Daily Safeguarding News - Safer Schools NI

ICO encourages organisations to share information on children at risk of harm

The ICO has published new guidance on the issue of addressing concerns from frontline workers on sharing information on children and young people at risk of harm.
The guidance which is aimed at people involved at safeguarding children at all levels, is made up of 10 steps.
Identifying the objective for sharing information, assessing risks and sharing as needed, entering into a data sharing agreement and following data protection principles are some of the steps practitioners should follow.
The guidance illustrates that senior leaders should ensure that everyone in their organisation has the required level of understanding of what to do to safeguard children.
A range of resources to support organisations in raising awareness of the benefits of sharing information has also been created.
For more, please visit the UK Authority’s website.

A study of 24 countries sought to understand the values that parents place most importance on in their children.
The UK generally placed less importance on instilling obedience in children than most other countries in the survey.
The UK was among countries at the top of the table for placing high importance on teaching children to not be selfish and to have an imagination and good manners.
For more, please visit the Guardian’s website.

The permanent secretary of the Department of Education has ruled that a County Down integrated school can use transfer tests to admit some pupils.
The department had previously turned down the long-standing proposal by Strangford Integrated College.
Dr Mark Browne has now approved the school’s plan to select 35% of new pupils by using transfer tests.
The school’s governors plan to select 45 out of 130 new year 8 pupils for the school every year using academic selection.
A new common transfer test is due to take place of the first time in November 2023.
For more, please see the BBC News website.