Support for Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and School Safeguarding Teams

The Medway Education Safeguarding team have created the ‘Education Safeguarding Information’ Channel; a central place for Medway DSLs and school safeguarding teams to access information, resources and support.  The channel provides links to current local and national guidance, and the latest safeguarding updates and training opportunities from Medway Children's Services, LADO, MASH and Education Safeguarding & Quality Assurance.

If you are a Medway school or setting and would like access to the Education Safeguarding Information Channel, please ask your Designated Safeguarding Lead to contact dslcontactinfo@medway.gov.uk and request access.

Operation Encompass for Domestic Abuse

Operation Encompass is a national scheme to ensure the right care and welfare is in place for children who are victims of a domestic abuse incident while they are at school. 

Operation Encompass aims to reduce the long-term impacts of domestic abuse by providing early intervention and support.

When the police attend incidents of domestic violence or abuse where children are directly or indirectly involved, they notify the designated safeguarding lead at the child’s school before the start of the next school day. The safeguarding lead then makes sure the child gets the immediate support that they need.  The programme operates in all police forces in the UK. It is available for every school in every police force. 

If you are a designate safeguarding lead in a Medway school you can find out more by emailing the Medway Council Education Safeguarding team on educsafeguarding@medway.gov.uk.

You can also find out more about Operation Encompass on the Kent Police website

Early Help Coordinators and Level 2 Safeguarding Advice

In addition to ongoing support for schools/settings as Early Help Leads, DSLs are able to contact Medwy Council Children's Services Early Help Coordinator’s for advice around threshold and Level 2 concerns.

Without parental consent you will not be able to name the child or share identifying information.

Please be prepared with the following information before you call:

• be concise and summarise the concerns.
• information about the family/household. Are there siblings? How old? Parents? Who has contact?
• have a clear chronology in terms of the concerns, dates and what action was taken as a result, i.e. were parents spoken to? Did they implement intervention? Referrals to other services?
• any historic concerns/social care intervention?

If you require a discussion about a child(ren) please refer to your DSL for initial guidance before contacting your Early Help Coordinator:

Area 1 (Gillingham & Twydall) - Helen Laming helen.laming@medway.gov.uk 07970 334074

Area 2 (Luton and Rainham) - Tracey Reynolds tracey.reynolds@medway.gov.uk 07712697189

Area 3 (Strood, Peninsula and Rochester West) – Helen Laming helen.laming@medway.gov.uk 07970 334074

Area 4 (Rochester East, Chatham and Walderslade) - Jacqui Eades jacqueline.eades@medway.gov.uk 07742 401203

Open 09:00-17:00 Monday - Friday

You should NOT be consulting with your Early Help Coordinator in the case of children who are at risk of immediate harm or where a clear disclosure has been made. In this case you need to call Children’s Services First Response on 01634 334466

Education Safeguarding Annual Report 

Education Safeguarding Annual Report 2024-2025