Governance Today Summer 2021

An opportunity to return to pre-COVID-19 monitoring and evaluation activities “ RESUMING SCHOOL VISITS, THE ROLE OF THE SAFEGUARDING GOVERNOR With the progress of the Government’s ‘road map’ alongside how schools have welcomed learners back, many schools and settings are beginning the process of inviting visitors including governors, trustees and other volunteers to the school site. An immediate question the Safeguarding Team is being asked relates to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Many of you will be familiar with the fact that there is a statement within Keeping Children Safe in Education referring to a three month break in service requiring a new DBS check. This statement is true for employees (staff) who have left and then re-joined (excluding sick leave and maternity cover). Currently, there is no requirement for a new check to be made for volunteers, including governors and trustees. However, as ever, it remains for individual schools to decide on their process or how this might apply to individual volunteers as part of any risk assessment process. The Safeguarding Team at Babcock advise that, as any volunteers working within the school return to classrooms, they are asked to read and confirm they have understood the documents they will have received at their induction. These will include the following as a minimum, although your setting may well require volunteers to read and abide by additional documents: • Keeping Children Safe in Education part one and annex A • The schools code of conduct including acceptable use of technology • The schools current safeguarding policy. Many safeguarding lead governors and trustees have maintained regular virtual contact with the school Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), or those within the wider school safeguarding team. This has enabled a good number of governing boards to receive feedback on safeguarding activity and appropriate information for both COVID-19 related, and non-COVID-19 related activity during the past year. For many this has included how those children not attending school during lockdown were kept in touch with or, where required, additional support - including support via the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) has continued. Boards should also have received information about how virtual learning has been used safely, by both staff and children, as well as how staff have received ongoing training and development. • As we start to consider a physical return to school through visits, many safeguarding governors and trustees are mindful that this will provide an opportunity to return to pre-COVID-19 monitoring and evaluation activities. Where schools are anticipating an Ofsted inspection within the next 12 months, this will be a great opportunity to support and confirm with leaders their view that safeguarding is effective and robust. I hope, therefore, working within current and evolving COVID-19 restrictions and Health and Safety risk assessments, the following items suggest points for reflection, rather than being viewed as a to-do list! Great opportunity to support and confirmwith leaders their view that safeguarding is effective and robust “ 8 Governance Today How have DSL’s maintained and developed staff training during the last 12 months, including measuring or assessing the impact of this training on those who receive it? “