management of safeguarding
Children who are cared for on a full-time basis by people who are not direct relatives are in a private fostering arrangement.
A private fostering arrangement is essentially one that is made, without the involvement of a local authority, for the care of a child under the age of 16 (under 18 if disabled) by someone other than a parent or close relative for 28 days or more.
Private foster carers may be from the extended family, such as a cousin or great aunt. However, a person who is a relative such as a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt (whether of the full or half blood or by marriage) or step-parent will not be a private foster carer.
If you know of a child in this situation, the law says you must notify the local authority so they can make sure the person caring for the child can receive information, support and advice and that the child is safe. Please call us if you are caring for, or you know anyone who is caring for someone else’s child on 0121 788 4300 or visit https://bit.ly/2krupeZ for more information.
Dear Headteacher
KSCIE 2019
Please find attached the link to the revised KCSIE (2019). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2
The detail on the substantive changes is listed in Appendix H, page 108 of KCSIE (2019).
Key points are:-
- Upskirting (page 10 paragraph 27 and page 89).
- Changes to new local arrangements under the new local safeguarding children partnership. An update on this will take place at the Designated Education Safeguarding Lead’s conferences.
The revised model child protection policy is available at https://www.solgrid.org.uk/education/safeguarding/child-protection/.
The revised model safeguarding policy is available at https://www.solgrid.org.uk/education/safeguarding/.
Lorraine Lord
Senior Education Safeguarding Officer
Please find attached the updated safeguarding checks letter. This includes new information from Property Services and their partners and sub-contractors.
Dear Colleagues
We are delighted to announce the launch of Solihull’s quality assurance framework for alternative provision. It is designed to support schools, and other commissioners, in monitoring consistency and quality in off-site alternative provision for school-age pupils. It sets out the high expectations that Solihull has in relation to the quality of education that we seek and expect for our children and young people in alternative provision.
Schools, as the commissioners, are responsible for the pupils on their roll that they place in any alternative provision. It is, therefore, their responsibility to undertake the initial and subsequent regular checks to ensure that the provision is safe and suitable – including for each individual pupil.
Where the local authority (LA) is the commissioner and is responsible for the pupil, the LA will undertake the initial checks and continuous monitoring.
We expect any provider offering placements for Solihull pupils to meet the quality assurance expectations within this document. Providers, therefore, should expect regular monitoring, including visits.
This framework provides us all with a consistent approach to ensuring that our pupils in AP are safe, learning well, making good progress and having their needs met.
Please do contact us with any feedback about the framework: alternativeprovision@solihull.gov.uk
We will review the document regularly in light of your observations and comments so that the framework is consistently robust and helpful.
Thank you.
Message from Lorraine Lord
Dear headteacher and chair of governors
We have sent out links to the education safeguarding audit in Head Lines, emailed to you on 13 May 2019.
As you complete your audit, could you record any partial or no responses as actions in the action plan (attached to this announcement). Additional rows can be added if needed.
Please submit the action plan to us by Friday 12 July 2019.
Please could you complete and submit all sections of the audit survey by Friday 28th June 2019.
Please contact us at educationsafeguarding@solihull.gov.uk if you require any further guidance.
