Model Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy 2021-22.
Please find attached:
Many of you utilise this policy to shape your own either by using the template holistically, or by benchmarking it against your own existing policy. It is essential that your policy reflects your local arrangements and you resource work appropriately to ensure that practice adheres to your policy.
Changes
Whilst there are some superficial changes (reordering/updating hyperlinks referencing up to date guidance), there are some more substantive changes that may need your attention to include, raise awareness of and review in terms of effectiveness. This has largely been due to the changes in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021 – please check out our briefing if you need a summary of changes.
- Ensure your Safeguarding and Child Protection policy contains your processes and procedures for dealing with peer on peer abuse.
- Ensure you have clear, accessible and effective mechanism for learners to share concerns about a safeguarding issue they are experiencing.
- Ensure you have reviewed and considered the Role of the DSL (and safeguarding teams) in line with reinforced duties to lead on ensuring the education outcomes for those with a social worker or have had a social worker.
- Strengthening of duties around online safety which has its own additional section within the model policy. Please ensure that this is developed in practice in line with your local arrangements in your setting.
- Consideration of the development of your low level concerns processes and policy in line with your code of conduct.
- Ensure that your processes around Electively Home Educated Children are complaint with local and national guidance.
If you require additional support and advice, please don’t hesitate to contact your school safeguarding advisor.
