Information for Schools & Early Years Providers
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 and North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership recognise the valuable role of education and childcare settings in the safeguarding of children and young people in North Yorkshire:
As education and childcare settings have daily contact with most children and families, they are uniquely placed to identify concerns and, with partners as appropriate, address them early. Safeguarding professionals, including safeguarding partners and their delegates, should work closely with education and childcare settings to ensure information about children is shared effectively, risks of harm are correctly identified and understood, and children and families receive the services they need.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023
On this page you will find specific information and resources for education and childcare settings including:
- Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)
- Keeping Children Safe in Education
- School Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
- Practice Guidance and One Minute Guides for education and childcare settings
- Safeguarding Audits
- Training and events for education and childcare settings.
All other training, resources guidance and learning can be accessed in the professionals section of the website: NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)
Nothing is more important than children’s welfare. Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, stable, and loving home. Children who need help and protection deserve high quality and effective support. This requires individuals, agencies, and organisations to be clear about their own and each other’s roles and responsibilities, and how they work together.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 (Working Together) is a multi-agency statutory guidance that sets out expectations for the systems, processes and ways people work together to help, support and protect children and their families.
NYSCP have summarised all the key information in relation to the updated Working Together document onto one handy webpage which can be accessed here: NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
Education professionals , volunteers and early years practitioners can keep up to date on the progress of the implementation of changes via the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (NYSCP) business unit. Any updates will be shared with partners via the monthly NYSCP e-bulletin which can be accessed here NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk) and via this webpage.
A learning event has been scheduled on 4th December 2024 for all partners to attend, where all updates in relation to Working Together will be shared. This event will be delivered by the business unit, alongside statutory partners and relevant agencies to highlight the changes for all organisations. This event can be booked here: North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (NYSCP) Developments in Safeguarding Masterclass Webinars – December 2024 | NYES Info
Keeping Children Safe in Education
Keeping children safe in education – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) – September 2024
School Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
School settings: NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
Early Years: NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
Practice Guidance and One Minute Guides for Education Settings:
Operation Divan School Guidance
Please note all Practice Guidance and One Minute Guides can be accessed here: NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
Safeguarding Audits
School Safeguarding Audits
The biennial mandatory NSYCP school safeguarding audit arrangements relates to all schools across North Yorkshire including maintained, academies, free and independent schools.
Education providers, including multi-academy trusts, have a responsibility to play their full part in local safeguarding arrangements, including where their footprint extends across several local authority areas. This includes, but should not be limited to, responding to safeguarding audits of quality and compliance, as requested by the local authority and/or local safeguarding partners. (Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 p.34)
The safeguarding audit is a mechanism for schools to undertake a self-assessment of their safeguarding arrangements and identify areas for development and produce an action plan.
The findings from the 2022-2023 audit can be accessed here:
Work for the 2024-2025 audit tool is underway and will be shared with schools in Autumn 2024.
Childminders and Early Years Self Assessment Audits
Whereas schools are required to complete a mandatory safeguarding audit, this is not the case for childminders and early years providers. However, we would recommend completing a self assessment audit for your own records and piece of mind, to ensure you are complying with all safeguarding requirements. NYSCP have put together the below audit tools for you to download and complete at regular intervals.
Childminder Self Assessment Audit Tool – Updated 2023
Early Years Settings Self Assessment Audit Tool – Updated 2023
Training and Events:
Guidance for Designated Safeguarding Leads
North Yorkshire Education Service have produced guidance on North Yorkshire Council: Safeguarding Children Training, this details what courses would be advised for those colleagues who are new to the role of Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) and what courses to undertake for refresher sessions.
School Designated Safeguarding Leads Network Meetings
The NYSCP School Designated Safeguarding Leads Network Webinars are open to all North Yorkshire School in North Yorkshire. Morning and afternoon sessions are available every term – please only select AM or PM session.
>> Book your places <<
Access to resources from previous sessions can be found here: NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
Early Years
Early Years Learning Events:
NYSCP hold specific Learning Events for Early Years every six months, the next event will take place on 16th October 19:00 – 21:00.
>> Book your places <<
School Improvement Safeguarding Team Training Programme 2024 – 2025
North Yorkshire Council’s School Improvement Service have put together a schedule of their upcoming training session’s for the 2024 – 2025 academic year, this can be found here.
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