Welcome back from hopefully a restful break. The Safeguarding in Education Team have been busy working over the holidays to bring you some resources which we hope will make your start to the term and academic year that bit easier.
Firstly, we want to acknowledge the unrest in Bristol and across the country following the tragic events in Southport. The riots and disorder from far-right protestors across the country and in our communities that followed has compounded the existing traumas experienced. We stand against all forms of hate towards any community and stand in solidarity with those who have been affected. Please refer to the following article and resources that we hope you will find helpful: Advice and guidance for education settings- responding to the Southport Stabbings and Far Right Acts. (bristolsafeguardingineducation.org)
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This has been updated alongside our table of changes to accommodate the new version of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 and Keeping Children Safe in Education (effective from 1st September 2024). Model Safeguarding Policies and procedures Bristol (bristolsafeguardingineducation.org).
Please see linked safeguarding refresher slides for the academic year 2024-25. The modules reflect the local and national trends and offer time for reflection. Feel free to use it in its entirety or use it to supplement your own local procedures. Its recommended you download local versions to ensure animations and videos work effectively.
2024-25 Safeguarding Refresher Training with a corresponding script for the session if you chose to deliver it yourself.
If you want to break it up and deliver it in modules click on the links:
Here is a video that saves you having to deliver if you don't feel confident. All you need is someone to pause the video and facilitate discussions for exercises.
https://youtu.be/PMrry1fh_d8?si=2mXOAw76frs_GQvl
Unfortunately, the free Basic Awareness Training (for new staff) through the Safer Schools App is no longer available for Bristol settings. If you have new colleagues that require a basic safeguarding awareness course, please see the Keeping Bristol Safe Partnership training page.
Please replace any old copies with this new version. - please click here to access the new poster. Changes: Safeguarding in Education Team contact numbers.
As you will be aware, police safeguarding notifications have been paused since the end of March 2024. There is ongoing work to secure the future of the notifications and a system that is consistent with national expectations. We will update you as and when the Partnership has progressed with this.
We encourage those setting who can access the Think Family App to check this on a daily basis for flags.
Thank you to all those colleagues who completed and submitted their s.175 Audit last academic year and data drops last year. If you want to see the workforce’s performance and the main headlines please read Bristol s.175 Report 2023-24.pdf. We will share further information with you at the DSL networks meetings and via these briefings on the progress for these pieces of work.
Please note - for the academic year 2024-25 – the Local Safeguarding Partnership and Local Authority will be enforcing expectations from Working Together 2023 in line with paragraph 79 –
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‘Education providers, including multi-academy trusts, have a responsibility to play their full part in local safeguarding arrangements, including where their footprint extends across several local authority areas. This includes, but should not be limited to, responding to safeguarding audits of quality and compliance, as requested by the local authority and/or local safeguarding partners. This is to ensure that policies are consistent with the local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and relevant legislation and/or regulations. They should also provide staff and governor training that meets local and national safeguarding requirements. Education providers where required should report their audits to their governing bodies and proprietors to be shared as requested by the LSPs. Training for designated safeguarding leads and designated teachers should include shared understanding about different levels of need and how these need to be responded to. Education providers also play a vital role in sharing and contributing to key information about children, including attendance data, exclusions, concerns about abuse, neglect, exploitation, and wider social and environmental factors including extra-familial contexts, which are a key aspect of keeping children safe.’ |
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.
We are currently working with Caroline Boswell and Anna Racher who have been commissioned to review the role of education in safeguarding children at risk of and or experiencing extra familial harm and serious youth violence. This has been triggered by the deaths of Max, Mason and Darrian earlier this year. The wider review will involve designated safeguarding leads and other leaders in education. The Partnership is keen to understand why previous reviews and strategies into this area have not resulted in the change we had hoped for in the system and to identify opportunities and new ways of working for our children.
We are seeking the help of education professionals to consider how the Partnership can improve their assessment, intelligence gathering, community knowledge and response to conflict within an area or group. We are interested in how the Partnership's response can be tailored to different types of conflict, violence and exploitation while being mindful of the social contexts of those involved.
How you can assist:
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.
It has been a busy period for the team. In addition to the development of resources that are referenced in this email, we continue to advise and support all Bristol settings with their safeguarding policies and practice.
Other updates include:
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.
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Virtual New DSL |
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Virtual DSL Refresher |
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Face to Face Refresher DSL |
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Face to Face New DSL |
Dates of future courses can be accessed on our dedicated webpages.
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 have a limited budget, but if you can support us by hosting future training or network meetings, please can you let us know. If you think you can support us – can you kindly pass on this link to your business manager to complete https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Schoolvenues/
We hope you have a smooth start to the beginning of the academic year and look forward to seeing you in the new academic year and, as always, please get in touch if you need anything else.
Safeguarding in Education Team
E: safeguardingineducationteam@bristol.gov.uk
T: 0117 9222532