Keeping learners safe — the designated safeguarding person (paragraphs 1.11, 2.12–2.29, 2.33–2.35)

1.11 Every local authority in Wales must have a single point of contact for those working with children to raise concerns about a child at risk. Everyone working in an education setting should be familiar with the local authority contact and the details of the designated safeguarding person (DSP) within their education setting to raise such a concern. Each school or college must ensure that there is a safeguarding policy that clearly sets out the contact details for the local authority first point of contact. This policy should be readily available to all staff. This is effective practice for all education settings.

2.12 Headteachers and principals of all schools and colleges should foster a nurturing culture within the school or college and promote open communication between staff and pupils on safeguarding matters.

2.13 They must ensure all staff (including supply teachers and volunteers):

2.14 The headteacher/principal must appoint the appropriate number of DSPs and deputy DSPs for their education setting and should ensure the DSP:

2.15 Each education setting must identify a DSP with lead responsibility for managing all safeguarding concerns. The DSP must be available to discuss safeguarding concerns; should be consulted, when possible, as to whether to raise a safeguarding concern with the local authority; and will manage any immediate actions required to ensure the individual at risk is safe from abuse. All practitioners should know who to contact in their education setting for advice and they should not hesitate to discuss their concerns no matter how insignificant they may appear.

2.16 The DSP need not be a teacher, but must be a senior member of the school or college leadership team with the status and authority within the organisation to carry out the duties of the post, including committing resources to safeguarding matters and directing other staff. The DSP could also be a single appointment within the senior team and need not carry other duties.

2.17 Each DSP should have at least one deputy who has equal status and access to the same training. The number of deputies will depend on the education setting, and should reflect the proportion of work involved and the size and scale of the education setting. Larger education settings should have a team of staff working together and split-site education settings should have a DSP available on each site.

2.18 The DSP should possess the necessary skills and qualities for the role, which will have a strong focus on communication with learners and professionals. This can be a demanding role and will require a level of expertise, knowledge, resources and support.

2.19 Handling individual cases may be a responsibility delegated to other members of staff, but it is important that a senior member of staff take overall responsibility for this area of work. The DSP should always be kept informed of the progress and the outcome of all cases. All staff taking on these responsibilities should be fully trained and skilled in their responsibilities.

2.20 In education settings with a high number of safeguarding concerns, consideration should be given to appointing a full-time DSP with relevant skills and experience. An alternative arrangement might involve the delegation of day-to-day responsibilities while the DSP retains overall responsibility, as described above.

2.21 The DSP should have adequate support and supervision to undertake their role effectively. The supervision should support the DSP with the emotional impact of their role and provide an opportunity for reflection on their practice. This could be done on an individual or group basis but the DSP should be provided with an opportunity for individual support where necessary.

2.22 The DSP must know how to recognise and identify the signs of abuse, neglect and other types of harm, irrespective of whether it is online or offline, and know when it is appropriate to make a report to the local authority (or police where the child/children are in immediate danger).

2.23 The DSP role involves providing advice and support to other staff, record-keeping, working with family members or carers, making referrals to children’s services and attending statutory meetings, as well as liaising with the SCB and working with other agencies as necessary. The DSP role is not to investigate allegations, but they must keep the headteacher/principal informed of all safeguarding concerns raised in the school or college.

2.24 The DSP should also consider how safeguarding more widely can be addressed and ensure preventative measures are adopted in the education setting. This part of the role will include building relationships with other agencies, as well as ensuring staff and learners are informed about risks and how to access support. This will form part of the whole-school (setting) approach and learning through the new curriculum.

2.25 The DSP will take responsibility for the education setting’s safeguarding and child protection practice, policy, procedures and professional development, working with other agencies as necessary. The DSP should ensure the education setting’s safeguarding policy is updated and reviewed annually, and work with the governing body or proprietor regarding this.

2.26 The DSP is responsible for ensuring that parents/carers see copies of the child safeguarding policy. This may help avoid the potential for later conflict by alerting them to the role of the education setting and the fact that reports may be made to the local authority where there are safeguarding concerns. Many education settings include information about this at induction meetings for new parents/carers, in their prospectus and on their website.

2.27 As well as the education setting’s safeguarding policy, there are other policies that have relevance to safeguarding, and the DSP may be involved in monitoring the effectiveness of these other policies to ensure there is consistency and coherence in the way the school effectively safeguards their children. Examples of other relevant policies include the following.

2.28 The DSP should ensure the education setting completes the Safeguarding Audit Tool at Annex 3 to support a whole-setting approach to safeguarding, as well as to provide a benchmark against which to seek to continually improve safeguarding approaches and structures. The audit tool should be regularly reviewed to ensure that there is constant reflection, learning and updating of processes within the education setting.

2.29 The principles outlined in paragraphs 2.15–2.29 should be adopted as effective practice in all education settings.

2.33 The DSP must have regular training in safeguarding to meet the requirements of the role. This will require a higher level of training than for other staff in education settings, and will include more specialist training in different types of abuse as well as the skills required to respond so the DSP has a good understanding of current issues and skills.

2.34 It is the role of the DSP, working with the headteacher/principal, to ensure all staff and volunteers:

2.35 The DSP must keep a record of all staff training, including the dates, details of the provider and a record of staff attendance.