Safeguarding Concern Log Template for Schools

{[ ["Date and time of concern","Factual — do not estimate or approximate"], ["Name of staff member raising it","And their role and contact details"], ["Factual description using the child's own words where applicable","Observations only — no opinions or interpretations"], ["Action taken and by whom","Including if the action was to monitor only"], ["DSL response and rationale","Including the reason for a decision NOT to refer — this is equally important"], ["Outcome and any follow-up date","Closed or ongoing — must be clear"] ].map(([title, sub]) => ` `).join('')}

{[ ["Recording opinions rather than observations","Write what you saw and heard, not what you think it means"], ["Failing to note the child's own words","Where a child discloses, their exact words must be recorded in quotes"], ["Not recording a decision NOT to refer","Ofsted inspectors look for evidence that the DSL weighed up every concern — a blank record suggests it wasn't considered"], ["Storing concern logs in the general pupil file","Concern logs must be kept separately and securely, with access restricted to the DSL"] ].map(([title, sub]) => ` `).join('')}