In this blog, the focus of discussion is on what safekeeping is, the role child protection plays in safekeeping and vital information those within the education sector should know regarding their safety responsibilities. If you are a part of the education sector you must understand your duties to protect learners and ensure they are safe from harm. Although the concept of safekeeping is very complicated, the blog will keep it simple so that you don’t feel overwhelmed by the various categories of safeguarding.
It’s expected that the write-up will minutely explain safekeeping, different safety issues and the benefits of early intervention.
What is Safeguarding?
Safekeeping means taking all the steps to protect children from harm, abuse, and neglect.
This includes:
Complete protection of children from abuse and maltreatment.Completely preventing harm to children’s health or development.Making sure that children grow up with loving care and safety.Taking measures to allow all children and young people to have the best outcomes.The Difference between Child Protection and Safeguarding
Child protection comes within the umbrella term of safeguarding. Child protection centers around protecting individual children determined as suffering or likely to suffer major harm. This encompasses child protection procedures which explain precisely how to respond to concerns about a child. Safekeeping is the action which is taken to foster the welfare of children and give them protection against harm.
Your Organisations Duty
Any establishment and organization that works with or comes into contact with children, young people, and vulnerable adults must have in place comprehensive safekeeping policies &procedures. These policies and procedures should ensure that everyone has the right to equal protection from harm notwithstanding their age, disability, gender, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.
Putting in place strong safety policies and procedures denotes that the children and young people under your care stay safe from harm, and from other adults or children who are likely to pose a risk to them. Organizations that should establish safeguarding policies include:
SchoolsOther childcare facilitiesHospitalsSports clubsVoluntary organizations and clubsCommunity organizations and clubsFaith groupsPrivate sector providersEarly Help and Early Intervention
A major concept in safekeeping is early intervention or timely help where children and young people are given support before a crisis point is reached with their overall safety and wellbeing. Early intervention means sensing and giving effective early support to children and young people who are in danger of poor outcomes.
Examples of early intervention may include:
School-based programmes to hone children’s social and emotional skills.Government support programmes for disadvantaged students for example free school meals.Mentoring schemes for young people at risk of involvement in crime and related activities.The Sum Up
To sum it all early intervention also involves organizations having a proactive attitude to safeguarding and preventing of future problems from happening instead of just reacting when safety concerns emerge. This encompasses resolving seemingly small issues before they turn out to be massive safekeeping problems.
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