> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://signalschools.co.uk/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Multi-Academy Trusts

> How Signal supports multi-academy trusts (MATs) with cross-school oversight, trust roles, and dual-role access.

## What is trust support?

Signal supports multi-academy trusts (MATs), where a central trust body oversees multiple schools. Trust-level staff can view and manage safeguarding across all schools in the trust from a single account.

## Trust roles

Signal provides five trust-level roles, each offering a different level of access across all schools in the trust.

| Role            | Access                                                                                                |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Owner**       | Full access across all schools in the trust. Can view all data, manage staff, and configure settings. |
| **DSL**         | View all incidents, actions, and safeguarding data across all schools.                                |
| **Deputy DSL**  | Same access as DSL across all schools.                                                                |
| **Admin**       | Manage trust-level settings and configurations.                                                       |
| **Contributor** | Read-only access across all schools.                                                                  |

<Note>
  Trust roles are assigned by the trust administrator. Contact your trust lead if you need trust-level access.
</Note>

## Dual-role access

Staff can hold both a **trust role** and **school-level roles** at the same time. These two layers work together:

* A **trust role** provides cross-school access, allowing you to view and manage data across all schools in the trust.
* A **school-level role** controls what you can do within a specific school, such as creating incidents or managing settings.

For example, a member of the central safeguarding team might have a **DSL** trust role for cross-school oversight, and an **Owner** school-level role at the school where they are based. The trust role gives them visibility across the trust, while the school role gives them full administrative access at their home school.

Trust roles provide an additional layer of oversight without replacing or restricting school-level permissions.

## How trusts work

Each school within a trust operates independently with its own data, students, incidents, and settings. Trust-level access provides an additional layer of oversight without changing how individual schools use Signal.

### Cross-school management

Trust staff can:

* **View staff across all schools** in the trust from the Trust Staff page
* **Manage staff access** and roles across multiple schools
* **Monitor safeguarding activity** across the trust

### Accessing trust features

If you have the trust **Owner** role, the **Trust Staff** option appears in your sidebar navigation. This gives you a centralised view of staff members across all schools in your trust.

## Individual school independence

Even within a trust, each school maintains full control over its own:

* Student records and incidents
* Policies and settings
* Categories, locations, and events
* Alert rules and working schedules
* Staff roles within that school

Trust oversight is additive — it provides visibility across schools without restricting what individual schools can do.

## Getting started with trusts

If your school is part of a multi-academy trust and you want to set up trust-level access in Signal, contact [support@signalschools.com](mailto:support@signalschools.com) for assistance.