Child safeguarding is defined as actively protecting children from harm and abuse – and it involves all members of the community to ensure that students’ safety and wellbeing are at the heart of all we do at school. It involves having solid policies and procedures in place, and clarity amongst all community members as to how to ensure that these are lived in daily practice.
All FIS staff, external ASA teachers, GISST coaches, cleaning team members, and bus drivers are trained on how to effectively recognize, respond to, and report safeguarding concerns to the FIS Safeguarding Team, and are versed in Protective Practices that help to safeguard students and the adults responsible for their care.
The recent policy update has strengthened the Protective Practices section by adding two new sections:
- Guidelines for Digital Communications and Social Media, which provide clarity for how and when staff communicate digitally with students
- Guidelines for ‘Safe Touch’ with Students, which outline parameters of physical interaction with students
The updates can be found in Section 2 of the FIS Safeguarding Policy. Staff outside of the Safeguarding Team were widely consulted in developing this guidance, and the Digital Communications guidance development was instigated in part to clarify student-driven questions regarding communications external to FIS platforms.
The FIS Safeguarding Team is responsible for developing and reviewing policy and procedure, staff training, and safeguarding programming for students. Within the team, designated Safeguarding Leads and Counselors take responsibility for responding to safeguarding concerns, working closely with families, our External Liaison, and external agencies to provide support when needed. Team members are listed within the Safeguarding Policy, and are always available to discuss with parents and carers in the event that concerns arise, or in case of interest in learning more about safeguarding at the FIS.
