‘When it comes to identifying safeguarding risks and early intervention, a lot of focus is put on the individual themselves, the family members they have direct and frequent contact with, and their physical and mental health. However, many other risks pose a threat to a child or vulnerable adult’s safety that come from their wider environment, which are equally important to consider when identifying safeguarding concerns.

Contextual safeguarding is an approach that takes this into account and offers up a framework for understanding the wider factors and scenarios that could put someone at risk.’

(https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/resources/what-is-contextual-safeguarding)

Contextual safeguarding in schools recognises that young people can experience significant harm beyond their family home, in contexts such as their neighbourhoods, peer groups, and online, and that these environmental factors need to be addressed as part of safeguarding practices. It is the responsibility of all school staff to be aware of these risks and contribute to a wider, multi-agency response.

Key Principles in a School Setting

Schools can implement contextual safeguarding through a two-tier approach:

‘The key reason that contextual safeguarding is important is that, before the approach was implemented, many safeguarding concerns outside of the immediate family and home environment were missed by existing child protection procedures and systems, meaning that the consequences were difficult to resolve. Having this new framework in place and ensuring that safeguarding professionals are aware of external factors that may affect an individual’s wellbeing means that more young people are kept safe from harm, removing the need for later intervention and reducing the likelihood of serious consequences.’

(https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/resources/what-is-contextual-safeguarding)

 This blog was written by Bretta Townend-Jowitt, Education Consultant and Trainer.