A day in the life of a Designated Safeguarding Lead
What I wish I knew and how to overcome challenges.
I can vividly remember how I felt in my first few days as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). I had several years of experience working in the police, the prison service, youth offending, substance and alcohol misuse services, and child protection social care. So surely I was more than prepared right? I had so much experience and kept thinking, if I have worked in such chaotic and high threshold roles previously then this will be easy. I’d have no statutory powers but I could breathe a little more and be that single contact and share my knowledge, and of course manage risk at that lower level (which I thought at last I drop down a gear).
Well, I realised very quickly that I felt a little less confident, a little out of my depth, not in safeguarding expertise but definitely as a DSL and what that actually meant. This was because the guidance and the structures did not clearly exist. I was used to extremely robust legislation and guidelines and had access to regular and effective supervision and was always surrounded with people with way more experience to lean on if I was in need. I had entered the world of further education working with 16+ learners and being the only person responsible for safeguarding for a huge national provider. Of course, this was not the case, I was not the only person as we know safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility but honestly I did feel pretty isolated and although I had a deputy they did not really get involved in much! The sheer lack of understanding I think and that uncertainty of strategic direction felt so unnerving, and at times if I am brutally honest, scary! But for the most part I loved it, and loved helping people.
I found myself firefighting one day, catching up the next, stressed, elated, training new members of staff, being the person everyone called when they had concerns about others but also about themselves and the workplace/managers. I was trying to be a strategic leader and writing documents then being an operational whizz but deep down I longed for someone to approve everything I was doing but quickly realised that I WAS this person. It’s pretty hard to quality assure yourself right?
So I quickly realised that there was no handbook, training course, apprenticeship, or clear job description that existed to enable me to do all the rights things at the right times which for me was something I needed as I am an organised, methodical, and conscientious professional. I was confident I could spread awareness about safeguarding issues and abuse, deliver impactful training, and of course deal with child or adult protection issues when they were raised, and even the most high level stuff, but there were so many things I did not know I needed in the early days and over the years my understanding of safeguarding and internal definitions have changed. I now, with 19 years experience truly feel that I understand the links between WELLBEING, SAFEGUARDING, and CHILD AND ADULT PROTECTION. You see, in my early career I always thought safeguarding was only about child and adult protection. I couldn’t define clearly how wellbeing and safeguarding practices and processes were my full remit without clear guidance of what I was expected to do!
So, here is my list of some of the most important things a DSL needs to know:
Fostering relationships with key players and colleagues- This is ESSENTIAL! We need to be able to engage the right people at the right time and ensure that we build trust. This makes it easier to implement new strategies and ensure that we gain opinions along the way! Bringing people along willingly on the journey of improvement. Understand and engage with your local authority partners and processes so you can respond quickly and be aware of what exists in terms of support.
Engaging staff in training and understanding how to influence and assess impact- Invest in some quality training that enables you to train people if you don’t have a teaching or trainer qualification already. Think big, what do we want to achieve and how can we measure that learning outcomes have been met. Also, what do people need and want to know? What is the impact?
To grow colleague confidence using empathy and coaching skills- Access some training or a coaching course/support network that can help you to grow your own confidence but also the confidence levels of those around you. Understand how to coach roles such as Safeguarding Officers and Mental Health First Aiders etc. Be prepared to coach up to the top level too! You may need to coach Board members and Governors. I always say you will feel good and people around you will feel good if you can focus on at least one compliment and leave people with the impression of increase.
To understand when and how to challenge and have those challenging conversations- This is a skill. It comes with practice and confidence and of course experience but it again is something that you really need to be confident in doing. Stand by your convictions to highlight and produce evidence of risk or harm and align yourself with a good mentor or network that you can access if you do not feel sure of what to do next. Mastermind it out!
How to engage stakeholders in the stages of development, consultation, and feedback- Use project management and influencing skills to plan smart strategic initiatives and how engage relevant people along the way. A lot of DSLs will develop policies in isolation as an expert, implement action plans and risk assessments, but do not always feel they can effectively communicate or ask for what they need to help the plan be a success. It can feel overwhelming so ensure what you produce has been approved and feedback has been considered along the way.
How to truly understand self-care and how to manage burnout and emotional impacts- Access and ask for regular supervision. Form peer-peer networks or attend those that exist with like-minded people. Take time out regularly to debrief and consider your own emotional and physical wellbeing. DSLs are usually self motivated people that don’t often have access to additional support but are always there to firefight and manage high levels of stress and risk. Take care of you, remember you cannot pour from an empty cup or advocate wellbeing for others if you do not do this for yourself!
How to manage staff allegations and links with Human Resources- Access some quality training and align yourself with those who manage human resources and relationships. Offer your support and expertise and ensure HR understand your remit and your role and how there can be conflict of interest but also strengthened partnerships, particularly with safer recruitment strategies.
How to prepare a Board report and what should be included- You need to think strategically here. Ask your Board or Leadership team what they wish to know but also ensure this is proportionate and anonymised. Think about what you need to understand about demographics, themes, types of concerns raised, intervention, the volume of concerns, risk levels, and locations etc. What are the biggest risks to people and of course the company? Be sure to raise concerns swiftly and ensure they are monitored and dealt with effectively, again so you are not always managing risk in isolation.
So, there it is! I did however want to finish this article on an extremely high note. Did I love being a DSL? ABSOLUTELY! My passion for people and keeping them safe grew from a place of adverse childhood experience and an overall inner voice. Being there for people was just my calling, my drive, my motivation, and I believe at times my saviour. Giving back is so rewarding, seeing people develop and grow, and achieve after experiencing hardship or abuse is genuinely one of the best things I believe you can do in this world. Be a change maker, prepare yourself, access support, care for yourself, and do not ever feel that you are alone! We would of course welcome some clear guidance of course but in the meantime there are people out there that are having these conversations often.
At RLB we have designed all of our resources, training, and consultancy services to fill these gaps, to make you feel listened to, part of a group, and able to build those networks and practical solutions to move forward! It is our PASSION and is why RLB exists! Feel free to reach out to us if you would like to connect to our ever-growing network of DSLs and Safeguarding professionals! We are here for you! Every month we run a free Safeguarding Spotlight Series- Lunch and Learn event. Join us to network and meet like-minded people.
I hope this article does help some DSLs and encourages you as people and professionals to feel confident that it can be one of the most rewarding jobs ever and when you are not sure which way to go, a problem shared is always a problem halved!
Thank you for reading, Rachael