Keeping up to date with the ever-changing world of safeguarding can be a challenge. In response to this Sarah has developed over 50 resources and templates to support education provisions, including template policies, risk assessment templates and checklists.

The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (and Deputy DSL) is a significant responsibility and relies on the safeguarding team having good quality training and support in place. Sarah offers a range of training and updates for safeguarding teams, as well as termly newsletters and the option for annual telephone and email support for advice and guidance.

Schools and settings are required to complete an annual safeguarding audit for their local authority. A follow up quality assurance review from Sarah will ensure that evidence is checked to confirm that self-evaluation is accurate. Areas for development are recommended as part of a half day visit, which also includes surveys for pupils/students, staff and governors/trustees.

Quality assurance of the effectiveness of safeguarding in your school / setting/ provision.

Sarah Turner Consulting offers education settings and provisions working with children quality assurance of all of the aspects safeguarding including:

• Safer recruitment of adults (including review of the single central record)

• Safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures (including linked policies)

• Effectiveness of the safeguarding team

• Case management and record-keeping

• Online safety

• Teaching and learning of safeguarding issues

• Behaviour and attendance links with safeguarding

• Positive handling

• Management of allegations involving adults in a position of trust

• The half day visit uses your safeguarding audit/self-evaluation as a starting point and reviews evidence available to ensure that procedures are robust and children are being safeguarded effectively. Included as part of the visit is an online staff survey and resources for pupil/student conferencing about feeling safe.

The statutory guidance for schools states that:

‘Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure that all staff members undergo safeguarding and child protection training at induction. The training should be regularly updated. Induction and training should be in line with any published local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. In addition, all staff members should receive regular safeguarding and child protection updates (for example, via email, e-bulletins, staff meetings) as required, and at least annually, to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.’

Sarah provides a range of training which can be personalised to meet the needs of your school. Whether you are looking for training for whole school staff, members of your safeguarding team, support staff or volunteers and Governors, this can be provided. Some examples of training sessions run during the last 12 months include:

• whole school basic awareness training as part of a TD day – a 2 hour session which includes ensuring staff understand the terms ‘safeguarding’ and child protection’, the categories of abuse and how to spot the signs and indicators that a child may be at risk. This session also includes a brief overview of specific safeguarding themes included in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’.

• staff meeting training for teachers focussing on understanding what neglect is (both physical and emotional), understanding the assessment triangle, and identifying indicators that a child could be being neglected.

• training for teachers and support staff to understand what happens following a concern form being completed. This hour and a half session looks at the importance of completing a concern form carefully and accurately and how this information is considered alongside any other concerns. An exemplar individual pupil chronology is shared and a case study is looked at to explain the possible actions and outcomes which may follow an initial report of a concern. Staff are up-skilled to know how to make a telephone referral if there is an emergency and the members of the safeguarding team are unavailable.

• staff meeting training focussing on safer working practices. This session uses a range of scenarios which staff may face during their day to day work in schools and allows opportunity for discussion about safe practice, before re-visiting your school’s staff behaviour policy/code of conduct.

• multi-academy trust training for members of the Governing Body focussing on the role and responsibilities of Governors with regard to safeguarding. This is a 2 hour session.

• staff meeting training for teachers and support staff focussing on child exploitation. This session includes information about child sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation and supports staff to develop their understanding of the indicators that a child may be at risk. This session includes reference to the recently published ‘County Lines’ guidance produced by the Home Office.

• multi-academy trust training for members of safeguarding teams focussing on safeguarding supervision and how to develop the use of this to ensure that management of cases is effective and children are kept safe.

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In addition, during term 1, Sarah delivers training aimed at those staff who are new to the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead / Deputy DSL. This course has been written to complement multi agency advanced/Level 3 training (which DSLs and Deputies are required to complete). It focuses on effective record-keeping, writing effective referrals for social care intervention and the process of escalation and challenge. The session also briefly covers safer recruitment requirements and managing allegations procedures.

If you would like more information please use the contact button on the home page or alternatively to book a training session please click on the ‘Request for support’ button on the home page. Sarah is always happy to discuss the needs of your school and can provide ‘bespoke’ training to meet these needs.

The world of safeguarding children and child protection is ever-changing and it is vital that staff keep up to date with these changes. Sarah Turner Consulting offers a range of ‘vehicles’ for keeping staff, including the safeguarding team members up to date, with both national and local guidance.

• Aimed at all staff, termly newsletters are available, which highlight useful guidance and resources. Any revisions to statutory guidance are included in these newsletters, along with links to the latest publications from organisations such as the DfE and Ofsted.

• In addition to the newsletters, termly staff meeting update sessions are available (via the resource library). These are written to be delivered within 30 minutes and provide a means of ensuring that your safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures, code of conduct and acceptable use policies are all kept ‘alive’ and fresh in people’s minds. Many of these sessions are ‘scenario’ based, posing questions to staff about the action they would take in response to an incident / concern.

• For members of the safeguarding team who have additional safeguarding responsibilities, ‘Keeping In Touch’ session are available. These hour long sessions focus on statutory guidance and useful resources. These can be tailored to focus on particular aspects as required by your school. For example, moderating safeguarding and child protection record-keeping across a larger secondary school safeguarding team.

Many schools working with Sarah Turner Consulting have highlighted the value of having access to someone independent from the school to:

• act as a ‘listening ear’

• provide challenge about decision-making

• highlight possible alternative actions to be considered

• reassure

• support with difficult cases

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‘On-call’ support can be accessed via telephone or e mail. Every effort will be made to respond as quickly as possible.

Please note this support is not in place of contacting the relevant agencies in cases where a child is at risk of significant harm. Schools should not delay taking emergency action, to discuss with STC if a child is at risk.

The annual package is a cost effective approach to ensuring that all aspects of safeguarding are working effectively and staff are supported to safeguard the welfare and safety of children in their care. This package comprises the following aspects:

Support and advice

• ‘On-call’ telephone and e mail support and advice for Designated Safeguarding Leads responding to concerns about a child

• Sourcing of relevant documents, guidance and resources to help with individual case management

Knowledge and awareness

Online surveys created and analysed for:

• Pupils/students

• Staff

• Governors and Trustees

Quality Assurance

• Provision of safeguarding audit toolkit

• Quality Assurance visit to review safeguarding policy and procedures, including staff survey and pupil-conferencing resources

• Quality Assurance report, highlighting recommendations

• Action plan

• Review of safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures

Keeping Up To Date

• Safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures template

• Training resources to support the delivery of safeguarding basic awareness (level1)staff training

• Termly safeguarding bulletins and reminders

• Access to resources, exemplars and guidance materials in the resource library

Here you will find useful templates and exemplars including:

• safeguarding and child protection policy exemplar

• record-keeping exemplars including pupil chronologies, concern sheets and management of allegations against adults templates

• copies of termly newsletters

• staff meeting resources, including PowerPoint presentations and handouts

• overview of links to free, online resources for use with children