Would you consider a male teacher charging girls' phones for them to be a safeguarding issue?

[qumquat]

I have found out that the teacher who is the darling of the head is charging students phones for them (phones not allowed out at all in school and need to be off before entering school gates). Obviously this is against all sort of the school rules but would you say it was also a safeguarding issue? I'm debating what route to go down in reporting it as I know he'll be very well protected. (Ie gets away with murder on a daily basis) Thanks.

Presumably your colleague did something that got her/himself fired and this guy reported it?

Do you really have a problem with him charging phones that are more than likely turned off or passworded or are you looking for revenge? If the former report if the latter don't.

It sounds like a breach of school policy. Nothing to do with safeguarding. How the fuck is plugging a phone in anything to do with that?

You sound very devious OP and it’s very transparent that you’re trying to cook up something malicious. If there’s anyone who shouldn’t be around kids and professional staff ....

No, not a safeguarding issue. Just a breach of rules issue.

Organisations that have favourites or turn a blind eye to charismatic individuals breaking policy are likely to be a haven for grooming and abuse.

This is true. Remember the charming paedophile Vanessa George, who was friends with the nursery manager and so staff felt they couldn’t challenge her on breaking the ‘no mobile phones’ rule (the phone she used to film her abuse of children)?

The likelihood is this guy is harmless, but rules should apply to everyone in an organisation and when that starts to slip it IS a safeguarding issue.

Do the chargers have PAT certificates?

Yes, I think it is. If his behaviour is encouraging a different or special relationship with some of the pupils, it's a safeguarding issue. If he has access to information on a young person's phone, it's also a safeguarding issue. If he's open and honest about doing this to other teachers, it becomes less of an issue.

The school needs a policy about charging student phones.

Safeguarding also applies to children outside the school premises, so if children need to have a charged phone because of a long commute, then the school should facilitate this on an emergency basis.

If the school decides that a teacher can take a student phone to the staff room or private office, so be it.

Safer for staff would be for ad hoc charging to take place in a public space, such as reception.

I have leant my portable charger to a student, and would never take a student phone to charge in my office or classroom. If I confiscate a phone, I make sure the student switches it off, and then I take it straight to the head’s office.

I haven't RTWT but I'm a safeguarding lead and sometimes we'll charge students phones during the day in necessary circumstances (eg. Phone dead and need it for safety reasons after school etc). We ask students to turn them off first (if not already off).