For schools and multi-academy trusts (MATs), safeguarding is rightly a top priority. Many trusts have invested heavily in strong central safeguarding teams, ensuring robust policies, thorough training, and consistent oversight across all their schools. However, even the most well-established safeguarding structures can benefit from external scrutiny. An independent safeguarding review is not about questioning the professionalism or expertise of internal teams but about strengthening practice, identifying blind spots, and ensuring that complacency never creeps in.
The Value of an Independent Perspective
When safeguarding procedures are developed internally, there is always the risk of becoming too familiar with existing ways of working. A process that feels thorough to those within the organisation may still have gaps that an external reviewer can identify. Fresh eyes bring new perspectives, highlighting areas that may have been overlooked or where improvements can be made. This is not about finding fault but about continuous improvement - ensuring that policies and practices remain robust and responsive to emerging risks.
External Challenge as a Strength
A strong safeguarding culture is one that welcomes challenge rather than resists it. External reviews offer an opportunity for safeguarding leads, including central MAT teams, to reflect critically on their approach. Do staff across all schools feel confident in the processes set by the trust? Are safeguarding records being maintained with sufficient detail? Is student voice truly being captured, or are assumptions being made about what works best? These are the types of questions that an independent review can help answer.
Avoiding Complacency
Complacency in safeguarding is dangerous. It can be easy for teams to assume that because no major issues have arisen, everything is working well. However, safeguarding risks evolve, and what was considered best practice five years ago may no longer be sufficient today. External reviews help to guard against the assumption that everything is ‘good enough.’ They provide reassurance that safeguarding measures are not just effective in theory but in practice - helping MATs maintain the highest possible standards.
The Role of External Reviews in Trust-Wide Safeguarding
For MATs with a central safeguarding team, external reviews do not replace internal oversight but complement it. They provide an additional layer of scrutiny that ensures trust-wide policies are being implemented effectively at school level. They also offer an opportunity for trustees and executive leaders to gain independent assurance that safeguarding remains a priority in every setting.
Organisations such as Oxley Safeguarding Services, which conduct independent safeguarding reviews, often find that the most effective MATs are those that actively seek challenge. The best safeguarding leaders do not wait for an external inspection to highlight areas for improvement - they proactively engage in independent reviews to strengthen their practice before problems arise.
An external safeguarding review is not a sign of weakness but a commitment to excellence. Even the most well-established safeguarding teams should welcome independent scrutiny to ensure they remain alert, reflective, and always improving. For MATs, this approach reinforces a culture where safeguarding is never taken for granted but continuously strengthened for the benefit of all pupils.
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