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Learn how to create, edit, and manage safeguarding incidents in Signal.

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Creating a New Incident

1

Navigate to Incidents

Click Incidents in the main navigation sidebar
2

Click New Incident

Select the + New Incident button in the top right
3

Select Student

Choose the student(s) this incident involves. You can:
  • Search by name
  • Select multiple students if the incident involves more than one person
  • Create a family incident that links to siblings
4

Choose Category

Select the most appropriate incident category from your configured list
5

Enter Details

Fill in the incident information (see sections below for guidance)
6

Save

Click Create Incident to save. Signal will immediately analyze the incident and generate insights

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Incident Information

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Required Fields

The student or students involved in this incident. You can select multiple students if the incident involves more than one person.Tip: Use the search function to quickly find students by name or student ID.
Choose the category that best describes this incident. Categories help with organization, filtering, and triggering relevant policies.Common categories include:
  • Behavioral concerns
  • Welfare
  • Bullying
  • Mental health
  • Physical injury
  • Attendance
  • Safeguarding disclosure
A clear, factual description of what happened. Include:
  • What you observed or what was reported
  • When it happened (date and approximate time)
  • Where it happened (location)
  • Who was involved (students, staff, others)
  • Any immediate actions taken
Best Practice: Write in clear, professional language. Avoid opinions or judgments—focus on facts and observations.

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Optional Fields

Where the incident occurred. Select from your configured locations or add “Other” with details.Examples: Playground, Classroom 3A, School Bus, Off-site trip
When the incident occurred. If you don’t specify, Signal will use the current date and time.
Which staff members witnessed or responded to the incident.
External agencies that were involved or notified (police, social services, CAMHS, etc.)
Internal notes that are only visible to staff with appropriate permissions. Use for sensitive details or follow-up reminders.

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Family Incidents

Link incidents across siblings and family members to see patterns and connections.
1

Enable Family Incident

When creating an incident, toggle Family Incident on
2

Select Family Members

Signal will show siblings and family members. Select all relevant students
3

Add Context

Explain how this incident relates to the family (e.g., “Witnessed domestic incident affecting all siblings”)
Family incidents appear in each student’s timeline with a special indicator showing they’re part of a linked incident group.

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Editing Incidents

You can edit incidents after creation if you have the appropriate permissions.
1

Open the Incident

Click on any incident to view full details
2

Click Edit

Select the Edit button in the top right
3

Make Changes

Update any fields as needed
4

Save Changes

Click Save to update the incident
All incident edits are tracked in the audit log. You cannot delete incidents—this ensures a complete safeguarding record.

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Attaching Files

You can attach supporting documents, images, or files to incidents.
  1. Open the incident
  2. Click Attach Files
  3. Select files from your computer
  4. Add a description for each file
  5. Click Upload
All attached files are securely stored and only accessible to authorized staff members.

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Best Practices

Be Factual

Record what you saw or heard, not interpretations or assumptions

Be Timely

Record incidents as soon as possible while details are fresh

Be Complete

Include all relevant context—who, what, when, where, and immediate actions taken

Be Professional

Use clear, professional language suitable for multi-agency sharing if needed

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Writing Effective Incident Descriptions

“At 10:15am in the playground, I observed Student A push Student B, causing them to fall and graze their knee. Student A was visibly upset and said Student B had called them names during break. I separated both students, administered first aid to Student B (minor graze, plaster applied), and spoke to both students separately. Student A calmed down after 5 minutes. Both students’ parents were informed by phone at 10:45am.”
“Student A was naughty again and hurt Student B because he’s always aggressive. Needs to be dealt with.”Why this is poor:
  • Uses judgmental language (“naughty”, “always aggressive”)
  • Lacks specific details (time, location, what actually happened)
  • No information about actions taken
  • Includes assumptions rather than facts

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Quick Tips

Use Categories Consistently: Agree as a team on how to categorize common incidents so your data is reliable for analysis.
Add Actions Immediately: If follow-up is needed, create actions while the incident is fresh to ensure nothing gets missed.
Review AI Suggestions: After creating an incident, check Signal’s AI-generated summary and suggested actions—they often highlight important considerations.

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Permissions

What you can do with incidents depends on your role:
RoleCreateView AllEdit OwnEdit All
Viewer✗Limited✗✗
Staff✓Limited✓✗
Manager✓✓✓✓
Admin✓✓✓✓
Learn more about roles and permissions in Users & Permissions.

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Troubleshooting

Categories are configured by administrators. Contact your Signal admin to request a new category or check Setup Categories if you have admin access.
No, incidents cannot be deleted to maintain a complete safeguarding record. However, you can edit the incident to correct information or add a note explaining any errors.
Incidents must be associated with at least one student in your system. If the concern involves a staff member or external person, record it against the most relevant student(s) and add details in the description.

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Next Steps

Explore Insights

View AI summaries, timelines, and relationship maps

Create Actions

Set up follow-up tasks for your team