# Dashboard Search Record Links Update

## Purpose
Improve the dashboard directory search by allowing authorised users to search for students and staff and open the matching record directly from the person's name.

## Changes
- Dashboard search now supports student and staff records according to the logged-in user's permissions.
- Student search covers admission number, full name, course, department and phone number.
- Staff search covers employee number, payroll number, full name, department, designation, phone and email.
- Student names link to the Student Profile page, or the authorised Admissions student list where appropriate.
- Staff names link to the complete Staff Profile page.
- Results identify whether the record is a Student or Staff record.
- Search results show record number, course/designation, department and status.
- A clear-search control was added.
- Names in the Recent Students dashboard table are also linked to the relevant student record where access is permitted.

## Access control
- Student results are only queried and linked for roles that can open student records.
- Staff results are only queried and linked for System Admin, Admin and Human Resource roles with the HR Staff permission.
- Restricted roles do not receive links to inaccessible records.

## Database
No database migration is required.

## Validation
- 168 PHP files passed PHP syntax validation.
- Student and staff profile routes were verified to exist.
- Dashboard result links use escaped application URLs and stable record identifiers.
