The Education Listening Hub is at present just a 1 year Project, but there is a wider multi-agency “Listening Hub” being developed whose remit is to continue to capture the lived experiences of our communities and to develop multi-agency responses and actions to their views, “voices”. We want to continue learning from the experiences of schools so this work will continue under the wider umbrella of the Listening Hub.
These interviews have highlighted examples of effective practice with partnership working and close engagement with children and families. We are seeing recurring themes relating to the challenge’s schools face as part of their ongoing commitment to safeguarding. How the schools gather the views of the child and families to ensure that the welfare of the child is paramount has also been explored. Initial findings show an array of creative methods of how schools listen and action any concerns.
The impact of COVID-19 on safeguarding has been raised by schools. From discussions schools continue to support the parent(s), children, families, and communities with regards to this and offer additional support such as reducing anxiety and signposting for other support services. This continued support is welcomed by children, parent(s), families, and carers.
This questionnaire also includes two questions on “peer on peer” sexual abuse both within and outside the school grounds. The focus on this issue is ongoing as part of the Ofsted Inspection and being led by Cathy Starbuck (Assistant Director of Education, Work and Skills, People Directorate) and will be shared as appropriate.
There is also a focus on how we strengthen the school’s capacity to utilise services outside of the school gates to improve how we meet the needs of children, parents and families thus utilising a holistic approach. Similarly, how diversity is strengthened; to meet the diverse needs of children, parent(s) and families within the schools’ processes and practice is also a recurrent theme. Schools are keen to improve their safeguarding practices and already have some excellent processes and innovative ways of hearing the voices of the child, parent(s), carers, and families and in taking positive action following feedback. Overall, schools consider safeguarding across all staffing levels as a priority and want to see children and families thrive.
All educational establishments have welcomed the opportunity for the first time to speak about safeguarding practices and processes. They have been able to voice what is working well and what needs to be strengthened with regards to safeguarding. Initial findings show that they want this work to continue so that schools and safeguarding services can link in with each other to learn from “best practice” and be able to support each other. This is coupled with recognising the need for greater partnership, community engagement in the best interests of the child.
The Listening Hub continues to be promoted. A Lunch Bowl session held on Thursday 25th November 2021 showed an animation video produced by young people and parents to illustrate the purpose and vision of the Listening Hub and provided their views of why it is important to listen to their voices. The Lunch Bowl also gave an update of the Listening/Education Hub showing how far it has developed and the next steps.
