place in November 2012, was unannounced and rated the Salford’s children services department as ‘adequate’.

For further details see Manchester Evening News

Information sharing and child protection guidance for health professionals are to be overhauled after current guidance has been found to be confusing.

A new Statutory code is due to published in May 2013 following a review by Dame Fiona Caldicott.
 The new code is expected to give clearer guidance on information sharing and patient confidentiality to ensure the safeguarding of children who come into contact with health and social care services.

For a related news article see www.cypnow.co.uk

A report by Railway Children, a national charity, has found that  too many young runaways are being “trapped” in harmful situations involving drug abuse and sexual exploitation.  The charity has called for more one-to-one support for these vulnerable children and says local authorities must recognise running away as a key safeguarding issue. More information on this news item can be found at cypnow.co.uk

Recognising children are vulnerable to runaway from home is also a vital part of the prevention strategy.  A quote from the Railway Children website states:

“In the UK, in particular, evidence has shown children also run away from ‘normal’ family backgrounds to escape common issues such as bullying, relationship issues, loneliness and family breakdown.”

To learn more about safeguarding children and how to identify the signs of bullying, domestic, emotional and neglect issues, which may lead children to run away, see details of our child protection training courses.

Child abuse takes place in all walks of life and all children need protecting.  However if has been identified that some groups of children are more vulnerable to abuse or neglect than other children, due to communication issues and difficulties avoiding or moving away from an abusive situation. These groups of children are:

• Children under 5 years
• Disabled children
• Children living away from home
• Homeless teenagers

There are also myths surrounding child abuse and which children are more vulnerable  Prejudiced myths include:

• Girls are more likely to be abused than boys Statistics across England, Wales and NI show that boys and girls are equally vulnerable to abuse.
• Children in single parent families are more likely to be neglected This is a negative stereotype. Child abuse is just as likely where there are two parents.
• Children of same sex parents are likely to be subjected to sexual abuse Children of same sex parents are more likely to be the subject of bullying because of prejudiced views about homosexuality. They are no more or less likely to be abused than children in a heterosexual household.

To learn more about child protection issues click here for details of child protection training courses.

Following closure last month of the consultation on the Working Together to Safeguard Children document, it’s been announced that the new document will be significantly reduced in order to reduce bureaucracy for all agencies involved.

The document is effectively the protocol manual used by all agencies for child protection and safeguarding procedures. The 2010 version was developed and refined over a number of years following much research, review and inquiry.

One change, which the Department for Education is looking to make, is the ability for local areas to produce their own procedures in future, rather than follow the strict national guidelines.

Other possible changes are: no specific definition of “safeguarding” or “child protection” or indeed any instruction as to how anyone who works with children has to be trained to identify and report any concerns that they may have regarding a child’s well-being or safety. Is this a sensible route to follow I wonder? More news will follow shortly on the subject.

A Government Consultation on changes to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010 closed on 4^th September 2012. Three new documents are expected to be released soon:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2012. This is likely to be considerable shorter than the 2010 version is expected to state the legislative requirements, explain what the expectations are of all agencies engaged in the protection of children.

• Managing Individual Cases: the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families.  This document is expected to outline the responsibilities and actions that must be taken where there are concerns that children are suffering (or likely to suffer) significant harm. Setting out the principles of assessment to guide local arrangements

• Statutory Guidance on Learning and Improvement.  This document relates to Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards requirement to analyse, learn and improve practice from the study and reflection of case histories.

Once the new documents have been published they will be made available on our website but in the meantime Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010  remains in force.

“You have someone to trust” – Practical tips for schools

A new report released yesterday ‘You Have Someone to Trust’ (Sept 2012) has been written by the NSPCC for the Office of the Children’s Commissioner examining outstanding safeguarding practice in primary schools. The report describes and shares the good practice of schools which were found, by Ofsted, to have outstanding safeguarding provision.

To assist schools to examine their own safeguarding practise and based on the ‘You Have Someone to Trust’ report, a ‘Practical tips for schools’ handbook has been published by the Children’s Commissioner.  The handbook is summarised below giving 12 Questions for schools to ask themselves about their safeguarding practice.  Each question is followed by a selection of the key tips, suggested in the handbook, to deliver and demonstrate good practice.

1.       Are your leadership team members involved in all aspects of Safeguarding?

• Senior leaders in the school are visible and accessible.
• Safeguarding is an overt priority with designated staff time for safeguarding duties.
• Clear roles, responsibilities and systems are in place and promoted by the Head and Senior Leadership Team creating and reinforcing a cohesive structure and a shared vision which filters through to pupils, parents, carers and volunteers.
• There is no threshold for sharing concerns any concern can be raised by any member of staff.
• Cases are reviewed and learning shared

2.       Is Safeguarding a shared responsibility in your school?

• All staff know how and where to record any concerns – this is reinforced by regular training.
• All staff know who to approach if they have concerns. There is easy access to the designated person(s) and the senior leadership team.
• Regular updates are given to all staff on any changes in policy, practice and concerns relating to individual pupils (as appropriate).
• There is a shared understanding that individuals might not know all the information about a child but trust that they are told what they need to know.
• The leadership team is sensitive to the importance of managing confidentiality, recognising too that staff may be members of the local community.
• Regardless of their role, all staff communicate with each other to support the children.

3.       Are staff seen as approachable to children, parents and carers?

• The school gains feedback from children and parents, and confirms there is a responsive, safe environment, where children feel confident in talking to adults and trust the school to take their concerns seriously, and parents’ concerns are heard.
• Senior members of staff are visible and accessible.
• The school identifies staff the pupils feel comfortable talking to and provides access to them – for example via lunch clubs or allowing children to come into school at break time.
• Staff are child centred, and tenacious in accessing support for the families in their school.
• External partners’ feedback is gained and confirms the school has good links with them in order to promote safeguarding.

4.       Do staff feel well supported in their safeguarding role?

• Clear systems for reporting and recording concerns and feedback leads to staff feeling listened to.
• Communication on safeguarding is embedded in practice, for example as a standing item in staff meetings.
• Policies are reinforced and reviewed regularly with all staff. Resources such as quick reference reminders of their duties and induction information are available.
• Regular training is provided, in addition to the statutory updates that are required. The training provided responds to needs and issues identified by staff.
• Staff are given professional and emotional support in their safeguarding duties.

5.       Are all concerns recorded and monitored in a consistent way and do they inform the targeting of early intervention?

• A ‘zero threshold’ is in place for the level of concerns that get recorded and discussed: no concern is too small to be considered.
• All staff have access to the recording system used in the school; extending to midday supervisors, learning mentors, office staff and caretakers as well as teachers.
• Records are monitored and collated regularly by a member of the senior leadership team with the appropriate feedback given to staff.
• Monitoring is used to evaluate the child’s case and also the school processes as a whole.
• Records are used to identify need and target resources, including training needs.
• Early allocation of school resources, such as learning mentor time or support groups, is considered so that this may prevent the escalation of problems.
• Monitoring provides evidence of the involvement of other agencies.

6.       What safeguarding and child protection training does your school provide?

• All staff, governors and volunteers have safeguarding awareness training to reinforce their shared responsibility.
• Child protection training is provided which enables staff to understand the nature of abuse and neglect, recognise when children are at risk or are suffering abuse, know their responsibilities to protect children have a sound grasp of school policies and procedures.
• Training reflects specific lead responsibilities for safeguarding within the school and is responsive to the changing needs of children (e.g. increased numbers of refugees in the area, a Traveller population, a rise in unemployment).
• Pupils providing peer support are provided with appropriate training and on-going support for their role.
• Parents are offered sessions in basic safeguarding awareness and assisted to understand the school’s responsibilities and its policy and systems.

7.       Are there a range of listening and support strategies to meet the individual needs of pupils?

• The school has a range of support systems and approaches (e.g. Worry boxes, Times to talk, Nurture groups, School council, Counselling services)  that are informed by the needs and concerns of their children.
• The systems are planned to pick up and respond to problems at an early stage and also to ensure a timely and appropriate response where children are at risk.
• The different systems are planned to complement each other as part of an overall strategy and in the context of a whole school approach.
• Peer support arrangements empower children to help each other are properly resourced and well supported.
• Schools know from their children that they believe and trust that the staff are there to help and support them.
• Pupil participation is embedded in the way the school runs. Children know that they will be supported to express their views and their wishes and to have them heard and taken seriously.

8.       Do children have a voice in your school systems and are they able to give their feedback?

• Children have opportunities and choices to talk to someone and be taken seriously – such as circle time when pupils can lead the content through use of worry boxes.
• Children have opportunities to express their views and to give feedback on what worked.
• Peer Support – tailored to the needs of the school. Where students give listening support to their peers having been trained for their role and with the support of an identified member of staff.
• Buddies – a system where new pupils are given a ‘buddy’ to help them settle in. This system can also be offered to pupils who are identified as vulnerable.
• “Circle of Friends” –is an approach to enhancing the inclusion, in a mainstream setting, of any young person who is experiencing difficulties in school because of a disability, personal crisis or because of their challenging behaviour towards others.
• School forums and other formal approaches to consultation.

9.       Are Children given skills and knowledge on keeping safe?

• ‘Keeping safe’ messages are embedded in the whole school approach, through assemblies and classroom activities.
• The curriculum is designed and resources used in creative ways to introduce and consolidate keeping safe messages and skills.
• Visual aids reinforce the messages given and provide signposts to support.
• A range of targeted activities could include: Anti-bullying week activities, Police Community Safety Officer (PCSO) visits, Internet safety activities, Newsletters, Theatre visits or drama activities.

10.   How do you engage with parents and carers?

• Staff are available and approachable e.g. staff and leadership team are at the beginning and end of the day.
• Parents know who to talk to about their concerns.
• Involvement of parents and carers in different aspects of school life is welcomed: this can range from volunteering in classroom to developing policies.
• Good communication: a combination of approaches which can include letters, web site, policies, prospectus and meetings, conversations in the playground and phone calls.
• Identifying vulnerable parents and proactively offering support.
• Providing information about and access to external support agencies.
• Parents and carers give regular feedback on safeguarding issues and school processes so schools know whether their parents and carers feel engaged.

 11.   Is priority given to developing relationships with your external partners?

• A key member of staff, for example the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), is given time and responsibility to establish relationships with external partners.
• Space is allocated in school for multi-agency meetings and for agencies to meet with pupils and their parents.
• Schools are actively engaged in the community and are a recognised hub for support.
• Staff are given opportunities to develop skills and resources in supporting and protecting children.

12.    Are your policies ‘living’ documents which develop from reflection on practice?

• Policies reflect real life concerns and are adjusted to the needs of the school community. They are regularly reviewed in accordance with both statutory requirements and school needs.
• Policies are communicated consistently across the staff group
• Policies are related to the specific roles and responsibilities of staff and volunteers.
• Policies are accessible to all.

A recent Radio 4 programme dealt with the issue of safeguarding children and young people within sport. File on 4 reported that parents are likely to have trust in and leave their charges in the care of a sports coach.

A recent case has been tried and a sports coach with more than 30 years’ experience has been imprisoned for 10 years.

Statistics show that of the 652 safeguarding issues raised in sport in 2011, one fifth (124) were cases involving accusations of sexual abuse, with a furthr 134 accusations of physical abuse. However, there are fears that under the current system those who are accused can move to another sport or part of the country and work again in sport undetected. The Independant Safeguarding Authority (ISA) says that it is itself limited in what information it can share with other sporting organisations under the rules of the Data Protection Act.

However, a number of sporting authorities are now calling for the government to examine whether people should have to have a licence to coach sports and have a strong belief that a central body should be set up to gather and share information across sporting organisations.

The subject of photographing children during school plays and sports days has become quite an emotive one. Schools are having their hands tied supposedly by regulations and procedures. At one nursery school, a blanket ban on photographing any event was put into place although written requests could be made to the headteacher. However, in almost all cases, the written requests were refused. The headteacher cited the reason as being “due to the safeguarding of all children”.

Schools often invoke the Data Protection Act 1988 and the Children Act 2004 as the reason for banning photography. However, as Eleanor Coner, Information Officer at the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, says “There is nothing in the Children Act that says ‘Thou shalt not photograph children’.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has also become involved and now puts out regular statements refuting the myth that the Data Protection Act prohibits photography. David Smith, Director of Data Protection at the ICO says “If there is something that people don’t want to do, but they can’t explain it easily, they say it’s because of the Data Protection Act”.

Unfortunately, due to all the restrictions, it’s the loving parent who is unable to record the milestones in a child’s life who suffers.