Course outline:

Safeguarding in the online space continues to evolve along with technology and how individuals use technology for good or harm.

This year’s SACPA digital safeguarding conference promises to bring you the latest developments in policy, research and practice from subject matter specialists in the field.  This year there is a particular focus on AI and deep fakes, working with parents, the mobile phone debate and evidence-based recovery programmes for children affected by technology assisted child sexual abuse.

Training topics will include:

• From the Online Safety Act to the Safer Phones Bill
• The New Face of Digital Abuse
• Safeguarding Leadership in a Digital World: keeping up with developments
• Working with Parents to promote Online Safety
• Recovering from the Impact of Technology Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA)
• A Smartphone Free Childhood: why comms matter

Learning outcomes:

• Delegates will be up to date with policy direction and have an opportunity to plan for its impact on safeguarding practice
• Delegates will explore the lived experience of children and have an opportunity to consider how they should respond and support children in a fast-evolving digital world.
• Delegates will hear how safeguarding leaders respond to the challenges of a fast changing area of safeguarding work and enable children affected by technology use receive equal protection.
• Delegates will consider what works in parent education and how to keep levels of parental awareness high in such a fluid online context.
• Delegates will consider how agencies respond to the discovery of TACSA and how their setting may work with structured and evidence-based recovery resources to support affected children and their families.
• Delegates will increase knowledge and be better prepared for implementing policy change on the use of smartphones in their settings

Audience: 

All practitioners working with children, young people or vulnerable individuals, DSL/DSO, DDSL, Safeguarding Manager/Lead, Safeguarding Governors, Safeguarding Trustees.

Platform: Zoom (online) – conference

Cost:

• SACPA Member Rate: £235
• SACPA Additional Full Member Fee: £110
• SACPA Full Member Whole School Fee: £490
• Non-member Rate: £470*

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Programme:

09:30 – 10:15

From the Online Safety Act to the Safer Phones Bill

Our keynote speaker reviews the ongoing implementation of the online safety act and why the proposed safer phones bill will contribute to children’s wellbeing and safety.  Delegates will be up to date with policy direction and have an opportunity to plan for its impact on safeguarding practice.

Speaker: Claire Dan, Director of Safeguarding and Director, SACPA

Break  10:15 – 10:30

10:30 – 11:30
The New Face of Digital Abuse
Our speaker describes their work on children’s experiences of nude deep fakes.  What did children tell us and how can we best support them.  Delegates will explore the lived experience of children and have an opportunity to consider how they should respond and support children in a fast-evolving digital world.

Chair: Claire Dan, Director of Safeguarding and Director, SACPA

Speaker: Katie Freeman-Tayler, Head of Research and Policy, Internet Matters

Break 11:30 – 11:45

11:45 – 12:30
Safeguarding Leadership in a Digital World: keeping up with developments                                                                                  Digital safeguarding is moving at such a pace, keeping up with knowledge, understanding and confidence is an ongoing challenge for safeguarding leaders.  Our panel of safeguarding leaders discuss the challenges, solutions and best practice initiatives.
Delegates will hear how safeguarding leaders respond to the challenges of a fast changing area of safeguarding work and enable children affected by technology use receive equal protection.

Chair: Claire Dan, Director of Safeguarding and Director, SACPA

Speakers: Ally Onions, Head of Safeguarding and Mental Health, St George’s School Windsor Castle

Lunch 12:30 – 13:30

13:30 – 14:30
Working with Parents to promote Online Safety
Our speaker explores the importance of connecting with parents to improve online safety.  Delegates will consider what works in parent education and how to keep levels of parental awareness high in such a fluid online context.

Speaker: Karl Hopwood, E-safety Expert

Delyth Lynch, Deputy Head (Safeguarding) and Mental Health Lead, Wellington College

Break 14:30 – 14:45

14:45 – 15:30
Recovering from the Impact of Technology Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA)
Our speaker describes their work with child victims of TACSA and how research, trauma informed approaches, and the work of lived experience groups have underpinned evidence-based first response protocols and intervention programmes.  Delegates will consider how agencies respond to the discovery of TACSA and how their setting may work with structured and evidence-based recovery resources to support affected children and their families.

Chair: Claire Dan, Director of Safeguarding and Director, SACPA

Speaker: Lawrence Jordan, Deputy CEO, Marie Collins Foundation

Break 15:30 – 15:45

15:45– 16:30
A smart phone free childhood: why comms matter                                                                                                                                  Whatever your views about the merits and drawbacks of moving toward a smartphone free childhood, the way that settings communicate their changes in policy matters.  Our speaker offers their insights on the journey toward smartphone free childhoods and their professional perspectives on why careful communication of policy change is so important to successful implementation. Delegates will increase knowledge and be better prepared for implementing policy change on the use of smartphones in their settings

Chair: Claire Dan, Director of Safeguarding and Director, SACPA

Speaker: Charlotte Ashton, Smartphone Free Childhood

16:30
Conference close

Speakers:

Claire Dan, Director of Safeguarding and Director, SACPA

Claire is Director of Safeguarding and Director, Sacpa and leads on the provision of safeguarding advice and support to members and the development and delivery of CPD and safeguarding consultancy services. Claire is a safeguarding specialist and leader with a background in education welfare, youth justice, and early help contexts which have involved a strong focus on diverse and collaborative partnerships, professional development and supervision of front-line safeguarding colleagues, and leading multi-disciplinary teams and projects. Between 2006 and 2013 Claire was involved with Luton Safeguarding Children Board as a lead multi-agency safeguarding trainer, developing and delivering single and multi-agency safeguarding training, and since 2013 has delivered pieces of bespoke consultancy work, and providing a range of safeguarding consultancy on a freelance basis.

Karl Hopwood : E-Safety Expert

Karl Hopwood is an esafety expert. He is a member of UKCCIS (UK Council for Child Internet Safety) and sits on the advisory board for the new UK Safer Internet Centre. Karl has worked for a number of key players in the UK and abroad including CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre), BECTA (British Educational and Communications Technology Agency), the European Commission and several Local Authorities within the UK. As an ex headteacher, he continues to work closely with children, young people, parents and teachers to develop safer online behaviours and the promotion of digital literacy. Karl works closely with the Boarding Schools’ Association and supports many of their schools. He is also an in-house consultant for INSAFE which is the coordinating node of the EU safer internet programme.

Delyth Lynch, Deputy Head (Safeguarding) and Mental Health Lead, Wellington College

Delyth has been on the senior leadership team at Wellington College for 10 years, having previously been Deputy Head (Pastoral).  This followed a long career in boarding as Director of Extra-curricular activities and housemistress at two schools.  Delyth is the safeguarding governor and vice chair of governors at a local school and leads the local independent schools DSL cluster group.  She has also been a BSA course tutor on Certificate and Diploma courses and her work in the area of abuse in boarding schools was cited by IICSA in their recent inquiry into abuse in residential settings.

Katie Freeman-Tayler, Head of Research and Policy, Internet Matters

Katie Freeman-Tayler is the Head of Research and Policy at Internet Matters, a UK non-profit dedicated to supporting families in navigating the digital world safely and confidently. With over a decade of experience in research and policy roles across the third and public sectors, Katie leads research initiatives that ensure the voices of parents, children and young people are heard by all those with influence over children’s digital lives. Passionate about reducing inequality and fostering safer online environments, Katie regularly collaborates with industry, government and academic partners to influence forward-thinking digital policy.

Ally Onions, Head of Safeguarding and Mental Health, St George’s School Windsor Castle

Ally Onions is currently the Head of Safeguarding and Mental Health at St George’s School Windsor Castle. With her husband Jonny, they run the boarding house, which includes looking after the choristers who sing in St George’s Chapel. Ally has worked in boarding education for over 20 years. She recently completed an MA in Boarding Education, looking at resilience and prep boarders. Ally is a trained Mental Health First Aider and Instructor Member, and is currently rolling out training to staff and parents.

Charlotte Ashton, Smartphone Free Childhood

Charlotte Ashton spent ten years at BBC News reporting stories from around the world for television and radio. Since 2013 she has worked freelance as a documentary maker for BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service and a communications consultant for a range of private and public sector clients. Since September 2024 she has supported Smartphone Free Childhood in a communications role and as a regional leader in Warwickshire.

Lawrence Jordan, Deputy CEO, Marie Collins Foundation