Preparing for Ofsted inspections in 2024 demands a proactive and comprehensive approach, particularly in safeguarding. Schools must ensure their safeguarding policies and monitoring systems are robust and align with current guidance. By consistently reviewing and updating these practices, schools and other settings can face inspections with confidence, knowing they uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and accountability.
During an inspection, you can expect your safeguarding policies, the systems you use for monitoring and the quality of your reporting to all be reviewed. The key to being prepared is being proactive rather than reactive and staying on top of monitoring, reporting and necessary interventions throughout the year.
Though there isn’t an official or exhaustive list of the information inspectors will ask to see, there are some common lines of questioning you can prepare for. Use the following checklist to support your preparations for a safeguarding inspection.
Safeguarding Policies and Procedures
Regular review of safeguarding policies ensures alignment with the latest statutory guidance and best practices. Every staff member and parent should know how to access these policies, strengthening transparency and accountability.
- Conduct an annual review of safeguarding and related policies.
- Ensure accessibility of policies for staff and parents.
- Record staff acknowledgment of understanding safeguarding materials.
- Document the process and frequency for how often you close the monitoring status of incidents.
- Integrate CPOMS StudentSafe into safeguarding procedures for enhanced monitoring and reporting.
- Document collaboration with external agencies for a holistic safeguarding approach.
Recording, Monitoring and Reporting
Robust systems for recording, monitoring, and reporting incidents are essential. Proper management and follow-up of safeguarding concerns demonstrates accountability and thoroughness in handling incidents.
- Develop systems for monitoring child-on-child abuse in schools, including sharing example reports.
- Maintain detailed child protection records that show incident management and follow-up actions.
- Establish procedures for identifying students at risk of neglect, grooming or exploitation.
- Document rationale for decisions when referring or not referring a child to children’s services.
- Provide evidence of accurate reporting of pupil attendance and students currently being monitored.
- Include case studies of 3 key students currently being monitored.
- Ensure consistency in incident reporting across the setting.
- Demonstrate how you identify emerging safeguarding challenges in your setting—and how you regularly update practices in response to those safeguarding challenges.
Staff Training, Knowledge, and Certifications
Well-trained staff are crucial for effective safeguarding. Training should focus on recognising risks and reporting concerns.
- Train staff to recognise warning signs of students at risk of neglect, grooming or exploitation.
- Educate staff, visitors, and parents on reporting safeguarding concerns.
- Maintain comprehensive records of staff training, including updated schedules.
- Provide access to Keeping Children Safe in Education for all staff and governors.
- Ensure mandatory DBS checks for staff in regulated activity.
- Record vetting checks for all adults in a Single Central Record (SCR).
Support Safeguarding Protocols with CPOMS Solutions
CPOMS StudentSafe provides a user-friendly system for all staff to track, monitor and report safeguarding issues effectively. The platform now includes the revolutionary Premium Cases and Forms module, transforming how educational settings create and manage safeguarding cases to generate more detailed information, sharper insights and better results for children.
All users can record concerns, regardless of their size, enabling DSLs and authorised staff to access chronologies, craft tailored cases and case types to align with your varied wellbeing policies, and make earlier, more effective interventions.
CPOMS StaffSafe simplifies the process of maintaining your SCR so that you can ensure that all staff possess the necessary qualifications and certifications for compliance. The software also allows for the effective and confidential recording and monitoring of low-level concerns, incidents or allegations regarding staff, so that appropriate and timely action can be taken when needed.
CPOMS Engage facilitates the secure exchange of student records and pupil chronologies to support safeguarding across various institutions. Schools maintain complete control over their data during a seamless and confidential information transfer with their Local Authority, alternative provisions, and other agencies via a CPOMS Share Contract. This is integrated with StudentSafe and can be tailored to suit your needs, including how often data is shared, the type of data involved and who can access it, promoting a more prompt and unified approach to ensuring child protection and wellbeing.
Learn how CPOMS software solutions can support your safeguarding procedures and ensure you are ready for inspection. Schedule a demo today.
