Learning and Performance Restructure

Changes to the Admissions and Transport team

The Admissions and Transport team, which falls under Access and Organisation within the Education Business unit has also undergone significant changes. These changes are designed to meet the needs of our customers, (schools, families) and are designed to give schools a more focused support.

The team have introduced a designated school line to ensure less waiting time for school staff, whilst the In Year and Coordinated Scheme areas of our work have been reorganised to include senior manager posts for each area, in order to help focus on specific issues and gain resolutions swiftly.

• Cheryl Wild has been appointed as Senior Officer for In Year and Fair Access Admissions,
• Amy Taylor has been appointed as the Senior Officer for the Coordinated Admissions processes.
• Emily Sexon has been moved to head up the Senior Officer role within admissions supporting data and technology
• Nikki Daly has been appointed to Senior Officer for transport appeals.

Colette Naven Jones has been appointed as the overall Senior Manager for the whole area reporting directly to Sarah Mills Service Manager.

Changes in Children's Social Care and Early Help

Important information for headteachers, SENCOs, pastoral leads and CAF trained personnel so please share within your school

In April 2016, Early Help and Targeted Support and Children's Social Care combined to create a new business unit called Children and Families.

We used this opportunity to redesign some key elements of service delivery to all children, from early help to looked-after children. The key objectives of the changes are to provide a seamless service to children, young people and families and ensure that their needs are better met at the time they arise. Whilst some of the transformation is still ongoing, some will take effect imminently. We would like to give our partners and colleagues in schools an opportunity to hear what has been happening over what has been a very busy couple of months.

In order to both provide information and gain feedback, we have scheduled three days of workshops. Invitations will follow but in the meantime, please save the date. On each day, there will be three two-hour presentations (9.30am, 12.30pm and 3.00pm) to make it as easy as possible for our partners to attend. The workshops are open to all partners and any of them can be attended if your local one is not convenient.

East: Wednesday 21st September: The Conference Room, Bloxham Centre, 8 Somers Road, Rugby, CV22 7DE.

North: Thursday 22nd September: The Beaumont Room, Bulkington Village Hall, School Road, Bulkington, Bedworth, CV12 9JB.

South: Friday 23rd September: Pound Lane Learning Centre, Pound Lane, Leamington Spa, CV32 7RT.

For more information, please feel free to contact Marina Kitchen at marinakitchen@warwickshire.gov.uk.

New requirements on schools and key policy changes in 2016/17

 -FOR ALL SCHOOLS- 

Changes to statutory safeguarding guidance

The Department for Education (DfE) has published an updated version of its statutory safeguarding guidance for schools, Keeping Children Safe in Education, which takes effect from 5 September 2016.

The main changes are related to:

• The guidance that all staff working in schools are required to follow
• The role of the designated safeguarding lead
• Required safeguarding training for staff
• Safer recruitment
• The reporting of concerns
• Online safety
• Teaching pupils about safeguarding
• Specific safeguarding issues.

New school website requirements

The requirements for the information that schools must publish on their websites has been updated to take effect from September 2016. This is under The School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2016.

The regulations introduce new requirements to publish the following online:

• The school's complaints procedures
• The school's 16-18 results including details of progress, attainment, English and mathematics progress, retention and destinations

The regulations also require schools to include their most recent Key Stage (KS) 2 and (KS) 4 results as published in the school performance tables. Schools must also ensure there is information published for the previous and current academic year on the allocation and impact of the pupil premium grant.

New requirements regarding the school roll

All schools are now required (as of 1 September 2016) to inform their LA when a pupil is added to or removed from the admission register (also known as the roll). This is detailed in the consultation on improving information in identifying children missing education.

Schools will also be required to:

• Record details of the pupil’s residence, the name of the person with whom he/she will reside, the date from which he/she will reside there, and the name of the destination school;
• Inform their LA of the pupil's destination school and home address if the pupil is moving to a new school;
• Inform their LA within five days of registering a new pupil of his/her address and previous school.

Changes to information on the school census

The DfE’s guide to the school census in 2016/17 sets out some changes to the data that schools will have to submit. Data items that are required in the 2016/17 academic year, but were not required in previous years, include:

• Proficiency in English
• Country of birth
• Pupil nationality
• Unique property reference number

Schools will no longer, however, have to record data for the school location module or the in-care indicator for exclusions.

There have also been changes made to other data items included in the census. For a full list and the details of each item, see pages 10-12 in the DfE’s census guide.

-EARLY YEARS SETTINGS ONLY-

New paediatric first aid requirements for Early Years settings

From 1 September 2016 (subject to parliamentary approval) all newly qualified early years staff will be required to hold a paediatric first aid (PFA) or emergency PFA certificate in order to be included in the staff-to-children ratios in an early years setting. This is set out in the consultation response paediatric first aid requirements in the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage

Safeguarding procedures checklist for schools

A recent internal audit of safeguarding procedures, controls and supporting documentation in schools found some areas of concern that should be highlighted to all headteachers so they can check their own schools’ procedures are robust and meet requirements.

CHECKLIST

• Schools should be carrying out robust pre-employment checks and ensuring there are no gaps in the Single Central Record. 

• Up to date whistleblowing and safeguarding policies should be easily accessible to all, for example on school websites.

• Schools must report safeguarding issues to their governing bodies, and to the Warwickshire Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB).

• Schools must ensure they have robust and safe physical and data protection, for example ensuring external gates are always kept locked during the day, and making sure network passwords are routinely changed.

• Storage of case files must comply with data protection principles.

• All school staff must have received the required Prevent Training, as detailed in the Warwickshire Prevent action plan. For further information please contact Helene Heath, the LA Prevent Officer, heleneheath@warwickshire.gov.uk

• Schools must ensure that safeguarding is a part of the everyday school culture, for example providing free and easy access to green forms, posters, subjects covered in school activities or curriculum, etc.

• All schools should have a designated lead officer (DSL) responsible for safeguarding.

• All DSLs should have received recent safeguarding training and refresher training (at least every two years).

• Green forms should be used for recording individual cases of concerns about pupils.

• Parents should be involved in the safeguarding process when deemed appropriate.

• Schools should be aware of the agreed procedure for making allegations against staff.

MASH update and referral procedure for concerns about someone in a Position of Trust

Safeguarding children and adults is a major priority for all agencies in Warwickshire. The issues and challenges it poses span far beyond the remit of any single organisation. 

In Warwickshire, the decision was taken to form a MASH which brings together practitioners from a range of backgrounds including Children and Adult Safeguarding Services, the Police, Health services and other partners involved in safeguarding, in order to respond to the challenges posed by safeguarding our most vulnerable residents. Warwickshire's MASH officially launched in June 2016.

In this article, John Coleman, MASH Service Manager provides an update on the referral process which should be followed relating to concerns about possible/suspected abuse by a person who works in a position of trust with children.

John explains: "These concerns should be referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) using a new Position of Trust Multi-Agency Referral Form.

"The MASH in conjunction with the LADO, will share the information held by agencies and decide whether to offer advice or to convene a Position of Trust meeting.

"It is anticipated that this will support a more efficient means of determining the most appropriate way to address the concerns in a timely manner.  There is also one central contact telephone number and email address for the LADO which is 01926 742372 or email lado@warwickshire.gcsx.gov.uk."

LADO factfile

1. What is a LADO?
LADO stands for Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and the role was first introduced through the statutory guidance Working Together (2006) and strengthened in Working Together (2010).

2. What does the LADO do?
The guidance requires each Local Authority to identify a ‘Local Authority Designated Officer’ (LADO) with responsibility for the management and oversight of individual cases where there is concern in relation to a person who works in a position of trust with children – providing advice and guidance to employers and voluntary organisations, liaising with other agencies, and monitoring the progress of cases to ensure they are dealt with as quickly as possible, consistent with a thorough and fair process.

The guidance should be followed in respect of any allegation that a person who works with children or young people has:

a) behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, a child;
b) possibly committed a criminal offence against, or related to, a child; or
c) behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates that they may pose a risk of harm to children.

This is in connection with the person’s paid employment or voluntary activity but may also involve concerns arising about the person’s behaviour within their own family or home circumstances. In consideration of a concern or allegation, there may be three strands:

a) A Police investigation of a possible criminal offence;
b) Enquiries and assessment by Children’s Social Care about whether a child is in need of protection or in need  of services;
c) Consideration by an employer of disciplinary action in respect of the individual.

3. Why might I need to contact the LADO?
If you are an employer of people who work/volunteer in a position of trust with children e.g. nursery, bus driver, school, scouts, theatre group, you may need to speak to the LADO if you are concerned about the way in which a member of your staff is behaving towards a child.
Using the criteria outlined in 2, you should consider first whether your concerns are of this nature.

4. How do I refer concerns about someone in a Position of Trust to the LADO?
If you have immediate concerns that a child is at immediate risk of serious harm requiring immediate action, contact the MASH by calling 01926 414144. Follow up your concerns in writing to the MASH. 

If Named Senior Officers, Named Senior Managers within organisations and others have concerns regarding a person in a position of trust, they must complete the Position of Trust Multi-Agency Referral Form (POT MARF), which can be downloaded from the MASH website at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/MASH  or from the Warwickshire Safeguarding Board Website at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/wscb. The completed referral should then be emailed to the LADO at their direct email address which is LADO@warwickshire.gcsx.gov.uk.

5. How do I get advice about a Position of Trust Issue from the LADO?
Named Senior Officers, Named Senior Managers within organisations and others who may want advice about a potential position of trust issue should call the LADO on 01926 742372 or email the LADO at LADO@warwickshire.gcsx.gov.uk. This inbox can be checked regularly by the LADO and acts as a central LADO advice and referral point.

6. What next?
The MASH team in conjunction with the LADO, will share the information held by agencies and decide whether to offer advice to you or to convene a Position of Trust (POT) meeting.
If a POT meeting is held you are likely to be invited to attend as the employer. Children’s Social Care usually attend as do the Police. The LADO will provide advice and guidance and will oversee any investigations that are undertaken. A plan may be devised to address the concerns and you may be asked to contribute to this. The Children’s Team will also need to consider how any concerns against individual children are managed.

Further information
For further information please contact the LADO or visit the Warwickshire Safeguarding Board Website at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/wscb or the MASH website at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/MASH.

Alternatively contact:

Jenny Butlin-Moran, Service Manager – Service Development & Assurance (Children’s) jennybutlinmoran@warwickshire.gov.uk    or

John Coleman, MASH Service Manager johncoleman@warwickshire.gov.uk

Update from the School Planning team

Bern Timings has been appointed as Project Officer within the school planning area of Access and Organisation. Bern has moved from Admissions and Transport to broaden his knowledge and is a welcomed member of this team.

There are several new schools proposed for opening in the next few years with both Free School bids being discussed via the EFA and new school sponsors being sought via the LA. The School Planning team will keep schools updated of new opportunities via our website and briefings.

A new webpage will be up and running in the next term specifically aimed at school organisation and planning.

Two new schools due to open in September 2017 are already underway with planning consents. One will be situated on the Mast Site in Rugby, St Gabriel’s and sponsored by the CofE diocese and developer, with the second being located in Harbury Gardens area of Warwick and sponsored by Community Academy Trust.

Ashlawn have been approved as sponsors to open a new Free School in Rugby in September 2017, more news on this to follow. 

Marle Hall

Marle Hall is a residential outdoor education centre situated near Llandudno on the North Wales coast, on the edge of the Snowdonia National park. This facility became aligned within Access and Organisation back in June 2016.

The centre is very popular and is run by Martin Chesmer and his team.

Useful links

The online application for schools is now open please follow the below links

Primary Admissions

Secondary School

Sufficiency Strategy

Early Years Capital Bids/Section 106

Early Years Sufficiency

Diana Spragg Senior Manager for Early Years Sufficiency has been working hard with her team to enable bids to be placed for capital funds.

Deadline for submission of bids to DfE was 31 August 2016. Warwickshire was allowed to submit a maximum of 6 bids (classed as a high needs LA). Capital can only be used for schemes that will enable new nursery places for 30 Hours entitlement to be created. There is no guarantee that any schemes will be approved and DfE will notify LAs in December of the outcome of the bidding process.

The six bids submitted in order of priority were:

 The LA will be notified in due course if we have been successful in our bids.