Customer Stories

Wellington College

Author: Delyth Lynch, Deputy Head, Safeguarding

Safeguarding Systems

Educating 1100 pupils, Wellington College has been using MyConcern since 2019 and in 2021 implemented Confide. They became aware of The Safeguarding Company in 2018 when they were looking to move from a paper-based safeguarding system to a secure digital system.

Low-Level Concerns

Wellington College began its low-level concerns journey in 2015. All staff were involved in discussions on why low-level concerns were crucial to a safeguarding culture within the school. The discussions were vital in helping staff to understand the rationale and evidence behind implementing the policy. The working groups which were then set up facilitated a sense of ownership and involvement in the process. Several drafts of the policy were tabled with staff for consultation before the final version was presented and accepted by the whole community in September 2016. Back then, the concerns were recorded on a spreadsheet.

"The Safeguarding Company have always been helpful to respond to our queries and have always been polite and provided explanations when needed. "

Delyth Lynch Deputy Head, Safeguarding, Wellington College

Challenges

Being a close boarding community, Delyth believes that one of the challenges of sharing low-level concerns is the potential for staff to have normalised certain behaviours or turn a blind eye to them, so the Wellington College leadership team ensure that they educate staff about these areas in their safeguarding training and in the 1-2-1 new staff inductions.

Other key issues they were facing include having a secure database to log sensitive information and ensuring that there would be an accurate record kept if there was a change in leadership. The risk that the spreadsheet may become corrupted and information lost was also a concern. Delyth also felt that she needed to manipulate the data in a better way which would provide accurate figures and therefore greater analysis by Governors and to also spot trends and patterns which would enable relevant and more targeted ongoing training for staff.

"When we queried something initially about Confide, The Safeguarding Company went out of their way to help us and sort out the issue."

Delyth Lynch Deputy Head, Safeguarding, Wellington College

The Solution - Confide

At the end of the academic year in 2021, Delyth was aware that the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance was requiring all schools to have a low-level concerns policy. It crystallised Delyth’s thoughts that Wellington College needed to record low-level concerns in a more effective way that removed the challenges they were currently facing. Delyth approached The Safeguarding Company to see if it were possible to have two versions of MyConcern – one for staff and one for students. At this point, Confide had just been rolled out.

Key Benefits of Using Confide

  • Secure database to log sensitive information and access a permanent record of behaviours
  • The DSL and Headteacher can track staff behaviours, trends and patterns and educate staff in areas which are identified
  • Access to a notification group for the DSL and the headteacher so they can immediately see any low-level concerns that are reported. As a large organisation having this immediate notification is vital and aids in communication

"Often, when you are using a bespoke package there is a tendency to think that if it doesn’t do something you want it to, you moan and just “work with it”. With The Safeguarding Company, I have found that if there is something which we are finding clunky or that doesn’t speak in a way which we would like it to, they are super keen to find a solution. "

Delyth Lynch Deputy Head, Safeguarding, Wellington College

Solutions

Our suite of safeguarding solutions to support schools is ever growing, so we can help with your safeguarding processes in a number of ways. Explore our products below:

01
Confide
Confide

For Allegations Against Staff

One of the most sensitive issues facing any leader is how to handle serious allegations about their staff. Confide is the answer

Find out more
02
MyConcern
MyConcern

For Concerns about Children and Young Adults

Easy-to-use, centralised, secure record-keeping and case management for all types of safeguarding concerns

Find out more
03
Sentry
Sentry

For Safer Recruitment

A safer recruitment and personnel vetting tool that acts as your Single Central Record. Designed to guide you through the recruitment process and to ensure that no check is missed

Find out more
04
Clarity
Clarity

For Multi-establishment Reporting

A powerful reporting tool designed exclusively for multi-establishment safeguarding. Paired with MyConcern and Confide to provide high-level, anonymised reporting across groups of establishments

Find out more
05
Mentor
Mentor

For Training and Audits

Our package of safeguarding training and audit services to help you build and maintain safeguarding expertise in your organisation

Find out more

We Are Safeguardians

Let's Work Together

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