Who is responsible for safeguarding in schools

Your first port of call should be to call the police but you can also use the following helplines:. The course is essential for anyone who comes into contact with children regularly at work. It covers the difficult subject of child abuse and considers the different kinds of abuse, how to spot signs, and how to correctly report your concerns. If you are interested in the course, you can claim your no-obligation free trial today! By using our website, you agree to our cookie policy. Course library View the full range of courses.

Course bundles View our full range of course bundles. In addition, all staff should receive safeguarding and child protection including online safety updates for example, via email, e-bulletins and staff meetings , as required, and at least annually, to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively. All staff should be aware of their local early help [7] process and understand their role in it. Staff should know how to manage the requirement to maintain an appropriate level of confidentiality.

Staff should never promise a child that they will not tell anyone about a report of any form of abuse, as this may ultimately not be in the best interests of the child. All staff should be able to reassure victims that they are being taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe.

A victim should never be given the impression that they are creating a problem by reporting abuse, sexual violence or sexual harassment. Nor should a victim ever be made to feel ashamed for making a report. Any child may benefit from early help, but all school and college staff should be particularly alert to the potential need for early help for a child who:. All staff should be aware of indicators of abuse and neglect. Knowing what to look for is vital for the early identification of abuse and neglect see paragraphs , and specific safeguarding issues such as child criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation see paragraphs so that staff are able to identify cases of children who may be in need of help or protection.

If staff are unsure, they should always speak to the designated safeguarding lead, or deputy. All school and college staff should be aware that abuse, neglect and safeguarding issues are rarely standalone events and cannot be covered by one definition or one label alone. In most cases, multiple issues will overlap with one another, therefore staff should always be vigilant and always raise any concerns with their designated safeguarding lead or deputy. All staff, but especially the designated safeguarding lead and deputies should consider whether children are at risk of abuse or exploitation in situations outside their families.

Extra-familial harms take a variety of different forms and children can be vulnerable to multiple harms including but not limited to sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, sexual abuse, serious youth violence and county lines. All staff should be aware that technology is a significant component in many safeguarding and wellbeing issues.

Children are at risk of abuse online as well as face to face. In many cases abuse will take place concurrently via online channels and in daily life. Children can also abuse their peers online, this can take the form of abusive, harassing, and misogynistic messages, the non-consensual sharing of indecent images, especially around chat groups, and the sharing of abusive images and pornography, to those who do not want to receive such content.

In all cases, if staff are unsure, they should always speak to the designated safeguarding lead or deputy. Abuse : a form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others.

Abuse can take place wholly online, or technology may be used to facilitate offline abuse. Children may be abused by an adult or adults or by another child or children.

Physical abuse : a form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child.

Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person.

It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another.

It may involve serious bullying including cyberbullying , causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, although it may occur alone. Sexual abuse : involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration for example rape or oral sex or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing, and touching outside of clothing.

They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse. Sexual abuse can take place online, and technology can be used to facilitate offline abuse.

Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Peer on peer abuse. Students are capable of abusing their peers, even at a young age. This can take many forms, such as acts of violence or sexual assault. If this causes significant harm, or a risk of harm, you must take steps to deal with it. Governor Safeguarding Responsibilities The Governing Body is responsible for ensuring that the school complies with safeguarding duties.

As a result, there are a number of issues that you must be aware of: Safer Recruitment of Staff. This is the minimum requirement, but many schools ask teachers for a new check every years. All staff must undergo safeguarding training during their induction.

You can also find some safeguarding interview questions for teachers, here. Continued Safeguarding. Staff should regularly renew their safeguarding training, especially if statutory guidance changes as it often does. The standard renewal period for staff training is every three years. School Security. You must have thorough security procedures and systems. This includes gates and railings to prevent strangers from entering the grounds, CCTV where appropriate, and policies for child collection.

For example, if another family member is coming, use a secret word that only you and the family member know. You must also implement thorough security checks on your computer systems. These should prevent anybody from accessing your systems and confidential information, and stop dangerous people from potentially contacting your students. Unfortunately, school children are at most risk. Social media can be excellent for connecting people of different cultures, but it can be dangerous depending on how it is used, or how opinions are shared.

Why is cyber bullying so common? Read more in our blog. As technology has become more accessible and embedded in daily life, many children have found themselves dealing with the fallout of abuse and misuse of the internet. It needs to be made clear to pupils that they can always confide in their teacher or parents.

Watch the cyberbullying video from eAWARE, highlighting the risk of trolling and other forms of cyberbullying. Read more about how technology can help teachers and educators stamp out bullying in schools. Access to information, forums, chat rooms, gaming groups, social networks, shopping, and emails is now incredibly easy for pupils.

When the internet is being used, a digital footprint trail is left. Even with the best privacy settings, your pupils are no longer in control of the information once they have posted it. Or book a free, no-obligation demo to help get students engaged in internet safety activities.

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