The Safeguarding Concern Log: A Free Template and Guide for Schools and Multi-Agency Teams
Accurate, contemporaneous record-keeping is a legal and professional requirement in safeguarding. This guide explains what every concern log must contain, common errors that compromise investigations, and a free-to-use template framework aligned to KCSIE 2024 and Working Together 2023.
Why records matter: Ofsted inspections, serious case reviews and court proceedings all rely on safeguarding records. Poor record-keeping has been identified as a contributory factor in multiple Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPRs). A single incomplete or missing record can undermine an entire investigation.
The Legal Basis for Record-Keeping
KCSIE 2024 requires schools to maintain clear, accurate and confidential records of all safeguarding concerns and actions taken. Working Together 2023 reinforces this, stating that records must be factual, objective and contemporaneous. Under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, safeguarding records are "special category" data and must be stored securely with restricted access.
Records must be kept for a minimum of 25 years (or until the child would reach 25, whichever is longer) and transferred to the child's new school if they move. They cannot be included in the pupil's general file — they must be kept separately.
What Every Concern Log Entry Must Include
Mandatory Fields
- ✓ Date and time of concern/disclosure
- ✓ Child's full name, date of birth, year group
- ✓ Name and role of the person recording
- ✓ Verbatim account of what was said/seen (in quotes)
- ✓ Context (where, what was happening before/after)
- ✓ Any visible injuries (description, location, size)
- ✓ Name of DSL informed and time of handover
- ✓ Action taken and outcome
- ✓ Signature and date
Common Errors to Avoid
- ✗ Paraphrasing what a child said — always use their exact words
- ✗ Adding interpretation or opinion ("I think she was lying")
- ✗ Delaying — records should be written within the hour
- ✗ Including hearsay as fact
- ✗ Failing to record that nothing was shared with the child's family (and why)
- ✗ Storing records in the child's general pastoral file
Free Template Framework
The following framework can be adapted for your school's record-keeping system. It is designed to be KCSIE-compliant and usable in any MIS (Management Information System) or paper-based format:
SAFEGUARDING CONCERN RECORD
Date: ___ / ___ / ______ Time: ___:___
Child's name: _______________________ DOB: ___ / ___ / _______
Year group: _____ Class/form: _____________
Recorded by (name & role): _________________________________
Nature of concern (tick): [ ] Disclosure [ ] Observation [ ] Third-party report [ ] Behaviour change [ ] Other
Account (verbatim where applicable):
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Visible injuries? [ ] No [ ] Yes → Description/location: ____________
DSL informed: _______________________ Time: ___:___
Action taken: ________________________________________________
Family informed? [ ] Yes [ ] No Reason if no: ___________________
Referral made? [ ] No [ ] Yes → To whom: _____________________
Signature: _____________________ Date: ___ / ___ / ______
Ofsted and the Inspection Framework
Since the introduction of the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF) in 2019 (updated 2023), inspectors are required to review a school's safeguarding records as part of every inspection. Inspectors will look for evidence that concerns are being recorded promptly, that records are factual rather than interpretive, that the DSL is clearly identified on records, and that the records tell a coherent "story" about a child over time — including multi-agency contacts and outcomes.
Sources: DfE (2024). Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024. gov.uk. | HM Government (2023). Working Together to Safeguard Children. gov.uk. | ICO (2024). Guide to UK GDPR: Special category data. ico.org.uk. | Ofsted (2023). Education Inspection Framework 2023. gov.uk. | DfE (2023). Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel: Annual Report 2022–23. gov.uk. | Data Protection Act 2018.