Safeguarding Forums for Schools Summer 2017 Jo Barclay

Safeguarding Forums for Schools Summer 2017 Jo Barclay Safeguarding Adviser to Schools Standards & Excellence Service

General updates • New model CP policy (sorry!!): – Updated with name change of Children and Families Hub – New C&FH process chart Ensure you have current version in school and on your website • New template for Confirmation of key documents received (April 2017) • New template for recording contacts • Updated guidance for file transfer / retention

General updates • Barnardo’s is advising professionals of signs that a girl may be at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM) as ‘cutting season’ approaches - professionals can only help protect children by knowing what to look out for • Training opportunities on ESCB website • Designated Lead (Level 3) training available through EES • Effective Support for Children and Families in Essex (ESCB, 2017) – updated version to be circulated soon

PREVENT • First point of contact for schools is Children and Families Hub (previously FOH) • Where appropriate, schools will be directed to Essex Police PREVENT Team • Dedicated area on ESI/PREVENT • Relevant documents • Resources • On-line learning • PREVENT presentation • Work with parents in terms on protecting their children from on-line from graphic material • • Internet Matters offers advice for parents on preventing their child from accessing extreme material and advice on radicalisation The NSPCC offers advice on how to talk to children about difficult subjects

Safeguarding audit for schools

Safeguarding audit 2015 -16

Areas showing improvement • • Governor safeguarding training Role of designated lead explicit in job description Training of all staff Access to the child protection policy All staff sign for documentation Whistleblowing is publicised Pupils and Students knowing how to report safeguarding concerns • There is a CSE Champion who has completed ESCB CSE Champion training • All staff have been made aware of the signs of CSE and know how to report it

Safeguarding audit 2015 -16 Areas for development 1. 4 Governors receive appropriate safeguarding training % schools / colleges who partly did not met standard % schools / colleges who met standard 0% 12% 86% 4. 1 There is a Recruitment policy in place approved by the Governing Body and reviewed annually 1% 10% 88% 7. 4 Information is available to all staff and the wider school community to publicise the whistle blowing procedure 0% 9% 90% 8. 4 There are systems in place to regularly gather feedback from pupils and students on safeguarding issues 2% 20% 77% 15% 11% 73% 11. 2 All staff have been made aware of PREVENT and CHANNEL by the Designated Safeguarding Lead 1% 10% 88% 12. 2 Level 2 child protection training for all staff includes FGM, Forced Marriage and Honour Based Abuse 2% 17% 80% 10. 2 The CSE champion has undertaken ESCB CSE champion training

Safeguarding audit 2017 -18 • Contract with Virtual College has ceased so new format for next year • Need to develop questions to include effectiveness and impact of safeguarding arrangements • Will be available Autumn 2017 – completion date likely to be by end of March 2018 *Word version available for internal use for 2016/17 year

Multi-agency Case Audits (MACA)

MACA • MACAs are multi-agency meetings to review cases of families with highly complex needs (Level 4) which have required a multi-agency intervention • Run by the ECC Professional Standards and Audit Service (PSAS) • Cases are nominated by Social Care or Health – this is now to be opened up to schools • Schools are now to be invited to attend the MACA meetings

Update from Missing Education and Child Employment Safeguarding Training For Schools Summer 2017 Julie Weddell County Manager Missing Education & Child Employment

Missing Education & Child Employment Service Children Missing Education - CME • • • Essex Safeguarding Childrens Board concerned for children who cannot be found Need to track urgently – can be very vulnerable. At risk of exploitation – CSE, grooming, gangs, radicalisation Legislation requires schools and LA to take joint responsibility IOs need to focus on most vulnerable – many children referred to MECES as CME are on holiday or we visit and find family at home, just not contacted school – this is a waste of valuable resource and could put other children in jeopardy Joint working with Essex school headteacher association chairs to update the children missing checklist Increased information sharing for LA with other agencies

Missing Education & Child Employment Service • Chadrack Mulo, 4, was found having starved to death as he clung to his mother’s body who had died two weeks previously • The boy's school had tried to contact his mother by telephone, which remained unanswered. Staff called at the home twice, but could not gain access. The alarm was subsequently raised after neighbours reported a strong odour from the property • The primary school now: – have contact numbers for 3 adults for every pupil – sends a staff member to an absent child’s home if telephone contact cannot be made – Police are called if there is no answer • Recommendation by Coroner to DFE for a nationwide protocol

Missing Education & Child Employment Service CME – vital that: • • If pupil is known to Social Care, school contact key worker If you have evidence to believe child is at risk contact Social Care When pupil is admitted they are claimed from S 2 S data base If unable to find following school and LA investigation upload onto S 2 S data base • Inform MECES immediately if school finds the pupil • Schools/professionals/public advise MECES if concerned that a child is not being suitably educated at home – referral form on Essex. gov. uk search elective home education. Remember LAs can only investigate if “it appears that a suitable education is not being provided” Your referral will provide the reason to investigate – can be anonymous

Missing Education & Child Employment School Attendance Workshop dates for Summer term 2017 • WEST - Harlow Town FC - 1. 00 pm - 4. 00 pm, Monday 26 th June 2017 • MID - Essex County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford - 1. 00 pm - 4. 00 pm - Monday 3 rd July 2017 • SOUTH - Wickford Collaborative Learning Centre - 1. 00 pm - 4. 00 pm, Thursday 6 th July 2017 • NORTH EAST - Princes Theatre, Clacton - 1. 00 pm - 4. 00 pm, Tuesday 11 th July 2017 •

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Practice – Learning from recent ESCB Serious Case Reviews

What are Serious Case Reviews? • SCRs are local enquiries into the death or serious injury to a child where abuse or neglect is known or suspected • They are undertaken by the Local Safeguarding Children Boards so that lessons can be learned locally • There are proposals being discussed at the present time (following the Wood Review) for further changes in the way SCRs are undertaken and who does them • The guidance in relation to SCRs is within Working Together – Chapter 4 – the Learning and Improvement Framework

Serious Case Reviews in Essex Safeguarding Children Board have a SCR toolkit which can be viewed on the ESCB website under working with children, along with the last 3 serious case reviews. The toolkit outlines • The process ESCB undertakes in making a decision to undertake a SCR • Other types of reviews that may be considered if the threshold for a SCR is not met • The model ESCB uses for undertaking SCRs and other reviews • The process for an SCR and other types of reviews

Serious case reviews in Essex - 2013/14 3 Serious Case Reviews – all very young children (around 10 -13 weeks) – all experienced substantial injuries 1 Partnership Learning Review - 2011 - 2 serious case reviews. Both pre school children, one of whom died and the other seriously injured - 2009 1 Serious Case Review-undertaken following the death of a 16 year old girl

Learning from Essex serious case reviews Ø Assessment and management of risk Ø Effective pre-birth assessment Ø Family culture and history Ø Understanding support networks Ø Who has parental responsibility and who are the significant males? Ø Current family situation Ø Parenting capacity Ø Ability to make and sustain changes Ø The meaning of the child to the family

Learning from Essex Serious case reviews Ø Not attending appointments Ø Needs to be a clear system that records missed appointments and reasons why Ø Process to track and share information on missed appointments Ø Avoidance of contact with professionals-why? Ø Disguised compliance Ø Minimal attendance at appointments Ø Says and does the ‘right’ things but where is the evidence of change? Ø Lack of challenging other agencies when decisions are either unclear or unsure how they have been made Ø Over optimism about the capacity of a parent to change and sustain those changes

Learning from Essex serious case reviews Ø Professional curiosity Ø Understand support networks, significant people in the family’s life Ø Ask questions Ø Not accepting everything that is said at face value Ø Effective information sharing Ø Understanding other organisations/sectors Ø What additional information is needed to complete a full assessment? Ø Where might this information be held? Ø Adolescents Ø Can display challenging and difficult behaviours but we need to be aware of the language we use to describe this in assessments and Ø to other professionals

Learning from Essex serious case reviews Ø Too much focus on supporting the family rather than identifying and managing risk Ø Safeguarding cases need management oversight and those working with children and families need supervision/support Ø Voice of the child - ‘what is it like to be a child in this family? ’ Ø Understanding the dynamics of domestic abuse Ø Managing mobile individuals who may pose a risk to children (physical violence)