Safeguarding Concern Form Template for Schools

A safeguarding concern form is the main record of a student welfare issue in a school. Staff must write down what they see, hear or notice without delay.

Inspectors under KCSIE and CIS expectations check these notes to see if staff spot patterns early. A vague or late note slows down the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).

Every concern form needs six basic parts. It must record the child details, the date, the place, the child words, the immediate actions and the DSL sign-off.

• Student particulars: full legal name, preferred name, date of birth, year group, and tutor group.
• Chronology: exact date and time of the observation or disclosure, plus the time the report is written.
• Setting: precise location on campus, on transport, or during an extracurricular activity.
• Objective narrative: what was seen or heard, separated from opinion or speculation.
• Verbatim statements: exact quotes from the child in quotation marks, preserving grammatical errors or dialect.
• Immediate action taken: first aid administered, separation of peers, or direct notification to leadership.
• Handover details: signature, printed name, and role of the reporting adult, with DSL confirmation time.

Use the standard fields below to log safeguarding concerns. Staff should fill in the form on the same day the concern arises.

Start with student details. Note their full legal name, date of birth, year group and tutor group.

Mark the type of concern next. This helps the DSL team triage the record quickly.

Write down what happened in plain, factual words. Use quotation marks for the exact words spoken by the child. Do not guess or investigate.

The DSL signs the receipt upon handover. They log their initial assessment level and record next steps.

• Student details: full legal name, date of birth, year group, and tutor group.
• Incident details: date, time, location, and reporting staff member name.
• Category: physical marks, spoken disclosures, behaviour changes, neglect signs, or online risks.
• Factual account: sensory observations and verbatim quotes from the student in quotation marks.
• Immediate action: first aid given, student reassurance, or peer separation.
• DSL receipt: name of DSL receiving the form, date, triage level, and planned follow-up.

The most common mistake is writing opinions instead of facts. Do not write that a student seemed angry or difficult.

Write what the student did. Note if they raised their voice, cried or walked out of class. This gives social workers real facts to work from.

Never wait until the end of the week to hand in notes. A small note from one teacher may link to a note from another.

Staff must never promise to keep secrets. Tell the student that you must share their words with the safeguarding lead to keep them safe. Reassure them that they did the right thing by speaking up.

• Do not record hunches, diagnoses, or moral judgments; stick to verifiable sensory facts.
• Do not promise confidentiality to a child; explain gently that information must be shared with the DSL to keep them safe.
• Do not store private copies on personal laptops, phone notes, or classroom desk drawers.
• Ensure handwriting on physical forms is legible and dated in pen, never pencil.
• Explain your role kindly: let the child know you care and will help them.
• Avoid leading questions: ask open prompts like "Can you tell me more about that?".

Sometimes a student shares a worry that involves immediate danger or acute physical harm. In these cases, student safety comes before paperwork.

Staff should find the DSL or a deputy in person right away. If medical help is needed, take the student to the school nurse immediately.

Write down the concern form as soon as the child is safe. Complete the written record within two hours so all details stay fresh.

• Ensure immediate safety: stay with the child and call the on-duty DSL in person.
• Seek medical care: involve nursing staff if there are injuries or acute physical distress.
• Preserve evidence: do not clean marks or delete electronic messages before DSL review.
• Submit the record: hand the completed written concern form to the DSL within two hours.

Completed concern forms are private child protection records. Never put them in general student academic files. Inspectors review these logs to see that records stay safe and complete.

Keep paper forms in a locked cabinet in the DSL office. For digital systems, restrict access strictly to named safeguarding leads.

When a pupil moves to another school, send their safeguarding file separately. Follow local data rules and safe transfer guidance.