A safe space for staff to raise concerns and learn safeguarding.
The Staff Safeguarding Space is part of the CARE HUB. Teachers, guidance counsellors and school staff can report a concern about a student or a colleague, get advice, and build their safeguarding skills. It makes your school a safe working space for staff and a safe learning space for students.
Concerns about students and colleagues
Staff often see worrying things first, but do not know where to take them safely. Now there is one place.
Signs of abuse, neglect, bullying or self harm, or something a student told you.
Behaviour that crosses professional lines, such as unsafe contact with students, harassment or bullying of staff.
Concerns about junior teachers, support staff or volunteers you are responsible for.
This goes straight to AHERI, not through the school, so nobody can block it. This includes the head of school.
From concern to action, in 4 steps
Join with your staff code
Your school gets a staff code, separate from the student code. You get a Care name and choose an easy password, with a hint and a secret word.
Report a concern
Choose who it is about, then write what you saw or heard, when and where. Share your name, or stay anonymous.
AHERI reviews it
The AHERI safeguarding team reads every report. Urgent concerns get a response within [24 HOURS]. Serious cases go to the right authority.
Follow your report
You get a reference number to follow your report and receive updates, without anyone knowing who you are.
Short lessons that fit a school day
Every staff member gets 6 short lessons, based on the 4 Rs of safeguarding: Recognise, Respond, Record and Refer. Staff who finish all 6 receive an AHERI certificate.
Recognise
Spotting the signs of abuse, neglect and distress
Respond
What to say, and not say, when a student tells you something
Record
Writing down facts clearly, safely and privately
Refer
Who to tell, and how fast, in your school and in Nigeria
Boundaries
Professional boundaries with students, online and offline
Wellbeing
Looking after yourself when the work is heavy
A private case notebook
- Keep notes on students you support, using Care names if you prefer
- Set reminders to follow up
- Refer a student to an AHERI responder or clinical psychologist
- See the themes that come up most in your school, with no names
Support for you too
- Talk privately about your own stress or worries
- Get advice before you act on a concern
- Ask AHERI for a staff training day at your school
- Read short guides on Nigerian child protection law
Fair to everyone, safe for everyone
No punishment for speaking up
Every school agreement includes a promise that staff who report in good faith are protected.
A concern is not a verdict
AHERI checks the facts carefully and fairly before anything happens to the person reported.
Your name stays private
The head of school sees numbers and themes, never who reported.
Within the law
We follow the Child Rights Act 2003, the VAPP Act 2015 and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
Notes and sources
- The Staff Safeguarding Space is a proposed feature, to be tested in the school pilot.
- [24 HOURS] is a proposed response time for urgent concerns, to be confirmed by AHERI.
- The 4 Rs of safeguarding (Recognise, Respond, Record, Refer) is a widely used training model for school staff.
- Reports about a senior colleague, including the head of school, go straight to AHERI. AHERI will confirm the exact referral routes with its legal adviser and each State.