Safeguarding in Education Settings

Ann Marie was a school based senior social worker in 1999 within an inclusion project in the role for four years. In this role it introduced her to the concept of how safeguarding exists within the education settings both with children and the sector.

In 2003, Ann Marie went on to manage social workers in schools and was a safeguarding adviser in the education department to a local authority and supported over 100 schools including independent primary, secondary and early years in safeguarding consultancy and training. In this role she supported the school improvement team, safeguarding board, early years, voluntary sector and was the education LADO (local authority designated safeguarding lead) for four years. She supported the sector in safer recruitment and understanding how people who pose a risk to children operate in the sector.

Ann Marie has been delivering safeguarding training since 2003, she is very familiar with safeguarding compliance in schools and is also a member of the child abuse protection education steering group (CAPE) that is a group that works alongside the DfE in advising them on safeguarding matters within the education sector.

Ann Marie is a registered accredited safer recruitment trainer and member of the safer recruitment consortium and delivers the training both in the UK and international. She is an accredited NSPCC child protection trainer and was nominated for the child protection trainer of the year in 2018 and 2019.

Ann Marie works across all settings in education from early years all the way up to college in universities including international schools, is very familiar with what safeguarding should look like within the operational and strategic safeguarding space, including governance and very clear about accountability and the operation of the safeguarding lead.