The Educator Magazine UK May- August 2023 - Magazine - Page 16
How to create a
safeguarding
culture in your school
by Mubina Asaria, Online Safeguarding Consultant,
LGfL- The National Grid for Learning
Safeguarding is often referred to as the
golden thread that runs through everything
we do in schools. The Ofsted School
Inspection Handbook requires all schools to
have a ‘culture of safeguarding’. Where
safeguarding is ineffective, the school is
likely to be judged inadequate for
leadership and management. So what do
schools need to think about to create a
culture of safeguarding that is both effective
and sustainable? Ultimately this requires
a whole-school, multifaceted approach
as advocated in Keeping Children Safe in
Education, that proactively involves the
wider school community to ensure a safe
environment where ALL children can learn
and achieve their best outcomes.
• Policy and practice – in order for
safeguarding to underpin all aspects of
process and policy, it is vital that all systems,
processes and policies align and operate
with the best interests of the child at their
heart. These need to be transparent, clear,
and easy to understand for staff, pupils,
parents and carers.
• Staff – whilst everyone who comes into
contact with children has a role to play
in safeguarding, no single practitioner
can have a full picture of needs and
circumstances. So it’s essential staff act
promptly, share concerns and are mindful
that certain children may face additional
barriers to telling someone if they are
worried because of their vulnerability,
disability, sex, ethnicity, or sexual
orientation. Schools should therefore
ensure concerns are logged and recorded,
and that all staff receive appropriate training
(including online safety) with regular
updates, so they are confident with
procedures, sharing and responding to
concerns, familiar with indicators of abuse
and neglect and avoid victim-blaming
narratives.
• Contextual - whilst most children
are abused by someone they know, it
doesn’t just mean at home. By adopting
a contextual safeguarding approach,
schools can consider the wider external
factors across peer groups, neighbourhoods
and online that could potentially pose a
threat to wellbeing, whilst familiarising
themselves with the local risk.
• Curriculum - critical thinking skills are vital
to building resilience and the curriculum
provides several opportunities to equip
children with the knowledge and skills to
understand risk and stay safe (including
online) in an age-appropriate way. Schools
should also provide opportunities for
assessment and reflection, as recommended
in the statutory RSHE guidance.
1. Self-image and Identity – which
explores the difference between online and
offline identity and the impact of
technology on self-image and behaviour
• Reporting – a key component to an
effective safeguarding culture is knowing
that all children understand what abuse or
neglect is and are confident to speak out,
knowing they can safely express their views
and that their concerns will be treated
seriously. Schools should ensure
appropriate systems are accessible,
promoted widely, and easily understood.
3. Online reputation – which covers how
others can use digital content to form
judgements and strategies to manage
content effectively
This is by no means an exhaustive list.
What is important is that schools adopt a
holistic approach together with ongoing
monitoring and evaluation – otherwise if
a school is really good at one area but not
another, this could undermine an overall
culture of safeguarding.
Free tool for evaluating pupil
competency for a digital life
Teachers can now also accurately assess
pupils’ online competencies and resilience
for a digital life using SafeSkills – a
valuable free resource for all schools
featuring an online quiz for pupils in higher
primary and lower secondary, and an inbuilt
online safety diagnostic tool for staff. Easy to
set up, teachers simply register their school
at safeskillsinfo.lgfl.net to receive their login
details with instructions for importing their
classes.
Created by edtech charity LGfL-The National
Grid for Learning, this interactive resource
covers the digital knowledge and skills
outlined in the Education for a Connected
World framework, and as recommended
in Keeping Children Safe in Education and
statutory RSHE guidance.
Designed to promote the development of
safe and appropriate long-term behaviours,
and support educators in shaping a culture
of safeguarding at school and beyond, the
quiz covers:
2. Online relationships – which looks
at behaviours that may lead to harm and
explores strategies for positive relationships
online e.g. respect and giving and denying
consent
4. Online bullying – which explores the
impact of technology on bullying,
legislation and strategies for effective
reporting and intervention
5. Managing online information – which
looks at strategies for effective searching,
critically evaluating data and managing
online risks, threats and challenges
6. Health, wellbeing and lifestyle – which
reviews the impact technology can have on
health, wellbeing and lifestyle – e.g. mood,
sleep, relationships, and strategies for
managing any challenges
7. Privacy and security – which covers how
personal information can be used, stored
and shared, and strategies to protect data
and systems from being compromised
8. Copyright and ownership – which
explores the concept of ownership of online
content, legal implications and strategies for
protecting content.
You can watch a video introducing SafeSkills
at https://youtu.be/dlADW9P1eOE
To find out more, please visit
safeskillsinfo.lgfl.net