Risk Management Software for Schools
All aspects of the UK Education sector have a bespoke set of risks which whilst subject to regulation by their respective sector funding body, all have responsibility for the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. All Regulators expect Boards to have in place a robust framework of risk management as this will help demonstrate good governance and upon which wider inspection by Ofsted will place reliance.
Ofsted’s role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training and care services in England do so to a high standard for children and students. This involves:
- Inspecting maintained schools and academies, some independent schools, and many other educational institutions and programmes outside of higher education, as well as childcare, adoption and fostering agencies and initial teacher training, and
- Regulating a range of early years and children’s social care services, making sure they’re suitable for children and potentially vulnerable young people.
It is evident that larger, perhaps multi -site organisations have a more complex risk environment in which to operate. It is however essential to the situation of every organisation that a robust risk management system is in place as part of a governance structure; this allows Board and the Executive to demonstrate that the organisation manages transparent and current view of its risk exposure and ultimately report this to stakeholders, in most cases in the Annual Report and Accounts.
Whilst it remains correct that there are many ways of considering and reacting to risk, automation of the process in a cost-effective manner allows real-time reporting of the current position as well as assisting the Board to ensure that its risk appetite is fully embedded throughout the organisation. Achieving this ensures that risks across all areas of activity are identified and assessed in order to ensure appropriate risk mitigation controls are in place and assurance that they operate effectively is provided. Whilst this may ultimately lead to a financial consequence in an educational setting this must also reflect:
- Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults,
- Attendance,
- Retention, Achievement and
- Delivery and Standards,
- Health and Safety, and
- Data integrity and Security.
RiskMate supports and ensures that the board fulfils its regulatory responsibilities, to review the organisation’s significant risks as well as the controls to mitigate and manage these risks appropriately. As such, it should ensure that a focus is provided on what matters most. Operating in real-time on cloud-based software, RiskMate will help ensure that you maintain control as well as looking ahead to ensure that you are as prepared as possible for what your RSL may face.