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What are Users in Signal?

Users are staff members in your school who have access to Signal. Each user has an account with specific permissions that control what they can see and do within the system. Signal’s user management system is designed to ensure the right people have access to the right information while maintaining strict safeguarding and data protection standards.

Key Features

  • Role-based access control: Five predefined roles with different permission levels
  • User groups: Organize users into teams for easier management
  • Granular permissions: Control access to specific features and data
  • Audit trail: Track all user actions for accountability and compliance
  • Single Sign-On: Passwordless authentication with passkeys or email OTP

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How User Access Works

Signal uses a combination of roles and user groups to control what users can access:
1

User Account Creation

Each staff member gets their own user account linked to their email address.
2

Role Assignment

Users are assigned one of five roles (Owner, DSL, Deputy DSL, Admin, or Viewer) that determines their base permissions.
3

User Group Membership

Users can belong to one or more user groups that grant access to specific students or features.
4

Access Control

Signal combines role permissions and group membership to determine what each user can see and do.

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The Five Roles

Signal has five predefined roles that determine what users can access:

Owner

Full system access. Can manage all settings, users, data, and assign any role including Owner. Typically for the headteacher or designated system administrator.

DSL

Designated Safeguarding Lead. Access to all students and incidents. The primary role for the school’s DSL.

Deputy DSL

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. Access to all students and incidents, can delete incidents and manage safeguarding operations. For DDSLs.

Admin

Administrative access. Can manage users, students, settings, categories, policies, and transfers. Does not have automatic access to all incidents.

Viewer

Standard access for staff. Can create and view incidents for students they work with. By default cannot see any incidents unless granted access via user groups.
For detailed information about what each role can do, see Roles & Permissions.

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User Groups

User groups allow you to organize users into teams and control access to specific students or features:
User groups are collections of users who work together or need access to the same students. For example:
  • Year 7 Pastoral Team
  • Safeguarding Team
  • Senior Leadership Team
  • Special Educational Needs Team
  • External Partners (e.g., social workers with view-only access)
User groups provide several benefits:
  • Need-to-know access: Ensure users only see information relevant to their role
  • Simplified management: Add or remove multiple users at once
  • Team collaboration: Groups can be assigned to incidents and actions
  • Audit clarity: Track which teams accessed specific records
  • Compliance: Demonstrate appropriate access controls for inspections
Roles and user groups work together:
  • Role determines what actions a user can take (create incidents, manage settings, etc.)
  • User group determines which students a user can access
Example: A Viewer (role) in the “Year 8 Pastoral Team” (user group) can create incidents for Year 8 students, but cannot access Year 7 students or manage system settings.
Learn more about setting up and using user groups in User Groups.

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Common Access Control Scenarios

Scenario: You have separate pastoral teams for each year group who should only access their assigned students.Solution:
  1. Create user groups for each year (Year 7 Team, Year 8 Team, etc.)
  2. Create corresponding student groups (Year 7 Students, Year 8 Students, etc.)
  3. Assign staff to their year group’s user group with the “Viewer” role
  4. Link user groups to their respective student groups
Result: Year 7 staff can only see Year 7 incidents, Year 8 staff only see Year 8 incidents, etc.

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Security & Data Protection

Signal’s user management system is designed with security and data protection in mind:

Passwordless Authentication

Users log in with passkeys (biometric or device-based) or email OTP codes. No passwords to forget or compromise.

Comprehensive Audit Trail

Every user action is logged with timestamp, user identity, and details of what was accessed or changed.

Role-Based Access Control

Users can only perform actions their role permits. Safeguarding-critical actions require elevated roles.

Need-to-Know Access

User groups ensure staff only access information about students they work with directly.

Session Management

Automatic session timeouts and secure token handling protect against unauthorized access.

GDPR Compliance

Access controls support data minimization and lawful processing requirements under UK GDPR.

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Who Can Manage Users?

Only users with the Owner or Admin role can:
  • Add new users to Signal
  • Edit user details (name, email, role)
  • Activate or deactivate user accounts
  • Assign users to user groups
  • View user activity logs
Users with Owner or Admin roles should be carefully selected and limited to senior staff who understand the importance of appropriate access controls. Most schools have 2-4 users with these roles (e.g., headteacher, business manager, DSL).

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Getting Started

1

Understand Roles

Read about the five roles and decide which roles your staff members need.
2

Plan User Groups

Identify the teams in your school and which students they should access. See User Groups for guidance.
3

Add Users

Add your staff members to Signal and assign appropriate roles. See Managing Users.
4

Create User Groups

Set up user groups for your teams and assign users to them. Link user groups to student groups for access control.
5

Review Access

Regularly review who has access to what, especially when staff change roles or leave the school.

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Best Practices

Give users the minimum access they need to do their job effectively. Most pastoral staff should have the “Viewer” role with access only to their year group or key stage.
At least once per term, review user accounts and group memberships. Remove users who have left or changed roles. This is essential for GDPR compliance.
Don’t grant individual users access to student groups. Instead, add users to appropriate user groups. This makes it easier to manage access at scale.
Keep a record of why specific users have specific access. This helps during inspections and demonstrates accountability.
Ensure all users understand their responsibilities under GDPR and your school’s safeguarding policies. Access to Signal comes with significant responsibilities.
Name user groups clearly (e.g., “Year 7 Pastoral Team” not “Group A”). This makes access controls easier to understand and audit.

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Troubleshooting

Check:
  1. Is the user’s account active?
  2. Is the user assigned to a user group that has access to the student’s student group?
  3. Has the student’s student group been linked to the user’s user group?
Solution: Add the user to the appropriate user group, or link the user group to the correct student group.
Check:
  1. Which user groups is the user a member of?
  2. Which student groups do those user groups have access to?
Solution: Remove the user from user groups they shouldn’t belong to, or adjust the student group links.
Check:
  1. What is the user’s role?
  2. Does their role have permission for this action? (See Roles & Permissions)
Solution: If the user legitimately needs this permission, consider upgrading their role. For example, a staff member who needs to manage transfers should have the Admin or Deputy DSL role.
Solution:
  1. Create a user account with the “Viewer” role
  2. Add them to a user group with access only to the specific students they need to see
  3. Set a reminder to deactivate their account when no longer needed
  4. Document why they were given access and when it should be removed
For more detailed troubleshooting, see Help & Troubleshooting.

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Next Steps

Understand Roles

Learn about the five roles in Signal and what permissions each role has

Add Users

Add staff members to Signal and manage their accounts

Set Up User Groups

Create user groups and configure access to students

Review Access

Learn how to audit and troubleshoot user access issues