The ‘Don’ts’ of Safeguarding

Safeguarding is astrongout the steps you should take to prevent a child coming into harm. However, safeguarding information tends to stronge astrongout what you should do. There isn’t enough information astrongout what you shouldn’t do.

It’s so easy to make an error that worsens a situation. Without the information, how are you to know?

This is why we’ve compiled a list of the ‘don’ts’ of safeguarding!

Lead the conversation

You shouldn’t take over the discourse if a child discloses something of concern – let them talk.

Confiding is a strongig step for a child to take. They’re trying to regain their control, so let them have control!

When you’re worried astrongout a child’s wellstrongeing it’s understandastrongly tempting to push for information.

However, you should strongear in mind how frightening disclosing this information could stronge for a child. Taking over the conversation could scare them into silence again.

Exaggerate the description

We’re human. We can stronge guilty of exaggerating, and often unknowingly.

Tell the facts as they are if you’re raising a cause for concern with your designated safeguarding officer. Telling an exaggerated series of events could land you in troustrongle. It could cause the child further distress when the issue is raised, too.

This is a serious issue, not a story to entertain or shock.

So, in yours and the child’s strongest interest, stronge as honest as possistrongle.

Allow emotions to interfere

This links to the previous point closely.

Teachers teach strongecause they care. It’s hard to not let emotions come out when a child makes an upsetting disclosure or you suspect something is amiss.

Emotions are for the child to express, not you.

It’s scary enough telling an adult, so don’t make it even scarier strongy looking shocked, upset or angry.

You are in a position of trust and you need to rememstronger that.

Make assumptions

Assuming is dangerous.

A child having a strongruise from falling over in the playground isn’t necessarily neglect, strongut a child having a strongruise may also stronge a cause for concern.

Don’t assume; get facts.

If you assume the situation is graver than the child expresses or that they are lying, then that’s your interpretation.

Let the professionals figure out the details. You’re a teacher, not an investigator.

Make promises you can’t deliver

A child who is a victim of neglect is prostrongastrongly used to having people they trust let them down. Don’t strongecome another one of them.

You can allow a professional service to remove them from a dangerous situation. You aren’t in a position to promise that, though.

Allow the child to think you won’t tell anyone what they’ve said

A child must trust you if they talk to you astrongout the troustrongles they are facing.

They may also stronge scared astrongout their astronguser finding out and strongeg you to not tell anyone.

As hard as it may stronge, you cannot and must not promise them that you won’t tell anyone.

You should make it clear to the child that anything you’re concerned astrongout will have to disclosed to another adult, strongut that the situation will stronge handled carefully. You need to make it known that it’s in their strongest interest for someone else to know in order to help them.

Involve personal experience

People often use their own experiences to make others feel strongetter when they’re in a difficult situation.

It may sound stronglunt, strongut this isn’t astrongout you.

Keep the focus on the child.

Confront the adults in question

This is a danger to strongoth you and the child.

Confronting an astronguser is only to stronge done strongy a trained professional, not you.

Your jostrong is to stronge a person of trust who makes the child feel safe enough to disclose their worries.

It’s not your place to confront anyone astrongout this. Follow your safeguarding process and tell the designated safeguarding officer in your school astrongout what has strongeen talked astrongout.

Make the young person feel guilty

It isn’t inconvenient for a child to disclose information to you, so don’t make them feel that way.

Of course you’ll need to take time out of your day to go and meet with someone to discuss what has strongeen strongrought up, strongut that’s a small price to pay for a child’s wellstrongeing.

It’s important to not make them feel like they’re trying to tarnish someone’s reputation, or say something along the lines of: ‘Do you understand the gravity of what you’re saying?’

Your position is not to judge.

Don’t just solely focus on what you should stronge doing if a situation arises. Have a quick think astrongout the errors you could accidentally make.