How to tackle identity-based bullying

scameron — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:00:57 +0100

What is identity-based bullying?

Sexual exploitation: a growing problem

scameron — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:01:11 +0000

Two recent reports - a serious case review by the Derby Safeguarding Children Board and Puppet on a String from the children's charity Barnardo's - raise serious questions about the sexual exploitation of children and young people.

How to deliver CPD on promoting e-safety for pupils

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:54:13 +0000

Every school feels a responsibility to its pupils and their parents regarding e-safety. This training session offers practical tips and advice on helping pupils keep themselves safe online and gives suggestions on how staff and parents can promote good practice

Rationale

Experience suggests that:

What the Munro review means for schools

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:26:17 +0000

The first report of the Munro review of child protection was published in October. Jenni Whitehead looks at the sections that are of particular relevance to schools

Social media - the risks and safety, a guide for schools part 1

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:17:40 +0000

With the proliferation of ‘next generation' Smartphones, portable tablet computers and gaming devices, it would seem that social media is here to stay. Indeed, every day seems to bring news of the latest celebrity ‘tweeting' controversy or viral video.

This two-part article will examine the phenomenon of social media, identifying the key legal issues for schools, pupils and parents.

Use of force: the need for greater clarity

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:06:39 +0100

The legal safety net designed to protect teachers and other school staff when using force against pupils has been brought out for yet another tweak, supposedly with the intention of affording greater protection. In this article I look at exactly what the current law and guidance allow you to do and the new proposed changes.

The Vetting and Barring Scheme: current obligations and future changes

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:07:26 +0100

Bursars and finance managers responsible for recruitment in schools will already be familiar with the need for recruitment procedures which give high priority to safeguarding. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (SVGA) set up the most stringent safeguarding requirement yet, the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS), applying to all forms of work with children and vulnerable adults.

Vulnerability to online grooming

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:22:30 +0100

I was asked recently to deliver a presentation on online grooming for sexual abuse. For this presentation I would usually use a combination of resources from CEOP and research from David Finkelhor. I have run this particular presentation a number of times and it has struck me that people tend to misunderstand my use of the word, ‘vulnerable' in the context of online grooming.

Child abuse images: the need for vigilance

scameron — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:41:59 +0100

An NSPCC research report has found that out of 100 cases of convictions relating to child abuse images between 2008 and 2010, 24 people were in a ‘position of trust' at the time of their arrest and out of these seven were employed by schools, some of them being teachers. This is a very small sample considering more than 10 times that number of people (1,402) were proceeded against or found guilty in cases involving indecent images of children in 2007.

Are you up-to-date with the latest developments in safeguarding?

scameron — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:38:49 +0100

What do the two consultations cover?
Actually, they are all linked to safeguarding and recruitment, but cover distinct areas.

Preparing your safeguarding procedures for Ofsted

scameron — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:49:02 +0100

There are two main causes of the anxiety caused by an impending Ofsted visit. Firstly the announcement that safeguarding is a ‘limiting’ judgement, which means that schools judged to be inadequate in this part of the inspection are also likely to be judged inadequate overall. Secondly, the number of stories surrounding schools’ experiences of early safeguarding inspections.

Record keeping for efficient child protection

scameron — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:33:21 +0100

At the time that you have to do it, record-keeping can be a real nuisance. You’re supposed to be back in class, there’s a queue waiting by your desk and you never got that coffee during break time. The last thing you want to consider is writing the incident down. However, there are two good reasons why you must.

Firstly, you have to. Evidence has played an increasing part in inspections and legislation requires the maintenance of certain statutory records. It just isn’t good enough to say what you did, you have to be able to prove it.

Are your school’s pupils safe online?

scameron — Wed, 19 May 2010 09:26:51 +0100

What are the key risks?

Pupils using the internet may be exposed to inappropriate material which they find distressing or embarrassing. They may also be made vulnerable by posting their personal information on the web. Children could be led into cyberbullying, anti-social behaviour or even criminal offences through their use of the internet.

What are schools’ legal duties?

Dealing with disclosure: practical guidance

jlee — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:36:58 +0100

The chances are that disclosure will take place at the most inopportune of times – just as the class is about to set off on a school trip, or on a Friday afternoon as the bell goes. Whatever the inconvenience, a disclosure cannot wait and must be dealt with immediately. Perhaps this is common sense but needs reiterating at intervals.

E-safety: is your school doing enough?

jlee — Fri, 07 May 2010 10:11:45 +0100

The schools that do the best job of keeping children safe while they are using the internet have a clear vision of what they are trying to do and a strategy that involves the whole school community, including governors.

That is the conclusion that Ofsted came to after carrying out a small-scale survey of 35 maintained schools in England as part of its response to the report of the Byron Review, Safer children in a digital world.

Working with parents when there are concerns for a child's safety

scameron — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:08:11 +0000

Parents are usually at the centre of child protection concerns. This can be very difficult for schools. The school is in a prime position to help identify abuse and alert social care where there are issues. However, it is also vital that they maintain a good working relationship with parents, if at all possible. Losing any links the school might have will not help ensure the safety of the child.

Staff training in child protection

scameron — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:42:47 +0000

There has never been a greater need for training in child protection. With Lord Laming’s report The Protection of Children in England (2009) came a heightened awareness of the importance of ensuring that staff in all areas of children’s services know how to recognise abuse and what to do when it happens.

The Independent Safeguarding Authority – the current position

scameron — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:54:35 +0100

With the ISA taking on greater responsibility for vetting and barring from 12 October 2009, the press has been full of comment and complaint about the far-reaching tentacles of this new regulatory body.

What is the Independent Safeguarding Authority?

The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) was created following the government’s adoption of the recommendations set out in the Bichard Report. The report stemmed from the inquiry into the tragic deaths of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham in 2002.

Baby P: lessons to be learned

scameron — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:10:40 +0100

Following the conviction of two men and a woman for causing or allowing the death of Baby P, the secretary of state for children, schools and families, Ed Balls, instructed Ofsted, along with the Healthcare Commission and the chief inspector of constabulary, to carry out an urgent review of services to children and young people in Haringey, with particular regard to safeguarding. This joint area review has since been published.

In a press statement given on 1 December 2008, Mr Balls said:

ContactPoint

scameron — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:06:14 +0100

ContactPoint is set to be introduced very soon. Since January 2009, important progress has been made. Seventeen early adopter local authorities in the north west of England, along with leading national charities Barnardo’s and KIDS, now have trained management teams in preparation for practitioners to start to use the system. Dai Durbridge looks at the reasons for the creation of ContactPoint and the impact it will have upon education.

What is ContactPoint?

Information sharing policy at schools

scameron — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:24:42 +0100

Following Lord Laming’s report The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report (published in March 2009), information sharing has been back on the child protection agenda. Of course, it never went away – correct information sharing is one of the cornerstones of good child protection practice and vital for efficient and effective multiagency working. In this issue of Legal Expertise, Dai Durbridge reviews the current guidance and considers how Lord Laming’s most recent report will impact upon a school’s information sharing duties.

Managing cases of students' emotional abuse

scameron — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:56:05 +0100

For the purpose of the child protection system, the Department of Health employs the following definition of emotional abuse:

Sexual relations with pupils over 16

scameron — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:19:08 +0100

Chris Keates, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), said recently that teachers should not face jail for having sex with pupils who are over the age of consent. Keates made the comment in an interview for the Tonight programme broadcast at the beginning of October. This comment was viewed as outrageous by the child protection community and a dangerous comment for a person in Keates’ position to make. Some organisations called for her resignation and broadsheet newspapers’ websites received scores of comments.

Multi-agency child protection: a case study

scameron — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:03:26 +0100

Jason is 14, nearly 15 and until a few weeks ago had been meeting an older man who he met on the internet.

School first raised concerns. Jason’s attendance was below 50%. The education social worker tried hard to engage with Jason, visiting him at home and occasionally managing to get him into school. However, Jason started leaving home before the social worker arrived and it was getting more difficult to catch him there.

Protecting students on work placements

scameron — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:26:36 +0100

Work placements are an important part of the 14-19 education and skills agenda, viewed by most as a key learning activity for young people, providing them with an opportunity to enrich their education. However, there is some confusion as to the steps required to ensure the placements are vetted in accordance with current guidance. Dai Durbridge seeks to clarify the position.

Are work placements regulated by law and supported by guidance?

Legal case notes: Care orders and young children

scameron — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:06:44 +0000

Re: M-H (a child)(care order) [2007] 3 FCR 319, CA

The facts
The mother, Miss M, had four children by different fathers. There were two older children, together with D aged seven and K aged three. None of the fathers, except Mr F, the father of D, played any meaningful part in the children’s lives.

Talking to parents about child protection

scameron — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:49:09 +0000

I have just finished running the first of this term’s two-day named persons’ course and on reflection I realised just how much concern there was about talking to parents about concerns of possible abuse. Some of the questions that came up are listed in the box below, right. The majority of participants on this course were brand-new named persons so it was important to address these very real concerns in detail and the debate that followed was really very useful and interesting in terms of the different views shared.

Legal case notes: Sexual abuse

scameron — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:29:24 +0000

Legal case notes: Re B (children)(sexual abuse: standard of proof) [2008] 2 FCR 339, House of Lords

Supporting children of prisoners within school

scameron — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:11:30 +0000

The prison population has increased to record levels and there are now estimated to be over 150,000 children with an imprisoned parent. Given these numbers, almost all school rolls will include prisoners’ children. Currently there is no designated adult within the school community to coordinate their support. Consequently it is likely that this task will fall within the brief of the SENCO.

Ashura and self-flagellation

scameron — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:00:25 +0000

August saw the start of a trial at Manchester Crown Court about young people being forced to take part in a Shi’a Muslim religious ceremony involving flagellation. It is alleged that two boys, aged 13 and 15, were forced to flog themselves with a whip called a zanjeer, which had chains and blades attached.

Flagellation is only one part of the Ashura ceremony and this article should not be read to suggest that all Shi’a Muslims see flagellation as essential. In the current case, the charges brought against the adult are two counts of child cruelty.

Female genital mutilation: what schools can do

scameron — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:00:01 +0000

Research from the female genital mutilation (FGM) charity Forward suggests that 20,000 girls may be at risk in the UK. The charity says that most FGM takes place at primary school age, with the average age being eight. Girls coming back to school this September may have been subjected to this horrific practice during their summer holidays abroad and Forward suggests that teachers are ideally placed to pick up on signs and symptoms

Legal case notes: Adoption and birth parents

scameron — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:20:57 +0000

Legal case notes: Re: L (Adoption: Contacting Natural Father) [2008] 1 FLR 1079, Munby J

The facts
L was born as the result of a brief relationship between her parents. The mother concealed her pregnancy from everyone, even the father, who was unaware of L’s existence. The mother attended hospital in labour, said that she wanted L to be adopted, left the hospital within two hours of the birth without seeing her, never saw her again, and refused even to receive photographs of her.

Dealing with forced marriage and 'honour'-based violence

scameron — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:38:25 +0000

A new report published by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee looks at domestic violence, including forced marriage and so called ‘honour’-based violence, and its effect on children. The report pulls together findings from the recent investigation into how local authorities are tackling these issues, particularly that of forced marriage.

The report calls for early intervention and prevention strategies and views schools as having a major role to play in early recognition and reporting and ongoing support of pupils at risk.

Definitions

Mobile families: points to remember

scameron — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:28:42 +0000

A family (some of whose details have been changed to protect anonymity) appeared at my school shortly after a holiday break. The mother had no birth certificates for the children and struggled to spell their names, although she was white English. She spoke with an out-of-area accent; her tone was insistent, as if she was in need of help and well used to demanding it. The two boys who accompanied her were docile. Each smiled, but neither spoke.

Educating sex offenders: a school's duty

scameron — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:37:18 +0000

There is much concern over sex offenders working in schools. But there are in fact more sex-offender pupils in schools than there are sex-offender adults. So head teachers must focus not only on safe recruitment, but also on the need to create a safe environment where they have pupils who are sex offenders in their school.

Advice on how to use necessary force with a pupil

scameron — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:28:29 +0000

Deciding how to use force

Passive intervention
If attempts to avoid the use of force or avert a difficult situation have failed, then the teacher or staff member may wish to attempt a passive intervention. For example, if two younger pupils are fighting, it may be that simply stepping between them will be enough to bring the situation to a halt.

Arson in school: what you need to know

scameron — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:18:26 +0000

With the summer holidays looming – and hopefully, for some of you, a well-deserved break – the one job you probably don’t want to be reminded about is checking your Fire Risk Assessments. However, it really is an appropriate time to do so, as the risk of arson is ever present and the disruption that can be caused by a summer holiday fire should not be underestimated.

Self-harm at primary schools: what you can do

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:21:36 +0000

Depending on the size and demographics of your school, you may encounter very few or several pupils who engage in deliberate self-harm (DSH) as a coping strategy and, less frequently, children who become so desperate that they consider or even attempt to take their own lives when life appears intolerable to them. Generally the role of schools needs to be considered within the comprehensive child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

Legal case notes: LA negligence in child protection cases

scameron — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:14:41 +0000

The facts
The claimant, 31 years old, was described as ‘a very disturbed man who has had serious mental health problems throughout his life’. He suffered from a borderline personality disorder with particular problems of anxiety and agoraphobia. He had had severe psychological problems in childhood, and required special schooling because of severe behavioural problems. In 1976, at the age of four months, he had been taken into care by the local authority because of significant loss of body weight and other symptoms of neglect.

Remembering child protection with older young people

scameron — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:30:59 +0000

Newcastle’s Safeguarding Children Board has recently published a serious case review in respect of a 16-year-old girl. To review the death of a young person of this age is an unusual step and this particular review highlights some of the dilemmas faced by professionals in respect of teenagers who are not quite old enough to be of concern to adult services. Child protection law defines a child as a person up to the age of 18 but there seems to be increasing difficulty in recognising the teenager as in need of child protection.

Giving looked after children more support

scameron — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:17:31 +0000

How worrying is this? There is one group of children who are five times less likely to achieve five good GCSE grades, nine times more likely to be excluded from school and six times less likely to enter higher education than their peers. Surely there should be outrage – a national enquiry at the least! But generally, there has been little publicity, as this group of children are perhaps the least likely to have anyone fighting their corner. They are the children in care.

Raise pupils' awareness of children's rights

scameron — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:17:39 +0000

What is ECPAT UK?

When can you use force to control and restrain a pupil?

scameron — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:36:27 +0000

THE DCSF introduced updated guidance in November 2007 on the use of force to control or restrain pupils. This guidance replaces DFES Circular 10/98. The guidance applies to all schools in England and Wales.

Understanding and preventing suicide in young people

scameron — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:54:40 +0000

In the aftermath of the suicides of young people in Bridgend, Wales, where 19 young people under the age of 27 have hanged themselves, a suicide prevention project is to be set up using nearly one million pounds of lottery funding. Quite separately, the Samaritans is in the early stages of developing a suicide and self-harm response kit for schools, and has opened a consultation process to which anyone with relevant experience can contribute.

Legal case notes: Interviewing children in court

scameron — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:23:59 +0000

Re: M (children)(interviewing children) [2008] 1 FCR 787

The facts
A local authority began care proceedings in respect of four children; twins (a boy and a girl) aged 12, a boy aged 10, and a boy aged six. During the course of the proceedings they were examined by a number of experts. The judge found that their father had been responsible for serious assaults on two of the boys, as a result of which both parents were charged with criminal offences of assault and cruelty.

Staff training material for child protection issues

scameron — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:55:01 +0000

The following case studies are offered to support in-house training or just to provide a topic for discussion in the staff room. They are all based on true cases but no names or details that could identify an actual person are given. These case studies are offered to promote open discussion and debate. No definite answers are given, but points to consider are provided to help staff think about how your school might manage such cases.

Case one: a teacher drinks with students

Dealing with fabricated or induced illnesses

scameron — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:43:47 +0000

Revised guidance on managing cases of fabricated illness has been published to bring previous guidance into line with Working Together to Safeguard Children: A Guide to Inter-agency Working to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children (HM Government 2006) and the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Department of Health et al, 2000).

Dealing effectively with cyberbullying

scameron — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:48:23 +0000

Bullying is always an emotive subject. It is getting worse according to the latest research conducted by Ofsted, as published in its report, Children on Bullying. One may argue whether this is a question of fact or whether greater publicity means it is talked about more. Regardless, school bullying already claims the lives of about 20 teenagers a year, while thousands more suffer physical and psychological torment. What is clear is that the emergence of cyberbullying means there is no longer any safe haven from its effects.

Child protection

How prevalent is child maltreatment in the UK?

New guidance on dealing with allegations of abuse agaiunst teachers and other staff