Key principles in safeguarding and child protection

These sessions are ideal for whole staff groups and enable schools to meet the requirement of annual safeguarding training for all staff. Inclusion of any particular issues can be agreed, and the tailored sessions can be a half day or a twilight. The basic session content is:

• The difference between “child protection” and “safeguarding”
• Categories and prevalence of abuse
• Noticing signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect
• How to respond to disclosure; reporting, recording and referring
• Current issues for concern
• Safer working practices for all staff
• Responsibilities, both nationally and locally

Wider safeguarding topics

Additionally the safeguarding team can provide individual training on the range of topics covered by Keeping Children Safe in Education:

• Bullying
• Child Sexual Exploitation
• Child Criminal Exploitation: County Lines; knife crime
• Contextual safeguarding
• Domestic Abuse
• Faith abuse
• So called ‘honour based abuse (including Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage)
• Parental mental health
• Peer on Peer Abuse
• Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment; Upskirting
• Substance misuse

In-house DSL and Safer Recruitment training

We are able to deliver the following centre-based courses for groups of your staff in your own setting.

• Half day DSL update
• One day Safer Recruitment (accredited)

This can be a more cost effective way of training larger groups of key staff, than paying for individual delegate places, and ensures that all your staff hear the same message at the same time. It also enables the sessions to address any specific issues for your school or setting, and for delegates to consider how to implement the learning within your organisation.

For more information contact us here.

“Jo Perrin did an outstanding job of delivering our DSL top up training. For this in-house session, we had a diverse team of staff with very different roles, all to do with safeguarding and Jo ensured that the full team were fully versed in changes, priorities and legalities. The session was engaging and very thorough. It inspired reviews of how we could build in tweaks into our practice and areas for us to have further discussion, with everyone being well informed. Jo was very approachable and knowledgeable and her training was excellent. Thank you!” Jennie Howes, Assistant Headteacher, Moseley School

BESPOKE QA VISIT: “This was my first experience of working with Services for Education and Lucie Welch and I hope it won’t be my last! Lucie was incredibly professional and extremely knowledgeable.  Through her challenging and incisive questions, Lucie really got under the surface of our safeguarding arrangements. The report Lucie provided was comprehensive, detailing both strengths and next steps.”Ben Taylor, Strategic School Improvement Lead, St Teresa of Calcutta MAC

Bespoke EBSA training: I have been present at training hosted by Lucie a couple of times in the past and have always been impressed by her deep knowledge of safeguarding and the way she connects with the delegates.  When I was looking for a training session about Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) for a safeguarding conference, it felt that contacting Lucie was the perfect starting point.   She took the time to liaise with me about exactly what my delegates needed from the session and then presented a perfectly pitched session that was thought provoking, informative and engaging.  Given the poor quality of some training providers out there, it is fantastic to have Lucie and the Services for Education team as highly trusted providers of training. Adam Cross, Principal and DSL at Mander Portman Woodward Independent College, Birmingham 

About the Advisers

Jo Perrin - Interim School Support Lead,  Adviser, Services For Education

Jo Perrin is a seasoned Education Adviser with a strong background in safeguarding. She has held key roles as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, secondary school teacher and pastoral lead in the education sector. Facilitating training to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals working directly with children and young people is her passion.

With a wealth of experience in teaching PSHE and expertise in childhood trauma from her time as a foster carer, Jo is dedicated to supporting organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults on safeguarding issues.

She is actively involved in professional safeguarding groups in the West Midlands and is currently collaborating on a research project with colleagues from the University of Birmingham focusing on FGM awareness within communities. Jo has worked as a West Midlands' Adviser for national PSHE resources, presented at the Sex Education Forum National Members' Event and authored an advertorial for PSM magazine, and articles for both SEND magazine and SecEd.

Jo's expertise extends to training on topics such as Safer Recruitment and Mental Health at Work. She is also a facilitator for the nationally recognised NPQSL and NPQ SENCO qualifications, supporting senior leaders in education. Her contributions to publications and development of resources for RSE provision have been well-received by schools nationally and internationally.

With her extensive experience and dedication to professional development, Jo Perrin is a highly respected figure in the field of education. Her guidance on safeguarding, mental health awareness, personal development, and relationships education is highly valued within the industry.

Lucie Welch – Adviser, Services For Education

Lucie Welch has worked in Primary Education for over 15 years, holding a range of leadership positions including Assistant Headteacher, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Attendance Lead and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. Having worked across several local authorities and multi-academy trusts, Lucie has developed extensive expertise in safeguarding and supporting children and young people to thrive both academically and personally.

At Services For Education, Lucie is a member of the Safeguarding Team, working with schools, colleges, trusts and other educational settings across Birmingham and beyond. She delivers statutory safeguarding and training, supports organisations through safeguarding audits and reviews and works collaboratively with leaders to strengthen safeguarding culture and practice.

Alongside her safeguarding work, Lucie leads the impactful Health for Life programme across Birmingham, supporting schools to promote healthy lifestyles, wellbeing and positive outcomes for pupils, families and wider communities. Drawing on her extensive school leadership experience, she also contributes to teacher development through her previous work with the SCITT programme and as a facilitator of the Early Career Framework (ECF), supporting trainee and Early Career Teachers to build the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for successful careers in education.