On 16th October, educators and safeguarding leads from across the South West came together at the TSB Building in Gloucester for SCG’s hugely successful Guardians of Tomorrow event. This was a first-of-its-kind collaborative initiative hosted by SCG South West, The Hollie Gazzard Trust and Gloucestershire Police.
A day of learning and collaboration
The event was designed as a hands-on experience, offering attendees actionable tools and advice from safeguarding experts that they could implement immediately. It also gave them the opportunity to connect with other professionals who understand the challenges involved.
From emergency planning to cyber security, the agenda tackled the most pressing safeguarding challenges facing schools today.
Highlights from our speakers
Sara Dillion from The Hollie Gazzard Trust shared how the charity supports schools in promoting healthy relationships and preventing abuse, a vital foundation for safeguarding.
Ian Saunders from Gloucestershire Constabulary offered unique insights into emergency preparedness, including how firearms response teams can help schools understand their premises and plan for worst-case scenarios.
Alice O’Shea, SCG’s Head of Education and Alliances, delivered an informative talk on Martyn’s Law, how it will affect schools and the importance of emergency planning.
Grant Packham and Ben Ryder from SCG’s Managed IT & Cyber Security team provided practical cyber security tips, helping schools protect sensitive data and maintain digital safety.
Key takeaways
Attendees left with:
- Practical strategies for maintaining healthy relationships
- Emergency planning guidance to strengthen school safety protocols
- Cyber security best practices to safeguard digital environments
- Connections with local experts, building a stronger safeguarding network across Gloucestershire and the local area
Why it matters
Safeguarding is not just a policy, it’s a commitment to creating safe, supportive environments for every child. Events like Guardians of Tomorrow empower educators with knowledge and confidence to meet these challenges head-on; this is one of the ways in which SCG works to improve safeguarding both throughout schools, and across local communities.
Guardians of Tomorrow: the future of school safeguarding
We’d like to thank our experts for giving their time to speak on the day, and to all those who attended; together you made this a highly successful event. This is just the beginning, and we will be bringing more Guardians of Tomorrow events to local communities in the future.
If you would be interested in attending our next Guardians of Tomorrow event, or would like to talk to us about how we can help with safeguarding within your school, please contact us now.