Hello everyone, hope this email finds you well.
There may be many people opening this email who may have been wondering where I have been for
the last few months. The truth is, I have been hugely busy and unable to send out newsletters with the same level of
frequency as in the past. My workload has been rather full and it’s meant that I haven’t been able to
maintain the same level of contact with you as in previous years.
Nevertheless, I wanted to make you aware of my new training brochure for the academic year 2023
– 2024. There is an ever-growing number of different safeguarding training sessions I can offer, all
detailed in the brochure. All my courses can be delivered online anywhere in the country, or face to
face if your setting is in or near Bristol. I deliver mostly inhouse training to schools, charities and
other community groups that work with children – but I continue to also offer a handful of open
courses in partnership with Delegated Services at scheduled times of the year where you may train
alongside delegates from other settings. Again, dates and registration details are set out in the
brochure.
If you don’t see a course that fulfils your needs, please do contact me to see if I can put one together
for you. All my inhouse training can be designed to suit the specific needs of your setting, and I have no
ceiling on the number of delegates I can train at once, which can make the sessions extremely cost
effective. I can work twilight, evenings and at weekends.
As well as training, remember I also offer safeguarding audits, a safeguarding subscription service
(for ongoing support), non-managerial safeguarding supervision and a safeguarding policy writing
service.
One important thing – some of my customers have been contacting me about the recent updates to the
next edition of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ September 2023. Here is what I think you need
to know:
‘The news is that the September 2023 version of KCSIE is not radically different to the
previous version (which is why it was deemed to require no consultation earlier this year).
The full KCSIE document can be accessed here: Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2023_-_statutory_guidance_for_schools_and_colleges.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk) with all changes and amendments listed in Annex F on page 177.
Here is a short summary of those changes:
1. There are changes to do with filtering and monitoring of online material,
following new standards issued to schools by the Department of Education following
the tragic death of a child (See Frankie Thomas: The tragic pupil death that highlights
online safety issues at schools | Tes).
You must ensure that:
- your designated safeguarding lead takes responsibility for filtering and monitoring and not for instance, with IT staff. (Paragraph 103)
- your staff induction training includes information on ‘the expectations applicable roles and responsibilities in relation to filtering and monitoring” (Paragraph 124)
- your child protection policy includes how appropriate filtering and monitoring technology on school devices and school networks form part of its work (Paragraph 138)
2. There are a few changes relevant to safer recruitment, some building on the
changes made last year. You must ensure that:
- you inform applicants that you may be carrying out online searches of your shortlisted candidates (paragraph 221)
- you are aware that you do not have to keep DBS certificates – this reminder is now in bold (paragraph 276). (Note: A reminder that schools should not be keeping copies of DBS certificates longer than 6 months, same paragraph).
3. There is a small clarification on allegations against agencies and individuals which instructs schools who have premises being used by community groups or other service providers to follow their own safeguarding procedures regarding those allegations (paragraph 377)
4. There are useful links to new guidance that the DfE has published since the last
KCSIE update e.g., cyber security standards Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges – Cyber security standards for schools and colleges – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (paragraph 144)’
If I don’t get a chance to work with you before the summer holidays, I hope you do have time to rest
and recharge before the term starts anew in September.
Best wishes,
Mandy Parry