Education

Cared for children are children who are subject to Care Orders and those who are voluntarily accommodated who live with foster carers, in residential homes or remain with their family.

Salford Virtual School Team  work closely with schools, social workers and other professionals to ensure that all of our cared for children who are of school age have the best educational opportunities possible and that they receive their entitlement to a good education.

Ofsted was asked by the government to carry out a rapid review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. This report summarises the findings and recommendations.

Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges – published 10 June 2021

Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment - Resources, Guidance and Training for School and Colleges 

The Contextual Safeguarding Network has published several short videos which provide an overview of contextual safeguarding, what it means in practice for different social contexts and the principles of contextual safeguarding. Video's and training and resources for schools around CSE, CCE, Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking and Cuckooing can be found on the SSCP Child Exploitation page.

Child Financial Exploitation – A rising trend:  More and more young people are finding themselves victims of financial exploitation by being groomed online to open bank accounts and launder criminal money. The Childrens Society provide more information on young people as victims of financial fraud and other forms of exploitation.

Children at risk - Exploitation can affect any child but there are some children who may be at greater risk than others.

Cared for Children– these children may be particularly vulnerable because of the situations and experiences that led to them to being brought into care. They may also be impacted by being in care, particularly if they are placed in a new environment away from their normal support networks, or out of area.

Children who have been excluded from school or are in alternative provision– young people may feel disenfranchised which can make them an easy target for perpetrators. Short timetables or no schooling can also offer opportunities for exploitation. At times, a young person may also be experiencing grooming which leads to disruptive behaviour and then exclusion.

Children living in poverty – who may be groomed through offers of material possessions or for money for themselves or their family due to financial concerns.

Children with special educational needs and disabilities – this may be due to increased vulnerabilities but also due to not recognising exploitation, or not being able to access support.

Children who are not UK citizens or do not have immigration status – the precariousness of their immigration status is an additional vulnerability that enables gangs to target them.

Family connection – some children have family members who are involved in criminal activity and therefore fall into exploitation through running errands to support their family. In other cases, young people’s families are threatened if the young person does not cooperate with perpetrators.

Young people not already known to authorities - who may be from affluent backgrounds and not deemed as ‘vulnerable’. Gangs are increasingly targeting these groups because they are under the radar and less likely to attract attention from authorities.

Children with poor mental health and wellbeing – children and young people with poor emotional wellbeing, low esteem, have experienced bereavement or are being bullied are also more likely to be vulnerable.

Children in proximity to an exploiter – children and young people who have none of the above factors but are in proximity to someone who is seeking to exploit children.

Further resources can be found below:

• School Assessment Framework, Toolkit, Videos & Resources – Contextual Safeguarding Network 
• Peer on Peer CSE video – Contextual Safeguarding Network 
• Beyond Referrals (2020) Briefing Paper – Contextual Safeguarding Network (PDF)

The Youth Advisory Panel of the Safer Young Lives Research Centre (SYLRC) has created a resource booklet for children and young people on contextual safeguarding and dangers outside the home. This resource is also designed for professionals that work with children and young people to use as a tool to facilitate discussion about safeguarding in an age-appropriate way.

A national review was undertaken by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. The review 'It was hard to escape' (2020) focused on 21 children from 17 local areas who died or experienced serious harm and whose cases were notified to the Panel between July 2018 and March 2019.  Permanent exclusion was seen by practitioners and families as a trigger for significant acceleration of the risk of criminal exploitation. 

Programme Challenger is Greater Manchester’s partnership response to serious and organised crime. They are made up of many different agencies, who all work together to disrupt and dismantle individuals and networks committing serious crime in Greater Manchester, including running drug lines, exploiting people for financial gain, buying, and using firearms, and laundering the money they make from their criminality.

Whilst schools continue to be amongst the safest places to be, no school can afford to ignore the risk and impact of having to deal with a range of security related incidents, including those as a result of terrorist acts. The sheer range and scale of threats today mean that we have to be more pro-active to reduce the vulnerability of our organisations, our people, and our buildings.  The law requires all schools to carry out adequate risk assessments and ensure that suitable measures are in place to manage ALL identified risks. Prompt and regular reviews of those assessments and measures, in light of new threats and developments including terrorism and extreme violence, should be conducted.

For impartial advice, guidance and training that makes a real difference to the safety culture in your school, contact the Salford Safer Schools Team  SaferSchools@salford.gov.uk or see the Safer Schools Hub https://www.saferschools.online/  They can provide bespoke advice on security solutions, business continuity and emergency planning, with dedicated resources delivered through strong links with the local Counter Terrorism Security Advisors from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit (NWCTU).

Prevent

Prevent is safeguarding, it’s about safeguarding individuals from being drawn into terrorism, ensuring vulnerable people are given appropriate advice and support at an early stage. Prevent is no different to any other form of safeguarding from harm. Often vulnerable people simply need some help and support and if we can give them that at the right time then they may not become radicalised in the first place. Remember that radicalisation and grooming can take many forms and it is sometimes hard to know what to look out for but trust your instinct and always pass on your concerns to the designated safeguarding lead. They will decide whether further action is needed, or a referral should be made and can phone the Prevent Team if they need support.  

Visit Salford City Councils page on The Prevent Duty to find information on how to make a referral, ideologies, training dates and much more. You can also sign up to the Prevent newsletter and find contact details for support.

What is Channel?

Channel is an early intervention multi agency panel designed to safeguard vulnerable individuals from being drawn into extremist or terrorist behaviour. Channel works in a similar way to existing multi agency partnerships for vulnerable individuals. It is a voluntary process allowing the individual to withdraw from the programme at any time.

Channel is for individuals of any age who are at risk of exploitation by extremist or terrorist ideologies. Early intervention can prevent individuals being drawn into terrorist related activity in a similar way to criminal activity such as drugs, knife or gang crime.

What does this look like in Education settings?

The Salford Prevent Team have produced a Handbook for Education about safeguarding and supporting anyone vulnerable to radicalisation. The Handbook also contains links to training and resources. 

Referral pathways

It is important that the school responds effectively to the identification of a concern and the subsequent actions taken. For this, all staff – including support staff - should know who they should talk to if they identify a concern. Senior leadership should also know how to refer and share information, using the usual safeguarding procedures and involving the relevant stakeholders such as the local authority and police as appropriate.

• The Prevent Duty and online referral form

Protecting children from radicalisation: the prevent duty - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) is the Government Guidance for schools and childcare providers on preventing children and young people from being drawn into terrorism.

Training and resources

The department has published further advice for schools on the Prevent duty. The advice is intended to compliment the Prevent guidance and signposts to other sources of advice and support.

• The Home Office has developed three e-learning modules:

• Prevent awareness eLearning offers an introduction to the Prevent duty.
• Prevent referral eLearning supports staff to make Prevent referrals that are robust, informed and with good intention.
• Channel awareness eLearning is aimed at staff who may be asked to contribute to or sit on a multi-agency Channel panel.
• Educate Against Hate - Prevent Radicalisation & Extremism is a government website designed to support schoolteachers and leaders to help them safeguard their students from radicalisation and extremism. The platform provides free information and resources to help school staff identify and address the risks, as well as build resilience to radicalisation.

The Prevent duty requires all education providers ‘to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’. This includes safeguarding children, young people and adult learners from extremist ideologies and radicalisation.

Most importantly, providers should consider the needs of children, young people and adult learners at each stage of the safeguarding process. Providers should consider radicalisation concerns in line with their existing safeguarding processes, skills and experience. DfE have updated the Prevent Duty and produced a self-assessment for education settings. Please click: The Prevent duty: safeguarding learners vulnerable to radicalisation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Prevent duty self-assessment tool for schools - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.

Operation Encompass ensures that there is a simple telephone call or notification to a school’s trained Designated Safeguarding Lead /Officer (known as key Adult) prior to the start of the next school day after an incident of police attended domestic abuse where there are children related to either of the adult parties involved.

Information is shared with a school’s Key Adult (Designated Safeguarding Lead or Officer) prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident. This sharing of information enables appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.

School resources and Key Adult Training are available on the Operation Encompass Website.

Home : Operation Encompass

Domestic abuse | Salford Safeguarding Children Partnership

A short animation has been designed by Salford for schools to place on the Operation Encompass section of their websites, the animation explains to children what Operation Encompass is and how their school supports them following an incident of Domestic Abuse where the Police attended. It’s also a useful tool for schools to use with younger children to explain why Key Adults are supporting them following an Operation Encompass notification.

Safe in Salford - Domestic Abuse Service 

Support for young people living in situations of domestic abuse: Harbour offers a range of support to young people in Salford aged 5-18 focused on healthy relationships.

• They support children and young people who have witnessed or are experiencing domestic abuse
• They support young people who are showing signs of harmful behaviours in their own relationships and offer a safe space to explore this without judgement to help them form positive relationships

Safe in Salford: Professional Resources – Salford Foundation

Keeping Children Safe in Education September 2022 Paragraph 8 states, all staff should be prepared to identify children who may benefit from early help. Early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years.

Paragraph 15 states, all staff should be aware of their local early help process and understand their role in it.

For further information regarding the range of support and how to access Early Help services visit  Early help for families • Salford City Council

This support service is available for anyone in England working with children and young people, particularly, designated safeguarding leads within primary and secondary schools and alternative provision. Support is also available to early years provision, colleges and wider safeguarding professionals (including police, social workers and health care professionals).

If children within your care have been displaying or are affected by specific incidents of Harmful Sexual Behaviour, the support service can provide initial support and signpost to further resources and advice.

Available 8am - 8pm Monday - Friday

Call their practitioners on 0344 2250623

Email: hsbsupport@swgfl.org.uk

Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service | SWGfL

Guidance has been produced for Salford schools on how to report incidents to the Police when a pupil has in their possession a knife or bladed article, or a weapon on a school premises or, in the community.  The guidance does not cover the many strands of legislation in relation to Knife crime other than to say that it is, ‘A criminal offence to have in a public place any article which has a blade or is sharply pointed (including a folding pocket-knife if the cutting blade exceeds 7.62ci/3inches)’.

In ALL cases of knife or weapons incidents they MUST be reported to Bridge via Worried about a child • Salford City Council and attach the Knife Crime Reporting Form to your Bridge referral. Parental consent is not required when referring for knife/weapons.  When making your referral via the Worried About a Child, Childrens Portal, use the category “Weapons”

This guidance includes referring any incident of a child possessing a knife/weapon that comes to the attention of school staff, this includes any intelligence of a child possessing a knife or weapon off site.    If there is an immediate risk of harm phone 999 immediately. 

Reporting Knife crime is the first steps in developing effective prevention strategies.  The crime recording data can be used for early identification of trends and crime patterns in schools and in the local community.  By using this information Schools, Police and other Safeguarding Partner agencies can intervene before a problem becomes entrenched.  This multiple strand approach is essential to tackling and reducing serious violent crime and knife crime in our communities and schools.  Additionally, it also gives the police and partner agencies the opportunity to work with those identified in a more holistic approach.  Prevention begins with education.  Schools can access a range of resources, including lesson plans which can be delivered via PHSE classes here Knife crime resources for schools

NSPCC Grooming Guidance (including Report Abuse in Education dedicated helpline)

The NSPCC has launched a dedicated helpline for children and young people who have experienced abuse at school, and for worried adults and professionals that need support and guidance, including for non-recent abuse. Call the NSPCC helpline, Report Abuse in Education on 0800 136 663 or email help@nspcc.org.uk

School inspection handbook  From September 2019, and updated February 2022 to reflect Ofsted's approach to harmful sexual behaviour, the School inspection handbook is for Ofsted inspectors to use when inspecting safeguarding, under the education inspection framework. Further information on the Ofsted requirements for safeguarding in schools in England from September 2019 is available in the NSPCC Briefing Ofsted requirements for safeguarding in schools in England.   The Ofsted guidance for Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills was updated for September 2021 to include a new section about Ofsted’s review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges and there are further references throughout the guidance outlining expectations of providers.  Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• Traumatic Bereavement Resources for Schools and Colleges
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
• Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBA)
• The Views and Voice of the Child

The partnership vision is that; “All partners are committed to working together so that every child in Salford is safe, well and able to reach their full potential.”

Salford Safeguarding Childrens Partnership Strategic Priorities for 2022-2023 are:

• Priority 1: Neglect
• Priority 2: Child Exploitation
• Priority 3: Child Sexual Abuse 

Assurance Priorities (these are areas led by other partnerships but have key safeguarding elements):

• Children Affected By Domestic Abuse
• Safeguarding Babies Under 1
• Adolescents

Equality, diversity, and the voice of the child is a thread through all SSCP priorities.

To view the full last published SSCP Annual Report visit Salford Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2019 - 2020

'The Support and Safeguarding in Salford: Helping children to thrive guidance'” has been produced/drafted by the SSCP.  This will replace the 'Threshold of need and response' in Salford. The Guidance is for anyone who works with or cares for children including families, professionals, and members of the community. It has been produced to ensure that the right support, from the right people, is available at the right time, for children and their families and it explains how to get different types of support.  The guidance and supporting information can be found on the dedicated 'Support and Safeguarding'  webpage.

All SSCP Safeguarding and Child Protection templates can be used by schools to produce, revise or review whole school safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures. Access these documents on the policies and procedures page. 

The SSCP gratefully acknowledges that the SSCP schools safeguarding set was originally based on documents produced by Lancashire County Council.

• Keeping children safe in education DfE guidance- Updated September 2022
• DfE's statutory guidance publications for schools
• SSCP Advice - KCSiE safeguarding training requirements in Salford - Updated 2022
• Children missing from education
• NSPCC briefing: Ofsted requirements for safeguarding in schools in England