Schools’ Safeguarding Update – Term 1 September 2012
Key Contacts
Name
Sarah Turner
Role
Schools’
Safeguarding
Adviser
Referral team
Jo Ratcliffe
Lucy Young
If you are
worried
about a
child……..




Referral Team
Manager
Head of
Safeguarding
Contact number
465737
mobile:- 07740 037568
sturner2@swindon.gov.uk
Daytime number 466903
Out of hours servce
436699
Fax 463003
463819
464366
Contacting the Referral Team
Schools can speak to someone at the referral team (RT) to seek
advice initially without giving pupil names. This will not be
recorded by the RT.
If you have a difficult child protection issue that you need advice
on please ask to speak to a duty social worker. The first point of
contact when you phone the referral team will be an advice and
information officer.
Schools should endeavour to speak to parents before making a
telephone referral, EXCEPT – where parents, or others living
in the household, are alleged to have physically or sexually
abused a child – you must phone the referral team FIRST
for advice. Even where the school is considering contacting
a parent , who may not be the abuser, advice should be
sought from the referral team.
Telephone referrals must be followed up within 48hrs with a
written referral – on Referral form 1 (RF1). Please send a copy
of the RF1 to Sarah Turner. The electronic template for the
RF1 is available on the schools online website.
School Safeguarding Audit
A reminder that the format of the annual child protection report to governors
has been updated this year and is in audit format. Details were sent out to
schools during last term, however a copy is attached for your information. A
copy of the completed audit needs to be returned to Sarah Turner by 14 th
December.
School Safeguarding briefings
There are two dates to choose from for the autumn term school CP briefings:Tues 2nd Oct or 6th Nov (please see attached flier for details and booking
instructions) These sessions will include an update about the latest
changes the to the disclosure and barring system.
Child protection Conferences – Monitoring of attendance and reports
You will shortly receive by e mail an overview of your school’s attendance at
child protection conferences and review conferences, along with a record of
whether a report was provided. This data is collated for last academic year
Schools’ Safeguarding Update – Swindon Borough Council
September 2012. Compiled by Sarah Turner
and can be used to update your school safeguarding audit. May I remind you
that schools should always attend child protection conferences, except where
the conference falls within the school holiday, and should always provide a
report, except where the first notification of the conference also falls within the
holiday.
Change of Child Protection Coordinator or Deputy Coordinator
Please notify Helen Thompson (Hthompson@swindon.gov.uk) if either the
school’s designated child protection co ordinator or deputy child protection co
ordinator has changed since last year.
Feeling Safe Survey 2012
The closing date for schools completing this online survey has been extended
until Wednesday 24th October. Please see attached fliers for log on details
and further information.
Key Resources
South West Safeguarding and Child Protection
Procedures
www.online-procedures.co.uk/swcpp/
Local Safeguarding Children Board
www.swindonlscb.org.uk
Here you will find: an online training calendar and application form for
booking child protection training
 Swindon local protocols and guidance
 Information about Allegations against staff
 Serious Case Reviews in Swindon
Schools Online
http://www.swindon.gov.uk/schoolsonline
Here you will find: ‘Model’ policies
 Guidance
 Archived Safeguarding newsletters
Training
The new LSCB multi-agency training programme for this coming year is
available on the LSCB website.
http://www.swindonlscb.org.uk/training_calendar_2012-13.pdf
Courses can also be booked via this website.
Schools’ Safeguarding Update – Swindon Borough Council
September 2012. Compiled by Sarah Turner
Key courses:
Advanced Child Protection - 2 days – For designated CP co ordinators
and deputies
 CP co ordinator must have attend advanced child protection training
and is subsequently responsible for ensuring training is updated every
2 years. CP update training is available (half day) or CP co ordinators
can attend any of the other more specific LSCB training courses such
as neglect training or domestic violence training. This counts as update
training too. Members of staff who are not DCPcs / deputies can attend
basic awareness or foundation plus training.
Safer Recruitment 1 day
 From January 2010 – statutory requirement when appointing to have
someone trained on selection panel
 All staff leading appointments should be trained
 At least 1 governor should also be trained
 Should be renewed every 5 years ( half day update course available)
Child Protection Conferences – 0.5 day
 Useful for Head teacher and/or CP Co ordinator to attend as it is a
statutory requirement for schools to attend CP Conferences and
school representatives need to be confident in the process. This course
has recently been updated to reflect the signs of safety approach.
Core Group Training – 0.5 day
 Vital to have full involvement of schools if involved in core group
 Staff attending must have an understanding of their role
 The Core Group drive the Child Protection Support Plan
Managing Allegations Against staff – 1 day
 HT needs to be trained
 Good practice for Chair to also be trained
There are also a range of courses available focussing on specific aspects of
child protection, such as neglect and domestic violence.
And finally…..
A reminder that one of the key components of my role is to offer support to
schools dealing with concerns about a child. This can be done via telephone
or e mail (contact details at the top of the update). If you don’t succeed in
reaching me the first time please leave a message and I will return your call
as soon as possible. Thank you.
Sarah Turner (Schools’ Safeguarding Adviser)
Schools’ Safeguarding Update – Swindon Borough Council
September 2012. Compiled by Sarah Turner