17 May 2016 weekly update

Dear Colleagues

Online Safety and the work of the KSCB Education Safeguarding Group

Developing our online safety policy, procedures and support for schools has been a priority for some time for the Education Safeguarding Group of the Kent Safeguarding Children’s Board.

Recently, there have been some worrying incidents in Kent schools where children have been talking to and exchanging pictures with strangers online. Picture and video chat websites and apps like Skype, Instagram YouNow, Omegle, Oovoo and others, allow children and young people to talk and exchange pictures on tablets, smartphones, and other internet enabled devices via webcams and cameras. Whilst talking online with known and trusted friends and family can be fun, children and young people sharing pictures and videos online may make them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. In one recent incident we have been made aware that a school shared sensitive information about a situation whereby children had been targeted online for sexual abuse. This information has subsequently been shared on social media and it has generated considerable distress to all of those involved and could also potentially compromise the police investigation.

Schools will want to take swift action to alert parents to such risks and to safeguard children, but can I please remind Headteachers and Designated Safeguarding Leads to seek advice about sharing information in this way, especially if there is a live police investigation. Sharing specific information about a particular incident, which could potentially identify the children, families and schools involved or alert offenders to a law enforcement investigation, could result in children being placed at greater risk of harm and may prevent appropriate criminal action from being taken. Ultimately this may result in a significant and long term impact on children, families and schools.

Can I please ask schools not to release into the public domain any details regarding online or offline safeguarding concerns (even if they have been shared with you from a known or trusted source) which could be detrimental to any children, families or schools involved or which could jeopardise a police investigation.

I would also like to draw attention to the following statement in the Kent Online Safety Policy (2016) which can be downloaded on Kelsi here.

Section 8. Responding to Online Incidents and Concerns: “If an incident of concern needs to be passed beyond the school then the concern will be escalated to the Education Safeguarding Team to communicate to other schools and settings in Kent.”

If any schools have concerns about online or offline safeguarding issues which you feel need to be shared with parents urgently, or with other schools and settings, then please speak with the Education Safeguarding Team for advice and guidance. Contacts details for the Education Safeguarding Team, along with guidance, template policies and procedures can be found here.

The Education Safeguarding Adviser (Online Protection) has template letters regarding a number of online safety concerns which schools can adapt and share with parents. Three examples are available below in order to assist schools with working with their communities:

• Generic awareness letter (DOC, 42.5 KB)
• Generic incident letter (DOC, 45.5 KB)
• Online exploitation letter template (DOC, 51.5 KB)

The KSCB Education Safeguarding Group provides a forum for schools, Early Help and Education services, including Early Years providers and the FE sector, to implement key aspects of the KSCB Business Plan, to monitor progress and effectiveness, and to raise awareness of critical issues for the safeguarding of children and young people. Headteacher representation on the Group is strong and both Independent school and FE College representatives provide a crucial link with these sectors.

Key Activities

During the last year there have been a number of priority issues on the agenda including Prevent, Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), e-Safety and Emotional Health and Wellbeing, with additional actions arising as a consequence of a range of new guidance published by the DfE.

These include revised editions of Working Together to Safeguard Children and the latest DfE consultation in February 2016 on proposed changes to the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education. Both these documents have been revised largely to include legislation that has been enacted since their original publication.

From October 2015, it has been a statutory duty for schools to report FGM and from July 2015, schools and settings have been subject to 'The Prevent Duty'. There has been a regular focus on the development and effectiveness of the Early Help and Preventative Service, with scrutiny of the performance framework, to ensure the service plays its part in supporting schools to keep children safe from neglect and harm.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015 clarifies that the guidance applies in its entirety to all schools, including independent schools, academies and free schools, who all have duties in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils, consistent with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

A summary of each of the documents, and changes where appropriate, have been made available to all schools and Early Years settings. All exemplar policies have been updated and have been publicised in the regular Education Safeguarding Newsletter to schools and made available to schools via the KELSI website.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

Child sexual exploitation is another priority following the Ofsted Thematic inspection of the local authority. Although awareness raising and reference to the procedures’ tool kit’ is part of DSL training for schools and settings, more attention in the year ahead needs to be given to this initiative and to ensuring more schools access the KSCB multi-agency training provided on CSE.

Advice regarding CSE can be accessed via the link below. Schools are recommended to access the CSE toolkit which helps identify levels of risk if there are concerns around CSE. Free online training about many safeguarding issues including CSE and FGM are available from the Kent Safeguarding Children Board.

Online Safety

The Kent Online Safety Strategy Group (a sub-group of the Education Safeguarding Group) considers and produces advice and a range of support materials for schools and Early Years settings. The Group comprises school staff, KCC Officers, Child Safeguarding Officers, staff in Libraries and Archives, Youth Offending, Kent Police and other children's workforce professionals. The strategy group supports the work of the Kent Online Safety Officer, to develop advice and guidance on online safety for schools, settings and professionals working with children and young people.

Online Safety training is either available for DSLs and EYDPs centrally or can be commissioned by individual schools, settings or collaborations. All online safety training includes the risk of online radicalisation (Prevent) and Online Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) as well as local and national guidance, resources and procedures. There has been a decline in attendance by DSLs on centralised online safety courses but bespoke training for schools and settings remains in demand and is an area of growth.

Schools and settings can also access a range of templates, guidance documents and suggested materials via the online safety section on Kelsi.

DSLs are encouraged to visit the Kent e-Safety blog to register to receive regular emails and updates when new local and national resources and materials are published.

Safeguarding Leads requiring advice, guidance, support and training can contact the Education Safeguarding Adviser (Online Protection) and e-Safety Development Officer, a new post created this year.

The KCC online safety policy document (which includes guidance for leaders and a template policy) for schools and educational settings is intended to ensure you have a cohesive online safety approach in line with national guidance and local procedures. This document is still acknowledged nationally as an example of best practice.

For more information about online safety please contact the KCC Online Safety Officer Rebecca.Avery@kent.gov.uk.

I hope this is helpful.

Patrick Leeson, Corporate Director Education and Young People’s Services