As another academic year draws to a close, many Designated Safeguarding Leads will be reflecting on what has been a demanding year.
Across the education sector, safeguarding teams have continued to navigate increasingly complex challenges. Attendance concerns, online harms, harmful sexual behaviour, mental health pressures, staffing changes and the growing complexity of safeguarding referrals have all featured heavily in conversations with schools and trusts this year.
At the same time, expectations on safeguarding leaders continue to increase. The role of the DSL has evolved significantly over the last decade. Today’s safeguarding leaders are expected not only to respond to concerns, but to influence culture, advise senior leaders, support staff, engage with external agencies, and provide assurance to governors and trustees.
Have we done enough to prepare our safeguarding teams for the year ahead?
The most effective organisations use this period not simply to review the year that has passed, but to strengthen their safeguarding arrangements for the new academic year.
Here are five priorities worth considering as part of your September planning.
1. Review your safeguarding learning from the year
Every safeguarding concern, referral, complaint, audit and supervision discussion provides an opportunity to learn.
Before planning training for September, take time to reflect on the themes that have emerged within your organisation over the last twelve months.
Ask yourself:
What safeguarding issues have occurred most frequently?
Where have staff demonstrated confidence and good practice?
Where have knowledge gaps emerged?
What lessons can be learned from referrals and case management?
What feedback have children, families and staff provided?
The answers should shape your safeguarding priorities moving forward.
Too often organisations purchase generic training without first identifying what their workforce actually needs.
A safeguarding strategy should be informed by evidence, not assumptions.
2. Make safeguarding a priority within your INSET programme
INSET days provide a valuable opportunity to reinforce safeguarding culture across the whole organisation.
The most effective safeguarding training goes beyond reminding staff about policies. It helps staff understand risk, recognise concerns and develop confidence in decision making.
Consider whether your training programme addresses:
Emerging safeguarding risks.
Online safety and digital behaviours.
Harmful sexual behaviour.
Professional curiosity.
Low-level concerns.
Safeguarding culture and reporting pathways.
It is also important to remember that different groups require different training.
The safeguarding needs of governors, trustees, senior leaders, teaching staff and support staff are not identical.
A one-size-fits-all approach rarely delivers the best outcomes.
3. Support your DSL team through supervision
One question I often ask school leaders is:
Who is supporting the people responsible for safeguarding everyone else?
DSLs carry significant responsibility. They are often required to make difficult decisions, manage risk, support vulnerable children and families, and respond to highly emotional situations.
Yet many receive little structured support beyond mandatory training.
Reflective safeguarding supervision provides dedicated time and space to:
Discuss complex cases.
Reflect on decision making.
Explore professional challenges.
Develop confidence.
Identify learning opportunities.
Support wellbeing and resilience.
Over the years, I have provided supervision to safeguarding leaders across education, sport, healthcare and charities. Regardless of sector, the themes are remarkably similar.
Better supported safeguarding leaders make better safeguarding decisions.
If safeguarding is a strategic priority, supervision should form part of your wider CPD offer.
A strategy allows leaders to ask meaningful questions:
Are our policies being followed?
Have all staff completed the appropriate training?
What do our incident themes tell us about organisational culture?
What does good look like, and how do we know we are getting there?
Without a strategy, safeguarding becomes reactive. With one, it becomes embedded, monitored, and understood at every level.
4. Simplify training management and compliance
Many schools and trusts continue to manage safeguarding training through multiple systems, spreadsheets and manual records.
As organisations grow, this becomes increasingly difficult to monitor.
A single training platform can provide:
Consistent safeguarding training.
Centralised records.
Automated reporting.
Easier onboarding of new staff.
Improved compliance monitoring.
Greater visibility for leaders.
More importantly, it provides data.
As safeguarding professionals, we regularly ask others for evidence. We should expect the same from ourselves.
What are your safeguarding KPIs?
Can you demonstrate training compliance?
Can you identify trends across your workforce?
Can you evidence improvement?
Good safeguarding leadership relies on good information.
Creating a safe space for everyone means exactly that: everyone. Not just children. Not just adults at risk as defined by law. But every person who walks through your door, staff, contractors, visitors, volunteers, athletes, performers, clients.
Human beings deserve to be safe where they work, train, learn, create and contribute. And that responsibility sits firmly with leadership.
5. Start September with a safeguarding strategy
Safeguarding should never be viewed as a standalone activity.
The strongest safeguarding cultures are supported by a clear strategy, understood throughout the organisation and championed by leaders.
A safeguarding strategy helps organisations:
Define priorities.
Allocate resources.
Monitor progress.
Measure impact.
Strengthen accountability.
Most importantly, it keeps safeguarding visible.
When safeguarding appears regularly on leadership agendas, board reports and governance discussions, it becomes embedded within organisational culture.
Safeguarding is not simply the responsibility of the DSL.
It is a leadership responsibility.
Questions for school leaders and trusts
As you prepare for September, consider the following:
- What have we learned from safeguarding this year?
- Is our INSET programme addressing current risks?
- Are our DSLs receiving appropriate support and supervision?
- What are our safeguarding KPIs?
- Do we have a clear safeguarding strategy for the year ahead?
These are not complicated questions.
However, the answers can make a significant difference to the safety and wellbeing of the children, young people and staff within our organisations.
How we can help
At Safeguarding Today Ltd, we work with schools, academies and trusts to strengthen safeguarding culture through consultancy, audits, supervision and training.
Through Safeguarding Today Online, organisations can access high-quality safeguarding e-learning through a single platform, giving leaders visibility of workforce compliance and learning.
If you are reviewing your safeguarding priorities for September, we would be delighted to discuss:
Because safeguarding is not just a compliance issue.
It’s a leadership issue.