红桃影视

Ministers have rejected calls to make schools the fourth statutory safeguarding partner, claiming it would create 鈥渟ignificant accountability and funding complexities鈥�.

Rachel de Souza, the children鈥檚 commissioner, said she was 鈥渄isappointed by the decision鈥� and that there were 鈥渕issed opportunities鈥� to put schools鈥� responsibilities on an equal footing with social care, health and police.

Currently, local integrated care boards, police and council social care services are equal partners responsible for identifying, supporting and protecting children at risk of harm in their area.

They can name local schools they deem appropriate as relevant agencies, but the Department of Education has said this was implemented inconsistently.

About a quarter of children said they would talk to a teacher for support with family life, according to a survey of 15,000 children.

The DfE said it would explore legislative changes to include schools as a fourth partner in 2023.

It was recommended by a landmark review into children鈥檚 social care by Josh MacAlister, now children and families minister.

But the children鈥檚 wellbeing and schools act, which gained royal assent last month, has instead called on partners to automatically include schools in safeguarding arrangements, but not as a statutory partner.

Policy notes in January said the measure would 鈥渆nsure that [school] views are sufficiently included and represented at strategic and operational levels鈥�.

鈥極pportunities will not be missed鈥�

It said the government would not make schools a fourth safeguarding partner as it would 鈥渃reate significant accountability and funding complexities, requiring new statutory duties鈥�.

Placing duties on the existing partners to 鈥渇ully include and represent education at all levels of their arrangements will ensure that opportunities to keep children safe are not missed鈥�, the department said.

De Souza had recommended the policy be strengthened.

鈥淪chools are often the place where safeguarding concerns are first identified, where children build trusted relationships with adults and where early help can be most effectively coordinated,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 am disappointed by the decision to instead name education settings as 鈥榬elevant partners鈥� in the legislation, which does not put them on equal footing with social care, health, and police. This misses a key opportunity for better joined-up working to protect children from harm.鈥�

But the school leaders鈥� union NAHT has welcomed the approach, which it said 鈥渙ffers the flexibility鈥� to call upon schools when appropriate.

Paul Whiteman, the union鈥檚 general secretary, said: 鈥淲e were concerned that the law didn鈥檛 clarify how nurseries, schools and colleges should be involved in system-led decision-making, running the risk that opportunities to protect children could be missed,鈥� he said.

Whiteman said the new approach 鈥渋mportantly offers the flexibility to call upon the most appropriate education representative based on the specific issues being looked at and the information needed, rather than expecting a single individual to effectively represent such a diverse sector鈥�.

The DfE said it would produce guidance and share good practice with schools alongside the changes.