Safeguarding in the
Learning and Skills Sector
Introductions
• Facilitators
• Participants
Please note:
• Some of the content within this presentation and
training day is sensitive and may be difficult to
discuss
• If you would like to talk about any issues raised,
please approach the facilitator, your safeguarding
designated person or contact one of the support
agencies whose details are contained in the training
handbook.
Aims and Objectives
Aim:
To identify effective safeguarding practice in the
learning and skills sector, and to update on the wider
context for the safeguarding of young people and
vulnerable adults
Aims and Objectives
Objectives of the workshop:
• To identify the legislative context and key policy drivers
which have informed the safer recruitment and wider
safeguarding agenda
• To understand the difference between safeguarding
and child protection and to explore ways of
safeguarding young people and vulnerable adults in
further education
• To identify the importance of creating a whole
organisation approach towards safeguarding
Important to have a whole
organisation approach
A Background to Safeguarding
• Lord Laming inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie (2003)
• Soham murder case and subsequent Bichard inquiry (2004)
• Lord Lamming review into the death of Baby ‘P’ (2009)
• Every Child Matters –outcome 5 ‘staying safe’ (2004)
• Inspection – limiting grade (2009)
Bichard Inquiry Report, 2004 p12 para 79
‘For those agencies whose job it is to protect
children and vulnerable people, the harsh reality is
that if a sufficiently devious person is determined to
seek out opportunities to work their evil, no one can
guarantee that they can be stopped.
Our task is to make it as difficult as possible
for them to succeed….’
Definitions
• Child or young person: up to their 18th birthday (UN
convention of the Rights of the Child)
• Vulnerable adult: a person who has attained the age of 18,
and:
• Is receiving any form of health care
• Is receiving a service or participating in an activity which is
specifically targeted at people with age-related needs,
disabilities or prescribed physical or mental health conditions
or expectant or nursing mothers living in residential care
• Age-related needs includes needs associated with frailty,
illness, disability or mental capacity
For more details see Section 59 of Safeguarding Vulnerable
Groups Act 2006.
The Context
An Overview:
• Definition of safeguarding
• What we are safeguarding learners from?
• Who are the potential abusers?
• Why is safeguarding important?
• Safeguarding and external inspection
What is child protection?
What is safeguarding?
What’s the difference?
Child protection looks at recognising abuse and neglect
and acting on it….
…whereas safeguarding looks at keeping children,
young people and vulnerable adults safe from a much
wider range of potential harm, and delivers preventative
action, not just reaction.
Safeguarding Definition
• “The term ‘safeguarding’ describes the broader
preventative and precautionary approach to planning
and procedures that are necessary to be in place to
protect children and young people from any potential
harm or damage.”
Keeping it Safe, National Council for Voluntary Youth
Services, 2002
• Child protection and safer recruitment are important
aspects of safeguarding
• This is also true for vulnerable adults
Activity
So what are we safeguarding
learners from?
Safeguarding Learners From
• Sexual abuse or inappropriate relationships
• Grooming
• Physical and emotional abuse or neglect
• Domestic violence
• Inappropriate parenting
• Inappropriate supervision by staff/volunteers i.e. ‘bad
practice’
• Bullying, cyber-bullying
• Self-harm, risky behaviour
• Unsafe activities and environments
And…
•
•
Accidents e.g. road, home
Crime
•
•
Fear of crime
Exploitation including financial abuse, sexual
exploitation, forced marriage
Immigration issues
•
•
•
•
Potentially unsafe environments e.g. parks, sports
grounds
Homelessness and unsuitable housing
Victimisation due to race, sexuality, faith, gender,
disability and so on
Who are the potential
abusers?
Potential Abusers
• Family members
• Friends and acquaintances
• Strangers, e.g. predatory paedophiles
• Staff working in the sector including peripatetic staff e.g.
assessors and agency staff
• Externally contracted staff e.g. security staff, transport
staff
Continued…
• Volunteers
• Governors/trustees/board members
• Other learners
• Themselves
• Anyone (potentially!)
‘This could never happen here, so
why is this important?’
Activity
What challenges and concerns might you face
when taking this back to your workplace/team?
• What do you see as the main challenges and
concerns?
• Are some colleagues likely to be resistant?
If so, how and why?
So why is this important?
Legal/policy issues
• Legislation
• Inspection
• Protecting the organisation
and its workforce
• Policies and procedures
• Contractual responsibilities
Doing what is best
• Commitment to providing
the best and safest learning
environment possible to
ensure learners can
succeed and staff can feel
secure
Safeguarding Legislation
Core
Legislation
Core legislation:
Safeguarding
Vulnerable Groups
Act, Independent
Safeguarding Authority
and Children Acts
Other legislation:
Employment law (to
cover Work-Based
Learning), Equality &
Diversity law, health
and safety, and
regulations that take
into account the
learner voice
Broader policy context: Every Child Matters
and safer practice
Every Child Matters
Every Child Matters - the five outcomes:
• Being healthy
• Enjoying and achieving
• Making a positive contribution
• Achieving economic well-being
• Staying safe
www.everychildmatters.org.uk
Providers now apply and are inspected on how they apply
the five outcomes to every learner
External inspection will look at:
• Whether there is an awareness of safeguarding across the
organisation including staff and learners
• Whether there is staff training on safeguarding to ensure all
understand the requirements and duties to safeguard all
learners including vulnerable adults
• Whether providers have looked at their policies to include
safeguarding
• Whether providers have safeguarding systems in place and are
critically looking at existing practices
• Whether the organisation is proactive and taking the right steps
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External inspection continued…..
• Whether learners feel safe
• Whether the provider knows about the requirements on vetting
and barring
• Whether providers have made decisions around ISA/ CRB
checks and who should be included in these
• Whether the organisation has links with the local safeguarding
board LSB (for details of LSB’s
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/lscb)
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Safeguarding Judgements in the
Common Inspection Framework
How safe do learners feel?
• What is observed (safe practices)
• What learners tell inspectors (feel safe)
How effectively does the provider promote the safeguarding of
learners?
• Learners are safeguarded and protected
• Staff take action to identify and respond appropriately to
users’ welfare concerns
• Safeguarding is prioritised
• Providers work together with agencies and professionals
effectively to safeguard learners
External inspection continued…
Compliance or commitment?
• The grade for safeguarding is a ‘limiting’ grade, which
impacts on grades for Leadership and Management
and Overall Effectiveness.
• Compliance is the minimum necessary requirement for a
judgement of ‘adequate’ in safeguarding (Reference to
Journey to Excellence)
• Staff Training – The LSIS Safeguarding Training
Modules are recognised by OfSTED. It will be important
for providers to select the modules best suited to staff
roles and responsibilities.
Activity – How do we safeguard learners
Jigsaw Activity
Aim:
• To reflect on what value there is to individual pieces
of information
• To consider how information that sometimes isn’t of
concern may help to provide a better picture of the
child/vulnerable adult’s whole experience
Jigsaw Activity
Four groups each with one complete jigsaw
to assemble
Ask yourselves:• What type of picture does this present of the child’s
life?
• Does this information suggest that there are any
concerns?
Victoria Climbie-was known to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
4 social services
departments
2 police child protection
teams
2 hospitals
2 housing offices
1 homeless persons unit
1 child and family centre
1 practice nurse
2 health visitors
1 teacher
2 Baptist ministers
A Safer Environment
An overview:
•How do we safeguard learners and staff?
•An organisations policies and training
•Developing a culture of vigilance – getting the right balance
•Roles and responsibilities
•Types of abuse – recognising and responding
How Do We Safeguard Learners and
Staff?
• Safer recruitment of staff including volunteers
• Effective management and supervision
• Clear and effective policies and procedures
• Promoting safe working practices
• Raising awareness of learners, staff and
governors/trustees/board members, and involving them in
reviewing and developing approaches
Activity : Polices and Procedures a)
Working in groups, list all the policies and
procedures in your organisation which relate
to safeguarding of learners and staff.
You should have policies and
procedures that cover:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Safeguarding
Safer Recruitment
Child Protection/Vulnerable Adult Protection
Equality and Diversity
Health and Safety
Learning and Teaching
Anti-bullying
Whistle-blowing
Acceptable use of technology
Continued...
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Professional Boundaries
Volunteering
Lone Working
Learner Behaviour Policy
Learner Complaints
Learner Recruitment
Risk Assessment
Activity: Polices and Procedures b)
•
•
In your groups identify any situations where staff could be
placing themselves in a position of vulnerability in relation to
safeguarding e.g. using personal mobile phones for
communicating with learners
Now look back at your list of policies and procedures and
identify which of these are designed to provide support and
guidance for staff in these situations
Safeguarding and Risk Assessment
The following areas may be covered by your Risk
Assessment process:
•
Trips
•
Work placements
•
Certain workshop/practical activity
•
Lone Working
•
Other Learners (where applicable)
•
Home visits
•
Mixed age groups within one learning cohort
•
Multiple sites
•
Travel between sites …………
Involving and Informing Learners and
Staff
The best way to protect learners and staff is to empower
them to protect themselves
We should:
• Ensure that they have an understanding of what is
appropriate and what is not
• Help them to challenge what is inappropriate
• Give them avenues to address and report their concerns
• Involve them in the development and review of approaches
to safeguarding
Training and Awareness Raising:
• Induction for all staff (part-time, full-time and contractors),
governors/trustees/board members and volunteers to include
an element of safeguarding awareness
• Basic awareness training for all, refreshed regularly
• Discussion at team meetings
• Specialist training for the designated safeguarding person/s
• Information disseminated using wide range of methods e.g.
intranet, briefings, newsletters etc.…..
Developing a Culture of Vigilance
Whose responsibility?
• Senior management
• A specialist Designated
Person for safeguarding
• All staff and volunteers
• Governors/board
members/trustees
• Partnerships
How ?
• Through robust application of
safeguarding policy and
procedures
• Through safer recruitment
• Through Designated Person,
line management, appraisal,
etc.
Organisations need to get the right balance
Activity
Complacency
Vigilance
Suspicion/Paranoia
Everyone’s Responsibilities
The 5 Rs
Recognise
Respond
Report
Refer
Record
Types of Abuse-first R-Recognise
• Physical
• Emotional
• Sexual
• Neglect
From Working Together to Safeguard Children, HM
Government, 2006
Also:
• Bullying, financial abuse and domestic violence
Activity
The first R - Recognise:
• To get participants to think about what we mean by abuse
and neglect
• 5 minutes in groups and 5 minutes to feed back
• Four groups:
• Physical abuse
• Emotional abuse
Signs/suspicions in young
• Sexual abuse
people/vulnerable adults
• neglect
Everyone’s Responsibilities
The 5 Rs
Recognise
Respond
Report
Record
Refer
The Second ‘R’ Respond
No report or concern should ever be ignored
The following 5 actions are required if receiving a
safeguarding disclosure or concern:
•
•
•
•
•
Listen
Ask open questions not leading questions
Do not make promises
Do be clear about what happens next
Don’t panic
The Third ‘R’ Report
•
•
•
Go to handout in your packs
Safeguarding guidelines and contacts for staff
Any questions/comments?
The Fourth ‘R’ Record
•
•
You should record precisely what has been alleged
This information should be recorded and stored
securely, in line with confidentiality policy and
accessible to only those who need access as part of
any action that needs to take place
The Fifth ‘R’ Refer
•
Only the designated person of their deputy can make
the decision to refer a complaint or allegation
Roles and Responsibilities:
the role of the Designated Person
• To promote positive safeguarding procedures and practice
• Receive information and offer advice about safeguarding
concerns, maintain secure records and take appropriate action
• To be familiar with national and local safeguarding guidance and
referral procedures
• To assess the development needs of staff and co-ordinate
training
• To keep all staff and volunteers informed of good practice and
development
• To monitor safeguarding cases in the organisation
Designated Person Flowchart
Safeguarding policy and activity to promote it
All staff, volunteers, contractors and learners
Any concerns about learners or staff re safeguarding
Dealt with
internally.
Record and
monitor
Designated person
and/or deputy:
Gathers information
Takes advice
Makes judgement
Local Authority
Designated Officer
Local
Children’s
Safeguarding
Services
Board
Independent
Safeguarding
Authority
Police
Adult
Services
Activity
Case Study 1
A learner approaches you and tries to explain that they are
worried about a friend who they believe is being abused . They say
that they have approached you because they trust you.
What action do you take?
Case Study 2
You have been off work recently and during this time have, on a
number of occasions seen a part time member of the teaching staff
socialising with one of your learners. You happen to know that this
learner is currently having a difficult time at home you are also
worried as this learner is 17 years old.
What action do you take?
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Activity
Case Study 3:
John is a 25 year-old man who experienced an acquired
brain injury in a road traffic accident. He has a left sided
weakness and is unable to walk and has severs cognitive
difficulties.
He can have problems understanding what people say and
finds it hard to say or write down his thoughts. John attends
College as part of his rehabilitation programme
There have been rumours that other learners are getting
John to pay for their meals at lunch time.
What action do you take?
Activity
Case Study 4:
A learner has received threatening
Messages on social networking sites and
through their personal E mail from other
students at their college, the learner is feeling
And fears for their safety. The messages are
sent from college computers, in college time
What action do you take?
In Summary
• We owe it to all learners and staff to keep them as safe as we
can
• It is not just good practice, but a requirement, to have
effective policies and procedures in place
Development and Support
Information and Support for Learners
and Staff
• It is important to note that all incidents must be reported and
that some learners may need specific support linked to
different issues
• It is important that organisations offer staff access to both
practical and personal support around safeguarding issues
• Your handbook (reference Appendix 1) contains suggestions
of organisations that can support vulnerable learners and
young people and adults generally
• You may know of local support agencies as well
E-learning Resource
Assessment
• Available via the LSIS virtual learning environment (VLE) as part
of the on line learning resource at www.leadershiplearning.org.uk
• Multiple choice
• 2 assessments:
• one covering modules 1 and 2
• one covering all the modules
• Range of questions
• Testing understanding and knowledge
• Certificate if successful score achieved
• No feedback as assessment not quiz
Any Questions