What is a school safeguarding audit?
All schools have a duty to ensure the welfare and safety of their pupils. As part of this, they must complete a safeguarding audit to assure themselves that they are fulfilling their statutory safeguarding responsibilities.
This requirement is set out in Section 175 of the 2002 Education Act, which states that local education authorities and the governing bodies of maintained schools and further education colleges must make arrangements to ensure that they are meeting their obligations to safeguard children, as set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children. Section 157 of the 2002 Education Act and the Independent School Regulations 2003 conveys the same responsibilities on all other non-maintained settings.
Safeguarding audits are a statutory requirement and require schools to self-evaluate and provide evidence as to the safeguarding policies, procedures and practices that are in place, to ensure compliance and effectiveness. Auditing helps schools to continually review and approve their safeguarding policies, and are an essential part of good safeguarding practice.
However, these regular auditing requirements can put additional pressure on schools, when there is little time or resource available. It is therefore important for schools to find an auditing tool that is easy to use, secure and convenient – enabling them to have peace of mind that they have an effective, reliable system which supports them in meeting their safeguarding obligations.
The Phew Audit System is purpose-built for safeguarding audits, including Section 175/157. It is easy to use and accessible to everyone, no matter what their level of computer competency is. It is an online system that allows respondents to be emailed their required audit, along with all follow-up communications, including automated reminders and confirmations.
There are various integration options available, so the system can work with any existing processes and systems. In-depth reports can be instantly generated so that trends and insights can be identified using historical and real-time data.
Jon Needham, Director of Safeguarding at Oasis Community Learning, said: “The Phew Audit System has revolutionised our approach to safeguarding and governance oversight. Thanks to this streamlined solution, we’ve centralised our auditing operations, which has in turn made data processing efficient and reduced administrative burdens.
“The system is incredibly accessible and its user-friendly interface has been well-received. Having access to standardised data enables us to track progress and make informed decisions. The system’s ability to generate actionable plans in Excel format has simplified our processes and helped us readily identify and address safeguarding and developmental needs.”
The Phew Audit System is the platform of choice for more than 100 clients, who have saved up to one month per year in admin time and seen up to a 120% increase in audit completion rate.
Would you like to find out more about the Phew Audit System? We can provide a free demonstration at your convenience. Please get in touch at hello@phew.org.uk or telephone 01234 779050.