Safeguarding in schools

What does safeguarding mean? What does safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children mean? Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the purpose of statutory guidance under the Children Acts 1989 and 2004 respectively as: Protecting children from maltreatment; Preventing impairment of children’s health or development; Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

The safeguarding triangle Safeguarding children is not solely to do with child protection.  Child protection is a large part of safeguarding, but to properly safeguard children we must consider the other elements of the 'Safeguarding Triangle'.  The three elements of the triangle are "Behaviour", "Learner Voice" and "Child Protection".  To ensure that we are properly safeguarding the children around us, we must look at all three elements of the Safeguarding Triangle. 

Every child matters Each school should address and support each student to achieve the following five outcomes. Be healthy – physically, mentally, emotionally and sexually. Make a positive contribution – including developing positive relationships, self-confidence successfully dealing with significant life changes. Enjoy and achieve – personal and social development and enjoy recreation. Stay safe – protected from maltreatment, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation. To have security, stability and to be cared for. Achieve economic wellbeing – live in decent homes and households free from low incomes.

General principles of child protection Everyone in the education service shares an objective to help keep children and young people safe by contributing to: Providing a safe environment for children and young people to learn in education settings. Identify children and young people who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, and taking appropriate action with the aim of making sure they are kept safe both at home and in the education setting.

Achieving this requires systems designed to: Prevent unsuitable people working with children and young people. Promote safe practice and challenge poor and unsafe practice. Identify instances in which there are grounds for concern about a child’s welfare, and initiate or take appropriate action to keep them safe. Contribute to effective partnership working between all those involved with providing services for children and young people.

Key Points

The welfare of the child is paramount. All children and young people have a right to protection from abuse, violence and exploitation. Children and young people need protection and safeguarding for many reasons. There are a number of areas that need to be recognised, for example: physical, sexual and emotional abuse, poverty, disadvantage, exclusion and violence. Young people may be at risk from their peers as well as adults.

It is the responsibility of all adults… …to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. Staff working in schools have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under the Children act 2004.

Adults who work with children are responsible for their own actions and behaviour… …and should avoid any conduct which would lead any reasonable person to question their motivation and intentions. They should work in an open, transparent way. The same professional standards should always be applied regardless of culture, disability, gender, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity.

Finally All schools should have a written policy on Safeguarding that is implemented in conjunction with staff and is accompanied by full training.