Waltham Forest Council publishes safeguarding plan after school abuse
An action plan addresses mistreatment of 38 pupils at Whitefield School between 2014 and 2017.
Incident → evidence → outcomeWaltham Forest Council has published a 21-point action plan following a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review that found 38 pupils at Whitefield School were mistreated. The review identified the misuse of 'calming rooms' between 2014 and 2017, which are intended to help children with special educational needs manage stimuli.
CCTV footage, uncovered in 2021, showed children being left alone in windowless rooms for up to four hours. The recordings also depicted children, many of whom were non-verbal, being kicked by staff members. These rooms were subsequently closed after an Ofsted inspection in early 2017.
Council's Response and Action Plan
The new Green-led council administration stated it is committed to "meaningful and lasting improvement" following the review's publication. The action plan is based on nine recommendations made by the Waltham Forest Safeguarding Children Partnership.
Short-term goals, scheduled for completion by March, include engaging with affected families, assessing the current wellbeing of the children who experienced mistreatment, and sharing the review findings with education, health, and social care partners. In the medium term, the council plans to provide training on restrictive practices to schools and governors and develop a referential template. By January, a multi-agency report assessing progress will be submitted to the partnership.
A final aim, due by September, is to establish a framework for evaluating restrictive practices, safeguarding measures, governance, staff competency, and the experiences of children with SEND. The review found that no staff members were arrested in connection with the abuse. Six staff members were proven to have abused children but were not dismissed, and at least one recommended referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service was not made.
Next Steps
The Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review and the council's response will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the children and families scrutiny committee next week.
Questions this report answers
01What happened at Whitefield School?
Between 2014 and 2017, 38 pupils at Whitefield School were mistreated through the misuse of 'calming rooms'. CCTV footage showed children being left alone in windowless rooms for up to four hours, with some sitting in urine or eating crumbs from the floor. Staff were also seen kicking children.
02What is Waltham Forest Council doing in response?
The council has published a 21-point action plan based on nine recommendations from a safeguarding review. Short-term goals include speaking with affected families and assessing children's wellbeing. Medium-term plans involve training for schools and developing assessment frameworks.
03What action has been taken against the staff involved?
Six staff members were proven to have abused children but were not sacked. No staff members have been arrested in connection with the abuse. At least one recommended referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service was not made.
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