Seven Red Flags DSLs Ignore Until It’s Too Late (and Why Safeguarding Supervision Matters)

Written by Leah East, Co-Founder and Business Director of Cornerstone Safeguarding.

Safeguarding roles don’t come with quiet seasons, and if anyone tells you otherwise they haven’t lived the reality.

I learned that the hard way long before Chris and I ever built Cornerstone.

Years ago, when Chris was a DSL, I saw firsthand how the job shaped him in ways most people would never notice.

On the outside he was strong, experienced, trusted, the person everyone turned to. 

But at home there was a hidden cost.

A constant alertness. 

The middle-of-the-night emails. 

The way a phone notification could change the whole emotion in the room.

And through all of it, Chris wasn’t struggling because he wasn’t good at his job. He was struggling because he was doing it alone, without the support he deserved.

Most DSLs are.

And they don’t seek support because they can’t cope. They seek it because the role is overwhelming, constant, and isolating in ways only other DSLs will understand.

Supervision isn’t a nice-to-have. 

It’s a safeguard for you, the people you protect, and the culture you’re trying to build.

Over the years, we’ve seen the same patterns appear again and again. 

Here are seven red flags DSLs tend to ignore until it’s too late, and ones you’ll likely relate to:

1. You’re carrying things long after you’ve logged off

You close your laptop, but your head doesn’t switch off.

You’re brushing your teeth thinking, “Did I record that clearly enough?” 

A young person’s situation pops into your mind when you’re standing in the queue at Tesco.

When your mind is running through safeguarding in the background every day, your emotional capacity is already wearing thin.

2. Every email feels like a potential crisis

You open your inbox and your chest tightens before your brain has even processed any of the words.

You brace yourself, because you’ve been conditioned to expect the worst.

That kind of hyper-alertness isn’t dedication to the role, it’s a warning your reserves have quietly drained away.

3. You’ve become the unofficial fixer for everything

As a DSL you often absorb responsibilities that were never formally yours.

It starts small, but if it’s vaguely safeguarding-adjacent, it somehow ends up on your desk.

A behaviour concern.

A staff wellbeing issue.

A parent who might need a chat.

A colleague who just wants your opinion quickly.

If it touches safeguarding even loosely, you become the person holding the messy bits of operational life.

Supervision helps you identify what’s genuinely your role from what has landed upon your desk because no one else wanted it.

4. You’re second-guessing even straightforward decisions

Safeguarding requires judgement calls that come with real consequences.

But when you’re hesitating over decisions you would normally make clearly, or re-reading guidance late at night, or asking colleagues for reassurance you never needed before, it’s a sign you’re operating without enough reflection space or external perspective.

5. No one asks how you are

You check in and support everyone else - children, families, leaders, staff.

You’re the safe space for them, yet you don’t have one for yourself.

Supervision gives you something the role never naturally provides: A protected space without scrutiny, pressure, or the expectation to be the strong one.

6. You feel responsible for every gap in the system

A parent doesn’t respond. 

A colleague forgets to log something. 

A message gets lost in a busy week.

Suddenly it feels like it's all your fault.

That creeping sense that everything rests on you is exhausting and unsustainable, and a major sign that support is overdue.

7. You’ve quietly started browsing job vacancies

You don’t quite hate your job. 

You still care about the people you support, their families, as well as your colleagues.

But recently you’ve found yourself wondering what it would be like to do something, anything, that doesn’t have this level of emotional drain.

So you’re scrolling through job adverts at 9pm, thinking “Maybe it would be easier somewhere else.” 

Not because you want to leave, but because staying is starting to feel like it might swallow you whole.

By the time you reach this point, you're actually not looking for a new career, you're looking for relief.

Safeguarding shouldn’t break the people trying to make it better

It’s one of the reasons we provide safeguarding supervision at Cornerstone, led by Chris.

Chris knows exactly what it feels like to carry all this emotional weight alone, to pretend like you’re fine because the role and your line-manager expects it, and to keep on going long after your capacity has worn out.

Our Safeguarding Supervision approach is rooted in what he needed back then:

Reflective: A safe space to think aloud with someone who genuinely understands the pressure of the role.

Practical: Strategies to navigate tough cases, clear next steps, and grounded professional judgement. 

Human: You’re a person before you’re a DSL. Supervision honours that.

We support DSLs and safeguarding leads across education, early years, alternative provision, faith organisations, charities, and community settings. 

Every organisation looks a little different, but the need is always the same: space to offload, clarity when things feel blurred, and support in a role where you’re constantly supporting others. 

Every DSL, every safeguarding lead, deserves the same care they give to everyone else. 

If any of this resonates, please know we’re here for you. 

You don’t have to carry it alone. 

We’re always happy to talk through what support with Cornerstone could look like in your setting.