Safeguarding & quality
Safety before allocation. Quality throughout provision.
Safeguarding arrangements are confirmed before a practitioner is allocated and are maintained, recorded and reviewed for the duration of provision.
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Anubhuti Rajpal
Safeguarding decisions are made by appropriately authorised people. Technology may assist with record organisation and alerts but does not replace professional safeguarding judgement.
Reference framework
Our arrangements are designed with reference to relevant DfE non-school Alternative Provision standards, Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance where relevant, Working Together to Safeguard Children and commissioner requirements.
Safer recruitment
Safer recruitment may include the following, according to role and legal eligibility:
- Identity
- Right to work
- Qualification verification
- Enhanced DBS / barred-list eligibility where applicable
- References
- Employment-history review
- Prohibition checks where relevant
- Overseas checks where appropriate
- Safeguarding induction
Checks are undertaken according to the role, legal eligibility and the requirements of the commissioned provision. No practitioner is allocated until the required compliance checks for that role are satisfactory.
Home tuition and lone working
- Risk assessment of the delivery environment before provision starts
- Agreed arrangements for the presence of a responsible adult where required
- Clear expectations for practitioner conduct in a family home
- Check-in and check-out routines for lone-working sessions
- Defined route to raise a concern during or immediately after a session
Attendance and unexpected absence
- Attendance status recorded for every planned session
- Same-day follow-up of unexplained non-attendance
- Agreed protocol for notifying the commissioner
- Escalation where absence indicates a welfare concern
- Patterns of disengagement reviewed by the case team
Safeguarding disclosures
- Practitioners report concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead without delay
- Records made factually and contemporaneously
- Referral to the local authority or statutory partners where thresholds are met
- Information shared with the commissioner according to the agreed protocol
- Actions and decisions recorded with named responsibility
Allegations
- Defined process for handling allegations against a practitioner
- Referral to the Local Authority Designated Officer where applicable
- Precautionary measures considered while a matter is being reviewed
- Commissioner informed according to the agreed protocol
- Outcome and learning recorded
Complaints
- Clear route for commissioners, families and practitioners to raise concerns
- Acknowledgement, review and response within a defined process
- Escalation where a complaint indicates a safeguarding matter
- Learning applied to procedures and practitioner support
Practitioner supervision and support
- Named case contact for every placement
- Safeguarding induction before allocation
- Support with challenging engagement and escalating concerns
- Regular case-team contact throughout provision
Quality assurance
- Objectives agreed at the start of each placement
- Session evidence reviewed by the case team
- Six-week review of attendance, progress and suitability
- Feedback from commissioners, practitioners and families where appropriate
- Procedures reviewed as the service develops
Commissioner escalation
- Agreed notification thresholds set at the start of provision
- Single named contact for urgent matters
- Written record of escalations and agreed actions
- Joint review where provision needs to change
Reviewing us as a supplier?
Commissioner due-diligence information can be provided on request, including relevant policies, safer-recruitment information, insurance documentation and operational procedures.