Guest Author: Lucie Welch, Services for Education
One of things I do as a Safeguarding Adviser to keep up to date with what’s going on nationally is to read Safeguarding Practice Reviews. This is not a fun or uplifting job and one where I often end up with tears in my eyes. However, these reviews are vital in highlighting mistakes, missteps and issues that come up time and time again when delving into a child’s life experience following a tragic or traumatic event.
What is the Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS Framework?
In one of the reviews I read recently I came across the term ‘Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS’. Initially, I thought this was a bit of a dramatic, over-emphasis and exaggeration of the word ‘graces’ using capitals and repeated letters but on further research, it’s so much more than that. We know that intersectionality in safeguarding has been such a buzzword of late and as a theory it highlights the interconnectedness of different forms of social and political inequality and emphasises how factors like race, gender and class intersect to create unique systems of discrimination and privilege.
So how does Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS link to this and why is it essential that we are aware of the lived experiences of children in our settings?
The Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS Framework was developed by John Burnham and Alison Roper-Hall in 1993 and has been significantly added to, leading us to the (rather clumsy) 15-letter acronym used today. It was initially created as a tool to help people working with children understand the different ways in which our identities can affect our experiences of power and privilege in safeguarding, and can be used to explore how these different identities can intersect to create unique experiences of oppression and discrimination.
This can be a valuable tool when safeguarding children, as it can help to identify children who are more vulnerable or susceptible to abuse or exploitation due to specifics within their lived experience.
What are the factors in the Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS Framework?
John Burnham stated the acronym should be added to as necessary and there are currently fifteen child identity factors included. These are:
Gender | Considering biological sex, gender identity, social roles and the gender continuum. |
Geography | Including location, living conditions, community and environmental connections. |
Race | As a social construct, impact of colonialism, genetic myths, ethnicity and oppression. |
Religion | Including diverse religions, morality, tolerance, cultural impact, gender roles, atheism and the impact of religion on relationships. |
Age | Taking into account a child’s chronological age, level of cognitive development, generational differences as well as attachments and relationships. |
Ability | Including academic understanding, level of cognitive development, general intelligence, common sense, skills, power or whether someone has a disability. |
Appearance | Including a child’s physical appearance, the way they dress or speak, the impact of cultural influence or gender roles and experiences with discrimination. |
Class | Taking into account a child’s social class and socioeconomic status as well their ability to access education, employment and health services. |
Culture | Including ethnicity, dominant culture, multiculturalism, community cohesion, immigration and cultural competence. |
Ethnicity | Includes an understanding of shared ancestry, language, culture, religion and group identity. |
Education | Whether a child has had a formal or informal education, whether they’ve attended state or private school or vocational training and their access to important lifelong learning. |
Employment | Including past, present and future, skills, jobs or careers and well as economic security and those of the important people in their lives. |
Sexuality | Understanding their sexual development, their public and private lives as well as the impact of religion, community and values. |
Sexual Orientation | How they identify whether as heterosexual or as part of the LGBTQ+ community and how they feel about their identity and social attitudes. |
Spirituality | Which is linked to a child’s religion, inner values, philosophy and personal growth. |
How can the Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS Framework help us to safeguard children?
1. Helping practitioners to understand diverse identities
The Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS framework provides a valuable tool for school staff to understand the wide range of diverse identities of students. By explicitly examining factors like gender, race, religion, ability and socioeconomic class, teachers, educators and support staff can gain a deeper understanding of an individual student’s lived experiences.
This framework moves beyond simplistic notions of identity and encourages a nuanced exploration of how different aspects intersect and influence a student’s worldview, behaviour and interactions.
2. Bringing to light invisible identities in the classroom
Many aspects of student identity, such as neurodiversity, family structures or experiences of trauma, may remain unspoken in the classroom setting. The Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS framework provides a structured approach to identifying and addressing these often-invisible aspects of a student’s identity and everyday life.
By systematically exploring each category, teachers, educators and support staff can ensure that they are considering the diverse experiences and needs of all students. For instance, a student who is a carer for a family member may face significant emotional and practical challenges that impact their academic performance.
By explicitly discussing the impact of ‘responsibilities’ within the framework, educators can better understand and support this student’s unique needs.
3. Recognising and addressing bias in educational settings
The Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS framework encourages self-reflection among education and safeguarding professionals, prompting them to examine how their own identities and experiences may shape their perceptions and interactions with students. By acknowledging their own biases, school staff can work towards mitigating the impact of assumptions and preconceived ideas on student learning and wellbeing.
For example, a teacher who grew up in a predominantly white community may unknowingly hold implicit biases about students from different cultural backgrounds. By using the framework to explore the cultural background and experiences of the children they work with, they can become more aware and strive to create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students.
Why an inclusive culture is essential for safeguarding
A truly safe culture within a school or education setting is characterised by open communication, a sense of trust and belonging as well as mutual respect, where every individual feels empowered to express their thoughts and concerns without fear of being silenced or controlled. Recognising and acknowledging the diverse identities and social positions of all children in your setting is crucial for fostering this safe environment.
Understanding how a position of power, privilege or authority might be perceived by others is paramount. For instance, if children perceive teachers as inherently powerful figures, it may inhibit them from openly sharing their concerns, fears or sharing experiences or opinions.
While remembering the specific order of the “social graces” may not always be necessary, cultivating an awareness of the diverse aspects of identity that can shape our interactions and influence our perceptions is essential for building healthy and respectful relationships within any community. By actively considering how our own identities and social positions might impact our interactions with others, we can create a more inclusive and equitable environment where everyone feels valued, heard and respected.
How safeguarding software can support diverse learning environments
The Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS framework underscores the importance of understanding and addressing the diverse identities and experiences of students in safeguarding practices. CPOMS software solutions complement this approach by providing the tools needed to create a safe, inclusive and equitable learning environment.
CPOMS StudentSafe is designed to streamline safeguarding processes by providing a centralised platform for recording and managing student welfare concerns. By enabling staff to document and track customisable categories or concerns or incidents related to the framework, such as issues of race, gender or socioeconomic challenges, StudentSafe ensures that no detail is overlooked.
This comprehensive approach allows schools to identify patterns, address vulnerabilities and provide timely interventions, fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for all students.
CPOMS Insight provides powerful analytics and reporting tools that allow schools to identify trends and gaps in their safeguarding practices. By analysing data through the lens of the Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS framework, MATs and schools can uncover systemic issues, such as disparities in how different student groups are supported.
Insight empowers educators to make data-driven decisions at scale which can promote fairness, inclusivity and continuous improvement in safeguarding practices.
To learn how tools like StudentSafe and Insight can support your setting in supporting more inclusive safeguarding practices, book a free demo today.
About Services for Education
Services For Education are a team of experienced advisers who support schools and education settings in all areas of safeguarding through resources, training and consultancy. If this topic is something your setting would like support with, their bespoke Safeguarding Audit would be particularly relevant and beneficial or they offer personalised staff CPD tailored to the needs of your setting. For other safeguarding services, including DSL training and consultancy, find out more about what Services for Education can offer your school or setting via their website.
