Representation of Education within the Local Safeguarding Arrangements - Summer Term Update

We wanted to provide you with an update on the work we have been undertaking to ensure the voice of education is represented in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. Further information about this group including members can be accessed via the Education and Multi-agency Safeguarding Arrangements (MASA) pages of the Norfolk Schools and Learning Providers website.  

Since joining the Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership Group in December 2024, we have been able to raise the profile of education within the multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. Thanks to the feedback you have provided to the sector representatives, we have shared the current strengths and challenges in safeguarding landscape from the perspective of the Further Education and Special School sectors and Jess will be sharing the view of the primary sector on 21st July. In preparation for the October meeting, we would be grateful if secondary school Headteachers and DSLs could provide their feedback using this short survey link..  

The group has also been involved in the partnership work to shape the NSCP priorities for the forthcoming year. Jon and Nic also provided a valuable contribution to a piece of independent scrutiny which considered the multi-agency response to severe absence. We will provide more detail about these pieces of work in the Autumn Term when the results of these pieces of work are published but we hope you will agree that these developments mean that the voice of education is beginning to inform strategic thinking in response to local need and the changing national landscape.  

Norfolk, alongside all other areas is beginning the process of implementing the Government's Family First Partnership (FFP) Programme.  The FFP programme aims to transform how we support children and families by strengthening early intervention, improving multi-agency collaboration, and ensuring families receive the right help at the right time. It is essential that Education is actively represented in the co-design of the FFP programme as a universal service with daily contact with children and families and unique insights into the challenges and opportunities facing local communities. The NSCP MASA Education Representatives have endorsed the first phase of Norfolk's delivery plan and we will be consulting with DSLs and education leaders as this work progresses. We are delighted that the critical role of education in co-designing the local delivery model has been recognised ensures that reforms are grounded in real-world experience and reflect the needs of children across all settings. This collaborative approach will help embed a shared understanding of the reforms, foster collective ownership, and ensure that Education's role in early identification, safeguarding, and family support is fully integrated into the new system.  

Getting involved 

The group membership has undergone some changes since we wrote to you in January. We are delighted to welcome Nichola Stewart, Headteacher at Suffield Park Infant & Nursery School as a primary sector representative. Sadly, the end of term sees Jon Ford retire and therefore end his time as the secondary Headteacher representative; Jon's input has been invaluable in this first year of our work and we are extremely grateful for this support. This means that we now urgently require at least one secondary headteacher representative to work with us,  the terms of reference including an outline of the role can be accessed here.

We would also welcome further representation from a large, urban primary school. If you are a Secondary Headteacher or Headteacher of a large primary school who would be interested in offering your support and representing the sector, please contact Kelly Waters for a discussion.  

We will provide regular updates to you as this work progresses but if you have any questions in the interim, please contact your sector representative or Kelly Waters.