Warwickshire Safeguarding Offer 2020-2021

An Integrated Approach

From September 2020 important developments are being introduced to Warwickshire’s safeguarding offer to schools. Together with continuity of key areas of support and training there are a range of developments being introduced to integrate safeguarding provision available for education settings. The attached slides outline the main changes, where responsibility will sit for each element of safeguarding provision and contact information. Developments to our approach aim to ensure that all elements of safeguarding support and training for schools are integrated more fully across key Warwickshire services and provision overall.

In Summary:

• Warwickshire Safeguarding Board will continue to have regular meetings of its Education Group chaired by Ian Budd, Assistant Director
• The Safe Education Partnership will continue to develop its role supporting collaboration across partner services
• Termly briefings and updates about their work will be provided
• A comprehensive integrated training programme with new additional modules will be provided from September. Costs have been reduced and access improved in localities. Full details will be sent out to schools next week.
• The annual safeguarding audit process is being developed and will include support from the Early Help team and earlier reporting on findings each year shared across all stakeholders helping to inform future support and training.

Principles Informing Change

The principles underpinning our refreshed approach are:

• Increased collaboration across partners and stakeholders
• Integration of service planning and provision
• Improved access and delivery of support and training
• Meeting statutory duties and responding to feedback/need analysis
• Responding to the Covid-19 context and service recovery process
• Commissioning specialist input and accessing external support as required

Review and Collaboration

This comprehensive review of our safeguarding offer has involved research into development of safeguarding provision nationally and collaboration with key partners and stakeholders, including:

• Warwickshire Safeguarding
• Safe Education Partnership
• Schools
• A wide range of WCC services beyond Education Services

Our Key Partners

Examples of partners we are working closely with to ensure our safeguarding offer is informed by key information, specialisms and experience: 

• WCC Children and Family Service
• WCC Education Services
• NHS (Regional and District)
• District and Borough Councils
• Age Concern
• Community Rehabilitation Company
• Warwickshire Police
• Warwickshire Fire and Rescue
• National Probation Service
• Care Quality Commission
• Healthwatch Warwickshire