Incident timeline template

Chronological log for keeping a clean record of an unfolding incident — what happened, when, what you did, and who you contacted.

When to use this templateUse from the moment you become aware of an incident. Update it whenever anything new happens. Share extracts with school, police, or platforms as needed.

Tone guidance

Neutral, factual, dated. Pretend you are writing for a stranger reading it in a year.
Separate what you saw from what you were told.
Mark uncertain entries clearly: "I believe", "my child said", "unconfirmed".
Do not edit old entries. Add new ones with new dates.

Template

Incident timeline

Child: [CHILD'S NAME OR INITIALS]
Type of incident: [TYPE OF INCIDENT]
Date first noticed: [DATE FIRST NOTICED]
How I became aware: [HOW YOU BECAME AWARE]

Timeline of events:
[ENTRIES]

Suggested format for each entry:
- Date and time:
- What happened:
- Source (my child, screenshot, another parent, school):
- What I did:
- Who I told:

People and organisations contacted:
[CONTACTS]

For each contact, record:
- Name and role:
- Organisation:
- Date and method (call, email, meeting):
- Reference number (if any):
- Agreed next step:

Evidence stored and where:
[EVIDENCE LOCATION]

Notes:
- Update this as soon as possible after each event.
- Keep one master copy. Share extracts, not the whole document, unless asked.
- Back it up somewhere secure (encrypted folder, password-protected document).

Fields to replace

[CHILD'S NAME OR INITIALS] — Child's name (initials are fine)
[TYPE OF INCIDENT] — Type of incident
[DATE FIRST NOTICED] — Date first noticed
[HOW YOU BECAME AWARE] — How you became aware
[ENTRIES] — Entries · One row per event. Date, time, what happened, what you did.
[CONTACTS] — People / organisations contacted
[EVIDENCE LOCATION] — Evidence stored and where

What to attach

•Keep screenshots and downloads in a separate folder, referenced by the timeline.
•If your child is old enough, you can offer to show them the timeline — but never share other people's entries.

What not to include

Indecent images of any child. Reference that they exist, but store nothing locally that could be unlawful.
Speculation written as fact.
Personal data of other families beyond what is needed.

Sources

ICO: Children and data protection — Information Commissioner's Office

Last reviewed: 2026-05-20Next review: 2026-08-20

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.