We are hosting a live DSL forum for member safeguarding leads and deputies from across the country. Do join us and participate.
Make a virtual cup of tea and join us in a space where we can share issues, experience and expertise to make sense of and structure the surreal experience of working in an education setting at the moment. We’re all working differently now and this regular meeting aims to an informal drop-in opportunity for safeguarding leads caring for vulnerable children both in and out of their settings. DSL Forum meetings are monthly on Wednesdays at 4:30pm.
We’ve held out first couple of meetings & our next meeting is on Wednesday 17th March at 4:30pm to the new extended time of 6.00pm.
We have found that our 16+ Forums provide really valuable discussions. Our first session, we realised it was immediately apparent people needed to share experience, seek advice and support and really valued the opportunity to come together. We highlight some of the issues commonly covered by 16+ DSLs, in particular highlighting the high proportion of safeguarding referrals with strong roots in the young person’s mental health. Other issues include :
We have agreed there is an on-going need for these sessions – they may ultimately link up with other work across the sector. The needs of older young people are different – they are exposed to different risks, respond in a different way and sit under different legal frameworks depending on their mental capacity and age. The National Association for Managers of Student Services are also thinking about how to support DSLs, so the Chair of their Executive Board, Polly Harrow, has been joining our sessions to consider options for a joined up approach going forward.
You can access the next DSL forum from 4:30-6:00pm on 17th March 2021 using the same Zoom details. This session will only be accessible to members but if you’re interested in joining you’re welcome to come to a session for free… get in touch on our contact page and we’ll send you some details. Safeguarding Network Members can access these by logging in.
Agenda for 17th March:
If you’re not a member, but would like to know a little bit more, try our guided tour of the site… it’s a great timesaver and there’s lots of support for DSLs.
We’re looking forward to talking to you.
Safeguarding Network
