Navigating the New Safeguarding Rules with Westpier Telecom

The new update to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2023, which comes into effect on September 1, 2023, brings a few key changes to the safeguarding landscape in schools and colleges in England. Here at West Pier Telecom, we're equipped to help you navigate these updates and continue to promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18.

Read the Guidance from the Department for Education here

Understanding the Updates

This year's KCSIE updates stress the importance of digital safety and the need for robust filtering and monitoring systems in schools and colleges. These systems are vital in ensuring students aren't accessing harmful or illegal content on school-owned devices. The responsibility for these systems rests primarily with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, with the governing bodies and proprietors also being responsible for ensuring staff undergo appropriate training.

Westpier Telecom's Role

Our award-winning services, including the Zoom phone system, 3CX phone system, 8x8 cloud phone system, Five9 cloud contact centre solutions, Ringcentral hosted and cloud telephony, and Avaya Cloud Office can assist schools and colleges in meeting these new requirements. Our systems are designed to provide safe and secure communication channels, with advanced features that allow for monitoring and control to ensure the online safety of students.

Our telephone maintenance and support, video conferencing, SIP trunks, business relocation services, business mobile phones, and conference and desk phones can support all communication needs, ensuring schools and colleges can effectively liaise with staff, parents, and authorities as needed.

Trusted by Many

We've worked with a range of educational institutions, including Glebelands School and Ifield Community College (ICC), to upgrade their communication systems and support their safeguarding efforts.

Glebelands School, based in Cranleigh, Surrey, saw substantial improvements with the implementation of an Avaya IP Office 500 phone system and an Avaya 64 party conference bridge. The upgrade led to a 37% annual cost saving on call costs and support services and made meetings with external support organisations possible without any need for travel.

Similarly, ICC, a Sussex-based secondary school and sixth form college, benefited from an IP Office 500 phone system, Avaya web collaboration for enhanced conferencing, and a One-X Mobile app to facilitate off-site work. ICC was able to utilise their existing cabling infrastructure, leading to significant cost savings and a reduction in travel costs due to improved web collaboration. They experienced a 39% annual cost saving on call costs and support services and were able to contact their senior leadership team on their mobiles off-site at any time using a single direct dial number.

Our successes with Glebelands School and ICC illustrate our commitment to aiding schools and colleges navigate the evolving landscape of digital safety and child protection. We stand ready to extend our services to more institutions, adapting to their unique needs while ensuring they are well equipped to meet the requirements of the KCSIE 2023 update.

Reach out today to explore your tailored solutions. Please call us on 0344 264 5522 or please email us.