Over the past few weeks, all children have discussed with their teachers who they may be able to talk to when there is something troubling them. This fundamental aspect of safeguarding (often referred to as “signposting”) helps remind children of many of the different avenues available to them when they are worried about something, or they have concerns about others within their community. We remind children about some of the more obvious options of support such as speaking to parents and carers, teachers and other trusted adults in their lives, but also about other external agencies such as Childline, the police, religious leaders, medical staff and so on. We always talk openly to children about these challenging topics to encourage them to understand that school staff are always approachable and that problems don’t have to become overwhelming before they seek help. We help them to understand that, when they do speak to an appropriate and trusted adult, they should expect to be listened to carefully and taken seriously. We also explain about confidentiality in an age appropriate fashion, so that the children understand as best as possible how concerns may be responded to when raised in school, and how school staff may need to share important information with others in order to support and protect the children in our care, with their best interests at the centre of the decisions we make. Every class has produced a simple SIGNPOST, such as the one above, in oder to remind them of who they can talk to.