I just wanted to post something after seeing the huge positive impact of the recent LA whistleblower case. One person, acting managed to confirm practices that had been harming families nationally for years. It protected future children. It protected staff. It showed what happens when someone chooses integrity over silence.
So this is a pleading call to arms for anyone working in MATs, schools, further education, safeguarding teams, DSL, , inclusion, SEND services, attendance, board of trustees, or governance who wants to act ethically and stay protected. It is ultimately you who the senior team will lay blame on to protect themselves and (not insignificant) salaries, even though you followed their direction. I left my own role for moral reasons and my MH inability to live through another child suicide when the risks were clear but buried and deflected my line manager. Too many “not our job, not our concern” people.
You can raise concerns safely and anonymously
You don’t have to put your name on anything to make a difference.
• Ofsted accepts confidential safeguarding and governance concerns.
• Your MAT or school or higher education will have an anonymous whistleblowing route (usually via an external provider).
• Protect (formerly Public Concern at Work) gives confidential advice to workers who want to raise concerns safely.
• Recruitment sites like TES and eTeach allow anonymous culture reviews that highlight safeguarding issues without naming individuals.
These routes exist to protect you.
Keep your notes clean and dated they’re your shield
Factual, neutral notes protect you if decisions are ever reviewed.
Record:
• what you saw
• what you escalated
• what you were told
• what decisions were made above yoU
Use your professional experience
If you move on, your experience is valuable in:
• safeguarding boards
• SEND charities
• advisory groups
• training roles
• recruitment panels
• community organisations
Your insight into how the system actually works behind closed doors is crucial
Exit interviews are a safe place to speak truth
If you’re leaving a role, exit interviews are one of the safest ways to raise:
• safeguarding culture concerns
• workload pressures or performance data that disproportionately (beneficial or otherwise) affect particular cohorts children
• governance inconsistencies, attendance coding
• systemic issues you’ve seen and were smoothed over by the executive team to appear complaint to external scrutiny.
Exit interviews are reviewed at governance level.
They can influence the board without exposing you personally.
You don’t have to be a whistleblower to have an impact
Small actions make a huge difference:
• asking for written instructions
• escalating concerns internally
• recording professional discomfort
• keeping factual notes
• using anonymous reporting.
I witnessed predictable outcomes. The only way that I can feel better about myself is to help in the same position and advise parents who are in difficult times. I share my story wherever I can.
My heart was broken by 2 lost lives. I am in counselling and I moved county so that I would not risk seeing vulnerable families that I had tried to help. I will never allow a line manager to put me in such a position again. Thank you for reading. Stand tall.