Small words, big impact

The words in a safeguarding record can change how it is understood

Antonia Noble | CPOMS record keeping series

An apparently ordinary word can carry more meaning than we intended. During my CPOMS webinar, I used “disclosure” as an example.

People often use it to mean that a child has told them something concerning. But when a record is examined later, someone may ask exactly what the child said and whether the writer assumed the account was true before recording it. The word itself does not settle those questions. The best protection against misunderstanding is to record the child’s words, the questions asked and the response given as accurately as possible.

Instead of relying on “the child made a disclosure”, say what happened. For example: “The child told me…” followed by the words you can accurately recall or recorded at the time. If the quotation is exact, use quotation marks. If it is a summary, make that clear. Do not put polished words into a child’s mouth.

Record the conversation, not just its headline
A reader may need to know what prompted the conversation. Did the child approach you? What did you ask? Did you ask an open question? What happened next?

Write notes as soon as you reasonably can. If you made contemporaneous notes, preserve them according to your organisation’s procedures. If you later remember something material or spot an error, make a dated addition or correction in a way that leaves the record’s history clear. Your organisation’s system and policy should guide how that is done.

Accuracy does not mean writing down every word of an entire day. Choose the information relevant to the purpose of the record, and take enough time to make the important parts clear.

Translate shorthand for the next reader

Acronyms and familiar phrases save time within a team. They can become obstacles when a record reaches a new colleague, a local authority, an inspector or a court.

“Parent did not engage” is a common example. Did the parent miss two meetings, decline a particular offer, ask for a different time, or disagree with the proposed action? Those facts may lead to very different conclusions. Say what actually happened and, where known, include the parent’s explanation.

The same applies to phrases such as “lacks emotional warmth” or “disguised compliance”. If they are relevant, explain the observations and reasoning behind them. Keep the account specific to this child and this family.

Before completing an entry, try three questions: What do I know? How do I know it? What does the next reader need in order to understand the decision?

Those questions make records more useful long after the person who wrote them has moved on.

My specialist safeguarding writing and evidence training (https://antonianoble.com/specialist-safeguarding-writing-and-evidence-training/) explores language, evidence and decision making through worked examples.

https://go.cpoms.co.uk/how-to-keep-defensible-and-inspection-ready-safeguarding-records

"Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience. You need to experience to gain wisdom."

Albert Einstein