Child protection: policies, procedures and forms
Child protection policy
The revised Child Protection Policy for academic year 2023-2024 has been updated in March 2024 in line with changes/updates in statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023).
This document replaces the previous version from September 2023 and is operational from March 2024.
IMPORTANT – The sections highlighted in YELLOW throughout the policy are the changes made to the original model policy in line with the updates from Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023.
The sections highlighted in BLUE on the front page, section 4 and section 8 are the changes made in line with the updates from Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023.
You do not need to update the whole policy as these have already been personalised to your school settings – simply replace the definitions within the sections identified above with the new definitions highlighted in blue.
Annual/termly reports to the Governing Body on safeguarding children
Governing bodies, proprietors and management committees have a strategic leadership responsibility for their school or college’s safeguarding arrangements and must ensure that they comply with their duties under legislation. They must have regard for Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE) ensuring policies, procedures and training in their schools or colleges are effective and always comply with the law. Paragraph 78 KCSiE 2023
Sections 175 and 157 of the Education Act 2002 places a statutory duty on maintained and independent schools to make arrangements to ensure that in discharging their functions, they have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Governing bodies and proprietors should be aware of their obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010, (including the Public Sector Equality Duty), and their local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements, Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures manual.
This annual/termly report to governors/trustees is an account of the whole school’s safeguarding training schedule, an update on school policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children/young people, an update of the progress made since the last reporting period and submission of safeguarding policy and practice and clarifying the processes for the review and monitoring of safeguarding arrangements. It also summarises the number of individuals for whom early help support and child protection casework has been undertaken.
Annual safeguarding practice audit tools
Please read (as of April 2023) – All templates for Safeguarding Practice Audits for 2022-23 are being redeveloped, therefore some of the current uploads will be out of date. Please contact cpsloadmin@hertfordshire.gov.uk for guidance on the interim arrangements until the new templates are published.
The safeguarding practice audit tool has now been divided into a pool of documents to enable schools to focus on particular areas of safeguarding. Part One, Two, Five and Annex C are very key areas but of course schools and colleges need to ensure compliance with all aspects of KCSiE. The full pool of audits are in development, however please see below the audits that are ready for your use, the rest of the audits will available after half term.
Forthcoming
Annual safeguarding practice audit annex A – safeguarding information for school and college staff
Annual safeguarding practice audit annex D – online safety information and support
If you would like support or guidance during the audit please contact your school area CPSLO.
Chronology
Lord Laming noted the importance of a chronology in child protection in both the inquiries into the deaths of Victoria Climbié (2004) and baby Peter (2008). The report into the care and protection of children in Eilean Siar (2005) recommended that:
‘All of the agencies involved in protecting children must gather the information they have on individual children at risk into a chronology of key events and contacts, review it regularly and make sure that it is passed on to the professional with the lead role in protecting the child. The professional with lead role must co-ordinate this into a multi-agency chronology on a regular basis.’
Risk assessments
Guidance on the evaluation and management of child sexual behaviour, including RAMP
This guidance has been produced to provide educational establishments with:
- an awareness of age appropriate sexual behaviour
- guidance for evaluating inappropriate sexualised behaviour
- a framework for educational establishments to manage and review this behaviour
This guidance should support colleagues in using the RAMP (Risk Assessment Management Plan) for children who display sexually harmful behaviour, which can be found within this toolkit.
Adult risk assessment management plan (RAMP)
Safety and support plan
The safety and support plan is not a legal document and the process is not adversarial, it is a VOLUNTARY tool that the school can use to engage a child and their parents to identify any concerns and agree on support strategies that can be put in place to minimise any potential risk to a child / Young person.
MARAC
MARAC information sharing form
A resource to be used when schools are asked to provide a report as part of the MARAC process.
MARAC referral form
This needs to be sent securely to hertsMARAC@Herts.pnn.police.uk It is understood some schools may not use WinZip but similar encryption/secure email software such as Herts SFX. Please use the appropriate software your policy and procedures state.
Child protection conferences
Hertfordshire multi-agency child protection conference report
A multi-agency report is required for a Child Protection Conference.
Schools may choose to import their own school logo into this document. Reports must be shared with the chair of the conference and the family in advance of the meeting. Please note that the report template is to be used by all agencies presenting at a Child Protection Conference in Hertfordshire so please advise the Chair in advance if there is any information in this report that should not be shared with certain members at conference.
CPSLOs can assist DSPs with completion of reports if necessary. The e-mail address for schools to send their reports to is: Childprotection.unit@hertfordshire.gov.uk
CPSLOs can assist DSPs with completion of reports if necessary or see guidance / example report.