Schools and Colleges

This page has information and guidance to help schools, colleges and education providers in their vital work to keep children safe.

Safeguarding communications for schools and colleges

Safeguarding updates

Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (DDSCP) provides an email safeguarding update service for Derby and Derbyshire schools. These are sent directly to the school dedicated safeguarding email address. The service has been set up to help education establishments keep up to date with local and national safeguarding developments.

If the school safeguarding email address has changed or safeguarding updates are not being received, please email ddscp@derby.gov.uk.

Specific safeguarding communications

On occasion the DDSCP will communicate with schools about specific safeguarding matters to ensure that issues are brought to their attention to support any relevant actions to be taken and to ensure children are kept safe and protected:

• DDSCP safeguarding briefings are be found in the safeguarding children procedures document library. Key briefings include:
  • Access to schools by professionals from other agencies
  • Harmful online challenges and hoaxes
• DDSCP letters to schools are located here. 

Please also see Key routes for safeguarding communications to Derby and Derbyshire schools which has been developed to support partners to effectively communicate with the education sector.

Derby and Derbyshire education subgroups

The education subgroups are responsible for working on behalf of the DDSCP to promote good safeguarding practice and keeping children safe across the education sector. Membership is made up of school representatives, who meet on a quarterly basis with input from the DDSCP team and staff from partner agencies. 

If you would like more information about the education subgroups, please see the DDSCP governance arrangements outlined on our accountability webpage. Anyone interested in joining in with the work of the subgroups, should email ddscp@derby.gov.uk. 

Resources developed by the education subgroups 

To support schools and colleges in their safeguarding practice the education subgroups have developed the following:

• Template policy for use by Derby and Derbyshire schools and colleges. The DDSCP Template safeguarding/child protection policy for schools (July 2024) must be amended to reflect the individual education setting.
• Safeguarding children audit tool for schools and colleges for the academic year 2023-24, developed for Derby and Derbyshire schools and colleges to support them complete their annual safeguarding audit and planning. It also helps schools and colleges provide evidence of their safeguarding processes and practice for Ofsted inspection. The audit tool is sent directly to schools and colleges and can be requested by email, ddscp@derby.gov.uk.
• DDSCP SDAT checklist - designed to support schools to review their arrangements and identify if any actions are required to improve safeguarding communications and responses to domestic abuse notifications.

Safeguarding training for schools and colleges

The DDSCP provides general and specialist courses to help build staff skills, knowledge, values and confidence when working with children, young people and families. For further information on DDSCP learning and development opportunities please see here.

Key information and resources for schools and colleges

The DDSCP has published safeguarding information and resources on a range of topic areas, including allegations against staff, volunteers and carers, which may assist education settings. These are listed here.

Local arrangements to safeguard and protect children are outlined in the DDSCP multi-agency safeguarding children procedures.

Key guidance documents for schools and colleges include:

• Safeguarding Briefing for School Age Children - sets out key learning areas from case reviews about the lived experiences of nine school age children and their siblings to help all professionals in their day-to-day practice.
• Vulnerability of children not in school guidance - providing key information, guidance and legislation used when considering the welfare of children not in school. The guidance helps promote access to the right support needed, the responsibilities of all schools, Local Authorities, and partner agencies.
• Derby and Derbyshire Education Providers Domestic Abuse Notifications - Stopping Domestic Abuse Together (SDAT) guidance - a guide for schools and colleges about SDAT, the local version of a national initiative called Operation Encompass. 

Other sites providing key information and resources to local schools and colleges include:

• Derbyshire schoolsnet - keeping children safe in education
• Derby schools' information portal
• Derbyshire services for schools