"I cannot recommend Judicium highly enough. We have been using their full range of services for the last two years and with four OFSTED inspections in four years, safeguarding has been reported as effective in every inspection across our Trust."

Founded in 2009, Nishkam Schools Multi-Academy Trust, is comprised of eight schools and nurseries and spread across London and the Midlands.

Nishkam Schools Trust began working with the Judicium Safeguarding team in January 2023, to support their schools to ensure they have a consistent and robust safeguarding culture across their schools.

Judicium’s Safeguarding team, have worked hand in hand with the Trust, and supported the DSLs at local to achieve this.

“The package of support we receive is extensive. Each school has an annual safeguarding audit, which is very thorough and detailed, and helps drive our outstanding practice.”

Once an audit has been completed each school is given a bespoke action plan. These are then discussed at the DSL forum which Judicium host on a termly basis with all DSLs across the Trust. This is a brilliant opportunity for our DSLs to share their learning with each other under the guidance of a Judicium Safeguarding expert.

To support Nishkam with their oversight, Judicium also produces an annual central Safeguarding report looking at the quality of provision for safeguarding in Nishkam schools, this highlights successes centrally and learning that can be cascaded out from the centre, as well as highlighting areas of potential risk. This report is then used to report to the Trust Board, where safeguarding priorities and strategy are set.

As part of ensuring ongoing and robust Safeguarding compliance, Judicium also review Nishkam’s Safeguarding documentation and policies when they are up for renewal. “This saves time and energy and gives us reassurance that all our policies and documentation are up to date and statutory complaint.”

Ensuring all staff are fully trained and kept up to date on any developments in safeguarding is an instrumental part of ongoing compliance and something that is very important to Nishkam Schools MAT.

All DSLs and school leaders have access to a wide range of free resources available via JEDU, these include weekly briefings that can be delivered in staff meetings and unlimited CPD eLearning training to ensure topics are revisited regularly. As part of Judicium’s support service all DSLs are given level 3 training, and Nishkham have the ability to train up new DSLs as the Trust grows.

“Judicium also supply us with the annual KSCIE training slides that all schools are required to do at the start of every new year."

Judicium's safeguarding team helped to support the workload of the trust's DSLs, while also creating a cohesiveness which ensures there are common messages across the trust.

In order to work more efficiently, and give the opportunity to share best practice, Nishkam train their DSLs annually in large groups through Judicium in both their Midlands and London schools. “The training is always of a high quality, and we also have access to their free unlimited advice service.”

When speaking to Nishkam they have praised Judicium’s staff as being “personable, supportive and very knowledgeable” and expressed appreciation for the assistance and smooth transition provided when a new school has joined the Trust.

Nishkam’s Director of Primary Education, Debbie Westwood: “I cannot recommend Judicium highly enough. We have been using their full range of services for the last two years and with four OFSTED inspections in four years, safeguarding has been reported as effective in every inspection across our Trust.”

If you’d like to learn more about Judicium’s services, please feel free to contact Georgina de Costa on georgina.decosta@judicium.com or 07399 185 443