Safeguarding as Culture not Compliance

This session is designed to move beyond legislation, policies, and statutory guidance, and instead focus on what truly keeps children and young people safe in practice: the culture we create within our schools and organisations.

Rather than concentrating on what the law tells us to do, this training explores the things that can’t always be written into guidance – the everyday behaviours, conversations, boundaries, and relationships that shape a strong safeguarding environment. It looks at how safeguarding shows up in the way we work together, especially under pressure.

The session will explore:

·       How to build and sustain a strong safeguarding culture within schools and organisations

·       Creating safe spaces for open, respectful conversations

·       Setting and maintaining healthy professional boundaries

·       Supporting positive, balanced relationships between staff and students

·       Ensuring all voices are heard and everyone has equal opportunity to participate

·       How concerns, complaints, and low-level issues are handled day-to-day

·       Safeguarding during high-pressure periods such as performances, assessments, or events

A key focus of the session is understanding how stress impacts safeguarding practice. Often asked to deliver safeguarding support at moments when staff are already under significant pressure within their business, at these times behaviours may not be illegal or meet child protection thresholds, but standards slip: language becomes less appropriate, boundaries blur, and low-level safeguarding concerns begin to emerge.

This training reframes that pattern. Instead of asking, “What rule was broken?” we ask, “What pressure was present, and how can our safeguarding culture remain strong even when things feel difficult?”

Drawing on reflections about how practice has evolved over time – from more rigid, hierarchical approaches of the past to modern, relationship-centred models – the session positions safeguarding and high-quality training side by side. The aim is to support healthier, happier environments that ultimately allow students to thrive and professionals to do their best work.

This webinar will be led by Victoria Race. Vicky is a Specialist Safeguarding Consultant to the Dance industry and has worked for over 15 years as a Specialist Safeguarding and Social Care Trainer for her Local Authority. As a qualified dance teacher and bbodance Examiner, Vicky understands both about good safeguarding practice and the world of dance.

This webinar will be worth 1 hour of CPD points and is available to watch at a later date if you can't make it live!