School of Human and Social Sciences leader authors new child safeguarding standard
Intro
University of West London (UWL) Deputy Head of Human and Social Sciences Dr Simon Ian Fox was selected to author a new child safeguarding standard in out-of-school settings for global certification body The British Standards Institution (BSI). The standard was funded by BramahHR in collaboration with the charity One Small Thing.
Article body
Doctor Fox is an academic leader and expert in safeguarding, criminal law, criminology, policing and police ethics and investigative process. He was contacted to become the technical author of the standard known as PAS 5222 by Mark Bramah, Independent Chair for Hampshire Children Services and BramahHR. A former senior detective in child abuse cases, Mark is also responsible for managing individuals who pose a risk within religious organisations and conducts independent reviews of child safeguarding practices.
PAS 5222 is designed to close the gap where organisations or individuals hold a responsibility for children’s care outside of school settings. This includes businesses, charities, uniform and non-uniformed cadet providers, leisure industry, security industry, festival organisers, religious bodies and sporting clubs.
The Standard is now applicable to all providers of activities for children in out-of-school settings. It provides a clear framework to embed safeguarding measures into governance, policies and procedural operations.
Commenting on being the author for the new child safeguarding standard, Dr Fox said:
Creating this standard was a joyous experience for me. It is a timely and essential endeavour. I am assured of its quality and relevance because it underwent a meticulous writing process, incorporating feedback from a steering group of experts and a public consultation phase. It was a significant amount of effort, but undoubtedly worthwhile.”
Mark Bramah said:
The issue of safeguarding children in adult environments has very much been at the core of my professional, academic and even personal life. Being able to offer a clear framework for organisations that are not schools to safeguard children has to be the right thing to do. Allowing independent scrutiny of safeguarding measures demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to getting it right.”
Anne Hayes, Director of Sectors at BSI, said:
Prioritising safeguards for children, among society's most vulnerable, can ensure a safe environment in which they can flourish and develop in their formative years. This new standard is intended to address the lack of statutory guidance and processes for organisations and individuals responsible for the care of children in non-educational settings!”
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