Police Roles

The Safer Schools Officer (SSO)

A Safer Schools Officer (SSO) (aka Schools Liaison Officer (SLO)) is a Police Officer that regularly works at a school or across a number of schools on a full time or part time basis. It is important to be aware that some police forces in the UK do not have the role, therefore it is likely that the local Neighbourhood Officers maintain contact with schools in their area(s). There will also be some variation among police forces. The following are profiles of the roles that are carried out by a SSO.

In line with the good attributes of a SSO, no officer should be posted as a SSO within their probationary period. This is to ensure that officers have a sufficient policing skills base for rationalised, proportionate decision making in a sensitive partnership environment. In setting a minimum level of service, whilst not entirely mitigating risk of a lack of skills and experience, it ensures some governance around what is a nuanced role and prevents officers being placed into the role on short term rotations early in their service. Local risk assessments cannot be used to circumvent this direction.

The basic role of a SSO in secondary schools is to:

• Provide a visible and familiar point of contact with assigned school(s).
• Advise Head Teacher(s) and their staff on policing issues and work in partnership to investigate crime and deal with emerging issues.
• Participate in multi-agency case conferences for students coming to notice.
• Make pupil referrals to intervention and diversion schemes for the purpose of safeguarding the child’s welfare and/or diverting them from criminal activity/ASB.
• Gather and share information/intelligence in relation to pupil behaviour linked to crime or ASB, or for safeguarding in accordance with data sharing agreements.
• Perform regular uniform patrols after school(s) to address, truancy, ASB and crime, working with STTs and SNTs as required.
• Perform weapons sweeps of identified ‘hotspots’ within and outside the school boundaries.
• Develop strategies to keep young people safe, in partnership with the school.
• Deliver key messages to pupils around general policing themes of crime prevention and facilitate delivery on more specialist themes.

GOOD PRACTICE

• The majority of SSOs will work in Secondary schools (including PRUs and AP)
• There may be a small team of SSOs delivering early intervention and engagement in Primary schools.
• SSOs may be dedicated, or a point of contact for Colleges and Universities dependant on need.
• A SSO may be dedicated to one ‘priority’ school if required.
• A SSO may be assigned a ‘priority’ school and one or two ‘non-priority’ schools. Ideally, these schools would be in close proximity.
• A SSO may be assigned several non-priority schools in close proximity.
• A SSO may share a ‘priority’ school with another SSO (buddy system) and be assigned several ‘non-priority’ schools to allow greater coverage.

School Staff Roles

The Head teacher

The head teacher and their staff retain responsibility for school discipline and most behaviour, with the police providing advice and support when required.

The amount of day-to-day involvement a head teacher has with the SSO will depend on the type and size of the school. The role of the Head teacher within a SSP is to:

• Have an understanding of a SSP and the roles within it
• Agree and sign the SSP protocol and Data Sharing Agreement
• Assign a SPOC to have day-to-day contact with the SSO
• Ensure all school staff are aware of the SSP
• Ensure information is shared with the SSO where there are safeguarding and safety concerns
• Utilise the expertise of the SSO to problem solve specific crime and anti-social behaviour related issues inside and outside of the school
• Ensure a partnership approach to provide the best outcomes for young people involved in crime and antisocial behaviour
• Support the SSO
• Feedback to the Safer Schools police Sergeant to facilitate on-going appraisal of the SSP

Schools single point of contact (SPOC)

A member of the school SLT should be nominated as the SPOC for the SSO. All enquiries to and from the SSO must go via the SPOC.

• Maintain day-to-day contact with the SSO
• Share information with the SSO where there are safeguarding and safety concerns
• Facilitate communication between the SSO and other school staff
• Work closely with the SSO to problem solve crime and anti-social behaviour related issues inside and outside of the school
• Facilitate relevant police presentations as part of the problem solving process
• Explore ways to improve feelings of safety and active citizenship to benefit the school community with the SSO, ie. School Watch, Junior Volunteer Police Cadets, joint PHSE delivery, etc.

School staff

The head teacher and their staff retain responsibility for school discipline and most behaviour, with the police providing advice and support when required. School staff should:

• Have an understanding of a SSP and the roles within it
• Identify young people who may require early intervention and diversion and refer to the SSP SPOC
• Share information with the SSP SPOC where there are safeguarding and safety concerns to provide the best outcomes for young people involved in crime and antisocial behaviour
• Feedback to the SSP SPOC to facilitate on-going appraisal of the SSP