What to tell parents about safeguarding at your school

For many families, the first time they hear the word safeguarding is when something has gone wrong. A worried phone call is a hard place to start building trust.

Parents who already know who your designated safeguarding lead (DSL) is, and how your process works, have less to guess at when a hard day comes.

In England, Keeping children safe in education says safeguarding policies should be clear and easy to understand for parents and carers, as well as staff and pupils. It is UK guidance, and many international schools use it as a benchmark. Your local law may add its own rules.

International school bodies point the same way. The Council of International Schools (CIS) and the International Taskforce on Child Protection (ITFCP) both publish child protection resources for schools. Check their current guidance for your region.

Start with your child protection policy. England's guidance says it should be available publicly, on the school website or by other means. Check that a parent can find yours in two clicks.

The same guidance asks the DSL to make sure parents know that referrals about suspected abuse or neglect may be made, and what the school's role is. Say this in plain words, before anyone needs to hear it.

Add a one-page summary in everyday language, and offer it in the languages your families read at home. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) also suggests a child-friendly version.

The summary should match your full policy line by line. The policy audit checklist helps you check. The page should cover these points.

• Name, photo and contact route for the DSL and deputies
• How to raise a concern about a child, including out of hours
• How to raise a concern about an adult, including the DSL
• What happens after a concern, including possible referral to outside agencies
• Your online safety rules and what the school filters and monitors
• Local child helplines, found through Child Helpline International

Parents ask at the gate, at sports day and in the corridor. Teachers, receptionists and bus staff are often the first people they ask. Each of them needs a short, honest answer.

Agree a few lines with your team and practise them. For a general question, a member of staff can say: "Thank you for asking. Every adult here is trained to pass on a worry to our DSL the same day, and I can show you where to read our policy."

For a question about another child, the answer is: "I can't talk about any child or family. I can tell you what we do whenever someone raises a worry." Staff should not guess, make promises or discuss other families.

If a parent tells you something that suggests a child is at risk, follow your school's child protection procedure and tell the DSL the same day. If a child is in immediate danger, call your local emergency services.

Treat the first meeting with a new family as the start of a working relationship. Keep it short, and give them something to take home.

Cover who the DSL is, how to raise a worry and what happens next. Explain that the school may need to pass some concerns to outside agencies, and that this is part of looking after children.

Say what you expect of families too. This usually includes safe pick-up arrangements, respectful dealings with staff, and care with photos and posts about other children.

Offer the information in the languages your families use, and bring an interpreter to the meeting when you need one. Repeat the main points in the first newsletter of each year, because new families join all through the year.

Talk to the DSL before you contact a parent about a concern. The DSL decides whether telling the parent will help the child or could raise the risk.

England's guidance asks the DSL to consider telling parents or carers where this would not place the child at additional risk. A concern that involves someone at home needs extra care before anyone makes a call.

When the DSL agrees to call, keep it plain. For example: "We noticed something today and want to tell you what we know, what we have done and what happens next."

Stick to facts and leave out labels. Write down what you said, to whom and when. Share only what the family needs, and see information sharing in international schools for how to decide.

International school families come from many countries. Their ideas about discipline, privacy and who should deal with a problem can differ from each other and from your policy.

Some families expect to handle problems privately. Some see a referral as damage to the family's name. Others have good reasons to distrust local authorities.

Physical punishment at home is lawful and common in some places and banned in others. Listen first and ask what the family expects. Then explain your school's duty to every child, without judging the family's culture.

Article 18 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says parents have the main responsibility for bringing up a child. Article 19 says governments must protect children from violence, abuse and neglect by anyone who looks after them.

Reporting duties and rules on telling parents differ by country. Read mandatory reporting laws for international schools and ask local counsel or your regulator what applies to you.

Start by listening without defending. A parent who feels heard is easier to work with, and you learn what is really worrying them.

When a rumour spreads, you can say: "I can't discuss any individual. Every concern is handled under our policy, and here is who to contact if you know something."

If the worry is about a member of staff, follow your allegations procedure and keep it out of parent group chats. England's guidance says the parents of the child involved should be told as soon as possible, after the school has taken advice on what can be shared. See managing allegations against staff.

If a parent disagrees with a decision, explain the steps you followed and offer a meeting. If a conversation turns abusive, end it calmly and tell your Head the same day.

Once a year, read your parent materials as a new parent would. Fix what is out of date, confusing or missing.

Ask a few parents what they understand and what is unclear, then work through this checklist.

• The policy on your website matches the version staff follow
• DSL and deputy names and contact details are current
• Translations match the latest English text
• Induction covers the same points as the website
• Front-desk staff can give the agreed short answers
• A parent can raise a concern about an adult, including the DSL
• The help numbers for your country still work