Trevor Cook, Assistant Director of Education Services at The London Borough Of Havering

• Schools are enthusiastic and eager to participate in the program, excited about the opportunities it will offer.
• The safety and well-being of children and young people have become more critical, with concerns around mental health, bullying, online safety, and daily challenges.
• Safeguarding remains a top priority for Havering, ensuring that every child feels safe and supported.
• The focus is on both responding to issues and creating environments where children feel protected, valued, and heard.
• Children are given opportunities to share their experiences and report concerns, whether at home, school, or in the community.
• The project aims to understand young people’s lives from their perspectives and use this knowledge to build safer, healthier communities.
• A platform is provided for young people to voice concerns, addressing immediate issues and building a future where every child’s voice matters.
• The goal is to create a community where children feel heard and supported, with shared responsibility for their safety.
• The partnership with The Student Voice introduces an interactive safeguarding tool for students to report harm to themselves or peers.
• Students use interactive maps of their school, neighborhood, and home environments to report concerns, with feedback sent to schools and the Local Authority.
• The reporting process is confidential, breaking down barriers to gather meaningful insights.
• By combining local data, a culture of information sharing and early intervention is fostered to drive borough-wide improvements.
• Data insights help implement targeted interventions, such as preventing bullying by identifying unsafe areas and addressing community concerns.
• Interventions may include improving street lighting, increasing patrols, or offering family support.
• Safeguarding is viewed holistically as a community responsibility, not just a school concern.
• The Student Voice partnership will officially launch later this year, with a pilot already generating excitement in over 20 schools.
• One school leader emphasized the importance of contextual safeguarding and empowering pupils to disclose where they feel unsafe.
• Schools and community groups are collaborating to create safer areas across the borough.