What is the DSL Blog?
This week I'm introducing my new blog. A blog written by a DSL. For other DSL's. You wonderful people.
When you go to network events, they usually start by asking everyone to go around and introduce themselves. Some folks seem to be able to launch into a spontaneous 15 minute monologue about who they are, everything they've ever achieved and a fascinating story about the time they saved a puppy from drowning. Me on the other hand, I'll mumble out the bare minimum: "Hi Cilla, my name's Seth and I'm a DSL from Nottingham", next person please. So maybe I'm not the best at introductions. But now that you've found it, I do actually want to persuade you to follow this blog, so here goes with my best sales pitch...
The DSL blog is a blog for DSL’s (see what I did there). In case you don’t know, a DSL is a person working in a school whose job involves being a Designated Safeguarding Lead. That word ‘safeguarding’ covers a lot of ground these days. Not just the reactive child protection stuff people tend to think of (taking disclosures, talking to social workers etc), but also every other single thing that schools do to promote the safety and welfare of their pupils. Everything from having an effective E-safety policy, to making sure that the old gate at the back entrance closes properly. And the safeguarding remit seems to be expanding constantly. Give it five years and I'm half expecting DSL's to be responsible for making sure that all of the staff are brushing their teeth twice a day. And also, most DSL’s would be quick to tell you that they perform their DSL role as just a part of their other job(s) at work. In other words, you’ll also find DSL’s running whole schools, cleaning up sick in the Year 2 toilets, quite possibly doing both, and just about everything else in-between. But to be honest, if you needed that explanation then this blog probably isn't for you. Because this blog is quite specifically for all of the people out there who are DSL’s, in all of their inspirational and frazzled glory.
And what will I be writing about for those DSL’s?
Well let’s start off with what I won’t be writing about.
I won’t be writing about how to keep your school compliant and up-to-date with safeguarding matters. About audits or policy documents and such. Just to clarify: that stuff is very important. But as a practising DSL (and a father of three), I'm not on top of things enough to stay on top of every single development out there, let alone start telling other people how to do that. And there are already people out there who are very good at helping you to spin those particular plates. (I recommend the excellent Andrew Hall for starters).
I also won’t be writing about safeguarding issues like FGM awareness or how to spot CSE victims. Again, it’s important stuff, but there’s plenty of people offering that sort of material already, and in my experience most – if not all – DSL’s are generally fairly well tooled up with the necessary knowledge and awareness for their roles.
And I won’t be writing diary style accounts of my experiences as a DSL, where I talk about the people and situations I’ve been dealing with at work. Partly because there would be lots of confidentiality issues. In fact entirely because there would be lots of confidentially issues! Just thinking about it is enough to give me GDPR related nightmares for the rest of the week. So no, I won’t be doing that.
So what does that leave? Where am I going to be going with this?
Well the main aim is to offer something new to all of the dedicated professionals out there that are doing safeguarding work in education settings. Up and down the country, DSL's are completing work that is endlessly complex and can be very demanding. And most people go into it with relatively little formal training, and they operate from within a strange little bubble within a bubble. Because safeguarding is arguably the most important thing that your school does. But bizarrely it’s not the main reason that your school is there (which is to educate children). As a DSL you work with everyone in the building, and yet at the same time most of these people have got a very different primary purpose to you. You’re often working alone, dealing with situations that can feel hard to explain to people who weren't there. You’re probably a highly skilled and committed professional, who due to the nature of their work is nevertheless constantly dealing with varying degrees of failure. You are - whether you like it or not - one of those people that runs towards the problem.
Basically, it's a bit of a unique role for a certain type of person. So I want this blog to be somewhere for DSL’s to explore all of the overlooked stuff that they do. I'll try and offer some insightful reflections and fresh perspectives on your practice and experiences. I want to take a step back to see the bigger picture, or sometimes take a step closer to look at the missed details of what we do. To ask the unasked questions and lay out the unexpressed thoughts. I'll be asking questions like: Is it OK for DSL’s to cry? How do your views on the nature v nurture debate influence your work? Are DSL's destined to always disagree with social workers? And can playing poker improve your safeguarding practice?
So at my best, I should be saying some things that help you feel better or think better about being a DSL.
On average form I will probably be taking ideas from people much smarter than me, and trying to connect them to safeguarding in interesting ways.
And at my worst….well, there may be some nonsense talked.
So there’s the concept anyway. The main blog pieces will come every other week, and on the in-between weeks I’ll do something called ‘Useful Bits and Interesting Bobs’, signposting cool stuff that I think you might like or find helpful. I’m going to start this by looking at some resources for helping children to talk about their emotions, but it could go anywhere form there: websites, books, podcasts or holiday destinations! Just tangible things that might actually help you in your job. So if you’ve got any suggestions for that segment then definitely do get in touch.
I hope you'll subscribe below and come along for the ride. It will take just a few clicks, won’t cost you a penny, and will mean you get theDSLblog email every week direct to your inbox.
Before I go though, a quick disclaimer.
Safeguarding is a serious business. If you're a maths lead in a school then on a really bad day, you might get back some very disappointing test results. If you're a DSL on the other hand, then on a really bad day someone might be dead. That's the blunt truth. So you could say that being a DSL is no laughing matter. But as my colleagues would tell you, that's not the approach I take. For me the seriousness of the work makes keeping a sense of humour even more essential. Call it a coping mechanism, call it self-denial, call it unprofessional if you want. But I will sometimes try to use humour in these pieces, so if you find that off-putting, then this probably isn't the blog for you.
And finally, a request. I really really want this to be a useful place for DSL's. They don't let us out much - even less now that they've got virtual meetings! And although I'm not a natural mingler, I know that isolation can make you feel worse, and that feeling part of a community can make you feel better. Wherever possible I want this blog to be part of a conversation, so don't be shy. Whether you've got feedback, thoughts, reflections or questions, it would be really great to hear from people. You can hit the message button below or just “Reply” to this email.