Following on from the introduction of a Prevent toolkit for schools to help them keep vulnerable children safe from harm and exploitation, a new one has been developed for organisations running out-of-school activities.
The Prevent Supplementary Schools Toolkit for out-of-school settings (OOSS) in the borough was put together by Ealing Council’s community safety team.
Funded by the Department for Education, this project was developed in line with the government’s ambition to improve safeguarding in ‘supplementary schools’ by helping these organisations understand their responsibility in keeping children in their care safe. Supplementary schools are any groups offering extra educational opportunities for children and young people outside of their mainstream schooling.
The toolkit includes a variety of resources from the NSPCC, the council and the DfE to explain the nature of possible risks of children in OOSS becoming radicalised or exploited and provides guidance on how to tackle these risks.
It was launched at the autumn Safeguarding Seminar for OOSS where representatives from the Home Office, DfE, Ealing Council and more than 50 supplementary school staff learned about the various resources available.
Councillor Joanna Camadoo-Rothwell, the council’s cabinet member for community safety and inclusion, said: “This innovative toolkit is a clear example of the invaluable work Ealing’s prevent team carries out to safeguard vulnerable young people and maintain social cohesion in our communities.
“The toolkit is a key component in supporting front-line staff in out-of-school settings to recognise, refer and respond to the risks of radicalisation. It provides a foundation to develop further understanding of the risks and the roles involved in supporting those at risk.
“We are grateful to everyone involved in the project for their continued hard work and dedication to achieve our commitment to safeguard our communities.”
The community safety team will continue working with local OOSS to provide training, guidance and resources.
The team also supports the government’s Prevent Duty by working with local partners and communities.
For further information visit www.ealing.gov.uk/prevent
