Dear Headteacher
Re: LSCB Request to complete and return the 2017-2018 Safeguarding Audit Toolkit
The Standards and Learning Effectiveness Service (SLES) have worked in partnership with the East Sussex Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and the Safeguarding Unit to update the Safeguarding Audit Toolkit for Schools and Colleges. All schools, academies, free schools and colleges are asked to return the audit, with a safeguarding action plan, by Friday 5th January 2018.
The purpose of the audit toolkit is to support schools with self-evaluation of safeguarding practice in order to ensure that all children are safe and provide evidence that safeguarding is compliant with statutory frameworks and is a priority within their establishment. From an LA perspective the returned audit provides valuable intelligence on strengths and areas for development across the county, as well as in individual schools. It has been developed and updated to align it with the following statutory guidance and inspection frameworks.
· Keeping Children Safe in Education (2016) Department for Education
· Working Together to Safeguard Children(2015) HM Government
· The Common Inspection Framework (September 2015) OFSTED
The audit tool has also been informed by results of local inspections and findings from serious case reviews.
All educational establishments have a legal responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
· Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 requires governing bodies of maintained schools and further education colleges to make arrangements to ensure that their functions are carried out with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
· Section 157 of the Education Act 2002 requires proprietors of independent schools (including academies, free schools and city technology colleges) to have arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
· The Non-Maintained Special Schools Regulations 1999 require governing bodies of non-maintained special schools to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Regular monitoring is essential to ensure that the educational establishment has strong policies, procedures and mechanisms in place to safeguard children and young people; it will also help the establishment to prepare for safeguarding aspects of inspections by Ofsted or other relevant inspectorates.
All schools and colleges are therefore requested to return their completed audit tool and action plan by e-mail to ESCC.
· The deadline for returning the audit is Friday 5th January 2018
· The email address to return the audit is
· All enquiries regarding the actual completion of the toolkit should be directed to Katharine Finnigan 01273 482901
(please note that Katharine works part –time hours, Tuesday-Fridays)
How will the returned toolkits be used?
The SLES safeguarding and intervention manager (Dion Page-Hammond) will be responsible for collating, analysing and reporting on the responses from all schools and colleges. The audits will provide essential county-wide intelligence on standards of safeguarding in schools and will therefore inform professional development and training programmes.
In addition, where schools identify particular concerns or areas of development, or where particular strengths are noted, Dion will work with senior managers in SLES to prioritise and follow up with schools on an individual basis.
We know this is a valuable tool for you to test and improve your safeguarding performance. Whether or not you completed the audit will form part of the information we provide to any inspectorate when we are contacted ahead of an inspection, as apart from any complaints or direct involvement with a safeguarding issue or review, this is often the only quality assurance information we hold.
Support for safeguarding in East Sussex schools
SLES offers a traded service – the Safeguarding Practice Review Service – to provide schools with a thorough and externally moderated view on standards of safeguarding provision, using the schools’ own audit as a starting point. To date, over 100 schools have accessed the service, it has been well received and promotes improved safeguarding practice.
Details of how to commission the Safeguarding Practice Review are available on the Services to Schools and Academies website:
http://czone.eastsussex.gov.uk/schoolmanagement/servicestoschools/pages/main.aspx
if you would like to discuss arranging a Safeguarding Practice Review in order to support the completion of your safeguarding audit toolkit, please email Dion Page-Hammond, SLES safeguarding support and intervention manager.
SLES also offers offer high quality whole school safeguarding training on a traded basis For further information on the training please contact Catherine Dooley.
We look forward to receiving your completed audit and action plan.
Yours sincerely
Stuart Gallimore
Director of Children’s Services
Reg Hooke
Independent Chair, Safeguarding Children Board
CC Chair of Governors
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