Lead sponsor
Programme
Thursday
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Registration, exhibition and refreshments
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Welcome and housekeeping
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Online safeguarding update
Stay informed in the ever-changing online safeguarding landscape with a clear, practical overview of the latest guidance and best practice.
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Holding the 'Safeguarding Weight': Who supports the DSL?
Over half (57%) of education providers in our national safeguarding insights report said that managing the DSL role and remit is the most stressful aspect of safeguarding.
Examine why that burden exists, the impact it has on those leading safeguarding, and how protected time for reflection, independent perspective and strong organisational support can help DSLs remain effective, professionally curious, and resilient in their role.
Examine why that burden exists, the impact it has on those leading safeguarding, and how protected time for reflection, independent perspective and strong organisational support can help DSLs remain effective, professionally curious, and resilient in their role.
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Critical safeguarding update: KCSIE 2026
Receive your critical annual safeguarding update with a practical overview of the latest legal changes and policy developments.
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Gender guidance
Unpick the new statutory guidance in KCSIE 2026 on how schools should sensitively and safely support children who are questioning their gender.
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Morning refreshments, networking and exhibition
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Childhood rediscovered: when disengagement becomes a safeguarding concern
Explore how personalised, relationship-led interventions can rebuild trust, restore attendance and help young people rediscover purpose in learning.
Explore professional proximity and the foundations of childhood - connection, movement, creativity, nutrition, rest and reflection - as practical tools for safeguarding and re-engagement. Gain a clear framework for recognising rupture, strengthening support and creating pathways back to education, belonging and hope.
Explore professional proximity and the foundations of childhood - connection, movement, creativity, nutrition, rest and reflection - as practical tools for safeguarding and re-engagement. Gain a clear framework for recognising rupture, strengthening support and creating pathways back to education, belonging and hope.
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Workshop choices one
1A Safeguarding non-speaking children
Gain practical strategies to safeguard non-speaking children and those with communication differences, with a particular focus on autistic children. Explore how communication needs can affect safeguarding, how to identify concerns, and how to effectively capture and respond to the child’s voice.
1B Effective support for children affected by domestic abuse
Explore the impacts of domestic abuse and gain practical tools and confidence to recognise concerns, respond appropriately and provide effective support.
• Recognise how domestic abuse, including coercive control, impacts children’s safety, wellbeing, development and education.
• Identify signs and indicators of children affected by domestic abuse, including teenage relationship abuse.
• Apply child-centred, trauma-informed approaches to support and safeguard affected children.
• Understand safeguarding responsibilities, including information sharing, early intervention and multi-agency working.
• Recognise how domestic abuse, including coercive control, impacts children’s safety, wellbeing, development and education.
• Identify signs and indicators of children affected by domestic abuse, including teenage relationship abuse.
• Apply child-centred, trauma-informed approaches to support and safeguard affected children.
• Understand safeguarding responsibilities, including information sharing, early intervention and multi-agency working.
1C Teaching young people to think safely with AI
• Explore what KCSIE 2026 expects schools to teach about AI and online safety.
• Support students to question AI, identify unsafe advice, retain agency, and know when to seek support from trusted adults.
• Identify how AI education, safeguarding, pastoral and technology teams can work together.
• Recognise critical thinking, evaluation and communication as essential safeguarding capabilities.
• Leave with practical, evidence-informed actions to strengthen AI education in your setting.
• Support students to question AI, identify unsafe advice, retain agency, and know when to seek support from trusted adults.
• Identify how AI education, safeguarding, pastoral and technology teams can work together.
• Recognise critical thinking, evaluation and communication as essential safeguarding capabilities.
• Leave with practical, evidence-informed actions to strengthen AI education in your setting.
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Lunch, networking and exhibition
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Beyond the headlines
Explore how exposure to world events shapes children’s wellbeing and what safeguarding practice can do to help children feel safe in uncertain times.
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Safeguarding with confidence: an expert panel on key concerns
Bring your questions and gain invaluable insights from our expert panel.
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Workshop choices two
2A Safeguarding in the manosphere
• Explore the online ‘Manosphere’ and why their messages resonate with boys.
• How misogyny intersects with other safeguarding risks.
• How we can effectively engage young men in these conversations with compassion and understanding.
• How misogyny intersects with other safeguarding risks.
• How we can effectively engage young men in these conversations with compassion and understanding.
2B Youth violence and gang culture
• Understanding the landscape and context of serious youth violence within our cities and how this affects all schools.
• Drivers and risk factors for young people and communities.
• Safeguarding and prevention for our young people.
• Drivers and risk factors for young people and communities.
• Safeguarding and prevention for our young people.
2C Better understanding and responding to self-harm
Build confidence in understanding and responding to self-harm, reducing uncertainty and stigma while equipping yourself with practical strategies to better support students and their families.
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Afternoon refreshments, networking and exhibition
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Workshop choices three
3A Affluent neglect
• Recognise the hidden signs of affluent neglect.
• Strengthen professional curiosity and challenge assumptions.
• Use evidence and observation to inform safeguarding decisions.
• Apply clear processes for recording and escalating concerns.
• Strengthen professional curiosity and challenge assumptions.
• Use evidence and observation to inform safeguarding decisions.
• Apply clear processes for recording and escalating concerns.
3B Sadistic online exploitation, AI deepfakes and associated risks
Explore some of the current safeguarding challenges and how your school and safeguarding team can respond while keeping the needs and rights of the child at the centre of decision-making:
• The growing prevalence of sadistic online exploitation (SOE), where young people are drawn into networks that use harm, humiliation and exploitation functioning as mechanisms for participation, belonging and status.
• Emerging risks associated with AI, including deepfakes, chatbots and other AI-generated content.
• The growing prevalence of sadistic online exploitation (SOE), where young people are drawn into networks that use harm, humiliation and exploitation functioning as mechanisms for participation, belonging and status.
• Emerging risks associated with AI, including deepfakes, chatbots and other AI-generated content.
3C Get court ready
Deepen your understanding of legal requirements and court record procedures. Strengthen your professional confidence in applying best practice.
Conference ends