chris gould: 112 safeguarding

The National Learning Trust is launching a new service for British schools overseas providing DPO services.

Engage an accredited DPO, a straightforward and risk-free process that will support your school for 12 months for an annual fee of £1000 and provide an all-inclusive package of:

• UK – based GDPR helpdesk with the latest guidance on best-practice;
• GDPR compliance toolkit and model documentation;
• Advice on Data Protection Impact Assessments;
• An NLT accredited DPO who understands the needs of British schools overseas;
• GDPR e-Bulletin issued every half-term;
• Support on all matters GDPR and Data Protection.

Schools can also supplement this service with in-country advice and training at additional charge if required.

Register by emailing: international@learningtrust.net

International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP) formed in 2014 brought together governmental and non-profit agencies in law enforcement, child protection, accreditation, inspection and recruitment within International schools.

Three sub-committees:

• Evaluation committee – inspection and accreditation formats associated with safeguarding.
• Recruitment committee – examined tools to attract, screen, and conduct criminal background checks and vetting on potential members of the school workforce.
• Policies and resources committee – identified and produced resources for school communities ensuring effective operational policies for staff selection, employment and training to enhance child protection practice….

The ITFCP published their recommendations – via the ‘Education Portal’ of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children: www.icmec.org

Domestic abuse and violence survivors regularly talk about the variable support their children receive from schools, some are brilliant, others treat such children as naughty or problematic. What protection, prevention and repair (support) strategies do you have in place?

Survivors often report how falling pregnant was a turning point in their abuse, either because this is where it began or escalated. There are significant additional risks (in such relationships) to unborn children. Is this considered when dealing with the assessment of a safeguarding concern?

Children affected by domestic abuse are more likely to move schools, be excluded or become homeless at a young age. They are at a higher risk of offending.

Safeguarding issues arising from ‘recruitment’ within International Schools tend to fall into three main areas:

1. Checking a candidate’s application/CV for specific gaps or absences from the workforce. I have recent experience of staff/teachers not including details of a previous school from which they were dismissed.
2. Check the qualifications that applications state they possess. I have had numerous cases where staff/teachers were found not to have the qualifications they purported to hold.
3. Take up references and speak with referees. Often overlooked, but could save your school significant problems later.

There are numerous safer recruitment features, but these would be a good place to start. Consider an internal HR recruitment audit.

The information contained within this blog comprises a series of 112* word individual safeguarding posts, specifically tailored and adapted for Expatriate Communities and in particular the International Schools’ global community. In this context I am using the term 112 Safeguarding to mean ‘Emergency’ or ‘First Responder’ Safeguarding. Use the ‘search’ functions at the top or bottom of this page to look for specific topics of interest.

*112 being the International emergency service contact number from mobile phones and some landline phones. See link for global emergency contact details, including those where 112 can be used: Global 112 Usage