SaferEd Conference 2025
Developing a Safeguarding Culture in Education

How Student Voice strengthens a Safeguarding Culture - Hannah Smart, Transforming Futures Trust

This workshop explores the critical role of student voice in creating and maintaining a robust safeguarding culture within educational settings. Participants will explore strategies to empower students to actively contribute to the ‘sense of safety’ leading to more effective safeguarding practices and a safer, more inclusive environment for all.

Safeguarding Online - Boris Radanovic, SWGfL

The presentation is designed for professionals working with young people to familiarise themselves with the current online safety landscape, covering technologies and the behaviours that develop around them. We will provide an overview of current trends, threats and issues as well as signposting useful resources and support.

Empowering Student Voices: A framework for managing extra familial risks to children - Jason Tait, The Student Voice

Driven by a contextual safeguarding framework that places understanding the voice of the child at its core, this workshop will develop our understanding of how to evidence and respond to extra familial harms. Emphasis will be placed on how an authentic relationship-based collaboration between young people and local authority services can support colleagues and organisations in Working Together to Safeguard Children. Case study examples will be presented throughout as to how this can be achieved on a practical level.

Working with international communities and safeguarding - Lisa Brown, Education Consultant

This workshop will explore possible barriers in implementing safeguarding systems in internationally diverse communities offering ideas to help school leaders embed safeguarding procedures that support all members of a school community to safeguard children.

IRL – The motivation for Sexting in UK Boys - Dr. Jon Needham

The workshop will examine the sexting behaviours of teenage boys in the UK as they reflected on the motivations associated with self-generated explicit images and messages (sexting). Data from a cross-sectional study examined 14-18 years old were examined using a Motivational Determinants Model that mapped individual cognitive characteristics and contextual determinants that impacted on the boy’s sexting behaviours. The workshop will challenge curriculum, policy and practice development relating to how the concept of teenage sexting is framed. Resulting in a new typology model that addresses the ‘why’ behind the motivation to sext, rather than the ‘what’ associated with message content.

'Everyone's Safer' - Laura Nott, Lucy Faithfull Foundation

Lucy Faithfull Foundation share what they have learnt from a three-year action research project on managing and preventing harmful sexual behaviour in schools. By the end of this interactive workshop, participants should be able to: - Understand the context, aims and design of Lucy Faithfull Foundation’s ‘Everyone’s Safer’ action research project - Recognise the key research outcomes by identifying cross-cutting themes and evidence-based promising practice - Reflect upon what our findings mean for wider education policy and explore how their own professional practice could be supported by our recommendations.

Introduction to supervision in education - Sharon Hand, Safeguarding Network

Why does safeguarding supervision matter and what difference does it make to children, young people and your organisation? In this workshop, we will explore some of the rationale and research behind the development of a strong and sustained supervision culture, focusing on how safeguarding supervision can promote staff mental health and wellbeing.

Creating a mentally healthy culture in your school - Vicky Saward, Anna Freud

This workshop is designed to assist leaders in evaluating their current school culture as part of a comprehensive whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. Participants will explore research highlighting the benefits of enhanced student belonging and will utilise various frameworks and strategies to lead the implementation of these concepts holistically within their education settings. Participants will leave with the knowledge and strategies to foster a mentally healthy and supportive school environment.