This summer: what are you doing for you?

I was mid 'end of term-there's too much to do-I'm too tired' rant in the final week of term, when a colleague interrupted me to ask me that very question:

What are you doing for you?

I was taken aback. For a start, finding time to do anything for me was totally out of the question, and the last thing I'd thought of doing. I just wanted to moan, get it all off my chest and move on to the next thing on my ever-growing to-do list.

I paused and thought for a moment, then dismissed the question with 'Oh, there's no time for that- anyway, I've got duty...bye!'

And perhaps that's the irony of working in safeguarding. We spend so much time encouraging others to seek support that we become experts at putting our own needs to the bottom of the pile.

Needless to say, I didn't make time for myself that week, and the end of term came. And unexpectedly, the well-earned rest that I had been pinning my hopes on hasn't arrived.

Everywhere I look, there is more to do. Not only all the jobs on my DSL list for September, but now all the jobs I had been ignoring 'until the summer' are looming too. The cleaning, tidying, sorting, gardening. The dentist and optician appointments. Life admin. I'm also noticing things I don't notice in term time: the walls that need painting, the carpets that need cleaning, the overflowing cupboards in desperate need of organisation.

It's hard to believe but I think I might actually be more overwhelmed now than I was at the end of term.

So, at this point, I am finally taking my wise colleague's advice. Because these are my holidays, and this is my rest. And this is all I have before I go back to the crazy life of a DSL in September. So yes, I will do (at least some of) those chores, but I am taking time for me each day to do something for me. A run. A coffee. A cuddle with the cats. A mooch around the shops. A chat with friends, and even some TV if I'm lucky.

We know that effective safeguarding relies on clear thinking, professional curiosity and good judgement. Those things are harder to sustain when we're running on empty, and so we need to be fully charged for the autumn term – not only for our own wellbeing, but for everyone else's too.

And if the walls don't get painted, it won't matter. Because, you know what? I'll be back to not noticing the scuffed walls once term gets underway, and more importantly, I will hopefully be rested enough to cope with everything the new KCSiE will throw at me and to do it all again. It's true for the safeguarding work too; it will still be there in September. The emails, policies and action plans aren't going anywhere. But if we're going to support others as we need to in our role as DSLs, we need to give ourselves permission to recharge too.

So, now I'll ask you the same question my colleague asked me:

What are you doing for you?

We hope you are all finding your space and finding your place through the summer. We have been working hard to make sure you have support in place for you in September:

• All staff safeguarding training pack and scenarios

• KCSiE knowledge check

• KCSiE implementation tool

• A series of webinars on the changes

• And, importantly, supervision for your DSL

If you’re not already a member, visit our membership page for more details. If you are a member, log on to our new look dashboard to access all your materials whenever you’re ready.

Enjoy the summer.

About the author: Claire Bellman is a Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy Head Pastoral with over 20 years experience in schools.