Safeguarding and pupil wellbeing - overview

Schools are statutorily obliged to work with a range of agencies to keep children safe, by making appropriate referrals and having due regard to the Safeguarding Children and Young People in Herefordshire processes and procedures. In Herefordshire the MASH enables this to take place by supporting and assisting school staff through offering advice, guidance and training.

What do the MASH Education Officers do?

• The primary function of the MASH education officers is to advise and assist schools, colleges and early years settings with safeguarding concerns and referrals to the MASH. This advice and guidance is specifically tailored to safeguarding in education and relates to statutory guidance.
• The MASH education officers alongside the Education Safeguarding Lead will keep abreast of national, regional and local developments in safeguarding and ensure that Designated Safeguarding Leads in schools receive regular updates through bulletins, emails and network meetings.
• The Education Officers are advocates of schools and the needs of schools in Herefordshire’s safeguarding practice.

The Education Safeguarding Lead:

• Provides desk top reviews of safeguarding policies, practice and procedures
• Ensures that schools are compliant and knowledgeable with regard to statutory duties (e.g. Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021) and the Ofsted framework
• Investigates complaints about safeguarding in schools received from Ofsted, MPs, professionals and parents/carers
• The Safeguarding Education Lead provides essential training for schools. This will include mandatory training such as prevent and bespoke training focusing on themes and trends identified through multi agency partners.
• Triangulate the information received from the section 175 audit, quality of referrals into the MASH and any complaints received and liaise with the school to offer a safeguarding audit to ensure safeguarding processes are fully embedded in school practice.
• The Safeguarding Education Lead will represent the education sector in Partnership meetings, sub groups, school improvement meetings and serious case reviews.
• The Safeguarding Education Lead will provide support and appropriate challenge and will act as a critical friend in all aspects of safeguarding in education.
• The Safeguarding Education Lead will organise the Safeguarding Education Network Event (DSL meetings) and ensure that content reflects current local, regional and national agendas.
• Provides model policies which will automatically be updated each year in relation to Child protection, Child on Child abuse, and Low level concerns.