Keeping safeguarding on the agenda (literal or figurative) is one of the most important things we can do to ensure our staff feel competent and knowledgable when faced with concerns about a child’s welfare.Whilst I ensure every whole or classroom team meeting includes safeguarding as a stand-alone item, it’s also useful to check understanding to integrate knowledge gaps in to targeted briefings.
Earlier in the year I created a safeguarding pop quiz which we conducted verbally with staff (making notes on their answers – however direct or nuanced) then gave a score. The signature and review element enabled staff to add to their answers if they remembered anything else.
I analysed the results to see if there was a clear area(s) to address. Happily, the scores were high (minimum 11.5) across the board which meant the briefing at their next group supervision focused instead on each group’s core safeguarding remit rather than gaps in their knowledge.
The pop quizzes are kept in staff’s CPD files. The next quiz will include different questions, to reflect the wide bank of knowledge and understanding that is required to be a reflective and effective safeguarder.
