FEBRUARY 2018 COBIS and its members worldwide are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. COBIS circulates regular Safeguarding Updates to keep schools informed about developments and encourage and support best practice with relation to safeguarding and safer recruitment in our member schools. Please share this update with the Safeguarding Lead in your school. If you have been forwarded this update and would like to register to receive these updates yourself, please join the mailing list here.
Training for Designated Safeguarding Leads Designated Safeguarding Leads (and their deputies) should receive regular, advanced training to carry out their vital role effectively. The DfE guidance is that this training should be updated every two years. COBIS is running one-day, face-to-face advanced training for Designated Safeguarding Leads in London and Hong Kong in May 2018, following on from successful courses in Madrid and Abu Dhabi in the autumn term.
COBIS is planning to run further DSL courses in 2018/19. If your school is interested in hosting a DSL course, please contact cpd@cobis.org.uk.
Dealing with Low Level Concerns about Adults The Safeguarding Unit at Farrer & Co have kindly shared this article about Dealing with Low Level Concerns about Adults. Farrer & Co will be delivering a seminar at the COBIS Annual Conference titled: How can international schools identify and respond to adults who pose a risk of harm to children?
Keeping Children Safe Online TES have made their safeguarding special online issue available for free download.
Online Safeguarding Courses for International Schools from COBIS and EduCare An increasing number of EduCare's online Safeguarding courses have now been tailored for an international school context. COBIS worked with EduCare to update two of their most popular safeguarding courses to meet the specific needs of those working in the international education sector: Child Protection for International Schools and Safer Recruitment for International Schools. Other courses available as part of the EduCare for Education online learning service include: Online Safety for International Schools, An Introduction to Child Sexual Exploitation for International Schools, Preventing Bullying for International Schools, and more. COBIS Schools are eligible for an exclusive 10% discount on the EduCare for Education online learning licence and individual course registrations.
COBIS Safer Recruitment Services COBIS is able to offer online DBS checks and Prohibition Order checks to support your school's safer recruitment practice, and help you uphold your commitment to safeguarding and child protection within an international context. Contact dbs@cobis.org.uk to request more information about fees and registration.
DfE Guidance on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment between Children in Schools and Colleges The DfE has issued new guidance (December 2017) on how to prevent and respond to reports of sexual violence and harassment between children.
Peer on Peer Abuse Toolkit Farrer & Co have produced a Peer-on-peer abuse toolkit for schools including template policies.
Safer Recruitment – Best Practice In this busy recruitment period, schools are reminded of the importance of carrying out suitable background checks and ensuring references are taken from the Head of the candidate's most recent school. The Education Portal, developed by the International Task Force for Child Protection (of which COBIS is a founding member) and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children has useful resources for Teacher Recruitment.
Consultation on DfE Keeping Children Safe in Education The DfE has been carrying out a consultation on proposed changes to the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. Some of the proposals include:
The consultation closes on 22 February.
NSPCC – PANTS The NSPCC in the UK have been publicising their PANTS programme as a means to help schools and parents talk to young children about staying safe from abuse. A range of resources are available from the NSPCC website.
Safer Recruitment Training for International Schools Ahead of the COBIS Annual Conference, on Saturday 12 May 2018, COBIS will be running a one-day course on Safer Recruitment in International Schools.
Additional Resources
- International Child Protection Certificate
- Education Portal - International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC)
If you would like to recommend other resources or information for inclusion in future safeguarding updates, please send them to cpd@cobis.org.uk. ----------- Council of British International Schools 55-56 Russell Square
T: +44 20 3826 7190
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