Child Protection Record Keeping Guidance for Schools - May 2019

Child Protection Record Keeping Guidance for Schools (including transfer, storage & retention) Table of Content Purpose and Scope Online School Child Protection Recording Systems 3 Accurate and up-to-date record keeping The Designated Safeguarding Lead’s Role Child Protection Conferences What Child Protection Records should be kept When and How to Start a Child Protection/Welfare File .6 Recording a Child Protection/Welfare Concern .7 Guidance on actions for the Designated Safeguarding Lead following a report of concern/disclosure/new information .8 10 Chronologies 11 Vulnerable Child Tracker/Mapping Tool 12 The Child Protection File – Contents .9 13 Transferring Child Protection files between Schools and out of School 10 14 Retention/Storage of Child Protection Files 13 15 Access to Child Protection Files, Information Sharing and FOI 14 16 Confidentiality .14 17 Auditing Child Protection Files 15 18 Escalation Routes…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15 19 Appendix – Child Protection/Welfare concern report form 20 Appendix – Chronology of Significant Events Form 21 Appendix – CP File Contents Checklist for File Transfer 22 Appendix – Transfer Form for CP Files between Educational Establishments 23 Appendix – CP Records Retention Period 24 Appendix – Child Protection/Welfare records audit 25 Appendix – Learning from SCRs 26 Appendix – Flowchart of actions for CP transfer between Educational Establishments This guidance and appendices has been adapted from guidance produced by Derbyshire LSCB Purpose and Scope It is essential that all staff who work with children and young people including those who care and educate understand what to record and store when keeping Child Protection Records There must be assurance that all day-today records are truly accurate, maintained, shared and stored in a way which ensures a holistic approach in schools where information is safe, secure and shared in a way which protects pupils /students A child as defined in this guidance is any child up to the age of 18 This guidance applies to all maintained, academy, independent, free schools and FE Colleges in Milton Keynes Throughout the document all such establishments are referred to as ‘schools’ The guidance can also be applied in Early Years Settings All references throughout the document to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) also relate to all other members of staff who have Designated Safeguarding Lead responsibility Online School Child Protection Recording Systems This guidance also applies where schools are using an online Child Protection Record system All forms used within this guidance upon completion should be individually scanned & uploaded to the relevant pupil/student’s online file Where schools within Milton Keynes are using reciprocal systems, transfer of data is possible where a pupil/student is transferring to the school The expectation is that where a pupil/student is moving out of county, transfer forms in this guidance are used and the data held on the pupil/student is printed then forwarded to the receiving school following the guidelines as per any transfer out of county Where there is an intention by a school within Milton Keynes to use an online Child Protection Record system, the school must ensure the system is robust, secure and safe and has restricted access and meets GDPR requirements The school must ensure they have an appropriate service agreement, service specifications and have a means of audit and quality assurance The purpose of this guidance is to ensure that child protection information is kept in an appropriate and practical way in schools It should be read in conjunction with the following documents:       Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2018 Working together to safeguard children, 2018: Data Protection Act 2018 Information Sharing: Advice for practitioners, 2018 MK Safeguarding Board’s multi-agency procedures Data protection toolkit for schools: Accurate and up-to-date record keeping The Data Protection Act 2018 has key principles:    Personal data must be “processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject” Data must only be “collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes” You should only hold as much data about a person as is necessary, it must be “adequate, relevant, and limited to the to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed”     Data must be “accurate and where necessary, kept up-to-date” It must “kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data are processed” The data you hold must be processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data Data security applies to both physical and digital data and internal and external threats Data controllers must be able prove that their data protection measures are sufficient Accurate and up-to-date recording of child protection/welfare concerns is essential for a number of reasons:  It helps schools identify causes for concern at an early stage;  It can identify concerns as they emerge from any point from Early Years through to post 16 and is therefore more effective in promoting the welfare of a child;  When a number of seemingly minor issues are taken as a whole that a safeguarding or child protection/welfare concern becomes clear;  It helps schools to monitor and manage its safeguarding practices including decision making, any actions taken, agreed joint strategies with other agencies demonstrating reducing any impact of harm to a pupil/ student;  It helps to evidence robust and effective safeguarding practice in inspections and audits The Designated Safeguarding Lead’s Role The Designated Safeguarding Lead role is an important one in taking a responsibility for the accurate recording, secure storage and transfer of Child Protection Records and should ensure:  They understand relevant data protection legislation and regulations, especially the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (KCSIE 2018);  They understand the importance of sharing, both within the school, and with the three safeguarding partners, other agencies, organisations and practitioners (KCSIE 2018);  That when pupils/student’s leave the school they ensure that their Child Protection File is transferred to the new school as soon as possible This should be transferred separately from the main pupil file, ensuring secure transit, and confirmation of receipt should be obtained Receiving schools should ensure that key staff such DSLs and SENCOs or the named person with oversight for SEN in colleges, are aware as required (KCSIE 2018) – see more detailed guidance in section 13 of this document;  All staff; including governors and volunteers, are aware of who they can discuss their concerns with in a school There needs to be clear lines of communication and availability at all times for access to a Designated Safeguarding Lead;  That all staff know when and how to record concerns about a pupil/ student’s welfare, however small or apparently insignificant, and that it is an essential part of the Designated Safeguarding Lead’s role;  What action needs to be taken in response to reported incidents or welfare concerns and ensure that a stand-alone file for pupil/ students with child protection or welfare concerns is opened and maintained;  That all staff are given appropriate induction and refresher training and are supervised appropriately in carrying out these arrangements Child Protection Conferences Schools play a vital role in ensuring the most vulnerable children are safe and supported Schools are asked to attend and contribute to a Child Protection Conference because a school has direct knowledge of the child MK Safeguarding Board Interagency Procedures Chapter 1.2 outlines the Child Protection Conference process Leaflets for children and young people, families and professionals about participating in Child Protection Conferences are available through the MKC Children’s Services and Quality Team Conferences bring together family members (and the child or children where appropriate), supporters, advocates and those professionals most involved with the child and family to make decisions about the child's future safety, health and development Initial Child Protection Conferences must take place within 15 working days of the decision made to hold a conference on a child If the child is made subject to a Child Protection Plan a review must take place within months and monthly thereafter until a child’s name is removed from a Child Protection Plan There is an expectation the schools where the pupil/student attends will attend all initial conferences and subsequent reviews, present a report and contribute to the recommendations and the plan for that child: You will receive an invite to the Child Protection Conference from the Children’s Services Safeguarding Team at least seven working days prior to the conference Role of the school:  Provide a report written by the DSL and or the staff member who has the most knowledge of the pupil/student and signed off by the DSL on school headed paper, authorised and signed;  Share the report with parents, the pupil/student person at least two working days prior to the Initial Child Protection Conference and five working days prior to any review;  Arrive at the conference 30 minutes prior to the start in order to share your report and read those of other agencies  Ten copies of the report should be taken to the conference by the representative Important information to include with a focus on these headings;  Presentation  Attendance  Progress and compared to other children in the cohort  Current concerns  History of previous concerns  Engagement of the pupil/student & evidence of wishes & feelings  Engagement of parents/carers  Evidence of participation in meetings  Other only relevant information for the purpose of making decisions and creating any plans What Child Protection Records should be kept All staff who work with pupils/students on a regular basis are in a position to monitor their welfare and safety If, as a result of their contact, a member of the school workforce is concerned as to the safety and welfare of a child, they have a responsibility to pass their concerns to the DSL within their school without delay Not all child protection information results in a referral to Childrens Social Care A record should be made of anything that gives staff cause for concern about a child as well as any disclosure or allegation made Even if the information does not appear to be very significant on its own, it could contribute to a picture of abuse that should not be ignored The school prospectus/website or a Child Protection Policy should make it clear to parents, carers and pupils/students that the school has a duty of care and therefore a responsibility to pass any concerns to the MASH, or allocated Social Worker or Children and Families Practice Worker where known, or to health, policy, psychology services, or other agency as appropriate In line with Information Sharing: Advice for Practitioners, 2018 and Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2018 When and How to Start a Child Protection/Welfare File A Child Protection/Welfare file should be started for an individual pupil/student as soon as the school is aware of any child protection/welfare concerns about them This may arise in a number of ways:       If a member of staff raises a concern about the welfare or wellbeing of a pupil/student If a pupil/student makes a disclosure – this should be recorded in writing using the Child Welfare Concerns Report Form If information is passed to the school by a previous school attended by the student If the school is alerted by another agency (e.g police, health or social care) of child protection/welfare concerns about that pupil/student If a pupil/student is being transferred from another school / setting and child protection/welfare records are being held That staff raise concerns for a pupil/student from their attendance, presentation or demeanor when first admitted to a school and previous information may be unknown Separate files should be kept for individual siblings who are in the school, cross referenced to other children within the family Relevant, and as necessary, redacted, information should be copied and placed on each individual sibling’s file If more than one file exists in relation to an individual child, this should be indicated on each file Each file should be numbered, and dated to add retrieval All records of child protection/welfare concerns, disclosures or allegations must kept together and treated as sensitive confidential information Child Protection/Welfare Files should be kept separately from the pupil/student’s general school records The information should be shared only with those on a “need to know basis” (DSL, pastoral team) If information is removed from the file for any reason, a card should be placed indicating where the information can be found, when it was removed and who removed it The DSL should be notified of the removal of any information from a file (electronic or paper) All Child Protection Files should be kept together in a secure place (e.g a locked filing cabinet) kept only in either the headteacher/principal’s office or DSL’s office The filing system should only be accessed via the DSL and restricted to those whose role can justify access to it Recording a Child Protection/Welfare Concern Where a pupil/student has made a disclosure, a written factual record, using the pupil/student/s own words, should be made using the report form, Child Protection/Welfare Report Form (Appendix 1) In the case of a disclosure, the record should also include:  As full account as possible of what the pupil/student said;  An account of any questions put to the pupil/student;  Time and place of disclosure;  Who was present at the time of the disclosure;  The demeanor of the pupil/student; where the pupil/student was taken and where the child was returned to at the end of the disclosure;  Any information provided to the child about what would happen next Pupils/Students should be informed that any disclosure they make will be treated sensitively but may need to be shared with other professionals if it is considered necessary to protect the child or someone else from harm Distinguish fact from opinion and record that difference clearly Reports must have the facts but professional opinion may be expressed, but recorded as an opinion and should be supported by stating the facts with observations upon which the opinion is based i.e Jack appeared angry as he was kicking the table and swearing Where no disclosure has been made, but a member of staff has concerns regarding the welfare or wellbeing of a pupil/student, they should make a written account of such concerns using the report form This will ensure that information from all members of staff is logged and collated so that essential information is not overlooked All records should be dated and signed, with the name of the signatory clearly printed, and filed in chronological order in the pupil/ student’s Child Protection/Welfare file All concerns and those then recorded concerns should be passed to the DSL as soon as possible and without delay In some cases it may be necessary to pass concerns verbally to the DSL and follow it up in writing within 24 hours Concerns that appear initially to be trivial may turn out to be vital pieces of information, so it is important to give as much detail as possible The DSL must make a professional judgment about what action needs to be taken, and in that process should consult with other staff and relevant professionals, recording any actions around making that judgement Any action should be also in accordance with contact and referral processes from the local Children’s Board Safeguarding Procedures or the safeguarding procedures of another local authority where the pupil/student normally resides Where possible, logs of concerns / incidents etc should be typed Hand-written notes should be clearly legible and written in ink Any handwritten notes made immediately after the event, for example a disclosure, can act as evidence of them being written at the time in any future court case Therefore, these should not be destroyed It is impossible to say, at the time of recording child protection concerns, who will eventually have access to it, or when It may be consulted months or even years after it has been written Always bear in mind that someone else or another agency (e.g the police for purposes of a criminal investigation) may need to read your record at some stage in the future, this may also include the pupil/student’s parents or carers Guidance on actions for the Designated Safeguarding Lead following a report of concern/disclosure/new information When a child protection/welfare concern is passed to you:  Check that the information is sufficiently detailed;  Check that it has been dated and signed by the staff member who reported the concern;  If a body map has been completed or there are any other documents referred to in the record, ensure these are attached and are, where appropriate, dated and signed Record your response or action to every welfare concern form passed to you The level of detail of this record will clearly depend on the nature and seriousness of the concern but may include:  Requests to staff for monitoring specific aspects of pupil/student’s presentation, behaviour, attendance, etc;  Discussions and telephone calls, with colleagues, pupil/student’s and parents, along with a record of full names and dates;  Professional consultations and requests for information with a record of who was consulted (full name and job title) and dates consulted;  Letters sent and received;  Recording the outcomes of any responses or action you took, with dates;  Updating the chronology;  Updating the file pupil/student’s as new documents are produced or received  Filing all copies of referrals sent, letters sent and received, minutes of strategy discussions and child protection conferences including all other relevant documents in the pupil/student’s file Update the front sheet, if necessary;  Cross-reference to files for other pupils/students within the family;  Update the chronology in each pupil/students Child Protection File if there are siblings in the school and ensure that relevant documents are copied across to each file 10 Chronologies A chronology is a record of events for the individual pupil/student The importance of understanding concerns for a pupil/student in the context of history, timelines and other known information cannot be underestimated and is vital for any pupil/student where you have decided to start a Child Protection File A chronology must be maintained as a summary of single events and should tell a pupil/student’s whole story; this should be retained at the front of the pupils/students Child Protection File An example of a recommended chronology is provided (Appendix 2) The chronology should provide a summary of the information/event/incident It should record any decision making, any action agreed, for example, following a phone call or discussion with other agencies and should have an outcome which will form part of the ongoing strategy for the pupil /student in school A chronology as per the appendix example should be;  Attached to any referral into Children’s Social Care as it will form an important record of the schools chronology of concerns and actions taken to date and can provide the evidence of the reasons for the referral  Used in public Care Proceedings as evidence  Be seen as an essential tool to aid assessments 11 Vulnerable Child Tracker/Mapping Tool A Vulnerable Child Tracker/Mapping Tool is a suggested tool and recommended for those schools/settings where they are keeping records on pupils/students who they deem to be vulnerable in their school/setting It is a tool to be used by the Designated Safeguarding Lead who has responsibility for monitoring those children Many schools/settings now need to show a more effective way to track/map each of these pupils/student, this needs to show what support and services are being provided, the current types of interventions, the agreed strategies, and to demonstrate the outcomes Developing a tracker tool for all the schools/settings vulnerable children can prove useful, it can assist with your safeguarding activity and provide useful evidence for Ofsted (developing a secure spreadsheet tracker tool is appropriate for this purpose) Should schools/settings develop such a tool we recommend one tracker sheet per year for cohorts/year groups of pupils/students The tracker can map for each pupil/student the types of services e.g - free school meals, the school nurse, CAHMS/counselling services The tracker can also indicate those that are LAC (looked after), those receiving an early help social care intervention and who are subject to a Child Protection Plan You can also evidence step up and step down into services and record any rationale and outcome If you using such a tool you should be taking this to regular meetings where safeguarding is discussed and used to discuss, reflect and review and update The tool should be treated as a Child Protection Record and stored securely Each tracker sheet should be retained with your Child Protection Records It is recommended that this tool is retained by the school 12 The Child Protection File – Contents An individual file should contain (in order) the following (Appendix 3): Front sheet with essential details/contacts Chronology Current logs/records of discussions, telephone calls and meetings with colleagues and other agencies or services Logs/records of discussions, with parents/carers/family members Professional consultations Current completed Child Protection Incident/Welfare Report forms Current Referral Forms (sent to Children’s Social Care, other external agencies or education-based services) Current minutes or notes of meetings, TAF (Team Around the Family), Family Support Meeting (Child in Need meeting when a child is open to Children’s Social Care); Child Protection Conferences, and Core Group meetings, etc Notes should be copied to the file of each child in the family as appropriate Current formal plans for or linked to the pupil/ student, e.g CFP Plans, Child in Need (CIN) Plans, Child Protection Plans etc 10 Current letters sent and received 11 Current other please state: _ 12 All child protection information received from the pupil/student’s previous educational establishment *definition of current is whilst the pupil/student is on roll at your school 13 Transferring Child Protection files between Schools and out of School It is important to establish an operational protocol around the transferring in and out Child Protection Files that involves a nominated school office staff member and the Designated Safeguarding Lead which demonstrates a safe and consistent practice Schools have responsibilities to ensure they receive the Child Protection File which should be forwarded to the receiving school within five working days as per the learning from National Serious Case Reviews (appendix 7) When children transfer from one educational establishment to another, either at normal transfer stage (e.g from Nursery to School or from School to Further Education) or as the result of a move (e.g to another setting within Milton Keynes, to an Independent School or to another Local Authority), and records of child protection/welfare concerns exist, these should be sent to the receiving school within days This transfer should be arranged separately from the main pupil file in line with DfE Guidance in Making Children Safe in Education (2018) Where children are dual registered (e.g on roll at a mainstream school, but receiving education in another establishment any existing Child Protection Records should be shared with the new establishment prior to the child starting, to enable the new establishment to risk assess appropriately In order to safeguard children effectively, it is important that when a child moves to a new educational establishment, the receiving establishment is immediately made aware of any current child protection concerns, preferably by telephone prior to the transfer of records Child Protection records must always be passed directly and securely to the Designated Safeguarding Lead in the receiving establishment It is important that all Child Protection Records are transferred at each stage of a child's education, up until the age of 18, or in some cases, beyond The responsibility for transfer of records lies with the originating setting, as the receiving setting might not otherwise know that child protection concerns exist The onus is therefore on the originating setting to facilitate the secure transfer of records, not on the receiving setting to make contact and collect the records Paper or electronic records containing child protection information must be transferred in the most secure method available to the establishment:  By hand if possible;  If paper records are posted this should be by 'signed-for' delivery  Electronic records must only be transferred by a secure electronic transfer mechanism or after the information has been encrypted Copies of Child Protection Records should not be kept by the school that the pupil/ student is leaving unless there is “ongoing legal action” 10  Share any current and relevant information that is likely to have an impact for the young person that may also include any impact for the post 16 provision; Where a reference request is not received (i.e due to late applications being made during the summer holiday period) if the secondary school is aware of the intended destination, they should make contact with the post 16 / FE provider at the earliest opportunity to check if the student has enrolled Upon confirmation the secondary school needs to make the necessary arrangements to share any of the child protection information if current and relevant, including where it is likely to have an impact for the young person; this may also include where there may be concern for any impact for the post 16 provision This should require the secondary school to complete a return summary/chronology 14 Pupils/Students who are Missing / Elective Home Education- Traveler, Migrant, Romashort stay Where records of child protection/welfare concerns have been kept as a file for the following pupils: Children Missing Education If the pupil/student leaves the school but details of the receiving school is not known, schools must follow the guidance and local arrangements for Children Missing Education https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schools-and-lifelong-learning/information-forschools/children-missing-education Advice should be sought from the Children Missing Education Team cme@miltonkeynes.gov.uk 01908 253338 Elected Home Educated Where records of child protection/welfare concerns have been kept as a file, and where a pupil/student is removed from roll to be educated at home, schools must follow the guidance and local arrangements for Home Education https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schools-andlifelong-learning/information-for-schools/home-education Advice should be sought from the Home Education Team homeed@milton-keynes.gov.uk 01908 253338 Traveler, Migrant, Roma If a pupil/student is from a traveler, migrant, or Roma family and the pupil/student has a child protection/welfare file, and leaves the school the school must follow guidance and local arrangements provided by the Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) Network Team https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schools-and-lifelong-learning/ethnic-minorityachievement/support-for-gypsy-roma-and-travellers Advice should be sought from the EMA Network Team ema@milton-keynes.gov.uk 01908 270409 12 Short Stay Where a school believes a child is transferring to a short stay school, the transferring school should establish that the student is on the role of the short stay school before following any steps to transfer a Child Protection file 15 Retention/Storage of Child Protection Files All Child Protection Records are sensitive and confidential so should be kept in a secure (locked at all times) filing cabinet, separate from other education records and accessible to safeguarding leads and senior staff only The pupil/student general file should be marked in some way to indicate that a child protection file exists All staff that may need to consult a pupil/student's file should be made aware what the symbol means and to speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead if they have concerns Electronic Child Protection Records must be password protected with access strictly controlled in the same way as paper records A governing board (trustee/proprietor) has responsibilities to ensure a school carries out its duties with regard to accurate recording and record keeping, transfer, and in particular retention, storage and security of records The Governance Handbook makes reference to the role of the governing board in how they deliver those functions and should assist a school to carry out their duties from the broader legislation A governing board must ensure record retention where relevant and in line with national and local guidelines The Local Authority (LA) retains information about pupils/students where there have been allegations against those working within schools/in a position of trust There are cases which have been subject to a LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) managing allegations process (see Working Together 2018 and Keeping Children Safe in Education 2018) LADO records are retained permanently and therefore anything reported to the LADO will be available The Data Protection Act requires that schools, or other bodies that keep information, maintain a list of records which have been destroyed and who authorised their destruction Members of staff should record at least*:  File reference (or other unique identifier)  File title (or brief description)  Number of files  The name of the authorising officer  Date action taken  This could be kept in an Excel spreadsheet or other database format All schools must refer to the Guidelines on Records Retention Periods for schools (Appendix 4) *IMPORTANT Due to the ongoing National Independent Enquiry (originally Goddard) into historical child sexual exploitation all pupil/student staff records should not be destroyed until further notice For further information into the national enquiry you can obtain information here https://www.iicsa.org.uk 13 16 Access to Child Protection Files, Information Sharing and FOI Any pupils/student who has a Child Protection/Welfare File has the right to access their personal record, unless to so would affect their health or well-being or that of another person, or would be likely to prejudice an ongoing criminal investigation Parents (i.e those with parental responsibility in law) are entitled to see their child’s Child Protection/Welfare File, on behalf of their child, with the same exceptions applying as to the child’s right to access An older child may be entitled to refuse access to their parents If a parent makes a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to access the file held on their child, you must:  Tell the parent, (who has parental responsibility), need to apply to the school in writing;  In all cases advice should be sought from FOIA@milton-keynes.gov.uk  https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/your-council-and-elections/council-information-andaccounts/council-information-and-the-law  Consult with a legal advisor to ensure a correct procedure is followed e.g - all third party information is clarified as such and removed Child protection information should not ordinarily be shared with agencies other than these statutory agencies e.g information should not be released to solicitors etc Where such a request is made advice should be sought from the school’s legal advisor Conversations between schools for the purpose of transfer or sharing of information for examples where there are siblings at another school is encouraged and is essential in many cases to inform of any potential or actual concerns or risks This conversation should take place between the Designated Safeguarding Leads in the school as part of their role Parents/carers should be informed and where possible consent obtained Those conversations should be logged and retained in the pupils/students child protection file The school should take advice about information sharing with parents if they have particular concerns about doing so However, it is generally good practice to share information held, unless there is a valid reason to withhold it, e.g if by doing so would put the child at significant risk of harm Where a child is known to CSC (whether as a Child in Need or subject to a Child Protection Plan or is Looked After) any records relating to that child which are generated through CSC involvement are the property of CSC and requests to see those records should be made through CSC This includes records of all statutory and professionals meetings and communications Meeting records should explicitly state where records should only be shared with the permission of the Chair Advice should be through CSC where appropriate 17 Confidentiality All records of child protection and welfare concerns, disclosures or allegations must be treated as sensitive confidential information They must be kept together but separate from all other school records Storage of the documents must be in a secure place away from any corridors where pupils /students or public could possibly gain access The information can only be shared on a need to know basis in order to carry out their safeguarding functions within the school Not all staff should have the information as it should be case by case and depending on the role and function of that individual in the 14 school Some pastoral staff for example need information to help them care for that pupil/student and without that knowledge would not know about any potential risks or harm done Any files or system must have restricted access to those who need access in order to carry out those safeguarding duties The confidentiality of the pupil/student or family should be respected as far as possible, but the welfare of the child is paramount and information in certain situations can be shared and should be shared For further guidance refer to MKSB’s Safeguarding Board Information Sharing Agreement and Guidance for Practitioners and the legislation and guidance noted on page three of this document 18 Auditing Child Protection Files The Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead should carry out regular audits of the school’s child protection/welfare files to ensure that robust records are being kept in an appropriate manner and in line with the above guidance There is a recommended Audit Checklist to use (Appendix 5) 19 Escalation Routes There may be situations where:  There has been no prior communication about the pupil/student being admitted which may get in the way of keeping that pupil/student safe  A pupil/student’s file from another school/setting has not been sent  A pupil/student’s file from another setting has not arrived in a timely way  A school has appeared to have lost the file having made enquiries  A receiving school does not appear to have robust systems in place which reassure you can send the file safely and knowing it will be retained  You only become aware that the pupil/student has a history of concerns and or safeguarding file at the previous school having made enquiries due to an emerging need or safeguarding incident Communication is the key to resolving issues like this The Designated Safeguarding Lead should pursue and attempt to resolve They could explain that they are concerned the pupil/student could be put at risk if the correct documents have not been transferred If the files are still not transferred, the pupil's new school should contact the Head of Safeguarding Signed Headteacher: Date: Designated Safeguarding Lead: Date: Chair Board of Governors: Date: 15 Appendix School Logo School Name CHILD PROTECTION /WELFARE CONCERN REPORT FORM Date & Time Name of child DOB Name of worker completing form Status of worker completing form Is this a concern under Prevent Yes/No Have you completed the Prevent Risk Indicator Checklist Yes/No* You need to complete the checklist if this is a concern under Prevent Attach checklist to form, treat a concern under Prevent as any other safeguarding concern and use the processes agreed under the safeguarding procedures Share the checklist if referring into the Prevent Team/Starting Point/known worker involved with the child/YP Description of the Concern Concise, Factual (if an opinion state it is) does it involve siblings, other children, adults/carers/parents/any witnesses? Have parents/carers been contacted? Record actions If you have not informed parents/carers justify here, as in all cases except where there is clear evidence of putting a child at immediate risk parents/carers should be contacted 16 Date Received & Actions taken by recipient Include any follow up actions Strategy & Outcomes Record all strategies agreed include school based ones, and record an outcome including evidence of referrals/agreement with agencies Feedback to Referrer Date (tick box here) Signature of worker completing the form Date: 17 Appendix Chronology of Significant Events/Incidents (to be placed at the front of the Schools Child’s Child Protection/Welfare File) Pupil// Student’s Name: School DOB: Class / form: Current School Staff involved with pupil/student Date Name Role Current Professionals involved with pupil/student Start date of Name intervention Siblings Role Name School Current Status list (TAF, SEN, Sc 17 Child in Need, MAT, CP Plan, Looked after etc- 18 Appendix Chronology of significant events/incidents Date(s) Incident/event/report relevant to the pupil/student’s welfare 08/07/2018 Emma informs class teacher mum’s new boyfriend shouted & hit her last night, slight red mark on right cheek visible EXAMPLE Action/s taken (and by whom) Class teacher-Joy Watts informs SDL Claire Smith 10am Joy watts completes CP welfare report form SDL informs parent by phone & records explanation mum gave 19 Full record location? Agreed response to pupil student (strategy) Pupil/student’s DSL rings allocated CP file SW & speaks to the duty cover Duty SW agrees to visit child in school, DSL agrees to update mum and ask her to come into school Outcome (includes impact) SW speaks to Emma, mark confirmed as likely NAI & arranges medical Emma needs reassurance in school as distressed Emma may go and stay with aunty Appendix Insert School Logo Insert School Name School Child Protection File Contents checklist for a File for Transfer This content checklist sheet should be;   Completed by Senior Safeguarding Designated Lead/Headteacher Placed at the front of the Child Protection/Welfare file The Child Protection file must be placed in a sealed envelope and marked “Child Protection/Safeguarding File” FAO Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead/Headteacher This file will then be sent separately to the General School File by Special Delivery or hand delivered to the receiving school CONTENTS OF FILE             Front sheet with essential details/contacts Chronology Current logs / records of discussions, telephone calls and meetings with colleagues and other agencies or services Logs/records of discussions, with parents / carers / family members Professional consultations Current completed Child Protection incident / welfare report forms Current referral forms (sent to Children’s Social Care, other external agencies or education-based services) Current minutes or notes of meetings, e.g Child Protection Conferences, Core Group meetings, etc., copied to the file of each child in the family as appropriate Current formal plans for or linked to the child, e.g child protection plans, TAFs / Single Assessment Current letters sent and received Current other please state: All Child Protection information received from the pupil/student’s previous educational establishment *definition of current is whilst the pupil/student is on roll at your school 20 Appendix Transfer Form for Child Protection Records between Educational Establishments (Please print all information) Name of pupil/student …………………………………………………………………………………………………… Date of birth ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Home address ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Name of originating establishment ……………………………………………………………………………… Address of originating establishment …………………………………………………………………………… Name of current Designated Safeguarding Lead……………………………………………………………… Date file exchanged by hand ……………………………………………………………………….… OR Date file posted by special delivery ………………………………………………………………… OR Date information sent electronically ………………………………………………………… Name of receiving establishment ……………………………………………………………………………………… Address of receiving establishment …………………………………………………………………………………… Name of receiving Designated Safeguarding Lead……………………………………………………………… Date file received by hand …………………………………………………………………………… OR Date received by recorded delivery ………………………………………………………………… OR Date information received electronically ………………………………………………………… Statement of supply: I (enter name) …………………………………… can confirm that I am the Designated Safeguarding Lead and that the information supplied is accurate and correct to the best of my knowledge Signature of the supplying Designated Safeguarding Lead ………………………………………….Date Statement of receipt: I (enter name)………………………………………can confirm that I am the Designated Safeguarding Lead and that I have taken receipt of these files and will store them securely in line with Milton Keynes Council’s ‘Child Protection Records Keeping Guidance” Upon receipt, the receiving setting should:    Sign this form and keep a copy with the pupil/student’s Child Protection Records Ensure the original form is returned to the originating establishment without delay The originating establishment should keep the returned form securely in line with the Milton Keynes Council ‘Child Protection Records Keeping Guidance” 21 Appendix Summary of guidelines of Child Protection Records retention periods for schools *(Due to the ongoing Independent Inquiry in Child Sexual Abuse (IISCA) no pupil and staff record should be destroyed until further notice The guidance below gives a retention period (in the “Retention Action” column), but where records should not be destroyed, this has been noted in the “Disposal Action” column Functional Description Child Protection Files (Nursery/ Early Years Provision) Retention Period Retain for the duration of the child/ pupil’s attendance at the nursery/ setting Trigger Date the child/ pupil starts to attend school Disposal Action Transfer to primary/ infant school Child Protection Files - Primary Schools Retain for the duration of the pupil’s attendance at the school Date the pupil changes a school Transfer to secondary school Child Protection Files (secondary school) Retain for 25 years Pupil’s date of birth Do not destroy (see above) Consider transfer to off-site storage on student reaching school leaving age Child Protection Files (Child Missing from Education, Traveller, Roma, or Gypsy and therefore removed from roll) Retain for 25 years Date removed from roll Do not destroy (see above) Consider transfer to off-site storage on student reaching school leaving age 22 Appendix Insert School Logo Insert School Name CHILD PROTECTION/WELFARE RECORDS AUDIT The Designated Safeguarding Lead should audit the establishment’s child protection/welfare files/records regularly to ensure that procedures are being followed and adequate records are being kept The completed Audit Form should be placed at the front of the Child’s Record File Quality Assurance Item Yes The file front sheet has all the details correctly recorded The file is correctly cross referenced to other family member’ files or to the child’s other files, if appropriate The child’s general educational file is appropriately marked or flagged The general file has been checked and only has relevant and necessary information for the receiving school The chronology is up to date and complete, and includes all incidents as well as all significant and relevant contacts with parent’s and establishment’s actions in response Records and notes, including child protection incident/welfare concern forms are typed or hand-written legibly Incident dates (including year), time and place are fully recorded A factual and correct outline of every incident, concern or disclosure is given, and includes a clear record of any actions taken with outcomes Opinions, if given, are substantiated Clear names and job titles of staff members involved, and names, job titles and signatures of the people completing forms are given 23 Action Required Notes of actions taken, information shared (what, with whom and when) are included Copies of referrals and letters sent are included Copies of minutes or notes of meetings, e.g child protection conferences, core group meetings, etc, are copied to the file of each child in the family as appropriate Risk assessments and decision making by all staff members involved are robust Any strengths and shortfalls are discussed with the appropriate staff members and any learning forms part of induction and training The current child protection record keeping guidance for schools has been referred to and used where appropriate The current summary guidelines on record retention periods for schools DCC record retention policy has been referred to and used where appropriate Audit Form completed by Job Status/Title Date & signature 24 Appendix Learning from Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) and Serious Incident Learning Reviews (SILRs) relevant to information sharing & recording- schools, 2009-2015:  That the transfer of Child Protection Files happens quickly, the recommendation being within five working days;  That using chronologies is essential in all cases when a Child Protection File has been started;  The need for separate and centralised records of child protection/welfare concerns  The need for accessible information and shared on a need to know (not the role of one person with one key);  That all staff need an understanding of what to share and when to share in school and across agency;  Not having consent may not be a barrier to sharing information;  The need for clear and transparent communication of child protection concerns and recording systems  The need to identify patterns through good recording and use of chronologies e.g.missing, harmful behaviours;  Schools must be part of agency checks, and information sharing with other agencies to inform assessments;  The pasting of old information into new reports and no checking/updating essential information e.g.- who is in the household;  No evidence recorded of parents being consulted or kept informed of any actions or decisions being taken by staff;  No evidence of a pupil/student’s voice and own expression of experiences recorded;  Assessing the complete circumstances of the pupil/student and family, including their history  Critically analysing all information presented by a range of staff in a school;  Quality assurance and oversight of child protection record keeping in a school  Appropriate representation is needed at key meetings- Child Protection Case Conferences to share information a school has and aid in decision making as to level of risk;  Lack of adequate transfer or transition post 16, between a school and a college and young people therefore slipping through and or going missing soon after 25 APPENDIX 8: Flow chart of actions to be taken when transferring Child Protection Files between educational establishments Child transfer from one educational establishment to another and where records of child protection/welfare concerns exist, these should be sent to the receiving school as soon as possible, preferably within days This transfer should be arranged separately from the main pupil file in line with DfE Guidance in Making Children Safe in Education (2018) The receiving establishment should be made immediately aware of any current child protection concerns, preferably by telephone prior to the transfer of records The responsibility for transfer of records lies with the originating setting, as the receiving setting might not otherwise know that child protection concerns exist Therefore the onus is on the originating setting to facilitate the secure transfer of records, not on the receiving setting to make contact and collect the records Mode of transfer:  By hand if possible  If paper records are posted this should be by 'signed-for' delivery  Electronic records must only be transferred by a secure electronic transfer mechanism or after the information has been encrypted Written evidence of this transfer needs to be appropriately signed and dated and should be retained by both the originating and receiving setting All child protection records are sensitive and confidential so should be kept in a secure filing cabinet, separate from other education records and accessible to safeguarding leads and senior staff only Electronic records should be password protected/encrypted If a child is subject to a Child Protection Plan or is LAC the originating establishment must speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead of the receiving establishment giving details of the child’s key social worker and ensuring that the establishment is made aware of the situation If a pupil is removed from the roll to be electively home educated, the educational establishment should make the Local Authority aware that they have a Child Protection file and obtain a receipt of transfer if the file is passed to the Local Authority 26 ... known, schools must follow the guidance and local arrangements for Children Missing Education https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk /schools- and-lifelong-learning/information-forschools/children-missing-education... educated at home, schools must follow the guidance and local arrangements for Home Education https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk /schools- andlifelong-learning/information -for- schools/ home-education Advice... should be sought from FOIA@milton-keynes.gov.uk  https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/your-council-and-elections/council-information-andaccounts/council-information-and-the-law  Consult with a legal