Introduction to Safeguarding – Special Schools 2026/2027

In a special school, the signs of abuse can look a lot like a child's needs. A bruise gets put down to seizures, distress at changing time to sensory difficulties, and a parent who always speaks for their child is simply taken as the expert. Children with SEND have been missed this way, and many can't tell you in words what's happening to them.

This introduction to safeguarding gives every member of staff the essentials, adapted throughout for the pupils you work with. You'll learn to judge any change against what that child is usually like, to recognise a disclosure made through behaviour, symbols or drawings, and to keep intimate care safe for the child and for you.

You'll also know what goes to your DSL, what counts as a low-level concern about a colleague, and why neither can wait until tomorrow.