SEND and Safeguarding: Top Tips for Working Together

This blog is based on Judicium’s Safeguarding ‘Sofa Session’ from the 22nd of November, with our resident experts Helen King and Rik Chilvers. This session focused on how SEND and safeguarding overlap, the training that should be offered to staff in relation to SEND and safeguarding, and our top tips on how to ensure these two areas work collaboratively.

Poll 1

*Correct answer: 18

Poll 2

*Correct answer: 11

It is often the case that schools drive requests for EHC Needs Assessments. When making applications for these, you need to be mindful of other professionals that should be involved.

The Code of Practice is clear that, if education "believes there are signs of safeguarding or welfare issues", social care should be involved. As you're likely aware, the Code sets out the section of an EHCP:

• Section D covers a child's 'social care needs which relate to their SEND'
• Section H covers social care provision.

If schools are the lead practitioner, it's vital that the DSL and the SENDCO collaborate to ensure necessary provision is detailed in these sections.

An interesting crossover between SEND and safeguarding is the need, under the Code of Practice, to prepare children for adulthood. Where there are known issues around safeguarding for an individual, the work you do will need to bear this in mind. Young people can have their Education Health and Care plan until the age of 25. Where safeguarding issues occur for someone over 18 with an EHCP, they will be dealt with by the adult safeguarding team alongside the Local Authority’s safeguarding colleagues.

How Send and Safeguarding Overlap

In this section we are going to discuss the relationship between the SENDCO and the DSL along with the specific areas of risk that overlap.

What does a DSL require from the SENDCO?

• Insight into the additional needs or potential needs of students
• How their needs may intersect with areas of risk or ability to assess risk.
• The support that may be available via early help for those with SEND.
• The additional professionals who may be involved with the child who should be invited to professional meetings.
• The relationships that the SENDCO (or their team) may have fostered with some families that would better facilitate supportive dialogue.

Top Tips to Takeaway:

1. Shared oversight of data and systems.

• This may seem obvious for some, but we still visit a number of schools where this may be siloed and there is no statutory requirement for overlap here.
• If you have an electronic record-keeping system, it is a powerful tool for both the DSL and the SENDCO for visibility and sharing information and decision-making, particularly the equivalent of the action function and linking in members of staff.
• Key questions to consider:
  • Does your SENDCO have top level access to the safeguarding records? If they don’t, why not?
  • Do they need to be advanced safeguarding trained?
  • What categories or tags are set up on your system?
  • Can you analyse the incidents for SEND students both K and those with EHCPs.
  • Can you use the action function to ask for input from the relevant member of staff?

2. Joined-up thinking

• Most schools we work with now will have a regular pastoral meeting or safeguarding meeting to review cases and to think strategically about the support for the child.
• Key questions to consider:
  • Are the SENDCO and the DSL both present at this?
  • Who else is at the table that can support with the holistic picture?
  • For external agency meetings, are the SENDCO and DSL both invited when it is for a child with SEND? Is an input opportunity provided?

3. Profession Challenge

• An area DSLs may sometimes feel less confident in is professional challenge when it comes to the needs of students with SEND.
• For example, KCSIE states that the barriers that can exist when recognising abuse and neglect in this group of children can include assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the child’s condition without further exploration.
• The SEND Code of Practice emphasises the importance of the role of parents in decision making and involvement in support for their child.
  • These two are not at all technically at odds with each other but in practice if the SENDCO works closely with families and the SEND Code of Practice is clear that the school should try to positively resolve disagreements with parents then the DSL may need to support them at times with professional challenge when it comes to indicators of possible abuse being linked to their condition without further exploration.
• The relationship between the DSL and SENDCO being of mutual respect but with professional challenge should foster quality safeguarding and SEND provision.

4. Ofsted

• SEND and safeguarding will be looked at by Ofsted and considered as part of the overall judgement.
• There are areas that the DSL and the SENDCO will be leading on independently, but the following should be considered together:
  • Students with SEND can access the safeguarding curriculum
  • Incidents of discrimination against protected characteristics are analysed to consider the prevalence of such incidents for SEND students and appropriate action is then taken.
• KCSIE explains SEND students are three times more likely to be abused than their peers when it comes to sexual violence and harassment. Has the SENDCO and DSL analysed this data to consider this for your setting and put in place appropriate action.
• Where students with SEND are open to multi-agency plans, what input does the SENDCO have and how does the school support them academically?

Areas of Risk

There are a number of specific areas of risk that SENDCOs and DSLs need to be mindful of.

• DSLs will know the importance of maintaining an accurate Single Central Record. NB: If you are using TAs from an agency, you need to make sure they are recorded on the SCR - even if they are with you for one day - and that you have received the necessary vetting document from their agency.
• We've touched on the importance of children with SEND being able to access the safeguarding curriculum. There are other instances where curriculum, safeguarding and SEND overlap such as when children are at Alternative Provision settings or you're considering a reduced/part-time timetable.
  • Reduced timetables should only be used temporarily when they're in the best interests of a child and there's a specific need.
  • Joined up thinking between the SENDCO and the DSL will be vital here to ensure that the child's welfare is not put at risk by reducing the amount of time they are in school.
  • If a child has an EHCP, it's important to contact and consult with your LA before putting them on a reduced timetable.
• When it is necessary for a child to attend Alternative Provision, it's important you're assured the provider has appropriate safeguarding measures in place. NB: It’s important to remember you continue to be responsible for the safeguarding of the child. Additionally, the needs of the child need to be met by the AP provider so consider the curriculum and how SEND information is shared.
• Children with SEND are likely to have an increased vulnerability to abuse or may be unable to let someone know when something isn't right. This may be because they have communication needs, because they do not understand that what is happening to them is abuse or because their need isolates them from others or makes them dependent on adults. This includes child-on-child abuse such as bullying, so DSLs and SENDCOS supporting children with all levels of need must keep this in mind.
• There is of course a significant overlap between children who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health and those who are a safeguarding concern.
  • We know schools are witnessing a rise in the number of children whose attendance is a concern because of their mental health needs and will therefore also have safeguarding concerns.
  • In this case, we would expect schools to be working with external professionals such as social workers, youth workers and Educational Psychologists (to name a few) to work towards children attending school fulltime.
• Above all, it's important you take a holistic view to safeguarding and SEND. Consider how you can work with colleagues who have responsibility for behaviour, attendance and pastoral. The key quality is for everyone to have 'professional curiosity' to enable early identification of SEND and safeguarding needs.

What Training Should be Offered to Staff in Relation to SEND and Safeguarding?

Meeting the needs of children requires training your staff.

We've mentioned how SENDCOs should consider receiving Advanced Safeguarding training but you may well extend this to Deputy SENDCOs, your Senior Mental Health Lead and pastoral leads.

For SENDCOs, you need to think carefully about what training your agency staff need. You might consider preparing a short piece of training that is required before they can start work in your school. This could cover key safeguarding procedures in your school, a refresher on particularly relevant areas of KCSIE and appropriate details about key students they may be working with.

NB: Although the agency will have assured you their staff have read Part One and Annex B of KCSIE, it's still worth recapping this with them.

An area the DSL should consider is how those with SEND access the safeguarding elements of the curriculum, including online safety, PSHE including radicalisation, and relationships or sex education.

Some key questions to ask:

• Has the DSL conducted learning walks of these elements of the curriculum?
• Have they done this with the SENDCO to look at the access for certain students?
• For students in special settings how are they empowered to raise concerns, particularly for non-verbal students? What aids are in place to support them.

Top Tips to Takeaway

1. Consider risk assessments for children where reasonable force has been used more frequently and how safeguarding risks to the child and adults are considered,

2. SENDCOs should consider involving safeguarding colleagues in any Team Around the School or Multi-Agency Planning meetings.

3. Consider compiling together risk assessments for children with SEND who have exhibited harmful sexual behaviour that may be at risk of escalating.

4. Consider how students with SEND are able to provide meaningful student voice, particularly for those who are non-verbal or have high dependency on staff members.
   • Children with SEND might attempt to disclose abuse through challenging behaviour so be proactive with equipping them with effective and appropriate communication tools.

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Safeguarding eLearning Courses

The Safeguarding Service is  hosting live, virtual training courses this term. Upcoming courses, dates and links to book are below:

Safeguarding Training for Governors – 11th January 2024

Safer Recruitment Training –5th February 2023

Advanced Safeguarding Training (for DSLs and Deputies) - 12th February 2024

The Safeguarding Team can also deliver bespoke, onsite training at your school. Prices start from £495+VAT for 2 hours covering one of the following: Governor training, Safer Recruitment, DSL or All Staff.

If you’d like to review Judicium’s forthcoming sofa sessions please click here

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