Safeguarding During Coronavirus - Your Duties Towards Pupils In School And Learning Remotely

• Published date: 18 June 2020
• Author: Ms Yvonne Spencer and Rosie Browne
• Subject Matter: Consumer Protection, Food, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Education, Operational Impacts and Strategy
• Law Firm: Veale Wasbrough Vizards

In line with the duties as set out in Keeping Children Safe In Education 2019 (KCSIE), now is a timely reminder that schools must ensure that safeguarding remains at the forefront of everyone's mind in this particularly unusual time.

For many primary schools, this week will see the return to school for those eligible pupils in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, whilst secondary schools are due to open their doors on 15 June to Years 10 and 12, on a limited basis.

The DfE updated their COVID-19: safeguarding in schools, colleges and other providers on 20 May, to reflect the greater number of pupils that will now be on school premises, as part of the phased re-opening. The guidance has been updated to ensure that schools review their child protection and safeguarding policy, designated safeguarding lead (DSL) arrangements and their arrangements for continuing to protect vulnerable children, as well as the mental health of their whole school community.

We have set out below the actions that schools are required to take.

Safeguarding Policy

All schools should be updating their child protection and safeguarding policy or have produced an annex to reflect the school's response to coronavirus. School should also consider revisions to reflect:

• new safeguarding concerns and risks
• updated advice from the local safeguarding partners
• how DSLs will support staff and children regarding new concerns (and referrals if appropriate) as more children return
• the school's approach to protecting vulnerable children
• support in place to promote the mental health of pupils

We recommended that all schools, even those not planning for re-opening, consider reviewing their policies and procedures to ensure that they have regard to the statutory guidance and KCSIE.

Other Relevant School Policies

In addition to updating the annex to the child protection and safeguarding policy, schools should also review the following policies:

• risk assessment policy for pupil welfare
• mental health policy (if a school has one)
• online safety and acceptable use
• anti-bullying and behaviour and discipline policies (to ensure the school can effectively manage any incidences of peer-on-peer bullying)
• missing pupil policy

This...