Incyte Safeguarding Update
January 2022
I hope that you have had a restful and refreshing winter break and that it felt a little more normal than last year.
Much has happened in the autumn term of 2021, including distressing cases of child deaths and also the ongoing support schools are offering to the most vulnerable students and/or adults in our care. There are so many examples of leaders and staff going beyond what is expected or contracted. Leaders, teachers and all staff are under increasing pressure and the link below is a reminder that there is support available for leaders and their staff
The information and links below are intended to highlight the most useful and interesting articles and guidance to support you in the vital safeguarding work you all do.
I do hope that the spring term goes well and do stay safe amid whatever the latest challenges hold for us all.
Safeguarding updates
· Responding to low-level concerns about adults working in education
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2021 includes new guidance for schools and colleges in England on how to deal with low-level concerns about the behaviour of teachers, other staff, volunteers and contractors (DfE 2021).
The link below offers the NSPCC summary of the guidance of what schools and colleges need to have in place:
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/2021/october/responding-low-level-concerns-in-education
· Keeping children safe in out of school settings
We have reported previously about abuse in sports clubs and the guidance below, published in autumn 2020, gives details in how schools and organisations can help to keep children and young people safe in a wide range of settings. See first link below.
There is also a useful resource from the Dance School Safeguarding Working Group which focuses on the dance aspect of the out of school clubs – see second link below; and, the Football Association has developed a national safeguarding programme, PlaySafe – see third link below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/keeping-children-safe-in-out-of-school-settings
https://www.dsswg.org.uk/resources
https://www.thefa.com/PlaySafe
· Looked after children and young people
This guidance covers how organisations, practitioners and carers should work together to deliver high-quality care, stable placements and nurturing relationships for looked-after children and young people. It aims to help these children and young people reach their full potential and have access to the same opportunities as their peers.
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG205
· Template for reporting child abuse
With the recent cases of the death of children publicised in the media, we are all reminded of the vital importance of our role in picking up signs early on. As such, the Centre of Expertise on child sexual abuse has produced some useful templates to assist staff in reporting. Whilst most schools use an electronic referral system for safeguarding, this might be worth a visit to look at how it might refine practice even further – it is available in English and Welsh.
https://www.csacentre.org.uk/knowledge-in-practice/practice-improvement/signs-indicators-template/
Ofsted updates
· Sexual abuse podcast
Ofsted has released a podcast episode looking at its recent sexual abuse in education review. The author and guests discuss the findings and how the review was carried out. Ofsted’s safeguarding lead, Wendy Ghaffar, and the assistant regional director for London, John Kennedy HMI, join the discussion.
https://ofstedtalks.podbean.com/e/ofsted-s-sexual-abuse-review/
· Environments where children can flourish – Ofsted report
Ofsted has updated its guidance on inspecting how leaders approach physical interventions, restraint and the restriction of liberty.
The updated guidance highlights the importance of protecting and promoting children’s rights; recognises that restraint negatively impacts children’s mental health and well-being and highlights the importance of taking positive steps to understand children’s communication and identifying triggers for difficult situations by taking positive steps to de-escalate.
The Ofsted guidance states:
‘Inspectors should use this guidance to evaluate how providers, managers and carers create a positive environment where children can live and learn and where staff interact positively with children. This guidance applies to all social care inspections and to the inspection of schools.
While the principles we set out are important and apply to all children, inspectors should pay particular attention to settings that provide care or education for children who have neuro-disability, communication support needs or special educational needs.
This guidance is not a summary of the law or guidance on the area of physical intervention and restriction of liberty. This is about an approach to inspection.’
Safeguarding in the news
· Targeted support for vulnerable young people in serious violence hotspots
Following commitments laid out in the government’s beating crime plan, the Department for Education has set out its plans for two new projects to support young people most at risk of serious violence or gang exploitation, preventing them from entering a life of crime and helping them move into further education, employment or training.
Available in 21 areas across England from November 2021, including London, Manchester, and Birmingham, alternative provision specialist taskforces will work directly with young people in alternative provision settings to offer intensive support from experts, including mental health professionals, family workers, and speech and language therapists.
Why social workers are being embedded in schools.
An interesting article reporting on a trial, involving more than 150 educational institutions across England. It is exploring whether this method of identifying pupils in need of help can reduce the number of referrals of children into care.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57978625
Useful items for sharing with schools and other organisations
CEOP resources
The education team at CEOP deliver the Thinkuknow education programme which aims to empower and protect children and young people from sexual abuse and exploitation.
Thinkuknow includes films, animations, websites, presentations and lesson plans to enable professionals to explore difficult and sensitive issues safely with children and young people. The animations/film resources are accompanied by toolkits and delivery guidance documents to help professionals explore their themes with children and young people.
Useful resources include the newsletter template in both primary and secondary format and the ‘helping parents and carers #AskTheAwkward’ resource.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/professionals/resources/
NSPCC - Speak Out and Stay Safe
Speak out Stay safe is an online safeguarding programme for children aged 5- to 11-years-old. It is available to all primary schools in the UK and the Channel Islands.
The programme aims to help children understand:
· abuse in all its forms and how to recognise signs of abuse
· that abuse is never a child’s fault and that they have the right to be safe
· where to get help and the sources of help available to them, including from Childline.
This link gives an outline of the programme:
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/services/speak-out-stay-safe
There is an evaluation of the programme published by the NSPCC:
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2021/evaluating-speak-out-stay-safe-programme
Reviewing your school culture in the context of sexual harassment and violence
The contextual safeguarding network has developed two different self-assessment toolkits that can help schools recognise harm and create safety for students in their settings.
One has a specific focus on Harmful Sexual Behaviours and the other on Extra-familial Harm.
Extremism in schools – UCL Institute
The UCL Institute has published a report, commissioned by the education charity SINCE 9/11 about the role of schools in preventing children from getting involved in extremism.
Findings include that all forms of extreme views were encountered by some participants at some point, with conspiracy theories and disinformation online the most commonly encountered. Recommendations include: school leaders should promote opportunities for students to discuss and problematise extremist viewpoints; all teachers should be provided with professional development on addressing controversial and sensitive issues; and schools should develop a community engagement strategy to address extremist views.
Teaching challenging and sensitive topics in Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
In a free training video (2020), Brook Charity looks at teaching sensitive and challenging subjects in RSE. Education and Wellbeing Coordinator Zahrah Al-Bejawi looks at how to identify potential challenges and provides strategies for dealing with difficult subjects that arise when teaching relationships and sex education.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC6SGXskLbU
Additional resources/ RSE training for professionals: https://www.brook.org.uk/training/man...
Free resources, including handouts and animations, to use in RSE sessions: https://www.brook.org.uk/resources/
Free e-learning courses for professionals to support the delivery of safe and effective RSE: https://www.brook.org.uk/brook-learn/
Accessible information for young people to supplement RSE lessons: https://www.brook.org.uk/help-advice/
Supporting mental health – BBC ‘Share Your Story’
The BBC ‘Share Your Story’ project was launched to facilitate BBC stars and staff visiting secondary schools across the UK, targeting recovery from the pandemic. Its aim was to build pupils' confidence and resilience and improve learning as well as relationships within schools.
Was your school part of it? Could your school be part of it or set up an in-house or trust-wide version?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-58638702?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB)
The NSPCC has produced useful guidance, including a podcast, to assist schools in dealing with HSB. This is a useful resource to share with staff.
The NSPCC defines HSB as:
‘Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) is developmentally inappropriate sexual behaviour displayed by children and young people which is harmful or abusive1.
Peer-on-peer sexual abuse is a form of HSB where sexual abuse takes place between children of a similar age or stage of development.
Problematic sexual behaviour (PSB) is developmentally inappropriate or socially unexpected sexualised behaviour which doesn’t have an overt element of victimisation or abuse.’
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/harmful-sexual-behaviour
Deborah Wring January 2022
Just a short update for you all on the training as well as student careers course that we have on offer in addition to the Excellence in Safeguarding awards.
Online Peer on Peer abuse and sexual harassment training.
This highlights the issues that all schools, regardless of age range, come across and helps schools to create an action plan to ensure that all staff are aware of what to look out for, and how to create a safer environment where pupils feel safe to report. We have reached over 50 schools and secure learning units in the Autumn term and the feedback has been excellent. If you are interested, please do get in touch for either bespoke school training or to join a course already planned.
carolinem@incyteinternational.com
Kickstart Employability skills courses
As part of this scheme, we have created 8 online courses that are dynamic, interactive and meet the DfE and Ofsted requirements for developing employability skills with young people. There is a good blend of face to face online training, self-study and reflection and one to one mentoring. We are looking to involve industry in the mentoring. The courses are backed up by monthly personal logbooks and development plans which will be a good resource to show to either potential employers or further education establishments. The young people who have used these resources have found them to be helpful, pertinent and useful for getting them to reflect on their strengths and areas for personal development.
If you are interested, please get in touch with ianm@incyteinternational.com or carolinem@incyteinternational.com
Excellence in Safeguarding Award
This award is going from strength to strength. Last term alone, we conducted over 60 audits and at least 20 Platinum and 10 Golds were awarded. We even had to introduce the Platinum Plus award for those schools who went over and above that which is required and demonstrated exceptional innovation in their work.
If you wish to hear more, please contact carolinem@incyteinternational.com
Incyte wishes you all a happy and healthier New Year and looks forward to working with you either as a consultant, school, learning centre or Facilities Management Company.