Safeguarding Redefined

Australia has become the first country in the world to ban social media for under-16s. Some are calling it bold. Others are calling it overdue. Young people are calling it life-ruining. In this episode of Safeguarding Redefined, Chris is joined by online safety specialist Andy Briercliffe to ask the uncomfortable question many aren’t ready to answer yet: Does banning social media actually make chi...

⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses suicide and bereavement. What do you say to someone who has lost a loved one to suicide? How can we actually support them, not just in the moment but in the months and years that follow? In 2018, Caroline’s husband of 18 years took his own life without warning, leaving behind their two young children. Caroline’s journey following this tragedy led her to c...

Feeling the Weight of Safeguarding? You’re Not Alone. DSLs carry enormous responsibility - but who supports them? Victoria Morris, with 20 years in education and 10 as a DSL, joins us to talk about the power of supervision. We explore why supervision is essential for those holding safeguarding responsibility - offering not just support, but space to reflect, be challenged, and process the emotiona...

Trustees and governors hold ultimate responsibility for safeguarding. So why do so many feel under-equipped and uncertain when it comes to asking the right questions? In this episode, the Safeguarding Collective strip back the myths around governance, DSL capacity, and DBS checks. They explore what boards actually need to know, where organisations unintentionally set people up to fail, and why &#3...

Think safeguarding records are just admin? Think again. In this episode we reveal why your documentation is more than a tick-box exercise - it’s the lifeline for effective casework. From protecting you legally to shaping the best outcomes for those at risk, good records matter. Are your records clear, useful, and actually fit for purpose? Tune in and take our simple but powerful challenge too. —--...

What if the way we manage behaviour is quietly working against the thing we care about most - a child's safety? In this episode, Chris chats with SEMH specialist Heather Lucas to explore one of the most awkward questions in education: can you manage behaviour and still be someone children feel safe to disclose to? They unpack the hidden tensions built into many behaviour systems, why punitive...

Uncertainty is baked into safeguarding, but it doesn’t have to paralyse us.  In this episode, we dive into how we can reclaim control by focusing on what we can influence.  We provide practical strategies and real-life examples, this episode shows you how to stay grounded, confident, and effective, even when the unknown looms large. We’ve also got a simple yet impactful challenge for you - listen...

Some teens don’t fit the mould, and the school system wasn’t built for them. Enter Oarsome Chance , where kayaks, skiffs, and carpentry workshops are more than activities: they’re lifelines. This episode is part of our Charity Spotlight week, shining a light on organisations making a real difference for young people. CEO Paul Napthine shares how his team builds trust, safety, and belonging for you...

Safeguarding culture can make or break an organisation, yet most people have no real idea how strong theirs actually is. In this episode, we dig into what truly separates genuine culture from lip service, and why honest reflection might just be the most underrated tool in your safeguarding kit. And yes, there's a challenge waiting for you at the end - listen in to find out more! —------- Usefu...

What happens when your headteacher is also the DSL… and the culture isn’t just written on paper, it’s actually lived? In this episode, Chris speaks with Jon Turner about the realities of being both Headteacher and DSL - the leadership strain, the sleepless nights, and the cultural backbone that makes it all possible. Jon shares: how he built a trust-first culture from day one why empathy is a lead...

You know that feeling when your brain can’t quite explain it, but your gut already knows? This episode dives into the instincts we too often dismiss, and why ignoring them could be the biggest safeguarding mistake of all. We unpack what to do when something feels off, how to record it without concrete evidence, and why speaking it aloud in supervision could be the key that unlocks the truth. We’ve...

Safeguarding loves a strong policy. But vulnerable children don’t feel policies, they feel culture. And if your culture isn’t giving them stability, belonging and safety, nothing else matters. In this episode, Chris speaks with Dominic Riste , Assistant Headteacher for Pastoral Care and Safeguarding at Woodlands School Basildon, and member of NAPCE – National Association of Pastoral Care in Educat...

What happens when someone finally opens up… and isn’t believed, heard, or taken seriously? That moment of being dismissed can hit harder than the original harm. Traumatic invalidation doesn’t just hurt, it shapes how people see themselves, trust others, and engage with support. In this episode, we dig into what invalidation really looks like in safeguarding , how easily it can slip into conversati...

In our first episode of Collective Insights, Chris teams up with Klaudia from Patronus Safeguarding and Jon from Safeguard-Me, to tackle the questions every DSL wrestles with but rarely speaks about. They dive into: • How to confidently close a concern without anything slipping through the cracks, including Klaudia’s four essential checks and why “lessons learned” shouldn’t be an afterthought.  •...

What happens when you swap the front line of police investigations for the corridors of a primary school? For 12 years, Katie James worked in child abuse investigations. Today, she supports children in school, and still sees the same stories unfold. In this episode, Katie and Chris unpack the unseen side of safeguarding: Why what happens after a disclosure matters most How to stay objective in the...

Safeguarding doesn’t just live in your caseload. It lives in your body, your sleep, your reactions, the way you brace before opening your inbox. This episode dives into the part of safeguarding most people quietly carry without ever naming it. The emotional toll. If you’ve ever walked away from a concern feeling unsettled, disheartened, emotional, or just not quite yourself - you’re not imagining...

Tutoring feels harmless enough… until you realise there’s no statutory safeguarding framework holding that world together. In this episode, Rachel Ballantyne lifts the lid on an unregulated industry where anyone can call themselves a tutor and step straight into a child’s life. We dig into the uncomfortable questions: • How can a parent actually know their child is safe? • Why do so many tutoring...

Ever felt the urge to ‘just check a bit more’ before referring a concern? That instinct could be the very thing that collapses a case. This episode draws the line between information gathering and investigation, and why crossing it can derail justice. You’re not the detective. You’re the gatekeeper. Tune in for the one question every DSL should stop asking, and a simple challenge to strengthen you...

What if the danger isn’t the moment someone turns violent,  but the months or even years before? In this episode Chris East speaks with Jane Harvey, CEO of the Hollie Gazzard Trust, about the hidden reality of stalking: how fixation becomes obsession, how victims lose control of their lives, and why society still laughs off this type of behaviour that actually ruins lives. Jane shares what she’s l...

For our first episode of Supervision Central in its new home on Safeguarding Redefined , we’re asking: whose voice carries the weight? Ever been in a meeting where the quietest person said something vital, only for it to vanish beneath the louder voices? When the same few people dominate, you risk missing the one insight that could change everything. This episode explores what it really means to g...

What does it really mean to be a boy in 2025? How can we redefine masculinity to foster genuine self-worth? In this episode, Ben Oliver, founder of Worth Educating , joins Chris to unpack how today’s culture sells masculinity to young men, and why phrases like ' toxic masculinity' might be doing more harm than good. They explore how shame-based language shuts boys down, how fear hides behi...

Do suspensions and exclusions actually improve student behaviour, or could they be doing more harm than good? In this episode, Chris talks with Zelpher Ferguson, education and youth advocacy specialist at Aluna Behaviour Consultancy. Zelpher shares her expert insights on how certain school policies can inadvertently push young people towards the justice system and highlights why building strong, r...

What does real change around sexual and gender-based violence look like? Are e-learning modules really enough to make a difference? In this episode, Chris East talks with Ruth Heneke Eliot, Co-Founder of Training Works, about how institutions can go beyond tick-box training and policies that protect their reputation to create genuine, trauma-informed cultures of safety. They cover: Is a simple cli...

Ever felt a safeguarding incident crush you? The guilt. The what-ifs. The sleepless nights wondering if you missed a sign. Chris talks with Hayley Cameron, Education Safeguarding Manager at Cognus Ltd, about the moments that stop time. They share the raw, unfiltered truth of working on the frontline: the victories, the heartbreak, and the impossible reality that you can’t save everyone. If you’ve...

Why do girls with ADHD so often slip under the radar? Boys are diagnosed two and a half times more than girls - but that doesn’t mean girls aren’t struggling. In this episode, we welcome back Louise Belshaw, neurodiversity and education expert, who reveals the hidden signs, the silent struggles, and the surprising triumphs of girls with ADHD. Learn what to look for - and why recognising it could c...