News Bulletin 2025/2026
Edition 3
Risk Management and Reassurance
Delegated Services CIC
Quality support services for the Education and Community Sectors.
Let’s look on the bright side of things – the reservoirs should be overflowing by now, rivers and canals at peak and water tables – well whatever they do when at maximum! However, we know some of you have to keep a close eye on all this and include it in your continuity and critical incident planning, while others are vulnerable to flash flooding, in areas where a heavy downfall can overwhelm drainage capacity. Then there have been the school closures brought about by water main leaks across the area. That, of course, then brings the need for out of hours flushing through and re-setting of systems, when the supply is restored. Just some of the aspects we need to be up with to be able to do our best to continue to support the pupils, our staff and communities.
Our workload on the ’emergencies’ side of things, our 3Cs, has been ramping up as more of you start to review what you have in place, how it is trained for and practised. Martyn’s law requirements are starting to be taken into account, alongside lot’s of good stuff already in place that are contributors. Our Document 1 strategic policy approach was distributed in Term 2 to help with all this. It’s also on your private, Go To website under Policies, when scrolling down on the ‘landing page’. Alongside, the Security Policy Document 1 was distributed too. Work is underway on the second document of the three, with the intention that its concentration on Organisation, is distributed to be of support in Term 4. The final Document 2 of the Security Policy is also appearing then. The final document of the three addressing the how we do it side of things will then be distributed in Term 6. Of course, if we can be of help with it all, just get in touch?
It is coming up to agreement renewal time for some of you, alongside welcoming new starters from April, where there’s recognition that we can be of support, as things become increasingly difficult for some LA providers. Very many thanks to those who are journeying with us, we look forward to continuing to be of support.
DS
The Delegated Services Volunteer Board
Delegated Services is proud to be a Community Interest Company which is ‘not for profit’ We serve the Education and Community Sectors in the West County on the ground, but with a national reach.
We are extremely lucky to have a very skilled and experienced volunteer Board that supports the CEO, COO, (Bill and Rachel) and the team, to ensure our services are sustainable, secure, and what’s needed to best serve our customers now, and into the future.
Our non-executives are:
Geoff Mountjoy, Management/Leadership and Governance expert and CEOPS ambassador. He has many years’ experience in senior business management leading teams through change, managing revenue collection of over £2bn and equally large budgets. His super powers are as an executive coach with wide HR experience, with a history of employment and roles in promoting social inclusion and opportunities for all.
Jo Bradshaw has been working in education since 2001 as a former Education Trust CEO, former SBM, and had many years of Education Dept. experience in a LA. Her super power is culture change within organisations, enabling, facilitating and embedding the required changes. Her focus has been on managing organisational change and helping leaders to understand the possible culture changes that are required to bring improvement and enable the organisation to thrive and be sustainable.
James Murray brings skills within sales, training and management within construction. His super power is also being a company director for recruitment agencies and a CIC which specialises in assisting the long term unemployed in getting them back to work and upskilled.
and
James Gooding, School Governor. Head of Data and analytics at a local publishing company: “Imagine a world where AI and data aren’t just buzzwords, but powerful tools that shape every key decision. My superpower is being the bridge that makes this possible—connecting technical delivery with the strategic vision”.
Louisa Munton, recently retired from school leadership and a past long term agreement customer, has also joined us this year as a special advisor. Louisa has kindly offered to respond to enquiries as to why DS should be your support provider, in our areas of expertise, and across our network partner services.
Directors are John McCarthy, who is Managing Director of an award-winning hospitality business with extensive general business and sector-specific knowledge. His super power is expertise in sales and marketing with a passion for technology, supported by experience from previous roles and personal interest following on from his founder father.
and Bill Crocker.
To get in touch please drop us a line to:
or ring us on:
01275 795827
Mandy Parry - Safeguarding
Since Its Introduction in 2015, There Have Been Many Changes to the Prevent Duty.
Are You Up To Date With the Current Requirements and Confident in delivering These?
Charities and many other community organisations who work with children, have had a legal obligation to comply with the Prevent Duty. Since its introduction in 2015, there have been many changes, including revision of statutory definitions of key terminology, the changing nature of extremist ideologies, and an increase in the number of children being referred for support.
Over the last year, as the safeguarding consultant for Delegated Services, I have worked with a range of different community sector organisations. In the course of my work, I found that there has been a real need for clarity and understanding of the Prevent Duty.
The recent steep rise in extremist activity in Bristol and beyond – and online – has also focussed our minds on the necessity to challenge extremism wherever it shows up in our communities. Yet despite all these drivers, there is often confusion and a lack of knowledge amongst professionals on what to do in the face of this.
In March, I am offering a training and networking event to enable community organisations to understand how to comply with the Prevent Agenda in a practical and transparent way. Data suggests that if professionals have a clear understanding of the Prevent Agenda and work together to reduce risks, we can more effectively safeguard children against the very real harm of radicalisation.
Please book onto our Prevent Duty training and networking event on 3rd March and meet other organisations working with children, families and young people. We are offering this event at a special discount of £55+VAT. Details above in our training information and places can be booked via our Porta here: Training – Delegated Services