How school tackles harm in the community: Contextual safeguarding in action

How student reporting helped a DSL tackle safeguarding risks in the community

For several years, Tom, a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), has used The Student Voice platform to give young people a safe, confidential way to share their concerns. Through trusted student reporting, his school has built a stronger safeguarding culture, one that empowers students to speak up and helps the safeguarding team take proactive action.

Student reports expose a community safeguarding concern

Recently, a pattern began to emerge through student reports on The Student Voice: several pupils had raised concerns about vaping, identifying a hotspot where they were accessing the vapes. Using this evidence, Tom’s safeguarding team worked with community partners to investigate further. Their findings revealed that a nearby vape shop was illegally selling to children and was linked to child exploitation risks. Thanks to collaborative action between the Tom’s team and their community partners, the shop was ultimately closed down, a real example of how student reporting can drive meaningful safeguarding outcomes beyond the school gates.

Closing the feedback loop

After the issue was resolved, Tom and his team ensured that students were informed about the action taken. This closed the feedback loop, showing pupils that their voices truly matter. This transparency not only increased student engagement but also encouraged more students to use the platform to raise future concerns, confident that their input would lead to action.

Empowering students through safe reporting

One of the reasons The Student Voice is so effective, Tom notes, is that it allows students to report anonymously or confidentially. Many young people feel uncomfortable approaching a teacher face-to-face, but through the platform, they can still share safeguarding concerns securely. This empowers students to speak up about issues that might otherwise go unnoticed, from bullying and peer pressure to community risks like vaping or exploitation.

For Tom, the insights gathered through The Student Voice are vital for building a contextual safeguarding approach. By combining student-led reporting with professional safeguarding oversight, schools gain a more complete picture of the risks affecting their students, and can respond with informed, community-wide solutions.

Key takeaway

This DSL’s experience highlights the power of student reporting through The Student Voice:

• It strengthens trust and engagement among students.
• It supports contextual safeguarding by revealing emerging community risks.
• It helps DSLs act quickly and collaboratively to protect young people.