For organizations

Your safeguarding policy probably tells staff to report. It probably does not tell them what to do in the ninety seconds before that — when a child has just said something and an adult has to answer.

Ask these six questions about your own organisation

  1. If a child said something concerning to the newest member of staff today, would that person know what to say in the next ten seconds?
  2. Does your policy tell staff what not to ask, or only what to report?
  3. Does anyone in your organisation write down a child's exact words, or only a summary?
  4. Do staff know the reporting duty that applies to them personally, not just to their manager?
  5. Has anyone ever asked a family how your organisation's response felt from their side?
  6. If your response had been poor, would you currently know?

If any of those made you uncomfortable, that discomfort is the useful part.

Leave this site