End of Term Doesn't Mean End of Safeguarding - Who holds the Baton?n

2025-12-30 11:45

End-of-Term Safeguarding Handover: What Must Be Communicated Before Christmas

End-of-term is a classic safeguarding risk point: routines change, staff rotate, and children disappear from view for days (sometimes weeks).

What's a practical safeguarding handover approach for Christmas?
A practical safeguarding handover for Christmas involves proactive planning, clear communication of emergency contacts (like DSLs/helplines), identifying vulnerable individuals, and having clear processes for disclosures, focusing on supporting families, managing online risks, and preparing for the increased vulnerabilities during the festive break.

What must be communicated?
How to share information safely?
Out-of-hours and emergency contacts?
Working with holiday providers. and
How to ensure vulnerable children remain visible?

If a child is on your radar… who holds the baton over Christmas?

A safeguarding handover isn’t a “nice to have”. It’s what stops:

Concerns being lost in inboxes
Children becoming invisible over the break
Professionals working with partial information
Delays when something escalates

The aim is simple: the right people know the right information at the right time.

1) What counts as a safeguarding handover (and what doesn’t)

A handover is not:

Forwarding a long email thread
Assuming “the DSL knows”
Leaving notes in a personal notebook

A handover is:

A clear summary of current concerns
Current risk level and protective factors
Actions taken and what’s outstanding
Who is responsible next
How to escalate during the break

If you use safeguarding software or digital safeguarding records, the handover should point to the record and highlight the key actions/thresholds.

2) Ongoing cases: the minimum information that must travel

For children with ongoing concerns or plans, ensure the handover includes:

The current status (open/closed, level of concern)
Key dates (last contact, next review, deadlines)
What the child has said (factual, relevant)
What the family has said/done (factual)
Agencies involved and named contacts
Agreed safety plan (what to do if X happens)

Keep it necessary and proportionate — but don’t under-share to the point where the next professional can’t act.

3) Emergency contacts and out-of-hours procedures: remove guesswork

Over Christmas, people often don’t know who is “on”. That’s when delays happen.

Who is the safeguarding lead on duty (and deputy)
How they can be contacted
What to do if they can’t be reached
Local authority out-of-hours contact details
Emergency services thresholds (when to call 999)

Make this visible to staff and, where appropriate, to families.

4) Information sharing with holiday providers: do it early, do it safely

If children will attend holiday provision (HAF, camps, clubs), the provider may need key safeguarding information.

Share early (before the last day where possible)
Share through approved channels (secure email/system)
Share only what’s necessary to keep the child safe
Confirm who the receiving safeguarding lead is
Clarify what the provider will do if concerns arise

This is where teams often freeze with “GDPR”. The reality is: safe information sharing is part of safeguarding.

5) “Vulnerable children staying visible”: build a simple monitoring plan

Visibility doesn’t mean surveillance. It means you’ve thought about who might need extra support.

Confirm which children are attending holiday provision
Ensure known risks are flagged to the right safeguarding lead
Plan a check-in point for the first week back
Ensure staff know what “worrying change” looks like (presentation, attendance, disclosures)

If a child is not attending any provision and is a known concern, ensure the appropriate agency route is followed (not left to informal staff contact).

6) Staff transitions: handover isn’t just about children

End-of-term often includes supply staff, temporary cover or volunteers

Controls:

Confirm who holds safeguarding responsibility each day
Ensure staff hand over records and context properly
Keep access to safeguarding systems role-based and up to date

7) Recording and audit trail: make your handover defensible

A good handover leaves an evidence trail:

What was shared
With whom
When
Why
What the next steps are

This protects children and protects your organisation.

Quick quiz: safeguarding handover

What’s the main purpose of an end-of-term safeguarding handover?

A) To reduce admin because people need to have a break
B) To ensure continuity and safe escalation when routines change
C) To close cases quickly so that you start the new year with a clean slate

What’s a common handover failure point?

A) Too many mince people are involved
B) Children being excited
C) Assuming someone else has the information

What’s best practice for sharing information with holiday providers?

A) Share everything “just in case”
B) Share necessary and proportionate information through secure channels, early
C) Don’t share anything because of GDPR

Answer key: 1) B 2) C 3) B

Q&A: end-of-term safeguarding handover

Q1: Who should be involved in a safeguarding handover?

The DSL/safeguarding lead, relevant pastoral staff, and any professionals who will hold responsibility during the break.

Q2: What if we don’t have holiday provision — do we still need a handover?

Yes. You still need out-of-hours procedures, emergency contacts, and a plan for visibility and first-week-back monitoring.

Q3: What should a “good” handover summary look like?

Think “one page that enables action”.

Include:

Current concern level and why
Key facts (what was seen/heard, dates)
Actions taken so far
What’s outstanding and by when
Agencies involved + named contacts
Escalation plan over the break

If someone new picked it up tomorrow, could they act safely within 10 minutes? That’s the test.

Q4: How do we manage confidentiality when sharing handover information?

Use secure channels, share only what’s necessary, and record your rationale for sharing.

Q5: What should happen on the first week back?

Plan for a structured “return and review”:

Brief staff on any key safeguarding themes (without gossip)
Prioritise check-ins for children with known concerns
Review attendance patterns and late returns
Log any changes in presentation or disclosures promptly
Confirm agencies are re-engaged where needed

This is where early help often prevents escalation.

Quick checklist: Week 51 handover essentials

Named safeguarding lead/deputy for the break confirmed
Out-of-hours escalation route shared with staff
Ongoing cases summarised with clear next steps
Holiday providers receive necessary safeguarding information securely
Recording/audit trail completed in digital safeguarding records
First-week-back monitoring plan agreed