9th May 2022

Dear Colleagues,   

Safeguarding Training for Governors

Governors are reminded of their obligations to ensure training around safeguarding is up to date. Schools are responsible for making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children as set out in Section 175 of The Education Act 2002. Governing bodies have a strategic leadership responsibility for the school's safeguarding arrangements, ensuring that policies are in place and adhered to related to the safeguarding of children.

Safeguarding Governor: Governors should ensure the Designated Safeguarding Governor (and consider all governing body members) complete the relevant Prevent training to ensure they are suitably qualified to perform their role in relation to safeguarding children.

Prevent Training: The Safeguarding Governor should have Prevent training but it is best practice for all governors to have this training. All governors can access Prevent training through the Home Office free of charge. You can access the e-learning module here: Prevent Elearning.

Fiona Gibbs, Hillingdon's Stronger Community Manager, can also provide this training directly - you can contact her for more information about the training she can provide to schools by emailing Fiona Gibbs FGibbs@hillingdon.gov.uk.

Safer Recruitment training: At least one governor must have Safer Recruitment training in place.

Governors should keep a copy of their training certificates for safeguarding and ensure the school also have records, in order to evidence the training to Ofsted or other agencies that the training is in place.

Please be reminded that DBS certificates are not permitted to be retained for more than 6 months, in accordance with the GDPR regulations.

The new proposed KCSIE 2022 references the following changes in relation to governor training:

"Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure that all governors and trustees receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training at induction. The training should be regularly updated."

The Lead Child Protection Advisor, Nicole Diamond, will be offering the safeguarding training to governors three times per school year and this information will be sent out to DSLs in September (as well as reminders throughout the year) should schools wish to access this. Safer recruitment training is also offered and again this information will be shared with DSLs. Nicole Diamond:  ndiamond@hillingdon.gov.uk.

Your Life, You Choose - SECONDARY SCHOOLS

We are really pleased to share that the Your Life, You Choose programme is being offered to all secondary schools (with Y7) again this year. We have had excellent feedback from the workshops that have run during the course of 2021-22 and we are very appreciative to the police for offering this to our schools again for 2022-23.

Workshops will take place on Wednesdays again this year and we are hoping to have all secondaries take part in order to ensure all Hillingdon young people have the key information they need to avoid potential exploitation. Please select the three dates your school can accommodate for this programme using this form. Responses need to be collated by 27 May.

5 to 11 Vaccination Programme in NW London

PRIMARY SCHOOLS: Please share with parents - we ask that you do not share the details of the liaison at the LA (Abi Preston) with parents as this is a link for schools for the organisation of vaccination clinics only.

Vaccinations 5-11 year olds

The Covid vaccination has now been approved for all children aged 5 to 11 by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The Covid vaccination for the 5 to 11 age group is offered as a lower dose (10 micrograms) of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

In London and the UK, we are experiencing an increase in Covid cases among the population and so it is important for all eligible groups to have the vaccine to help stop the virus causing severe infection, particularly in young children, older age groups and the more clinically vulnerable.

Where can I go to get a vaccine for my child?

In North West London, there are a number of ways in which to get your child vaccinated:

• A vaccination bus is on site at two Hillingdon primary schools for after school clinics (walk in) from 9 May onwards as follows:

Pinkwell school - Monday and Tuesday 3-7pm

Harmondsworth - Thursday and Friday 3-7pm

• Use the National Booking Service to book a local vaccination site: Bookings can be made through the National Booking Service: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination
• Use the Grab a Jab website to find a location that offers a walk-in session: Parents and Guardians can find a list of available sites through the Grab A Jab walk-in page. www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-site/  The grab a jab website is continually updated with new locations so we encourage you to check the website regularly.

For questions and answers about vaccinations for this age group visit: https://bit.ly/5-11vaccineFAQs

Recording and Investigating Accidents/Incidents 

All community schools are reminded to ensure they record accidents/incidents on Assure at the earliest opportunity, ideally within 48 hours of occurrence.  All accidents/incidents should then be investigated, with the results also recorded on the record in Assure, within 10 days of occurrence.  Attached are two guides to help you complete the above. 

Recording/investigating accidents/incidents within these timescales is important to ensure that, where relevant, the Council can meet its legal deadlines for reporting serious work-related accidents/incidents to the Health & Safety Executive.  

The Health & Safety Team have recently contacted all community schools to check we have the right contact details for the Assure system. If you have received an email in this regard and not yet responded, please do so as soon as possible. 

How Do I... Investigate an Accident or Incident (PDF) [393KB]

How Do I... Report an Accident or Incident (PDF) [222KB]

Head Teachers Termly  

This session for all Headteachers is taking place virtually on Thursday 16th June from 2 to 4 pm.  Agenda and link to join the meeting will follow shortly. 

Interested in Fostering for Hillingdon Council? - Please share with all staff & parents

Foster Care Fortnight 2022 

Foster Care Fortnight (9th to 22nd May) is a national campaign which raises awareness and understanding about fostering and the positive influence it can have on young people's lives. The campaign hopes to build support for fostering, challenge stigma surrounding children in foster care and encourage more people to come forward to foster.  

Hillingdon Council's fostering team is looking for people who can provide different types of fostering and is encouraging employees to consider fostering or raising awareness among family and friends. 

People from all backgrounds can foster, the minimum age is 25, and a spare bedroom is needed for any child fostered over the age of 2. We support and guide you in the fostering role and you receive a generous allowance, among other benefits. 

Want to find out more about fostering?  

Attend one of our virtual events on Microsoft teams: 

Tuesday 10 May, 6-7pm  OR   Tuesday 17 May , 2-3pm 

See link below for registration details: 

Fostering information event (virtual) - Discover Hillingdon 

We are also holding 'drop in' sessions at the following ASDA supermarkets & no booking needed: 

• Monday 9 May, 10 am to 4pm, ASDA Hayes, Millington Road Hayes UB3 4AZ 
• Saturday 14 May, 10 am to 2pm, ASDA Hayes as above 
• Monday 16 May, 10 am to 4pm, ASDA South Ruislip, Old Dairy Lane, HA4 9FY 
• Friday 20 May, 10 am to 4pm, ASDA South Ruislip 

Please share this information with parents/carers and staff via any means you feel appropriate.  

If you think you could foster, please call the Fostering team on 0800 783 1298,  email fosteringrecruitment@hillingdon.gov.uk or visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/fostering 

Fostering 2021 6pp A5 Leaflet Final (PDF) [3MB]

Ofsted Music Deep Dive: Webinar for Music Leads 

Due to its popularity last year, Hillingdon Music Hub will run a Deep Dive webinar for primary music leads at 4pm on Wednesday 18^th May 2022. The deep dive will have a small cost of £35 per head, and will be run online via Zoom for 1.5hrs.

Provided by Wiltshire Music Connect, the webinar will cover what to expect from a deep dive, what an Ofsted inspector is looking for, advice on planning and progression, and resources.  

If you would like to attend, please sign up to the Eventbrite link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/preparing-for-a-deep-dive-into-primary-music-online-tickets-328677241477

Primary Music Network Meeting - Summer Term 

On Thursday 26th May at 4.30pm, Hillingdon Music Hub will be hosting the termly meeting for music coordinators and music specialists who work in the Borough's Primary Schools.  It is held on Zoom and is an opportunity to discuss music education in Hillingdon's schools. 

The link is as follows:  https://zoom.us/j/94239675812?pwd=M3FtczhxY1VaT2VWT0JuTWJYVDdBdz09 

Meeting ID: 942 3967 5812
Passcode: 727739 

Please send apologies to rporter@hillingdon.gov.uk if you are unable to attend.