CREATING A SAFEGUARDING CULTURE IN YOUR SCHOOL
During my time as a Designated Safeguarding Lead working across several schools , I realised pretty quickly that there is no one way to create a culture of safeguarding . The only thing that is consistent , however , is the importance of doing what is right for you , your school and your pupils . Having said that , it is vital that there is a whole-school approach to safeguarding , child protection and wellbeing and that everyone works to create a safe culture within the organisation , one from which students and staff can thrive . In my recent blog I recommend considering these 6 areas when building your school ’ s culture :
5 Pupils – equip them with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and to have confidence to report issues .
5 Close working with Trustees or Governors – there ’ s more to your school than just those that work there daily , everyone needs to be onboard with your approach . You also need to have advocates on the board , let them be your support at strategic level .
5 Working with Parents and Guardians – equip parents with the tools to support their children and the understanding of what is just not acceptable .
5 Drip feeding – often one of the biggest downfalls with safeguarding practice is that the focus on it is restricted to the start of the academic year . Safeguarding should be part of a daily conversation with staff by using 5 minutes in your staff meeting to discuss a scenario or highlight a safeguarding issue .
5 Be Honest and reflect on your own practice – those responsible for safeguarding should take the time to reflect on their own practice , especially difficult situations or where things could have been done differently . It ' s important to address when processes or practices have not gone well , in order to put in possible changes or solutions for the future . Using lessons learned to build on more robust strategies .
Whilst the leadership of safeguarding or pastoral care may fall to one individual , everyone within an organisation has a role to play in creating a safe and protected environment for your pupils . Ensuring that your staff have reliable access to systems that enable best practice and that supports them in their roles is one of the steps that you can take to support your school ’ s safeguarding culture - from Safer Recruitment to day-to-day case management to managing allegations or low level concerns about adults .
Safer Recruitment
Creating a safe culture in your organisation starts with safer recruitment , to ensure every member of your organisation from staff to volunteers and contractors are checked and deemed appropriate
12 Term 2 Jan - Mar 2022
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