Experts tell MPs Schools Need Annual Safeguarding Audit

Experts are recommending that Ofsted conduct annual safeguarding inspections to help protect pupils from harassment and abuse. These safeguarding inspections would need to be ‘decoupled’ from the normal Ofsted inspection framework.  

Education and childcare providers are obligated to carry out their own internal safeguarding on a yearly basis. However, Ofsted inspections are usually only conducted every 4 years. 

Ms Keziah Featherstone, headteacher at Q3 Academy Tipton, revealed that she knows of schools in the West Midlands that haven’t been visited by Ofsted for 12 years. 

The calls for annual safeguarding inspections come amidst growing concern over online sexual harassment. 

The government have been widely criticised for a lack of guidance on these matters. In response a spokesperson said: 

“Keeping children safe online is at the heart of our work to tackle sexual abuse and harassment of all kinds. 

“Since the Ofsted Review, we have updated safeguarding guidance, including specifically on responding to incidents involving nude or semi-nude images, and we have provided new resources and training for teachers aimed at equipping them to deal with sensitive discussions with their pupils. 

“The Online Safety Bill will strengthen protections for children online even further, helping to make Britain the safest place in the world to be online. 

“This will introduce a statutory duty of care on companies to take steps to protect their users from harm, including child sexual exploitation and abuse.” 

DBS Checks and Safeguarding 

While DBS Checks aren’t going to help protect pupils online, they are an integral part of any safeguarding inspection.  

The purpose of DBS Checks is to help educators make safe recruitment decisions. This is something that needs to be evidenced during safeguarding inspections.  

Questions around DBS Check feature throughout audit questioning. For example: 

• Has someone in your setting completed training in ‘Safer Recruitment’? 

• Does your setting have a ‘Central Record’ for safeguarding? 

• Have all staff and volunteers in the setting had an Enhanced DBS (previously CRB) check? 

• Have all DBS checks, irrespective of appointment date, been regularly reviewed? 

• Are the usual recruitment checks carried out on any temporary/supply staff and recorded in the Central Record? 

• Does your setting have written confirmation from training providers that students hold Enhanced DBS Disclosures? 

The DBS Update Service 

Familiarising yourself with the DBS Update Service is one of the best ways to make sure the DBS element of your safeguarding is robust. 

The DBS Update Service (DBSUS) is a subscription run by the DBS. Signing up to this means that applicants gain a level of portability over their DBS check(s). Employers can then carry out ‘Status Checks’ on any DBS Certificate registered to the DBSUS. 

A Status Check is simply the act of looking up a subscriber’s DBS certificate information online to check for new information. To do so, you would follow this link and be required to enter the following information: 

• Your organisation name 

• Your forename 

• Your surname 

Once you’ve entered this, the DBS system would ask you for the candidate's certificate information, as listed below: 

• DBS Certificate Number  

• Surname as it appears on the certificate  

• DOB as it appears on the certificate  

The DBSUS would then show whether the status of the applicant's check has changed. 

Status Checks can be carried out as frequently as you like. This is particularly helpful when it comes to answer questions in the safeguarding audit like ‘Have all DBS checks, irrespective of appointment date, been regularly reviewed?’ 

The makes the DBSUS is a vital tool for employers in regulated industries like education. 

For advice on the DBS Update Service or your DBS Checking process get in touch! You can give us a call on 01254 355688 or submit a contact form here.