Hilbre High School Humanities College
Author: David White, Assistant Head & Director of Safeguarding & Intervention
The Challenge
Hilbre is a hard-working, lively academy where they believe that learning is an enjoyable and rewarding experience for all their students. They pride themselves in recognising the varied and individual needs of their students and the broad, balanced education they provide, both in and outside the classroom, ensures their students can leave school with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to contribute confidently to today’s ever changing world.
When it came to recording safeguarding issues, Hilbre had been used to using a paper-based method, “which worked to an extent but we found it to be a very time-consuming process. The manual system had other potential pitfalls including difficulty locating paperwork, information could be lost and therefore there were concerns over keeping track and following up issues effectively.”
The Solution - MyConcern
Assistant Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), David White, began to look at alternative recording methods, and discovered MyConcern.
Seeking something that enabled us to proactively intervene, and which managed data sensibly, One Team Logic visited us, trained us, and have been extremely responsive to any of our questions. The school organised a presentation from One Team Logic. The Senior Leadership Team were “very impressed with the product, we realised we could not develop anything as sophisticated and comprehensive inhouse. MyConcern is like a Rolls Royce compared to a Morris Minor!”
Implementing MyConcern
Myself and the other DSLs had a really effective, bespoke training session, MyConcern is very intuitive and simple to use.
We were also offered telephone and online support, so if we had any issues, we had a route to find a resolution very quickly.
Because concerns can be raised by any member of staff, we needed to roll out the training across the school. One Team Logic provided a handy information sheet that covered the steps involved in recording a new concern or to update an existing one. As a DSL, one of the great features of MyConcern is how the system sends an automatic notification to let me and the other DSLs know when a concern has been raised or amended. It makes the job of tracking a concern so much easier!
The impact on our safeguarding practices has been tremendous, MyConcern is now embedded in all safeguarding policies and staff practice. We’ve even been sharing our experience with other schools, coming to Hilbre to see how the system works. We have become a beacon school for safeguarding.
Outcomes
MyConcern provides a safety net and staff feel supported both in and out of school as the system is accessible at any time. Concerns can be recorded instantly on the go using your mobile phone and other devices, so there’s no waiting around to access a paper recording system.
This gives us the confidence that the information recorded is fresh and accurate, there’s no delay in the recording process. Therefore, we have saved so much time, both for myself and all staff involved. Acting promptly is key as the Government requires a speedy response/resolution to concerns, so we feel confident we are meeting this requirement with MyConcern.
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