Best Practice

Effective safeguarding leadership: Five areas for focus

School leaders can support their safeguarding teams to be effective by focusing on five core areas of practice. Vicky Wilson explains
Recruitment challenges: Two-thirds of school leaders say they have some level of challenge when recruiting to safeguarding roles - Adobe Stock

Schools should aim to have exemplary safeguarding practices, but one of the biggest challenges is equipping themselves with the right skill-sets.

Two-thirds of school leaders say they have experienced some challenges when recruiting staff with safeguarding expertise, according to Browne Jacobson’s recent School Leaders Survey (2024).

As such, schools need to consider how to ensure that candidates for safeguarding positions feel suitably supported in these roles, which will in turn enhance safeguarding frameworks. Broadly, this should involve a focus on five key areas:

Together, these elements create a robust safeguarding environment that not only protects, but also empowers pupils and staff.

 

1, Designated safeguarding lead supervision 

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