Safeguarding standards set by Commissioners in Oxfordshire.

The new section 11 safeguarding

I went to the training session about the new section 11 safeguarding training today. The good news is that it is not as scary as it looks really, and that the Council and the Children's Act 2004 both make allowances for proportionality, i.e. if you are a small organisation, you are not going to be expected to comply in the same way as a large one. I think this is particularly useful for small youth clubs and projects as some of the guidance could seem a little over the top.

However overall I am convinced this will be a good thing. I am definitely interested to see the voluntary sector tighten its safeguarding procedures to being airtight so we don't let any children slip through the gaps. This is particularly important in light of generic services being withdrawn and the voluntary sector becoming a main provider of these services. The good news is that all training is funded and there is lots of help on hand from the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children's Board to implement the changes and you have until 2013 to achieve the minimum standards. Plus here at OCVYS we are on hand to help with any of the questions that people feel to embarrassed to ask the statutory authorities and we can always ask them anonymously for you, if that is useful, or advise as appropriate.