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19/05/2025 - forward planning for Autumn term 2025 Online Safeguarding Essentials – Online Sexual Abuse and Harms - LGfL course for DSLs
FREE Online courses run by LGfL on this important topic are now open for booking for 18th September or 12th November 20205 (both 9:00am - 12:00pm)
Online Safeguarding Essentials – Online Sexual Abuse and Harms
Overview
This course begins with an Introduction to Sexual Abuse from the CEOP Education programme delivered by a CEOP Ambassador, taking a deep dive into selected classroom resources. It will help you shape best practice in this area and also include a high-level introduction to the LGfL DigiSafe tools.
• Online child sexual abuse overview and statistics
• Nude image sharing, livestreaming and life online
• Reporting and responding to concerns
• Time to explore (and even take part in) new CEOP curriculum resources
• DigiSafe provision to support your whole school approach
What will I learn?
Attendees will be equipped with resources and information so that back at school they can:
• hold an awareness raising session for all staff
• review and implement policies and procedures to educate and protect children
• implement cross-curricular activities and lessons for pupils
• promote parental engagement to empower parents and carers
https://lgfl.bookinglive.com/book/add/p/6?utm_campaign=SafeguardED&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_sq8crrAHh9ru9RLxFRDg01dEgiNGtYSX-uCKddOVM1Z0ovvsHnkIoUlqYgm5eJTepg2tNyPeNpcW_w2tll2ifQmywYw&_hsmi=361000334&utm_content=361000334&utm_source=hs_email
Links & Downloads
12/05/2025 Useful contacts from Southwark inclusion and early help
After attending the Southwark attendance and inclusion afternoon on 30th April 2025, there were a couple of contacts that are worth knowing about
- Emma Geiringer - Safeguarding in Schools Lead - describes her role as the bridge between school and the LA for safeguarding - she is a social worker. SHe can signpost resources, come into school and offer advice emma.geiringer@southwark.gov.uk
- Beth Gilbey - Southwark Parenting Team - they get very few referrals from schools (surprisingly) so there is scope for more. Beth.Gilbey@southwark.gov.uk
Links & Downloads
12/05/2025 Alternative Provision checklist
Thank you to Gary for condensing the new guidance from the DfE (March 2025) about Alternative Provision and safeguarding. This gives details of the main school's responsibility if a pupil transfers to any AP for a period of time
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alternative-provision
If you are currently using Alternative Provision of any kind please read this through
Links & Downloads
UPDATED 07/05/2025 Safeguarding summary of audits Spring 2025
These are the general points for improvement across all our schools from the spring term safeguarding audits. We will go over these in the DSL meetings so everyone is clear.
At school level these are the key elements to be working on
- Ensure that any CPOMS recording highlights school actions clearly, that those actions have been completed and that a note of when that action was completed and by whom is also noted
- Any minutes from social care, core groups, conferences etc are put onto CPOMS. If these are not forthcoming, then schools must ensure they are taking their own notes at these meetings, so there is a clear record of school actions.
- Ensure that your filtering and monitoring checks are done at least once this summer term - your IT managed service partner should be doing this with you (if not for you), it is literally just a spot check it is working.
At central level:
- We are centralising due diligence records for AP use. Thanks to DHJS for completing the paperwork for The Complete Works. If you are using AP currently, you should have due diligence paperwork. Please send over a copy to either Lucy or Gary so we can collate this resource. Please note you MUST still carry out your own due diligence checks over time, the paperwork collated will be a starting point.
- Once the positive handling national consultation has finished - the positive handling policy will be updated
- Confirm that 3rd party contractors provide safeguarding update training on a yearly basis.
For info: Having checked in with CPOMS directly, low level concerns about staff cannot be recorded unless we buy a separate module - you need to have your own, confidential, way of recording these issues.
UPDATES following DSL meeting 7th May 2025
Emma Geiringer @ Southwark. Emma has a role newly created called Safeguarding in Schools Lead. She describes it as the bridge between schools and the LA. SHe can give adive, signpost to resources and come in to talk to colleagues. Her team also run online webinars for schools and parents every half term.
Emma.Geiringer@southwark.gov.uk
Links & Downloads
Generative AI and data protection in schools - safeguarding 17/03/2025
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) and data protection in schools
At the end of March 2025, the DfE published updated guidance to help schools understand:
- how to protect personal data when using generative AI
- data protection legislation in relation to generative AI
- the risks and biases of AI to personal data
The generative AI tools you use must comply with data protection legislation and your school’s data protection notice.
To protect data when using generative AI tools, you should:
- seek advice from your data protection officer or IT lead
- check whether you are using an open or closed generative AI tool
- ensure there is no identifiable information included in what you put into open generative AI tools
- acknowledge or reference the use of generative AI in your work
- fact-check results to make sure the information is accurate
To read the guidance, go to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/data-protection-in-schools/generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-and-data-protection-in-schools
Links & Downloads
Safeguarding Question of the week
19/05/2025 Safeguarding question of the week
Question of the Week: A parent tells you their child is ‘making things up’ about home life. How do you respond?
Answer: If a parent tells you their child is ‘making things up’ about home life, remain calm and professional. Do not ask what the child has said or agree with the parent. Acknowledge their concern and explain that you are required to pass on any comments that might relate to a child’s wellbeing. Do not explore further. Record the conversation factually and alert the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) without delay.
Stay calm and professional
Avoid reacting emotionally. Keep a neutral tone and body language.
Do not ask what the child has said
You are not investigating. Do not try to clarify or explore the details.
Avoid agreeing, disagreeing, or reassuring
Phrases like “I’m sure it’s nothing” or “Children do that sometimes” must be avoided.
Acknowledge without judgement
Say: “Thank you for letting me know. I’m going to pass this on to our Designated Safeguarding Lead, as we are required to share any comments that might relate to a child’s wellbeing.”
Record factually and promptly
Use direct quotes where possible. Stick to what was said — not what you think it might mean.
Alert the DSL immediately
Log the concern. Do not delay.
Safeguarding questions of the week 5th May 2025
What’s the most powerful thing an adult in school can say to a child to help them feel safe and supported?
The aim of this questions is to:
- Shift focus from policy to daily practice
- Encourage empathy and child-centred thinking
- Promote consistent, safe messaging across staff
- Spark practical reflection and real-world application
- Reinforce that every adult plays a safeguarding role
Safeguarding question of the week 28/04/2025
This week's question is about responding to incidences of harmful sexual behaviour between pupils
How should staff respond if they witness or are made aware of harmful sexual behaviour between pupils, even if the pupils involved say it was just a joke?
Even when pupils describe inappropriate sexualised comments, gestures, or physical actions as “banter” or “a joke,” staff must not dismiss or downplay the behaviour.
These incidents could be signs of harmful sexual behaviour (HSB), and must be treated seriously, following school safeguarding procedures.
Staff should:
- Respond calmly and sensitively.
- Reassure the child that they were right to speak up.
- Record factually what was said or observed (no interpretation).
- Report to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) immediately.
It’s essential that schools create a culture where children understand boundaries and that all inappropriate behaviour is challenged consistently.
Safeguarding Question of the Week 21/04/25
As we start the new and final term of the academic year:
What is one thing we could change as a school this term to strengthen our safeguarding culture; and what might that look like?
For example, one practical starting point could be:
Introduce regular safeguarding-focused reflective prompts into team meetings, briefings, and staff communications.
For example:
- “What’s one thing you’ve noticed this week that made you pause, even slightly, about a child’s wellbeing?”
- “Is there a student or situation you’re holding in mind at the moment?”
- “How are we modelling safe, trusted adult behaviours today?”
Other examples might include:
Refresh the displays of safeguarding information around school so that it stands out and doesn’t just become ‘wallpaper’
Be ready to ask a ‘professionally-curious’ question like:
- I’ve noticed you’ve seemed a bit different lately — is there anything going on that you want to talk about?
- Who do you talk to when things feel tough — is there someone in or out of school?
Safeguarding question of the week 31/03/2025
If a child tells you something concerning about another pupil but asks you to ‘promise not to tell,’ how should you handle it?
Answer: Even if the child is sharing a concern about someone else, you should never promise to keep it a secret. The fact that the concern is about another child does slightly shift the emphasis, but not the core principles. You might say: “Thank you for telling me. I can’t promise to keep it a secret, because I might need to share it with someone who can help. But I’ll only tell the people who need to know.”
Key points:
- Reassure the child that they’ve done the right thing by speaking up.
- Avoid pressing for more information or asking leading questions.
- Be clear that your role is to help keep everyone safe—not to keep secrets.
- Record what was said accurately (which will include noting the exact words the young person used) and report it to your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) - don't wait!
- Whether the concern is about themselves or another pupil, your role is always to listen, reassure, and report.
Safeguarding question of the week 24/03/2025
This comes from an article authored by The Council of International Schools (1 May 2024)
What are Deep Fakes?
A deepfake is an image, video, audio file, or GIF that has been manipulated by a computer to use someone’s face, body or voice artificially. This could be done with or without the subject’s consent.
- Research from UNICEF in 2021 found that one in five girls and one in thirteen boys globally have been sexually exploited or abused by the age of 18, with technology featuring in almost all cases.
- Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the number of “deep fake” images on the web, growing from roughly 14,000 to 145,000 from 2019 to 2021.
- According to a Sentinel report, the majority of “deep fake” (96%) non-consensual pornographic images, 90% of which were targeted at women.
Recent (2023) international examples of how AI generated deep fakes are a safeguarding issue:
- El Pais reported a story from Spain where dozens of girls reported their deep-faked AI-generated nude photos being circulated in their community.
- Teenage boys at a high school in New Jersey targeted their female peers in the same way,
- A school in Rio de Janeiro, reported students creating and sharing deepfake pornographic images of around 20 of their classmates.
- A teacher in Texas was targeted by a student who digitally created fake revealing photos of her, then shared the explicit images online.
- High school students in New York City made a deepfake video of their Principal shouting racist slurs and threatening students of color.
Safeguarding question of the week 17/03/2025
This week's question is in the theme of Generative AI - it is designed to be a talking point in a briefing or staff meetingWhat do these terms means in the context of AI, and why might each of these ideas pose a risk to children and young people?
- Deep fake (see page 8 of the report)
- Hallucination (see page 7 blue box)
- Anthropomorphism (see page 13 of the report)
These words have been taken from the NSPCC report 'Viewing generative AI and children's safety in the round' (January 2025)
Files and documents
Key contacts
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