In recent years we have seen a significant increase in the amount of work taken on by members of safeguarding teams in our schools and colleges. The publication of new government guidance has been relentless, whilst the breadth of issues that now fall under the umbrella of safeguarding has been extended considerably and at the same time has become much more complex.
The development of online technology and the extensive use of social media by children and young people has led to very different safeguarding risks and challenges. These new channels of communication have seen the emergence of a whole range of inappropriate and sometimes criminal online behaviour, from bullying to sexual harassment, and has arguably contributed towards the rise in children’s mental ill-health.
So, how have all of these demands affected the role of the safeguarding lead in education? Whilst some of the larger schools and colleges may have full-time employed staff in these roles, for many establishments the responsibilities are being juggled with lots of other jobs. In small primaries you are likely to find a headteacher or deputy head acting as the safeguarding lead, as well as running the school, leading their staff, managing the budget, dealing with governors and parents, and even teaching in the classroom.
Given the increasing demands and the challenges being faced by our safeguarding leads, is this sustainable? Is the system already under-resourcing and over-loading this critical role in keeping children safe?
Why register?
Join MyConcern and The Key in partnership with Education Technology at 3:30pm on 25 September for this free, live discussion.
A panel of safeguarding professionals will address some of the important topics around safeguarding in education and the critical role of the designated safeguarding lead (or designated senior person in Wales).
The panel will be exploring the roles and responsibilities of the safeguarding lead, how that has changed in recent years and what needs to be done to professionalise the role and provide more effective support. You will also have the opportunity to ask our experts anonymous questions and get honest answers.
Meet our expert panellists
Mike Glanville – director of safeguarding services for One Team Logic (the makers of MyConcern safeguarding software used in many thousands of schools domestically and internationally)
Glanville was a former assistant chief constable for Dorset Police with responsibility for all child and adult safeguarding issues and sat on the Local Children’s Safeguarding Board. Earlier in his career, he was a trained child protection investigation officer and was responsible for managing and investigating serious child abuse cases.
He is also an experienced school governor and is currently the chair of governors for a primary school in Dorset.
Vikkey Chaffe – former designated safeguarding lead and the founder of the Primary School Leaders Facebook page which currently has over 23,000 members
Previously, Chaffe filled the role of prevent champion for Manchester and was the first in her area to create and deliver child sexual exploitation lessons to Key Stage 2 pupils. Her previous role as a senior leader and safeguarding lead in a school in an underprivileged area means she knows only too well the experience of handling the increasing demands placed on safeguarding practitioners in education.
She will be bringing her varied experience to this panel and sharing her proactive approach to keeping children and young people safe.
Luke Ramsden – deputy headmaster and senior designated safeguarding lead at St Benedict’s School, a leading London Catholic school and flagship school for MyConcern safeguarding software
Recently a co-educational school, St Benedict’s is an all-through setting which caters for students from the age of three through to sixth form.
His commitment and dedication to keeping children safe and his first-hand experience will be an excellent addition to our panel of experts.
Date: 25 September
Time: 3.30pm
Location: Participate from the comfort of your own home for this online event
About MyConcern and The Key
MyConcern is a Queen’s Award-winning safeguarding company. It provides schools, colleges and other organisations with an intuitive, cloud-based platform to record, report and manage all safeguarding, pastoral and wellbeing concerns of the students in their care. The system was created and developed by child protection professionals to make safeguarding in education for effective, efficient and secure. MyConcern is now widely used by educational organisations in the UK and worldwide.
The Key provides up-to-the-minute sector intelligence and resources that empower education leaders with the knowledge to act. The Key’s Safeguarding Training Centre is the simplest, most cost-effective and time-saving way to train your staff on the latest requirements. Featuring ready to deliver, quality assured training modules, as well as follow-up eLearning and assessments to track understanding, it gives educators the confidence to spot problems and take action.
