DSL: Statutory New to Role (2 days)
Trainer-led sessions for new DSLs, deputies, SENCOs, or safeguarding team members. Includes guidance, responsibilities, and best practices.
Want to run this event in-house? Enquire about running this event in-house
Delivery options available:
Trainer-led On-site from £295 +VAT (Online or On-site)
eLearning – CLICK HERE to see eLearning section of website
Advanced training: fully compliant with the criteria as laid out in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) and as described in the previous level 3 DSL training level system.
This in-depth course is designed for DSLs, Deputy DSLs, and those stepping into safeguarding leadership roles.
As a DSL or deputy, you are expected to take lead responsibility for safeguarding within your school, acting as the key point of contact for staff, pupils, families, and external agencies. KCSiE highlights that you are likely to have the most complete picture of a child’s safety and are best placed to guide the appropriate response to concerns. This training ensures you have the knowledge, confidence, and tools to carry out this responsibility effectively.
Developed by our NSPCC Approved Trainer and delivered by Award in Education and Training (AET) qualified trainers, the session explores the statutory duties associated with the DSL role, including relevant legislation such as Working Together to Safeguard Children, the Early Years Statutory Framework (EYFS), and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act. It also provides practical guidance on safeguarding policies, multi-agency working, information sharing, record keeping, and supporting a culture of safeguarding across your setting.
The training is interactive and workshop-based, with embedded training videos designed to develop critical thinking, build confidence, and support the practical application of safeguarding procedures in real-world contexts.
It fulfils the requirement for DSLs and deputies to complete initial and refresher training every two years, as set out in KCSiE.
Understand the role and responsibilities of the DSL, deputies, and wider safeguarding team
Explore key safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance including KCSiE, Working Together to Safeguard Children, Prevent duty and relevant local procedures
Learn the importance of building effective working relationships with local safeguarding partners and agencies
Understand why a contextual safeguarding approach is essential and how to apply it in your setting
Explore the signs and indicators of different types of abuse, with a focus on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and other emerging risks
Learn how to respond to allegations, disclosures, and low-level concerns about adults in school
Reflect on real-life case studies and lessons learned from serious case reviews and audits
Introduction to reflective practice and tools for confident safeguarding leadership
Understand the importance of high-quality record keeping and information sharing
Consider the unique vulnerabilities of different groups of children (SEND, looked-after children, EAL, young carers, etc.)
Explore how to develop and embed a whole-school safeguarding culture
Build confidence in supporting staff, pupils, and families with early help and intervention
Responsibilities for ensuring the effectiveness of the schools filtering and monitoring systems
Recognise the importance of staff supervision, self-care, and maintaining professional boundaries
Following the training delegates will be required to complete an Online Training Assessment to demonstrate their understanding of their role and responsibilities.
Those successfully achieving an 80% pass rate will receive:
Certificate of Participation
Information Booklet signposting to the latest guidance, additional training
PDF overview of the standard course slides
Safeguarding Simplified
All participants will benefit from reading the latest version of the following guidance prior to the training.
Experienced DSLs and DDSLs who have already attended a 2-day Designated Safeguarding Lead training should attend our 1-day DSL: 2 Yearly Update session.
This course is aimed at:
NEW DSLs and deputy DSLs
NEW members of the Safeguarding Team
NEW Senior Leadership Team members, with responsibility for Safeguarding
NEW Nominated Safeguarding Governors
Other experienced safeguarding practitioners wanting to refresh their understanding of the importance of the role and responsibilities of the DSL role in education.
Rach has a background in Business Development and Administration, gaining much of her knowledge and experience through her 19 year career with the NHS working within the executive office, community services and public health.
Before moving on from the NHS, Rach supported the Chief Executive, the Chairman and the Trust Board of a local NHS Care Trust, which managed Children’s Services. Her responsibilities spanned across HR, Finance, Governance, Compliance, Risk, systems and processes, and internal training. Rach also supported the Children’s Safeguarding Lead with safeguarding investigations.
In 2017, she left the NHS to pursue a successful self-employed career supporting business to grow, with flexible business development and administration support, which she continues to do on a part-time basis.
Rach is in house trained, and is passionate about delivering outstanding services and enjoys working as part of the safeguarding team to achieve a common goal.
In her own time, she loves spending time outside, and long walks with the two family dogs.
Shelley joined Safeguarding Support in 2020 as an experienced AET-qualified trainer. She now leads on training delivery and safeguarding research, ensuring our clients remain informed and prepared for the ever-evolving challenges within safeguarding in education.
With a passion for fostering engagement, pride, and confidence through training, Shelley draws on a diverse background that blends commercial insight from the private sector with expertise in psychology and counselling. Her learner-focused approach ensures that every course is both practical and empowering.
Based in Yorkshire, Shelley enjoys walking her Springer Spaniel – whatever the weather!
Abigail is an experienced and AET-qualified trainer with a strong foundation in safeguarding, having begun her career in the charity sector. During her time there, she served as a regional manager and a key member of the safeguarding leadership team, where she contributed to the development of policies and procedures, designed and delivered training, and supported staff and volunteers working one-to-one with children in schools.
In her current role with Safeguarding Support, Abigail primarily leads the Reflective Supervision programme. Supervision is a process where through 1-2-1 meetings and in a group setting, structured support is given to safeguarding professionals across England. The programme focuses on helping DSL’s and DDSL’s manage complex workloads, reflect on their practice, build resilience, and promote wellbeing—enabling them to sustain their capacity to protect and support vulnerable children and families.
Abigail’s professional journey spans a variety of sectors and business environments, always in roles that demand strong communication, collaboration, and a people-centred approach. She is deeply committed to empowering educators to work collectively as part of a safeguarding team, believing this collaborative approach leads to better outcomes for children and young people.
Based in the Midlands, Abigail enjoys long walks and tending to her ever-growing collection of houseplants.
Carol has spent her entire career teaching in Bradford primary schools. Most recently she was Head Teacher of a large, outstanding, multi-academy trust, inner-city
school where she gained Local Leaders of Education (LLE) status.
Carol is a highly experienced Designated Safeguarding Lead and safeguarding Governor, with an extensive range of expertise, skills and knowledge. It was through this depth of experience that she became a dedicated representative of Bradford Children’s Safeguarding Board. In June 2019, Carol was awarded a Bradford Safeguarding Champions lifetime achievement award 2019 for her continued work in safeguarding the children of Bradford.
Carol is in-house trained and is NSPCC certified to deliver Child Protection and Safeguarding training.
In her spare time, Carol enjoys working on her allotment.
