Safeguarding Settings

Safeguarding settings in Pigeonhole control the approval workflow for safeguarding concerns.

Accessing Safeguarding Settings

Safeguarding settings are available to Managers under Settings > Safeguarding Settings

Sign-off Requirements

This setting determines whether safeguarding concerns require formal approval from a DSL.

Sign-off required for records of concern

When selected, this means at least one assigned safeguarding lead must sign off the record of concern for any child or staff member. If not selected sign off functionality is disabled and sign off from a safeguarding lead will not be required/requested.

Who Can Sign Off?

When sign-off is required:

• Any DSL user can sign off any concern
• This includes the DSL who created the concern
• Admin users can also sign off concerns

Secondary DSL Sign-Off Requirements

In addition to the primary safeguarding lead sign-off setting, you can configure when a second DSL sign-off is required for additional oversight.

There are three secondary sign-off requirement levels:

1. Not Required

When selected:

• Only one DSL sign-off is needed (if primary sign-off is enabled)
• No additional approval required
• Faster workflow for single DSL settings

2. Always Required

When selected:

• Sign-off from two DSLs is required for all concerns
• The second DSL must be different from the first
• Ensures dual oversight on every concern

3. Required Without Parent Communication

When selected:

• Sign-off from two DSLs is required only when parents have not been contacted
• If parents have been contacted, only one DSL sign-off is needed
• Balances oversight with practical workflow

Note: This setting only applies when primary “Sign-off Required” is set to True. If primary sign-off is disabled, secondary sign-off settings have no effect.

Safeguarding Categories

Safeguarding categories help organize and classify records of concern, making it easier to track patterns and manage different types of safeguarding issues.

Managing Categories

Category Features

Categories support:

• Hierarchical structure (parent categories and subcategories)
• Custom naming
• Add, edit, and delete capabilities
• Nested subcategories for detailed classification

Adding Categories

1. In the “Add new category…” field, enter the category name
2. Click Add or press Enter
3. The category appears in the list

Adding Subcategories

1. Hover over a parent category
2. Click the + (Plus) button that appears
3. Enter the subcategory name
4. Click the checkmark or press Enter

Editing Categories

1. Hover over a category
2. Click the Edit (pencil) icon
3. Modify the name
4. Click the checkmark or press Enter to save

Deleting Categories

1. Hover over a category
2. Click the Delete (trash) icon
3. Confirm the deletion