Safeguarding Network

03/06/2026

Join us on 23 June for our Managing Allegations training course - designed specifically for professionals in education who are responsible for responding to & managing allegations.

Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of both low-level & serious allegations, including how to make appropriate referrals to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), engage with children and families, & carry out internal investigations with clarity & integrity.

Book now: https://zurl.co/Vfqnb

Learning outcomes include:

- Describe what constitutes quality management of allegations & why it is critical in safeguarding practice
- Identify & categorise different types of allegations that may arise in educational settings
- Distinguish between low-level concerns & serious allegations, & respond appropriately to each
- Engage effectively with children, their families, & other professionals during the allegation process
- Understand the role of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) & make appropriate, timely referrals
- Plan & conduct internal investigations in line with both internal policies & external statutory guidance
- Determine & apply appropriate outcomes following the conclusion of an investigation
- Fulfil legal responsibilities & implement concluding actions with clarity & confidence
- Demonstrate increased professional confidence & competence in managing allegations sensitively & effectively

02/06/2026

Be KCSiE ready!

The KCSiE Consultation 2026 sets out that the DSL should have the appropriate status, authority, skills and experience within the school or college to carry out the duties of the post. It also sets out that any deputies should be trained to the same standard as the DSL.

This session takes attendees through the requirements and explores how we can effectively ensure the DSL role is being enacted to the standard required.

We’ll consider why the DSL role exists, the range of responsibilities the role entails and think about what it means to have lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. This session contains insights for anyone with an interest in the vital role of DSL and could also be used as an introduction to our highly popular courses ‘New to Role of DSL' and ‘DSL Support Programme’.

All registrants will be able to view a recording of the session and receive a copy of the slides.

Date and time: 3rd June, 12pm - 1pm

Book here: https://zurl.co/Q2ih8

01/06/2026

Strengthen your safeguarding practice with our June 2026 training courses.

Join our expert-led training sessions and gain practical strategies, fresh perspectives, and renewed confidence in tackling safeguarding challenges.

- Managing Allegations: 23rd June 2026

This course has been designed specifically for professionals in education who are responsible for responding to and managing allegations. The half-day training provides the knowledge, structure, and confidence you need to respond effectively, lawfully, and sensitively in line with statutory guidance.

- Helping Families - making the Difference: 24th June 2026

The expectations on education settings are high, but the resources are limited and it's crucial we make the best use of time with the families we work with. Designed to enable you to purposefully work with and support families.

- Reflecting Upon Safeguarding and Young People with SEND: 29th June 2026

The safeguarding support for children and their families with SEND sits within a growing community in every education setting. Developing a clear, robust and effective safeguarding culture is key to ensuring that children with SEND can learn, develop and thrive. This training explores approaches that work within a whole school safeguarding culture.

Find out more and book: https://zurl.co/9fTIX

29/05/2026

Melissa Pollard explores a hidden safeguarding risk affecting teenage girls. Recent research highlights how many girls are quietly minimising themselves to feel safe, particularly in response to misogynistic attitudes and online influences.

As we move towards the end of this academic year and start to think about planning for the next, now is the time to reflect on your school's culture and safeguarding approach, and try to ensure that this vulnerability is recognised and addressed.

Read the blog: https://zurl.co/c1HqM

28/05/2026

Our brand new course, Helping Families - Making the Difference, launches on 24th June 2026.

KCSiE 2026 places duties on early years settings, schools and colleges to undertake an assessment and provide community based early help to families where they "do not require a referral to statutory services but may benefit from other support".

Education is seen as best placed to identify issues as they begin to emerge and put in place the right support alongside other universal services such as health, family hubs, youth services, after school clubs and housing provision.

The expectations on education settings are high, but the resources are limited and it's crucial we make the best use of time with the families we work with. You'll need to know your local geography, but there is a need to train and develop core assessment, relationship, intervention and evaluation skills to use your time most effectively with families.

The course draws on safeguarding case reviews and research on working purposefully with families, acknowledging some of the challenges and difficulties you and your team will experience.

There will be opportunities to work together and practice skills, a suite of templates to support intervention (including tools for analysis, direct work with families and links to relevant research) and a strong, interactive presentation with the chance to explore the questions that matter to the group.

More info and book now: https://zurl.co/a2jL0

28/05/2026

This week's Safeguarding Bulletin is out!

- New webinar: The Role of DSL - what settings need to know
- DSM Foundation launches free ketamine PSHE package
- Using AI in education settings: support materials
- How moving school impacts teenage wellbeing
- DSLs suffer ‘vicarious trauma’ and need supervision, say leaders
- Schools could face more legal disputes, SEND experts warn
- The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Annual Report

Sign up to receive great safeguarding content delivered to your inbox every 2 weeks.

Read here: https://zurl.co/EiIDW

27/05/2026

Did the Department for Education get it right by using reality TV personality Gemma Collins in its latest advertising campaign? Melissa Pollard looks at the recent controversy.

Gemma Collins is an English media personality and businesswomen, best known for her reality TV appearances and flamboyant “diva” personality. This week however, she has caused a stir amongst education professionals and parents by starring in a media campaign for the DfE.

In the short clip, Gemma can be seen walking through the DfE office, dressed in a parody of a school uniform to music from the film “The devil wears Prada”. At the end, she is invited into the office of education secretary Bridget Phillipson. She then asks "Right, what are we doing to help the children?".

It has been reported by the BBC that Gemma Collins was not paid for the video and wanted to use her status to promote that University is not the path for all children, however it has caused education professionals and parents to question the appropriateness of using someone like Gemma to highlight emotive issues such as SEND and inclusion.

Parents who were interviewed by the BBC cited their concerns as being completely insensitive to their ongoing issues of:

- Children with unmet needs
- Pupils experiencing school trauma
- Poor mental health in young people
- Those unable to access mainstream offers

From a safeguarding perspective, the risk of using a high-profile figure who states they did not gain any qualifications but are still successful could promote pupils in school to disengage and not see academic attainment as valuable. This could create issues in schools with poor behaviour, truancy and lack of engagement with the curriculum, putting further pressure on school staff.

When celebrities or those with large influence amongst children and young people are used in the media, it is vital that due diligence is done on their core values and beliefs. Using the wrong person to promote key issues is risky for any organisation, but particularly those who are targeting our youth. We have seen this with the rise in popularity of those with dangerous or harmful views such as Andrew Tate.

Dr Gillian Brooks, a senior lecturer in strategic marketing at King's College London, said in the BBC piece that the issue lies more with the DfE using an influencer whose "public identity is rooted in entertainment culture rather than education or vocational training".

The question remains, by using someone like Gemma Collins, have the DfE lost the key message about supporting pupils in a safe and inclusive environment?

Read the full BBC article here: https://zurl.co/lksEf

The education secretary defends videos starring The Only Way Is Essex star promoting post-16 education.

26/05/2026

Just published: Guidance on the suspension and permanent exclusion of pupils from local-authority-maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units, coming into force on 26 July 2026.

This guidance details the legal responsibilities for those who suspend (fixed period exclusion) and permanently exclude pupils from educational settings, including:

- headteachers
- local authorities
- governing bodies
- academy trusts
- independent review panel members
- independent review panel clerks
- special educational needs experts

It governs the exclusion of pupils from:

- local-authority-maintained schools
- academies and free schools
- pupil referral units

Read the Guidance: https://zurl.co/cJohs

26/05/2026

Bullying is often complex. In a new blog, Claire Bellman proposes that focusing on a power imbalance model alone risks limiting the scope of our understanding. Claire challenges us to consider what if sometimes bullying can be a vehicle to gain power, rather than abuse it?

Read: https://zurl.co/P3Vot

25/05/2026

Be KCSiE ready!

The KCSiE Consultation 2026 sets out that the DSL should have the appropriate status, authority, skills and experience within the school or college to carry out the duties of the post. It also sets out that any deputies should be trained to the same standard as the DSL.

This session takes attendees through the requirements and explores how we can effectively ensure the DSL role is being enacted to the standard required.

We’ll consider why the DSL role exists, the range of responsibilities the role entails and think about what it means to have lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. This session contains insights for anyone with an interest in the vital role of DSL and could also be used as an introduction to our highly popular courses ‘New to Role of DSL' and ‘DSL Support Programme’.

All registrants will be able to view a recording of the session and receive a copy of the slides.

Date and time: 3rd June, 12pm - 1pm

Book here: https://zurl.co/XG4dd