Ministers want to appoint a new tsar to strengthen schools’ role in safeguarding and consider whether they should become a 鈥渇ourth strategic partner鈥�. The new “national child safeguarding facilitator” will focus on the education sector up until March 2025. The contract isat 拢100,000. A tender document states the postholder will help roll out the social care reforms, including 鈥渟trengthening the role of education in early help, child protection and multi-agency safeguarding arrangements鈥�. The tsar would hold discussions between schools and safeguarding agencies on 鈥渉ow effectively they work together鈥� and 鈥渋ncreasing the engagement of education settings鈥�. They would also 鈥渟upport the department to explore whether or how to make education a fourth strategic partner鈥�. The MacAlister review of child social care proposed schools should become 鈥渟tatutory safeguarding partners鈥� alongside councils, health services and police. It warned leaving schools out at the moment meant the voice of education was 鈥渕issing鈥�. But in its response the DfE pledged only to consult on how to strengthen schools’ role. Schools Week investigations have revealed how schools have become the new frontline as social care resources dwindle.聽 The new tsar should be able to demonstrate knowledge and experience of safeguarding in the context of the education sector and of improvement processes, the DfE said. The government is safeguarding tsar to focus on local authorities and 鈥渟trengthen multi-agency arrangements鈥� for 拢130,000.