Advanced Safeguarding Leadership Programme Cohort 2

Deepening insight, strengthening leadership, elevating safeguarding practice

This Advanced Safeguarding Leadership Programme is designed to build upon existing safeguarding knowledge and skills, equipping experienced DSLs with the expertise needed to navigate increasingly complex and challenging safeguarding landscapes. The programme looks at the leadership of safeguarding and its impact on whole school improvement. It recognises that safeguarding is not static, but rather a dynamic field requiring continuous professional development to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults.

The programme is spread out over the academic year and starts with a face-to-face day, followed by a mix of face to face days and four twilight webinars. One-to-one coaching sessions are also included.
 
Some of the themes that are covered, by leading experts in the area are contextual safeguarding, Parental and Community Co Production, Self evaluation and distributed leadership, and Supporting Vulnerable Students including those in Specialist Provisions
Speaker
speaker thumbnail
Margaret Mulholland

SEND and Inclusion Specialist

Read More
speaker thumbnail
Victoria Raynor

Director of Raynor Safeguarding Ltd

Read More
speaker thumbnail
Kate Gaunt

Safeguarding consultant

Read More

Session 1: Face to Face – 9 June 2026, ASCL HQ, Leicester

Session 2: Webinar on Contextual Safeguarding – 17 September 2026, 3.30-5pm

Session 3: Webinar on Compliancy, Quality Assurance and DSL Development (Introduction to DSl standards and tools available) – 6 October 2026,  3.30-5pm

Session 4: Face to Face – 9 November 2026, ASCL HQ, Leicester

Session 5: Webinar on  Supporting Vulnerable Students including those in Specialist Provisions – 26 November 2026, 3.30-5pm

Session 6: Webinar on Parental and Community Co Production – 13 January 2027, 3.30-5pm

Session 7: Face to Face – 4 February 2027, ASCL HQ, Leicester

9 June 2026, ASCL HQ, Leicester

Part one: great safeguarding – what we know and want to do. 
Part two: reviewing your leadership and whole school approach.

Leadership outcomes

  1. Participants can articulate what “great” safeguarding looks like in their context.
  2. Leaders can identify gaps in current practice and set initial improvement goals.
  3. Participants initiate a structured safeguarding review involving multiple stakeholders.
  4. Leaders can outline an evidence collection plan and identify key collaborators in school.

17 September 2026, 3.30-5pm

Contextual Safeguarding: what it is and why it’s important. Putting principles into practice.

Leadership outcomes

  1. Leaders integrate contextual safeguarding into policy and daily operations.
  2. Participants can align their approach with KCSIE guidance.

 

6 October 2026, 3.30-5pm

Introduction to DSl standards and tools available

Revisit what great strategic leadership of safeguarding is. Review progress of self evaluation – How DSLs have identified strengths, areas for development. Drafting an action plan.

Leadership outcomes

  1. Leaders identify strengths, gaps, and targeted priorities for development.
  2. Leaders arrive at coaching with evidence-based priorities for refinement.

 

9 November 2026, ASCL HQ, Leicester

Action planning into practice

Leadership outcomes

  1. Refining areas for development – personal and whole school.
  2. Building knowledge and capacity to lead on.

26 November 2026, 3.30-5pm

Supporting vulnerable learners – Identifying needs. System Q&A – reactive or responsive? How do we build our proactive systems?

Leadership outcomes

  1. Leaders embed systems that shift safeguarding from reactive to preventive.
  2. Participants demonstrate strategies for early intervention and collaboration.

13 January 2027, 3.30-5pm

Working with parents – what is their role, how are we engaging systemically? 

Leadership outcomes

  1. Leaders can implement systemic approaches for parental engagement.
  2. Participants design communication and involvement strategies tailored to diverse families.

4 February 2027, ASCL HQ, Leicester

Sustaining and embedding improvement.

Leadership outcomes

  1. Leaders embed enhanced safeguarding practices into school culture.
  2. Participants demonstrate ongoing monitoring and adaptation of safeguarding systems through a distributed leadership model

£849 + VAT for members
£899 + VAT for non members

Multiple delegate discounts available for groups of 2 or more

Suitable for: Directors and Deputy Directors of Trust Safeguarding, experienced DSLs and those who have a strategic leadership role in safeguarding