When it comes to safeguarding students, alternative provisions (APs) face many unique challenges. Often, the students who attend these education settings have complex social, emotional, behavioural, or mental health needs, which can leave them vulnerable to harm if the right support is not put in place.
Most who attend APs are dual-registered, with the AP acting as a short-term, temporary measure for them to attend before they return to mainstream school or are transferred to a specialist education provider. This means that staff may only have limited or reduced interaction times with their students in any given week, making it more difficult to spot concerns such as changes in behaviour, low mood or anxiety.
In this blog we explore solutions to the unique challenges when it comes to safeguarding students in alternative provisions.
The Causes & Challenges of Rising Attendance in Alternative Provisions
According to UK government data, the number of pupils attending APs is on the rise. The data reveals that, in the 2022/2023 academic year, the number of children in state-funded AP schools increased by 13% from the previous academic year to 13,191. In 2023/2024, this increased to 15,866.
The data also reveals some of the reasons why children are attending APs. Of those who attended in the 2023/2024 academic year, 23.9% had an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and 42.5% were in receipt of Special Educational Needs (SEN) support. With the number of children that APs care for increasing, it’s important that staff across these settings can support the complex needs of every pupil in their care, with no child falling through the gaps.
Some of the unique challenges that safeguarding children who attend APs can include:
1. Children with mild to moderate health, emotional or behavioural needs
Children who have specific or complex needs – whether that is behavioural, emotional or health related, can be vulnerable to serious harm. Often, when children exhibit these details, it can be an indicator of bigger underlying safeguarding issue such as bullying, domestic abuse, mental health issues, or other complex challenges.
It’s vital that children experiencing any issues receive adequate support as quickly as possible. This can help to reduce the risk of incidents escalating and ensure that the best possible outcomes are achieved.
2. Children who face exclusion or expulsion
Safeguarding all children is an important responsibility, but those who exhibit challenging behaviour can be at particular risk. APs can play an important part in reintegrating struggling children into mainstream schools and preventing avoidable suspensions or permanent exclusions.
Effective safeguarding practices play a fundamental part in this. APs can reduce the risk of harm and support vulnerable children by working together with schools to make sure they fully understand the needs of each child in their care.
3. Children who are dual registered at a mainstream school and AP
Often, children who attend an AP such as a pupil referral unit (PRU) do so part-time and are also registered, and continue to attend, a mainstream school at the same time. Multiple other agencies may also be involved in their care such as the police or social services. They may also have siblings who need to be considered in any care plan or support provided.
In these instances, it can be challenging for APs to build a full picture of each child in isolation. This is why a joined-up approach to safeguarding, which involves multi-agency collaboration, is so vital.
Why a Collaborative Approach to Safeguarding is Key
The benefits of collaboration across agencies and a joined-up safeguarding practice are many. Alternative provisions can provide invaluable support to schools, offering a new environment for struggling pupils where their needs can be better identified and addressed. However, the successful care of each child rests, in part, on the collaborative efforts of both the school and AP, alongside any other relevant agency, to make sure all issues are identified and needs are being met.
Setting up clear safeguarding procedures, which allow for the fast and effective sharing of information between agencies, is key to securing the best possible outcomes for every child. In practice, effective collaboration can look like:
- Ensuring all necessary staff have access and oversight of key information, updates or incidents. This allows staff to spot any patterns of behaviour that may help to identify issues or risks and helps to provide co-ordinated support to vulnerable children.
- Ensuring that agencies are aligned and aware of the support being provided to each child, to ensure that the right help is put in place. This means that further support can be offered or provided swiftly where necessary.
- Providing the avenues for staff to communicate any significant updates or information. This can help to build a full picture of a particular case or incident, making sure that any intervention is streamlined and effective and the needs of each child are prioritised.
A joined-up approach to safeguarding between APs, mainstream schools and Local Authorities is fundamental to making sure that vulnerable children are supported in a timely manner, with no information being missed or falling through the gaps.
Implementing the Right Tools to Support Alternative Provisions
To best establish collaborative approaches and safeguarding procedures, it’s important that staff across settings have the right tools in place to aid swift communication of key information.
Safeguarding software, like CPOMS StudentSafe, can play a pivotal role in allowing staff to log, record and share important details about children, including any safeguarding incidents or concerns. With data securely stored digitally, rather than relying on physical paper files in different locations, safeguarding staff can also ensure no information is missed or lost during the transfer of pupils between schools.
To ensure there are no holes in the approach to safeguarding children, CPOMS Engage helps to bridge the gap between schools, APs and agencies at the local authority, ensuring all staff involved in safeguarding children can communicate any issues or incidents immediately and securely. This provides constant visibility of development between staff and settings, allowing for schools and APs to offer coordinated support which is in the best interest of each child.
For more information about how CPOMS StudentSafe and Engage can support your AP setting to meet its safeguarding needs, request a demo today.
