People in Positions of Trust
The resources on this page are reviewed annually at least. They will be updated as and when necessary and were last updated during August 2026.
Resources:
Low Level Concerns:
Useful resource from the Farrer & Co Safeguarding Unit
Allegations:
LADO Briefing for the Education Workforce:
Please click the link below to watch the LADO education workforce narrated presentation. This presentation is very useful as a training tool. It is suggested that the presentation could be used with Senior Leadership Teams first, then cascaded out to teachers, support staff and other members of the education workforce, such as administrative and premises staff. Please remember that the education workforce also includes paid and unpaid adults, which encompasses volunteers.
The presentation is 35 minutes long and contains descriptions of the LADO role, the LADO threshold and case management model, the referral process, investigations and LADO meetings, and the 5 LADO outcomes. The presentation also has a quiz and case studies at the end for the purposes of staff training.
LADO Education Workforce Presentation Oct 22
Complaints:
Local Authority School Complaints Process-updated December 2025 Flowcharts
Complaint Response Template Guidance This guidance template is used by Education Safeguarding Advisors for complaints that are complex in nature. Please note that not all complaints require the use of this template. When used, the completed template is shared the Education Safeguarding Advisor completing the enquiry, and the school complaints team in the Local Authority so that a formal response can be written.
The Ofsted Annual Report and Accounts 2025-6 contains a range of information about the national complaints picture for complaints made to Ofsted:
In Sheffield some current themes for complaints made to Ofsted and other external agencies about education settings are:
- Not following safer recruitment statutory guidance from KCSiE
- Recording of safeguarding concerns (e.g. incomplete, poor detail, not recording rationales)
- Conference and core group compliance (e.g. non-submission of reports, non-attendance)
- Understanding of LADO procedures (e.g. not referring allegations to the LADO, not following the refreshed LADO processes)
- Policies (e.g. out of date, not fit for purpose, not following safeguarding policy and procedures)
- Risk assessment and safety planning (e.g. not fit for purpose, not completed effectively, not including young person's voice, not consulting with parents/carers)
If a complaint made to an external agency (such as Ofsted) is received and it has a safeguarding element, you will be contacted by your linked Safeguarding Children Advisor for more information, discussion and any learning points, actions or support needed around the issues raised.
The Safeguarding Children Advisors are there to support settings, which sometimes involves the need to challenge so please be available to discuss concerns with an open approach, and embrace learning opportunities to improve practice.
Whistleblowing:
From Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026: Para 80.
"Where a member of staff feels unable to raise an issue with their employer or feels that their genuine safeguarding concerns are not being addressed other whistleblowing channels are open to them:
• general advice on whistleblowing can be found at whistleblowing for employees, and
• the NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line is available as an alternative route for
staff who do not feel able to raise concerns regarding child protection failures
internally or have concerns about the way a concern is being handled by their
school or college. Staff can call 0800 028 0285 – and the line is available from
08:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday, and 09:00 to 18:00 at weekends. The email
address is help@nspcc.org.uk.
Alternatively, staff can write to:
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
Weston House
42 Curtain Road
London
EC2A 3NH"