Safeguarding children, child protection
Awareness of key issues such as child protection has varied significantly within the supplementary schools sector. In recent years, local authorities, the government and the NRC have been working to raise awareness of child protection issues in supplementary schools and to ensure that supplementary school pupils are safe at all times.
Many local authorities now conduct Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks on staff who work in supplementary schools, and also provide regular child protection training sessions. Some local authorities have also trained supplementary school staff in making referrals to social care through the Common Assessment Framework (CAF).
This is also buttressed by the standards spread by local and national funders, most of whom now request a copy of the applicant’s child protection policy and CRB check systems.
Finally, the NRC is currently rolling out the national Quality Framework for Supplementary Schools, in which effective child protection systems and checks are a requirement.
Links
The Quality Framework for Supplementary Schools