Governing bodies, proprietors and management committees have a strategic leadership responsibility for their school's safeguarding arrangements and must ensure that they comply with their duties under legislation. Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE, 2022) sets out that an individual on the governing body should take strategic leadership responsibility for the organisation's wider safeguarding arrangements.
We recommend that the link governor for safeguarding is familiar with Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE, 2022) and in particular the section entitled 'Part two: The management of safeguarding: The responsibility of governing bodies, proprietors and management committees'.
In this section
- Safeguarding training for Governors
- Termly ECC Safeguarding forums for Governors
- Templates
- Useful resources
- ESCB audit
Safeguarding training for Governors
Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE, 2022) sets out that all governors should undertake safeguarding and child protection training to enable them to provide appropriate strategic challenge, and that this training should be updated regularly.
We recommend that all governors, including the link governor for safeguarding, undertake Level 2 safeguarding training. Details on how to access Level 2 training, including a Level 2 training PowerPoint for governors, proprietors and management committees, can be found on the Education Safeguarding Training page.
Termly ECC Safeguarding forums for Governors
We run termly online safeguarding forums for the link governor for safeguarding. The forums provide important safeguarding updates and training and contribute to the regular training updates as recommend by Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE, 2022).
The forums take place online via Zoom upcoming dates for forums this academic year are:
- Tuesday 28 March 2023: 6pm - 7pm
- Tuesday 27 June 2023: 6pm – 7pm
The links to joint the meetings can be found within this document - Governor Safeguarding forums – Academic Year 2022 - 2023
Please find the recordings and presentations from the recent forums below:
Spring 2023 - the
recording can be accessed here
and the presentation can be accessed here
Autumn 2022 - the
recording can be accessed here
and the presentation can be accessed here
Summer 2022 - the
recording can be accessed here
and the presentation can be accessed here
Templates
Useful resources
- Governance handbook (DfE, 2020) – for academies, multi-academy trusts and maintained schools. Safeguarding and pupil welfare in section 6.8
ESCB audit
As part of the ESCB's strategic oversight of safeguarding arrangements across all organisations in Essex, relevant agencies are required to submit an audit to the ESCB every two years. The audit has been deferred for the past two academic years due to the pressures of COVID. However, all Education settings are now required to complete and return it this academic year. Please see Safeguarding Audit for Schools for more information.
