Good leadership requires vision, direction and the ability to know how to achieve success while applying strategies that secure the right results or outcomes. This is particularly pertinent when operating in the role of the designated safeguarding lead.
Fullan (2001) advocates the need for leaders to use ‘moral purpose’ as an important factor if we are to make a difference in the lives of children. He believes that moral purpose cannot merely be stated, rather it must be ‘accompanied by strategies’ that help us to both realise it and take leadership actions that energise people to pursue their desired goal. While not all designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) such as childminders or nannies take responsibilities for others, this leadership principle relates to us all. Steered by the motivations to do our best for children, who rely upon adults to act on their behalf, there are many more considerations. For designated safeguarding leads to be effective, children require them to have the following attributes.
To be knowledgeable and understand childhood risks and what constitutes as abuse or neglect, especially for those children they directly work with. This includes risks that occur at home, outside of the home, sometimes referred to as extra-familial risks, and or in communities including online.
To take responsibility to act to help or protect a child. This involves knowing when and how to instigate early intervention strategies and processes and make decisions that lead to referral and liaising with statutory services and social care.
To empower others to recognise abuse and neglect and to engage in systems and procedures that help and protect children in their settings. They must provide ongoing support, advice and guidance on ‘any specific safeguarding issue as required’ (EYFS 2021).
A changing and challenging role
Experienced leaders will recognise that over time, their role has become more demanding and that their responsibilities increased significantly. Shortfalls and pressures in other workforce areas such as health visiting and social care impact tremendously upon those working in the early years. This, combined with a rising numbers of children exposed to various types of harms, makes it harder for leads to both manage the demands of the job and to navigate their way through child protection systems that have become difficult and are often seen as broken. With the premise that little will change anytime soon, our focus has to be on doing the very best we can for children, including recognising and engaging with strategies that meet a wide range of needs. For this to happen, greater understanding and emphasis must be placed upon recognising when and how DSLs engage early help (intervention), child in need or child protection processes rather than grouping everything under the broad term of safeguarding.
Early help, child in need and child protection
With a decrease in numbers of children benefiting from early help in recent years, the inevitable happens. Action for Children (2023) cited ‘for every two children already getting early help, there are already three children in social care’.
Early help in the early years is a necessary strategy whereby children rely upon us to engage on their behalf, so they get the help they need sooner rather than later, preventing their needs from escalating. A child in need may require extra safeguards to be put into place, including strategies that promote their welfare. In keeping with section 17 of the Children Act 1989, this support is provided in partnership with parents and will include children with complex needs such as disability or illness.
Understanding the distinctions between safeguarding and child protection sharpens a DSL’s analytical thinking as they recognise children at risk of significant harm, harm being the ‘ill treatment of a child or the impairment of the health or development of the child’, and need to respond appropriately. Strategies that centre on children are always underpinned by recognition of children’s needs whatever they may be.
The three Cs for effective child-centred strategies
Compliant – Legislation and the legal basis upon which we work should be seen as enabling child-centred strategies rather than considering it as an obstacle or something to be feared should we get it wrong. The emphasis on developing and amending safeguarding and child protection legislation is rooted in the desire and need to improve practice, making a safer and better way to ensure children’s safety possible.
Children require DSLs to be compliant to achieve the following:
- Their rights to be seen, heard and protected.
- Keeping them physically and emotionally safe and well.
- Respecting their individuality and identity.
- Taking individual and collective responsibilities to engage with others such as parents and other professionals to act in their best interests.
Competent – To be competent is to have the necessary knowledge, ability, or skill to do an exceptional job. Children need DSLs to be good at what they do to achieve and succeed on their behalf.
- Knowledge is essential, as is being able to contextualise it, use it and apply it to inform other processes.
- Deep knowledge that comes from experience, reflection and sustained learning over time provides children with greater opportunities to be seen and heard when otherwise they may not be.
- Competent leads learn how to make professional judgements that inform decision-making in respect to children’s wellbeing. They analyse situations recognising intuition and facts as informing processes that help them draw conclusions.
- Policies, procedures and management systems are created to serve and prioritise children’s needs. Where DSLs are responsible for others in their teams, they ensure that processes such as recruitment, induction, training, supervision and ongoing suitability are effective and robust.
- The promotion and modelling of practices such as safe sleep and other preventative approaches to health and safety procedures are demonstrated through leadership. Poor practice is challenged and addressed swiftly.
- Self-care and staff wellbeing are seen as essential components that support adults to look after children. The needs of children always take priority.
Confident– DSLs must be confident in order to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. When children are unable to act for themselves, confidence is a key characteristic needed for many a situation and is often a pre-requisite when addressing concerns.
- DSLs must be professionally curious. They should not always view a situation at face value, for example, if an explanation of harm fails to give reassurance that a child is safe. Being respectfully uncertain drives the next steps to find out more.
- Under-confidence results in inaction. Early years DSLs must not allow the fear of getting it wrong, or insecurity of believing they have inferior knowledge or status, to prevent them from addressing a situation.
- Confidence to speak to a parent about suspected abuse or neglect or to challenge a view of another professional is something that comes with experience.
Case study: Katy Farrell, director of early years, Michild Nursery Group
‘By far the main issues are poor or inconsistent partnership working. This is more noticeable when working with lots of different local authorities. No two authorities have the same team structures or expectations, which does mean we are already on the back foot when trying to support children. We are often not included in core group meetings, case conferences and sometimes even strategy meetings.
‘I recently supported a manager in a serious child protection matter which resulted in a Child Safeguarding Practice Review. The actions of my management team ultimately saved the child’s life. The review highlighted what we already know about poor information sharing and that while we evidenced correct child protection procedures, other agencies failed to do so.’
Strategies
‘We adopt strategies to ensure effective safeguarding practices take place by identifying individuals’ safeguarding knowledge and competencies during the interview process. We then recognise what support practitioners need as they start their employment with us. The process continues through induction, where we make clear our safeguarding expectations which includes reading and discussing our safeguarding and whistleblowing policy.
‘Staff know the names of their DSL’s and what this role involves and how they engage with them. Safeguarding training is a consistent theme throughout our company and yearly refreshers and top-ups are an expectation. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.’
MORE INFORMATION
Fullan M. (2001) Leading in a Culture of Change. Jossey-Bass
Children Act 1989; The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995; National guidance for child protection in Scotland 2021
Department for Education (2021) Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage
Action for Children (2023) Too Little Too Late
Buckler R (2023) Developing Child-Centred Practice for Safeguarding and Child Protection. Routledge