We are pleased to inform you that the 2024-2026 Section 175 Audit spreadsheet is now available for you to access in your SharePoint folders. You should already have a link to your folder saved in your favourites.
If you do not have access or you require additional staff/governors/trustees/proprietors to have access please make access requests to your area advisor directly via email:
You will see that we have made some changes to the spreadsheet including a requirement for governance oversight and comment - https://www.bristolsafeguardingineducation.org/resources-and-guidance/resources-for-strategic-safeguarding/s-175-audit/. We have also created a video resource for you which explains the requirements of the Audit and how we can support you to complete it. The video can be accessed here:
Remember you have two years to complete this piece of work so please take your time to consider how you will build it into your strategic safeguarding meetings. This will enable you to undertake thorough scrutiny of your safeguarding and create a purposeful action plan.
Operation Encompass
Since November 2024 Bristol has adopted the national standard Operation Encompass where incidents of domestic abuse are shared with education settings in line with The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and statutory guidance - Domestic Abuse Act 2021 - GOV.UK.
This function is currently carried out by Bristol City Council First Assessment Service. There is a longer term plan for the local police constabulary to take sending these to education settings in the future. A date has not been confirmed.
In its current format - these are shared as a police Niche report. These should be stored securely in line with your Data Protection and Safeguarding Polices.
Settings in receipt of a notification should exercise a trauma informed approach to the child and consider making reasonable adjustments to promote their safety and welfare.
MARAC
We have updated the MARAC request form which will now be sent to you in the body of an email rather than an attachment. It is has been modified to allow you to give build a better picture of the child/ren. Please ensure you complete and return the request form as soon as possible to enable the case to be represented at the MARAC. Do not forget to check MARAC minutes to see whether there are any education specific actions and please update SET by email when complete.
MASH
Please note that MASH education requests are now managed by the First Assessment Service. Please continue to respond to a MASH request in the usual way and timescales.
KBSP Annual Data Drop - Action required
We ask that you complete this in line with your duties set out in the Children Act 2004 reinforced with statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children and Keeping Children Safe in Education.
Please can you submit this for the academic year 2023-24 to the best of you ability on https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/KBSPDataDrop23to24/ Please can you aim to do this by 31st January 2025.
The KBSP 2025 Conference will be held on Tuesday 28th January. This in-person event is your chance to connect with other professionals and to learn about Working Together 2023 and recent changes to the Partnership’s arrangements. The keynote speaker is Dez Holmes, Director of Research in Practice, who will talk to us about Transitional Safeguarding.
Participants will:
The event will include a variety of other thematic presentations and activities focused on priority areas of safeguarding work identified in Working Together 2023 and in the KBSP Strategic Plan 2023-2026.
Some refreshments will be provided, but please note that sadly we will be unable to provide lunch this year. Please book your ticket on the link below if you haven’t yet done so. Early booking is recommended to secure a place: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/keeping-bristol-safe-partnership-2025-conference-tickets-1021699429497
Under the requirements laid out in Working Together to Safeguard Children and the duties and responsibilities for education settings in Keeping Children Safe in Education , we request any updates of safeguarding contacts for every education setting. This enables effective communication and information sharing between education settings and the local authority to promote the safety and welfare of children in Bristol.
Please do not forget where possible to provide an out of office number should there be a critical incident and/or child protection concerns. These will only be shared with explicit permission.
There are strategic, tactical, and operational multiagency meetings that take place to ensure community safety in Bristol. Meetings are multi-disciplinary and will hold different relevant members of the Bristol City Council Education service who will coordinate work and communication to the education workforce. To find out more about what meetings are happening and their purpose please see our dedicated page - Community Safety Teams in Bristol for Education Providers (bristolsafeguardingineducation.org)
The Safeguarding in Education Team will continue to cascade and share information to and from these meetings with settings that are affected. With this in mind, we require you to share information so we can feedback to tactical meetings about what is going in your communities and ensure that the views of education are effectively represented.
For details of the networks and to sign up to ones for the rest of the academic year please follow this link: Bristol Designated Safeguarding Lead Networks (bristolsafeguardingineducation.org)
New DSL and DSL Refresher training is now available to book. Following feedback from last academic year – we have changed our booking system to go through Trading With Schools. Please email tradingwithschools@bristol.gov.uk with any training specific queries.
|
Course |
Dates/ times |
|
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) - Refresher training - East/Central |
6th March 2025 08:45 - 16:30 |
|
New Designated Safeguarding Lead Training - Face to Face - East/Central |
12th March 2025 08:45 - 16:30 |
|
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) - Refresher training - Virtual |
30th April 2025 08:45 - 12:30 |
|
New Designated Safeguarding Lead Training - Virtual (Microsoft Teams) |
19th May 2025 08:45 - 12:30 |
|
11th June 2025 08:45 - 16:30 |
|
|
New Designated Safeguarding Lead Training - Face to Face (North) |
24th June 2025 08:45 - 16:30 |
The following training on offer can be booked via the KBSP Learning Platform https://bristol.event-booking.org.uk/events-list:
If you can’t come to us and would like us to come to you – please consider commissioning us to do any bespoke CPD requests. Request Bespoke Safeguarding Training for your setting (bristolsafeguardingineducation.org)
We would love to continue to develop our community of practice. We do not have a budget for venues so if you can support us by hosting future training or network meetings, can you kindly pass on this link to your business manager to complete https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Schoolvenues/