Q: Write a list of everything you've done this year. Why?
A: Because most DSLs finish the year exhausted and move straight into the next crisis, the next incident, the next update to Keeping Children Safe in Education. They’ll write reports for governors and SLT, but they rarely stop to say: “What did I actually achieve this year?”
So do something different – DSLs have permission to pause, reflect and recognise the impact they’ve had over the last 12 months, not just the paperwork they’ve completed.
A: Because most DSLs finish the year exhausted and move straight into the next crisis, the next incident, the next update to Keeping Children Safe in Education. They’ll write reports for governors and SLT, but they rarely stop to say: “What did I actually achieve this year?”
So do something different – DSLs have permission to pause, reflect and recognise the impact they’ve had over the last 12 months, not just the paperwork they’ve completed.
Q: Isn’t that what the annual safeguarding report is for?
A: Not really.
The annual report is usually:
All of that is essential. But it doesn’t always capture:
Your list is about that inside of that story.
A: Not really.
The annual report is usually:
- Tied to the academic year, not the calendar year
- Written for governors, inspectors and senior leaders
- Focused on numbers, compliance and assurance
All of that is essential. But it doesn’t always capture:
- The early interventions that stopped things escalating
- The quiet conversations that changed a pupil’s year
- The culture shift where staff start reporting earlier
- The emotional load the DSL has carried
Your list is about that inside of that story.
Q: So what are you actually asking DSLs to do?
A: We’re asking them to do something very simple, but very powerful:
It sounds basic, but most DSLs only do the formal reports. They remember the hardest cases and the things that went wrong. They rarely reflect on the full picture of what went right.
A: We’re asking them to do something very simple, but very powerful:
- Make a list of everything they’ve done this year in safeguarding – incidents, referrals, training, policy work, conversations, system changes, partnerships.
- Then check it twice – go back through the list and ask, “What did this achieve for children? Who is safer because of this?”
It sounds basic, but most DSLs only do the formal reports. They remember the hardest cases and the things that went wrong. They rarely reflect on the full picture of what went right.
Q: Why focus on the calendar year instead of the academic year?
A: Because life doesn’t run from September to July.
A calendar-year reflection:
Your statutory reporting can stay aligned to the academic year. This is about you, as a professional, looking at the year you’ve just lived.
A: Because life doesn’t run from September to July.
A calendar-year reflection:
- Lets you see the whole journey from last January to now
- Captures the overlap between different cohorts, staff changes and external pressures
- Helps you notice how strongly you’ve actually started the current academic year
Your statutory reporting can stay aligned to the academic year. This is about you, as a professional, looking at the year you’ve just lived.
Q: Isn’t this just more work for already overloaded DSLs?
A: That was our concern too. So the list is deliberately:
We’re not suggesting a 20-page reflection. We’re saying:
For many DSLs, that’s the first time they’ve seen their year laid out in front of them in a way that isn’t just “number of incidents” or “number of referrals”.
A: That was our concern too. So the list is deliberately:
- Short
- Practical
- Step-by-step
We’re not suggesting a 20-page reflection. We’re saying:
- Take 20–30 minutes
- Dump everything you’ve done into a list
- Ask a few focused questions about outcomes and impact
- Notice how far you’ve come
For many DSLs, that’s the first time they’ve seen their year laid out in front of them in a way that isn’t just “number of incidents” or “number of referrals”.
Q: What kind of things do you suggest they include on that list?
A: We give some prompts in the newsletter, for example:
Then go back and look at outcomes, not just activity.
A: We give some prompts in the newsletter, for example:
- Incidents managed – including low-level concerns and early interventions
- Referrals made and followed up
- Policies and procedures updated or created
- Training delivered or attended
- Key conversations with pupils, staff and parents
- System improvements – new forms, clearer processes, better recording
- Partnerships strengthened with social care, police, health, charities
- Culture shifts – staff reporting earlier, pupils speaking up more
Then go back and look at outcomes, not just activity.
Q: You talk a lot about “outcomes” in the newsletter. What do you mean by that?
A: Outcomes are the real-world changes that came from all that work.
For example:
Those are rarely captured fully in formal reports, but they’re exactly why safeguarding exists. The list is trying to bring those stories back into focus.
A: Outcomes are the real-world changes that came from all that work.
For example:
- A pupil who is now attending regularly after months of absence
- A family who feels supported instead of judged
- A member of staff who now raises concerns early and confidently
- A pattern of low-level issues that never turned into a serious incident because someone intervened in time
Those are rarely captured fully in formal reports, but they’re exactly why safeguarding exists. The list is trying to bring those stories back into focus.
Q: How does this help DSLs in January, when everything ramps up again?
A: A good reflection doesn’t just make you feel better – it gives you data and direction.
By looking back over the year, DSLs can see:
So instead of starting January with a vague sense of dread and “too much to do”, they start with a clearer sense of what matters most.
A: A good reflection doesn’t just make you feel better – it gives you data and direction.
By looking back over the year, DSLs can see:
- What worked so well they should double down on it
- What drained them that needs redesigning, delegating or dropping
- Where they need more capacity, training or support
- Which changes genuinely made life safer and easier for children and staff
So instead of starting January with a vague sense of dread and “too much to do”, they start with a clearer sense of what matters most.
Q: Is this just about individual DSL wellbeing, or does it link to wider safeguarding improvement?
A: Both.
On a personal level, it’s about:
On an organisational level, it’s about:
A reflective DSL is usually a more effective, sustainable DSL.
A: Both.
On a personal level, it’s about:
- Recognising the emotional and cognitive load DSLs carry
- Allowing them to feel proud, not just responsible
- Helping them see they are not the same DSL they were a year ago – they’ve grown
On an organisational level, it’s about:
- Understanding what’s actually making a difference
- Spotting patterns and pressure points
- Using reflection to inform next year’s safeguarding priorities
A reflective DSL is usually a more effective, sustainable DSL.
Q: And where does Safeguard‑Me fit into all of this?
A: Our platform is designed to take care of the tracking, recording and organising – the Digital Safeguarding Passport, the dashboard, the reminders, the evidence.
But tools are only part of the picture.
We also want to support DSLs with:
This first newsletter is our way of saying: before you rush into the next term, take a moment to see what you’ve already achieved.
A: Our platform is designed to take care of the tracking, recording and organising – the Digital Safeguarding Passport, the dashboard, the reminders, the evidence.
But tools are only part of the picture.
We also want to support DSLs with:
- How they think about their role
- How they tell the story of safeguarding in their setting
- How they look after themselves while they look after everyone else
This first newsletter is our way of saying: before you rush into the next term, take a moment to see what you’ve already achieved.
Q: If a DSL reads the newsletter and does just one thing, what should it be?
A: Sit down, make that list, and check it twice.
Write down everything you’ve done in safeguarding this year. Then go back and ask:
If that’s all you do, you’ll still finish the year with a clearer, kinder, more accurate picture of your impact.
And that’s a powerful place to start a new year from.
A: Sit down, make that list, and check it twice.
Write down everything you’ve done in safeguarding this year. Then go back and ask:
- What did this achieve for children?
- Who is safer because of this?
If that’s all you do, you’ll still finish the year with a clearer, kinder, more accurate picture of your impact.
And that’s a powerful place to start a new year from.