S175/157 audit report 2021/22 (Report August 2023)

Overview

This report evidence Devon schools’, further education colleges and settings’ compliance with statutory guidance under s.157/175 and the work of the Devon Education Services Safeguarding Team.

The purpose of the s.157/175 audit is to enable the Local Authority and the Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership (DSCP) to assure themselves that all education providers across Devon are discharging their statutory responsibilities as a minimum. The audit also contains questions around good practice and specific safeguarding topics where the Local Authority and/or DSCP are interested in gauging the level of knowledge and confidence for schools which will inform future training and support.

Executive summary

The key findings from this report as a result of the S175/157 audits, is that Devon schools across the board are familiar with and working within KCSiE guidance and other key legislation. 100% of Devon schools completed the audits and the feedback was Designated Safeguarding Leads found the audit helpful and useful as an auditing tool for their setting.

As expected, we have highlighted several different key areas that we want to develop further and will work alongside all of our schools across Devon to ensure they become areas to celebrate in next year’s audit and report. The main areas for development are;

• Ensuring all settings can consistently evidence all their staff drip feed training throughout the academic year.
• Ensure all settings have a clear understanding of the Devon Adolescent Safety Framework and the importance of the School Context element when identifying vulnerabilities to the school site and/or child on child abuse.
• Ensure all settings consider Online Safety checks for shortlisted candidates.
• Ensure all settings reference their Child Protection policy within job adverts.

This year’s S175 audit was tricky to gather following the transfer from Babcock to Devon County Council, due to IT issues. A number of settings did not receive the original email in October 2022 and the team was still chasing outstanding audits in the summer of 2023. This problem was escalated by a significant number of changes to schools ’ DSLs (so they didn’t know they had missed the email).

Due to this technical problem, there has been a delay in writing this report which was written in August 2023 rather than May 2023.

The S175 audit for 2022/2023 will revert back to:

• October 2023 – S175 Audit sent to schools.
• January 2024 – deadline
• May 2024 – Report published.

2.1. Headlines

• 69 Safeguarding Reviews undertaken:
  • 42% Maintained schools
  • 46% Academies
  • 12% Independent
• 100% of school staff undertake annual Safeguarding training.
• 100% of teachers are taught about their statutory requirement to report concerns regarding Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to the police.
• 91% of schools have a Ready for Anything policy in place.
• 100% of staff who have direct contact with children receive regular safeguarding training throughout the academic year.
• 100% of schools have a Child Protection policy in place that includes the schools procedures for dealing with children with SEND.
• 91% of schools have attended Child Protection meetings during the academic year.
• 70% of schools offer targeted support for Young Carers.
• 58% of schools could name their Early Help locality officer.
• 90% of schools use an electronic recording system for Safeguarding files.
• 391 Bullying, prejudice and Hate incidents (BPHI) forms were submitted to the Local Authority

Devon overview

Most schools across Devon are now academies. This has continued to increase over the last few years.

Most settings across Devon are part of a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) or Federation. We have seen a 2% increase in schools joining MATs or Federations in the last year which is the same increase as the previous year.

Summary of key roles

• 100% of settings have a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
• 100% of settings have a Designated Teacher for CiC.
• 100% of settings have Designated Teacher for Young Carers
• 100% of settings have a named SPOC for Channel / Prevent
• 100% of settings have a Senior Lead for Early Help
• 100% of settings have a Senior Lead for RSE.
• 100% of settings have a Key Adult for Operation Encompass.
• 100% of settings have a Designated Mental Health Lead.

Part One (A) – Safeguarding information for all staff

Question	Response	Compared to 2020/2021	Compared to 2019/2020	Compared to 2018/2019
1. Have all staff who have direct contact with children read at least Part 1 and Annex B of KCSiE 2022?	Yes – 100%	99%	99%
2. Do all staff who have direct contact with children understand that Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and understand their own role in Safeguarding children within your school? (KCSiE 2022 para: 2)	Yes – 100%
3. Have staff been provided with sufficient training to enable them to identify children who may benefit from Early Help? (KCSiE 2022 para.8)	Yes – 97%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 66%
4. Have ALL staff read and understood the following policies, procedures and guidance within the last 12 months.
School Child Protection Policy	Yes – 98%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 91%
School Behaviour Policy	Yes – 97%	Yes – 96%		–
Staff Behaviour or Code of Conduct Policy	Yes – 97%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	–
Safeguarding response to children who go missing from education (CME)	Yes – 84%	Yes – 82%	Yes – 74%	–
Whistleblowing policy	Yes – 96%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 98%	–
5. Are ALL staff aware of the safeguarding systems within your school; including who the DSL / DDSL is and how to report concerns? (KCSiE 2022 para:13)	Yes – 99%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%
6. Are new staff provided with Safeguarding information prior to 1st day of employment?	Yes – 98%
7. Are all staff provided with safeguarding training on the following topics (within the last 12 months):
Online Safety	Yes – 96%	–	–	–
4 Categories of abuse – Physical, Emotional, Sexual, Neglect	Yes – 96%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%
FGM and Honor Based violence	Yes – 91%	Yes – 99%	–	–
Prevent / Radicalisation	Yes – 95%	–	–	–
Domestic Abuse	Yes – 96%	–	–	–
Mental Health	Yes – 95%	Yes  – 100%	–	–
Adverse Childhood Experiences / Trauma	Yes – 93%	–	–	–
Exploitation – CSE, CCE, Gangs	Yes – 94%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 98%	–
Child on Child abuse	Yes – 96%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 94%
Harmful Sexual Behaviour	Yes – 96%	–	–	–
8. All staff know how to report concerns to Children’s Social Care (MASH)? (KCSiE 2022 para: 16)	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	–	–
9. Are ALL staff aware that children may not feel ready or know how to tell someone that they are being abused, exploited or neglected and / or they may not recognise their experiences as harmful. (KCSiE 2022 para: 19)	Yes – 99%	–	–	–
10. Are ALL staff who work directly with children aware that abuse, neglect and Safeguarding issues are rarely standalone events? (KCSiE 2022 para:22)	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 98%
11. Are ALL staff aware that Safeguarding incidents can happen outside of the family home ­ in the community and in school? (KCSiE 2022 para23)	Yes – 98%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 98%	Yes – 70%
12. Are ALL staff aware that technology is a significant component in many safeguarding and wellbeing issues? (KCSiE 2022 para: 24)	Yes – 99%	Yes – 100%	–	–
13. Are ALL staff aware that children can abuse other children and that it can happen both in school and outside of school? (KCSiE 2022 para: 31)	Yes – 100%	–	–	–
14. Are ALL staff clear that all behaviour of a sexual nature should be challenged and recorded and should not be dismissed as ‘Banter’ or ‘Just having a laugh’? (KCSiE 2022 para: 34)	Yes – 99%	–	–	–
15.Are ALL staff aware of indicators of poor Mental Health and how to identify children in need of extra support? (KCSiE 2022 para: 45­47)	Yes – 96%	Yes – 97%	–	–
16. Are you confident that all staff who have a concern about a child’s welfare, act on these concerns immediately? (KCSiE 2022 para: 52)	Yes – 99%	–	–	–
17. Is the DSL or someone in the Safeguarding Team always available to discuss safeguarding concerns? (KCSiE 2022 para: 55)	Yes – 100%	–	–	–
18. Are staff aware of the importance of early information sharing and how vital this is when trying to effectivity identify, and assess, concerns to ensure appropriate and timely allocation of support? (KCSiE 2022 para: 56)	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	–
19. Does the DSL ensure that all MASH enquiries are followed up if there is no notification of an outcome?	Yes – 100%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 85%
20. Has the DSL used escalation procedures including the Case Resolution Protocol for any cases?	Yes – 2% (69 settings)	Yes – 22%	Yes – 26%	–
21. Do you ensure that you hold robust safeguarding records for children and that they clearly show evidence of concerns, discussions, actions, decision making and outcomes? (KCSiE 2022 para: 68)	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes 97%
22. Are ALL staff confident with your Whistleblowing procedures including how to report ‘Low Level’ concerns? (KCSiE 2022 para: 71­76)	Yes – 97%	Yes – 99%	–	–

Review of Actions from 2020/2021

• Ensure schools are providing all staff with clear information on Child Missing in Education (CME) during induction. We have seen a 2% increase in schools who are providing information to their staff. There has been a big (national and local) push on attendance over the last 12 months, and moving forward to this should help to continue to increase number of staff who understand the term CME and their role.
• Ensure that all staff consistently receive safeguarding updates throughout the year which cover all safeguarding topics identified in KCSiE. We have seen an increase in schools providing regular drip feed training to all staff throughout the academic year. Some schools need to improve on their record keeping in relation to their ‘drip feed’ style training to ensure they can consistently evidence date of training for all the safeguarding topics named in KCSiE.
•  

  Ensure DSL’s are using the case resolution protocol to escalate concerns when appropriate. We have seen a significant decrease in the number of schools who have reported using the DSCP case resolution protocol. This will be a priority for the DES Safeguarding team next year.

Part One (B) – Safeguarding information for all staff

1.       Do you have any staff that DO NOT have direct contact with children? (KCSiE 2022 Annex A)	Yes – 59%
2.       Have all staff who DO NOT have direct contact with children read at least Annex A of KCSiE 2022?	Yes – 98%
3.       Have all staff who DO NOT have direct contact with children read your Child Protection Policy 2022?	Yes – 94%
4.       Do all staff who DO NOT have direct contact with children understand that Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and understand their own role in Safeguarding children within your school? (KCSiE 2022 para: 558)	Yes – 98%
5.       Do all staff who DO NOT have direct contact with children know the signs and indicators of abuse and neglect including exploitation and how this may present for children in your school? (KCSiE 2022 para: 561)	Yes – 98%
6.       Do all staff who DO NOT have direct contact with children have the attitude that ‘it could happen here’? (KCSiE 2022 para:572)	Yes – 99%

Identified actions:

• Ensure that all settings that have staff that do not have direct contact with children provide the staff with the following information on an annual basis:
  • KCSiE – Annex A
  • Settings Child Protection Policy
  • Staff training to include information on:
    • Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and their own role in keeping children safe.
    • Signs and indicators of abuse and neglect, including Exploitation.
    • The attitude that ‘it could happen here’

Part two – The management of safeguarding

Question	Response	Compared to 2020/2021	Compared to 2019/2020	Compared to 2018/2019
1.       Do your governing body have strategic leadership of safeguarding across your school and do they understand their legal requirements set out in KCSiE 2022?	Yes – 99%	–	–	–
2.       Do your governing body ensure that ALL governors and trustees receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training (including online safety) at induction?	Yes – 98%	–	–	–
3.       Are your governing body aware of their obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010?	Yes – 95%	–	–	–
4.       Does the governing body ensure that the school have an effective child protection policy which: a)       Is updated annually (as a minimum) b)       Is available on the school website c)       Reflects whole school approach to child-on-child abuse d)       Reflects school reporting systems e)       Refers to local agreed multi agency safeguarding arrangements f)        Signposts to other relevant policies and procedures	Yes – 100% Yes – 99% Yes – 100% Yes – 99% Yes – 100% Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%
5.       Where reasonably possible do you hold more than one emergency contact number for each child?	Yes – 99%	Yes – 89%	Yes – 89%	Yes – 91%
6.       Have the safeguarding team been involved in any of the following multi-agency working within the last 12 months? a)       Child Protection Conference (ICPC / RCPC) or Child Protection Core Group b)       Strategy meetings c)       Child in Need Meetings d)       Early Help – TAF meetings e)       Early Help – triage meetings f)        Safer Me meetings g)       Safer Me + meetings h)       Neighborhood context conference i)         Peer context conference j)         MARAC meeting k)       MACE meeting l)         Submitting police intel	Yes – 66% Yes – 75% Yes – 79% Yes – 91% Yes – 51% Yes – 13% Yes – 7% Yes – 8% Yes – 3% Yes – 14% Yes – 7% Yes – 27%	Yes – 91%   Yes – 84% Yes – 89% Yes – 97% Yes – 55% Yes – 21% Yes – 14% Yes – 13% Yes – 10% Yes- 36% Yes – 18% Yes – 48%	Yes – 89%   Yes – 80% Yes – 87% Yes – 96% Yes – 51% Yes – 19% Yes -16% Yes – 14% Yes – 9% Yes- 29% Yes – 16% Yes – 47%
7.       Are the safeguarding team proactive in sharing information as early as possible to help identify, assess and respond to risks or concerns about the safety and welfare of children?	Yes – 100%	–	–	–
8.       Are all staff aware that the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR do not prevent the sharing of information for the purposes of keeping children safe?	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 95%
9.       Does the DSL ensure that the Child Protection file of relevant children is transferred to the new education setting as soon as possible (within 5 days), ensuring secure transit and confirmation of receipt retained?	Yes – 99%	Yes – 100%	–	–
10.    Have children been taught about the following safeguarding topics within the last 12 months? a)       Body confidence and self esteem b)       Boundaries and Consent c)       Exploitation d)       FGM e)       Healthy Relationships f)        Online safety g)       Radicalisation h)       Sexual harassment & Sexual Violence i)         Stereotyping, prejudice and equality	Yes – 97% Yes – 96% Yes – 70% Yes – 31% Yes – 99% Yes – 99% Yes – 63% Yes – 68% Yes – 98%	–	–	–

Review of action 2020/2021

• Ensure schools are actively involved in Adolescent Safety Framework meetings. We have seen a drop in the number of schools reporting attending ASF meetings, despite an increase in meetings being held over the last 12 months. We believe the reported data has dropped due to schools having a better understanding of the individual meetings and historical data being false data (schools have misunderstood the question). We will continue to support education settings with their understanding of the ASF, however due to the change to CSC front door this may impact on the ASF moving forward.
• Ensure schools are undertaking School Context assessments and hosting School Context Conferences using the ASF (when appropriate). We have seen a decrease across the LA of schools undertaking School Context Audits and holding School Context Conferences.
• Ensure schools provide information to other agencies when requested – MACE / MARAC etc. This is an area that as a team we have noticed a decrease in schools providing information. There has been a change in the way some of the meetings are being held and due to staff changes there is often a short turnaround between information being requested and the meeting being held – often 24/48 hours. Therefore, very often schools are not seeing the emails in time to respond prior to the meetings. As a team, we would like to have a push on the purpose of the meetings to ensure the school has a sound understanding of the value of the meetings and use the school’s generic safeguarding email address to help ensure it is picked up in a timely manner.

Identified actions:

• Continue to develop schools ‘Safeguarding Team’ email address to ensure information from schools can be gathered in a timely manner.
• Ensure all schools have a sound understanding of the MACE and MARAC meetings and their role in information sharing.
• Continue to support schools in their understanding for the ASF and the purpose of the School Context Conference.

Part three – Safer recruitment

Question	Response	Compared to 2020/2021	Compared to 2019/2020	Compared to 2018/2019
1.       Do ALL job adverts make it clear to all candidates that safeguarding checks will be undertaken?	Yes – 99%	–	–	–
2.       Do you ensure that a copy of your child protection policy is referred to within your job advert – link to website or attached version?	Yes – 35%	–	–	–
3.       Do you ensure that all shortlisted candidates complete a self-declaration of their criminal record information that may make them unsuitable to work with children?	Yes – 96%	–	–	–
4.       Do you carry out online searches as part of due diligence for shortlisted candidates?	Yes – 72%	–	–	–
5.       Are two references sought for each employee including their most recent employer and can this be evidenced? Or, if the employee doesn’t have two references, do they have a risk assessment in place?	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 95%
6.       Do school ensure that they view the original DBS certificate but that the certificate should not be copied?	Yes – 100%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 99%
7.       Do you use the DBS update service for any employees	Yes – 47%	–	–	–
8.       Does the school maintain a single central record of pre-appointment checks which include (as a minimum) ·         Identity checks, ·         Barred list checks, ·         DBS checks, ·         Prohibition from teaching, ·         Further checks on people who have lived or worked outside the UK, ·         Professional qualification checks, ·         Right to work in the UK check	Yes – 100%	–	–	–
9.       Does the evidence within the SCR match that in a random sample of employee files?	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 96%
10.    Are copies of original ID documents and qualifications, where required, held on file?	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 97%
11.    Does the school use some form of risk assessment for long standing employees where there are missing documents on files such as references and medical checks?	Yes – 98%	Yes – 96%	Yes – 97%	Yes – 81%
12.    Do you ensure that you have written notification from an agency, or third-party organisation that they have carried out the checks on an individual who will be working at your school?	Yes – 100%	–	–	–
13.    Do you obtain written confirmation from any alternative provision providers that you use, that confirms all safeguarding checks have been undertaken for individuals working for them?	Yes – 100%	–	–	–
14.    Do you ensure that there are procedures in place to make a referral to the DBS if a person in regulated activity is dismissed or removed due to safeguarding concerns?	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 92%
15.    Do you ensure that someone training in safer recruitment is on every interview panel?	Yes – 100%	Yes – 100%	Yes – 99%	Yes – 81%

Review of actions from 2020/2021

Schools to ensure that they view the original DBS certificates but not make a copy. This is now 100% compliant across all schools.

Schools to ensure they use some form of risk assessment for long standing employees where there are missing documents on files such as references. We have seen a 2% increase in schools reporting the use of Risk Assessments for long standing employees with gaps in information.

Identified actions:

• All schools to ensure that a copy of your child protection policy is referred to within your job advert.

Part four – Devon specific questions

Question	Response
1.       Are your Safeguarding Team provided with regular supervision, mentoring or coaching support?	Yes – 72%
2.       Do you carry out an annual review of your approach to online safety?	Yes – 56%
3.       Have you attended DSCP Levels of Need training since the launch?	Yes – 36%
4.       Does your behaviour policy include action taken for children vaping on school site?	Yes – 25%
5.       Have you reported incidents of BPRI to the local authority?	Yes – 39%
6.       What resources do you use to teach your RSE curriculum within your school? a)       RSE Curriculum b)       Jigsaw c)       PSHE Association d)       Scarf e)       Other (or Own)	Yes – 2% Yes – 27% Yes – 12% Yes – 14% Yes – 45%
7.       What resources do you use to assess level of risk associated with children’s sexual behaviour? a)       Brook Traffic Light Toolb)       AIM – checklistc)       Hackett Continuumd)       Devon Level of Neede)       NSPCCf)        Other	Yes – 60%Yes – 2%Yes – 2%Yes – 7%Yes – 6%Yes – 8%None – 15%
8.       Have you undertaken any CPD / staff training around INCEL awareness?	Yes – 19%
9.       Are you aware of the term ‘incel’ ideology?	Yes – 70%
10.    Are you aware of the new DfE guidance ‘Working together to improve attendance’?	Yes – 96%
11.    Have you signed up to the DfE to share your daily attendance data – trial?	Yes – 36%
12.    Are you and your wider staff teams aware of the Adolescent Safety Framework (ASF) and how it can support families where the risk identified is contextual not familial?	Yes – 70%
13.    Have you undertaken a School Contextual Safeguarding Audit to help identify any contextual safeguarding risks for your school’s site including site security and child on child abuse?	Yes – 13%
14.    Are you involved in multiagency working out of school hours and school holidays? MASH, CiC meetings, ICPC /RCPC, Core groups, TAF meeting etc?	Yes – 86%

Identified actions:

• All schools to undertake an annual review of their Online Safety approach.
• All schools to ensure they have robust policies in place to tackle the use of Vapes.
• All schools to report all BPRI to the LA.

Conclusion

From data gathered during the Safeguarding audit it is clear that most areas have continued to increase the percentage of compliant schools, however we have noticed a slight dip in the number of schools who report their DSL is a member of SLT and staff training around Early Help. We have also noticed a slight increase in compliance regarding Safer Recruitment, including schools seeing original DBS certificates and not taking a copy, and risk assessments for gaps on the SCR for long-standing staff.

The feedback from DSLs continues to be positive and most settings see the value in completing the S175 audit and use it as a self-audit and to build their annual Safeguarding action plan.

It continues to be clear from feedback from schools that they value the support for the Devon Education Services Safeguarding team, including OMG’s Podcasts, Facebook page, newsletters, and mentoring/coaching.

It is evident from the audit that schools are confident and knowledgeable in their statutory requirements when it comes to safeguarding children in their setting.