1. Safeguarding in the Learning and Skills Sector

2. Aims and Objectives Aim:
An Introduction
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
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3. Aims and Objectives
An Introduction
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
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4. Important to have a whole organisation approach
An Introduction
Key points:
To achieve a whole organisation approach all these elements need to be in place. This workshop is based on this approach and elements within the diagram are detailed within the following modules. It is also important to note that LSIS also offer the following workshops:
Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment
Risk Assessment
Safeguarding for Governors / Board members/Trustees
Safeguarding and Human Resource Management
Safeguarding and External Inspection
For further details please contact LSIS
All of these workshops have been designed to provide even more detail on relevant topics and to different groups
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5. A Background to Safeguarding
An Introduction
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)
Key Points
This slide highlights the key elements that have informed the current
Safeguarding agenda.
The Victoris Climbie Inquiry Delivering Safeguarding in a diverse society poses
challenges that need to be met effectively. The report (published in 2003 and charied by Lord
Lamming explored some of the issues surrounding racila and cultural diversity and
safeguarding.
The Bichard Inquiry Report To see the full report, go to:
Every Child Matters: Change for Children, 2004 Sets out the national framework for
change programmes to build services around the needs of children and young people so
that we maximise opportunity and minimise risk. It highlights five outcomes that are key to
the wellbeing of children and young people all of which are underpinned by the Children
Act 2004:
1) Stay safe
2) Be healthy
3) Enjoy and achieve
4) Make a positive contribution
5) Achieve economic wellbeing
The current inspection framework makes Safeguarding a limiting grade. The impact of this
is as follows
Safeguarding judgement of inadequate – Overall Effectiveness most unlikely to be better
than satisfactory; likely to also be inadequate
Safeguarding judgement of satisfactory – Overall Effectiveness most unlikely to be better
than good; likely to also be satisfactory

6. Our task is to make it as difficult as possible for them to succeed….’
An Introduction
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….’
Key points:
A quote from the Bichard report outlining why it is so important to do the best we all can do to prevent people who want to hurt children from getting into a position where they may be able to do so.
References:
The Bichard Inquiry Report To see the full report, go to:
Following the Bichard Inquiry Report, the government is planning the introduction of a new scheme involving the new Independent Safeguarding Authority for vetting people whose jobs will bring them into contact with children and vulnerable adults. Please note as of the 15th June the start of this scheme has been delayed and the detail of how it will work is under review. For further details go to
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7. Definitions
An Introduction
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.
Key points:
In law a child is a child until their 18th birthday and this applies to all domestic legislation. There is no legal definition of a young person and different projects work with ‘young people’ of different age groups, e.g , 14-19, or up to 25.
There is no official age at which a “child” becomes a “young person”.
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8. What is child protection? What is safeguarding? What’s the difference?
Module 1: The Context
What is child protection?
What is safeguarding?
What’s the difference?
Key points:
Although we are talking about protecting vulnerable adults as well as young people, child protection is the term many professionals are familiar with.
It is important to note that if your organisation has a crèche or nursery facility, safeguarding duties extend to these children as well.
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9. Module 1: The Context
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.
Key points:
Many people who have heard the term safeguarding think it is simply the new word for child protection. Others haven’t heard it. As the slide shows, there is a lot more to safeguarding than protecting children from abuse, and the term safeguarding encompasses all learners, although child protection is still an essential element ref. slide (9).
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10. Safeguarding Definition
Module 1: The Context
“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
Key points:
Safeguarding looks at all types of harm and prevention of these types of harm, rather than just looking at abuse and neglect, as child protection does.
References:
‘Keeping it Safe’ from National Council for Voluntary Youth Services is a manual which enables voluntary youth organisations to look at their safeguarding practices and ensure they are doing everything possible to keep young people they work with safe. Whilst it is not written for the education sector specifically, much of the content is entirely relevant.
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11. So what are we safeguarding learners from?
Module 1: The Context
Activity
So what are we safeguarding learners from?
Key points:
This is a question to consider before moving on to the next slide.
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12. Safeguarding Learners From
Module 1: The Context
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
Key points:
Taking safeguarding in its widest context we can also include these lists of potential risks and dangers.
We are not asking you to deal with all of these issues, but to be vigilant and spot any signs of harm potentially coming to the learners and for you to know what to do about any concerns.
This is not about eliminating all risk from the lives of young people, as learning how to deal with and avoid risks is part of growing up and learning to cope with the world. This is about protecting them from significant harm and avoidable danger.
Please find definition for grooming in the glossary.
It is also important to note that ‘inappropriate parenting’ can lead to specific types of abuse e.g. neglect, Emotional abuse.
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13. And… Accidents e.g. road, home Crime Fear of crime
Module 1: The Context
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
Key points given with Slide 18.
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14. Activity Who are the potential abusers?
Module 1: The Context
Activity Who are the potential abusers?
Your own notes:

15. Potential Abusers Family members Friends and acquaintances
Module 1: The Context
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
Volunteers
Governors/trustees/board members
Other learners
Themselves
Anyone (potentially!)
Key points:
Children and vulnerable adults who are abused are most likely to suffer abuse at the hands of someone known to them.
Often parents are most afraid of “stranger danger” and the things given the majority of media attention such as paedophiles and strangers who abduct and attack children. However, this is relatively uncommon compared to abuse perpetrated by family and acquaintances.
We are also highlighting again the possibility of staff within the organisation in which they work being the perpetrators of abuse, i.e. people they know and trust.
It is difficult to say how many people are abused or are abusers, but we know both come from all walks of life, are of any age, any gender, any sexuality, culture and ethnic group.
The purpose of these lists is to look at safeguarding in the widest possible sense. Therefore practically any form of harm can be included. Safeguarding learners from other learners is also an issue, but beyond the scope of this workshop – where appropriate organisations should have procedures in place to risk assess learners they enrol.
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16. Every Child Matters Every Child Matters - the five outcomes:
Module 1: The Context
Every Child Matters - the five outcomes:
Being healthy
Enjoying and achieving
Making a positive contribution
Achieving economic well-being
Staying safe
Providers now apply and are inspected on how they apply the five outcomes to every learner
Slide 16
Key points:
Whilst all 5 outcomes in ‘Every Child Matters’ could arguably contain an element of safeguarding, the ‘staying safe’ outcome is clearly the most relevant.
Why is this important? Lord Laming highlighted the importance of safeguarding children better in the report following the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie and this lead to the Every Child Matters policy and Children Act 2004.
The five outcomes are now effectively applied in many Learning and Skills organisations to all learners, not just young people and vulnerable adults.
References:
Every Child Matters: Change for Children , HM Government, 2004
Also see
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17. 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
Module1: The Context
Slide 17
Key points:
Your approaches to safeguarding will be considered at external inspection. Inspectors will be looking for evidence of a whole organisation approach to safeguarding policy and practice.
It is important to make use of Appendix 2 – the Safer Recruitment and Safeguarding Audit Tool. This includes key elements that Ofsted will consider in external inspections.
Your own notes: 17

18. External inspection continued…..
Module1: The Context
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
Slide 18
Key points:
Your approaches to safeguarding will be considered at external inspection. Inspectors will be looking for evidence of a whole organisation approach to safeguarding policy and practice.
For further information in relation to Safeguarding Boards visit
It is also important that your organisation knows who the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) is and that your Designated Person uses this contact for advice and support
Visiting the Ofsted website and looking at the FAQs re safeguarding on this site can also be helpful.
Recently the National Association for Managers of Student Services have produced a report looking at Good Practice in the sector and this report can be downloaded from
It is important to make use of Appendix 2 – the Safer Recruitment and Safeguarding Audit Tool. This includes key elements Ofsted will consider in external inspections. 18
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19. Activity – Key elements for inspection
Do you know how safe your learners feel? If so how?
Do you know how safe staff feel? If so how?
How is safeguarding promoted across the organisation?
Slide 30
Key Points
Reflect on these questions and share your examples with the group. If you have already been inspected against the revised CIF please share any examples that you used or what your experience was in relation to these aspects.
Your own notes

20. Everyone’s Responsibilities
Module 2: A Safer Environment
The 5 Rs
Recognise
Respond
Report
Record
Refer
Key points:
The following 4 responsibilities refer to everyone working with young people and vulnerable adults (this is also in a handout in the pack).
• Respond is about how we react in the moment to a disclosure, allowing the child or vulnerable adult to say as much or as little as they wish, clarifying but not asking leading questions or putting words into their mouth, or delving too deeply. Also not making promises to keep it quiet but letting them know who you have to tell and what might happen next.
• Record what the learner has told you as soon as possible to capture as much as you can, in the words they used rather than interpretation. This is important as you do not want to jeopardise any future investigation into the allegation.
• Report immediately to your designated person
• Referrals should be made by the designated officer or in conjunction with a senior manager. Referrals would be made to the local authority’s children’s services, the police or the NSPCC. At this point it may also be required that the LADO and LSB are informed.
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21. Contact Details: safeguarding@lsis.org.uk
Module 4: Development and Support
Learning and Skills Improvement Service,
Friars House,
Manor House Drive,
Coventry.
CV1 2TE.
(02476)
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