The safety and security of students is one of the top priorities of educational staff. Schools are places of learning and growth and ensuring that they remain safe environments is crucial. Safeguarding in schools is key to ensuring students are protected and get the support they need in crisis situations. Safeguarding refers to the measures and protocols put in place to protect students and staff from harm, abuse, or neglect. It’s about creating a secure environment where everyone can thrive.
How can you make sure that your school takes all appropriate percussions and measures to protect students? A key way to ensure this is to invest in safeguarding staff in your organisation. This article will discuss the importance of safeguarding personnel and how you can ensure your school is up to speed with all appropriate regulations.
The Role of a Safeguarding Team
Having designated individuals to oversee and implement these safety measures within your school is crucial to ensure safeguarding is upheld to the highest standards.
These individuals are responsible to developing and implementing safeguarding policies, creating the guidelines and protocols to prevent and respond to incidents and concerns and make sure these procedures are regularly evaluated and updated. They are also responsible for the training of staff and students ensuring everyone are aware of the policies and know what to do if they have a concern.
Lastly having a designated safeguarding person in your school means that students and staff know who they should speak to in case of a concern.
Why Is A Safeguarding Team Important?
The presence of dedicated safeguarding personnel in schools is essential within any organisation but especially ones who work with children and young people who are more susceptible to harm.
By having a member of staff assigned to safeguarding you are proactively addressing potential risks and helping prevent incidents of harm. You are also creating a safe learning environment allowing your students to focus on their studies without fear, leading to better educational outcomes.
Having this focus helps to build trust and confidence with parents, students, and staff and helps to keep on top of legal safeguarding requirements.
Hire a Safeguarding Support Officer
Going about placing a designated safeguarding staff member can happen in a few different ways. You can choose to upskill an existing member of the team by placing them on a specific safeguarding training programme to help them get up to speed with the most up to date information and regulations.
You can also hire externally bringing in a person with existing safeguarding experience or one that is training within the field to take on the role.
To support schools, LMP Education have recently launched a brand-new Level 3 Safeguarding Support Officer apprenticeship perfect for helping your school upskill your team or bring in a new member of staff. This role also supports the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) on a day-to-day basis.
This funded training programme helps learners to become knowledgeable in multi-agency early help strategies, referral pathways and key legislation and processes to help prevent children, young people and adults with care and support needs being referred into safeguarding services.
Safeguarding personnel in schools are essential to creating a safe and supportive environment for students and staff. By implementing comprehensive safety measures and fostering a positive school culture, schools can protect against harm and ensure a nurturing environment for learning.
If you are interested in bringing in a new safeguarding support officer or upskilling a member of your team book a discovery call with a member of the LMP Education team today!
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