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Our safeguarding systems
At Holte School, we use several systems to help people share concerns, identify when a pupil may need help and keep track of the support we provide. These systems support our staff in making informed decisions and taking action to keep children safe.
MyConcern
We use MyConcern to record and manage safeguarding concerns, replacing our previous system, CPOMS. It brings concerns, decisions and follow-up actions together in a secure record, helping our safeguarding team understand each pupil’s circumstances and identify patterns over time.
Staff record what they have seen or heard, including the child’s own words where possible, relevant details and any action already taken. Urgent concerns are reported directly to the DSL immediately, as well as being recorded.
How we respond to a concern
- Assess the concern. The DSL reads the report, considers urgency and risk, checks what is already known about the pupil and assigns the appropriate safeguarding category.
- Take action. The DSL decides what response is needed. This may include speaking with the pupil, contacting parents or carers where appropriate, arranging pastoral support or early help for the family, or involving Children’s Services, police or other professionals. Urgent concerns are acted on immediately.
- Build a clear record. We record actions, decisions and new information to create a timeline of concerns and support. This helps the team understand how events relate to one another and keep track of what has been done.
- Review the support. The safeguarding team checks whether the situation has changed, whether risk has reduced and whether further action is needed. New information is considered as it becomes available.
- Close when appropriate. A concern can be closed when the necessary actions are complete and no further action is currently required. The record is retained as part of the pupil’s safeguarding history and can be reopened if new information emerges.
Parents, carers and pupils do not need access to MyConcern to raise a concern. Speak to a member of staff, contact the safeguarding team or use Whisper. Our staff use MyConcern to help manage the response and keep a record of the support provided.
Whisper
Whisper gives pupils, parents and carers a way to report worries about a child, including concerns about bullying, online behaviour or something happening outside school. Reports can be made anonymously if the person sharing the concern prefers.
You can access Whisper through the button on our school website or use the school’s Whisper text message service. Reports can be submitted at any time. This does not mean they will be read or answered immediately.
Whisper provides another way to ask for help. Pupils can also speak to any trusted member of staff, and parents and carers can contact the school directly.
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass is a partnership between police and schools that helps us support children affected by domestic abuse. Following a police-attended domestic abuse incident involving a child in our school community, police share information with our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), the senior member of staff who leads safeguarding. The aim is for this information to reach school before the next school day begins.
Knowing that something has happened helps us understand how a pupil may be feeling and respond sensitively. We can offer reassurance, adjust support and keep their wellbeing under review, without expecting them to explain or repeat what has happened.
Securus
Securus helps us identify possible safeguarding concerns through monitoring digital activity on school systems and devices. It can flag content or behaviour linked to concerns such as bullying, exploitation or self-harm. Monitoring also covers school laptops configured with Securus when they are used at home.
Alerts are graded by severity and shared with designated school staff so they can assess the concern and respond. The most serious alerts are followed up by a telephone call from Securus. Monitoring works alongside our online safety teaching and staff support to help us identify pupils who may need help.