Coronavirus: Schools told to update child protection policies

New guidance released by the Department for Education states that while all schools are required by law to have a child protection policy in place “it is likely that the policy will not accurately reflect new arrangements in response to Covid-19”.

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However, schools have been told that writing an annex or addendum summarising any key changes made due to the outbreak of coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, “might be more effective than re-writing and re-issuing the whole policy.”

Revised policies must reflect certain key issues, the government has said, including updated advice from local authorities about children with education, health and care (EHC) plans or from children’s social care.

Schools must also update policies surrounding what staff and volunteers should do if they are concerned about a child and arrangements for designated safeguarding leads (DSL) and their deputies.

On 16 March, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced schools would close to all pupils except the children of key workers, including NHS staff and social workers, and vulnerable children, including looked-after children, children in need and those with an EHC plan.

Revised child protection policies should reflect how schools will “support children the school or college are concerned about who do not meet the ‘vulnerable’ definition” and detail “what arrangements are in place to keep children not physically attending the school or college safe, especially online and how concerns about these children should be progressed.”

New guidance also lays out expectations for DSLs and deputies in the event of reduced staffing due to sickness or self-isolation.

Ideally, all schools should have an appointed DSL or deputy on site, however, DfE accepts this may not be possible and instead advises that a trained DSL or deputy from the school or college should be available to be contacted via phone or online video or suggests schools share trained DSLs or deputies with other settings who can also be contacted virtually.

Guidance states that all staff and volunteers should be made aware of the DSL or deputy each day.

The government accepts that training and refresher courses may not be running during the pandemic and states: “For the period Covid-19 measures are in place, a DSL (or deputy) who has been trained will continue to be classed as a trained DSL (or deputy) even if they miss their refresher training.”

The guidance also highlights the importance of safeguarding for children working at home online after charities raised concerns over the threat of increased online abuse.