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Policies Overview

Policies in Signal are your school’s safeguarding procedures, behavioral guidelines, and best practices captured in a structured format. They provide the foundation for AI-powered incident analysis, suggested actions, and decision support throughout the system.

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What Are Policies?

Policies are documents that define how your school responds to different safeguarding situations. When properly configured, Signal’s AI uses these policies to:
  • Analyze incidents and identify relevant guidance from your procedures
  • Suggest appropriate actions based on your school’s protocols
  • Highlight policy considerations in incident summaries
  • Support consistent decision-making across your safeguarding team
  • Flag potential policy breaches or areas requiring attention

Example

Your school has a policy titled “Physical Intervention and Restraint.” When a staff member logs an incident involving physical restraint, Signal’s AI:
  • References the policy in the incident summary
  • Suggests required follow-up actions (parent notification, incident review meeting)
  • Highlights any mandatory documentation requirements
  • Notes if the incident requires reporting to governors

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How Policies Work in Signal

1

Add Your Policies

Upload existing policies manually or bulk import from your school website
2

AI Analysis

Signal’s AI analyzes policy content to understand protocols, requirements, and guidance
3

Contextual Application

When incidents are created or reviewed, relevant policies are automatically identified and applied
4

Guided Actions

Suggested actions and next steps are informed by your policy requirements

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Key Features

Manual Entry

Add individual policies with title, category, and full text content

Bulk Import

Import multiple policies from your school website or document repository

AI-Powered Matching

Automatic identification of relevant policies for each incident

Version Control

Track policy updates and maintain historical versions

Policy Categories

Organize policies by type (safeguarding, behavior, health & safety, etc.)

Cross-Referencing

Link related policies and identify dependencies

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Common Policy Types

Core safeguarding policies including child protection procedures, responding to disclosures, allegation management, and multi-agency working protocols.
Behavior policies, anti-bullying procedures, exclusion protocols, physical intervention guidelines, and restorative approaches.
First aid procedures, medical conditions management, medication administration, risk assessments, and health & safety protocols.
E-safety policies, acceptable use guidelines, cyberbullying procedures, and social media protocols.
Attendance procedures, children missing education protocols, home visits, and early help interventions.
Procedures for peer-on-peer abuse, sexual violence and harassment, child exploitation, radicalisation, and other specific concerns.

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Benefits of Using Policies in Signal

Consistent Decision-MakingEnsure all staff members respond to similar situations in line with school procedures, regardless of experience level or familiarity with specific policies.
  • New staff get policy-informed guidance immediately
  • Reduces variation in safeguarding responses
  • Supports evidence-based decision-making
  • Maintains procedural compliance across the team

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Who Can Manage Policies?

RoleView PoliciesAdd PoliciesEdit PoliciesDelete PoliciesBulk Import
Owner✅✅✅✅✅
DSL✅✅✅✅✅
Deputy DSL✅✅✅✅✅
Admin✅✅✅✅✅
Viewer✅❌❌❌❌
Owner, DSL, Deputy DSL, and Admin roles can manage policies. Most schools designate the DSL or a senior safeguarding lead to oversee policy management.

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Getting Started

Add Individual Policies

Learn how to manually add policies one at a time

Bulk Import Policies

Import multiple policies from your school website or documents

See Policies in Action

Understand how policies inform incident analysis and actions

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Best Practices

Keep Policies Current: Outdated policies can lead to inappropriate guidance. Review and update policies annually or when procedures change.
Start with Core Safeguarding Policies: Add your child protection policy, behavior policy, and anti-bullying policy first
Use Clear Policy Titles: Descriptive titles help Signal’s AI match policies to incidents accurately
Include Full Policy Text: Partial or summary versions limit the AI’s ability to provide detailed guidance
Organize with Categories: Group similar policies to make management easier
Review AI Suggestions: Always apply professional judgment—AI suggestions are support tools, not replacements for expertise

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Troubleshooting

Possible causes:
  • Policy content may be too brief or unclear for AI analysis
  • Policy title may not match incident keywords
  • Policy may not be in an active status
Solutions:
  • Ensure policies include detailed procedural guidance
  • Use descriptive titles that match how staff describe incidents
  • Check that policies are marked as “Active” in the system
  • Contact support if issues persist
Possible causes:
  • Policy content may not include specific action requirements
  • Multiple conflicting policies may be creating confusion
  • AI may be identifying optional rather than mandatory actions
Solutions:
  • Review policy text to ensure procedural steps are clearly stated
  • Mark mandatory actions with clear language (“must,” “required,” etc.)
  • Consider consolidating overlapping policies
  • Provide feedback on suggestions to improve AI learning
Possible causes:
  • Policy may be archived or inactive
  • Search terms may not match policy title or content
  • Policy may be in a different category
Solutions:
  • Use the search function in the Policies section
  • Check “Show Archived” filter option
  • Browse by category rather than searching
  • Check with other users with Owner, DSL, Deputy DSL, or Admin roles who may have archived it

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Next Steps

1

Add Your First Policy

Start by manually adding your school’s child protection policy
2

Import Remaining Policies

Use bulk import to add additional policies from your school website
3

Test in Incidents

Create or review an incident to see policy-informed guidance in action
4

Refine and Maintain

Regularly review policy suggestions and update policies as procedures change

Need Help?

If you have questions about setting up policies or need assistance with bulk imports, contact support@signalschools.co.uk or see our FAQs.