The safeguarding link governor and trustee: leading safeguarding oversight with confidence

At a glance

Every board must have a governor or trustee who leads on safeguarding, and this practical two-hour course gives them the knowledge, tools and confidence to do it well, term by term, in line with Keeping children safe in education 2026. Drawing on expert insight and proven good practice, it shows participants exactly what they need to do, when and how, to fulfil the role effectively and help keep pupils safe.

Fully bespoke

This session can be tailored to the circumstances of your school or trust.

1 hour 30 mins - 2 hour session

about this course

What the Course Will Cover

On completion of this course participants will be able to:

understand how safeguarding should work in a school or trust, and exactly where the board and the link role fit
know what to do, and when, through the safeguarding governance year, from policy approval in the autumn to review and planning in the summer
build a strong working relationship with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) based on support and challenge
plan and carry out monitoring visits that add value while staying strategic, not operational
use DSL reports and data to spot trends and ask the questions that really matter
check that the board is meeting its key compliance duties, from the single central record to filtering and monitoring
respond with confidence to real-life situations, including concerns raised directly with you and serious incidents
report clearly to the board and help it make sound decisions, including difficult budget choices that affect safeguarding capacity

about this course

Who is this suitable for?

Who is this suitable for

New safeguarding link governors in maintained schools
New safeguarding link trustees in single academy trusts
New safeguarding link local governors in multi academy trust (MAT) local academy committees
Link governors and trustees wanting a refresh
MAT governance leads interested in knowing more about the role

Bespoking options

For secondary, primary or special school settings
To reflect safeguarding governance arrangements in MATs

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What are the benefits?

Meet DfE expectations with confidence. KCSIE requires boards to have a lead for safeguarding and expects governors and trustees to be trained so they can provide strategic challenge. This course is fully up to date with KCSIE 2026 and the latest DfE guidance.
Tackle the problems schools are facing right now. The course and scenarios explored reflect real, current challenges in schools, including AI-generated images and deepfakes, stretched DSL capacity, concerns raised directly with governors and budget pressures, so participants practise responding to the situations they are most likely to meet.
Know what good looks like. Participants leave with a clear term-by-term plan, the right questions to ask and a ready-to-use structure for reporting to the board, so assurance is based on evidence, not hope.
Be ready for inspection and the unexpected. Ofsted now judges safeguarding as met or not met. Realistic scenarios prepare link governors and trustees to act correctly when it matters most, from an allegation against staff to an AI-generated image incident.
Make a difference for pupils. A confident, well-informed link governor or trustee strengthens the whole board’s oversight, helping make sure every child is safe, supported and able to thrive.

about this course

How will you learn?

Lively, practical development training that mixes expert input with group discussion
Realistic scenarios, short activities and a budget meeting with the facilitator in role as headteacher, so participants practise what to say and do
A short pre-course activity, a chance to share tried and tested approaches with peers, and a post-course toolkit of key guidance and resources

‘I found the session very useful and informative, with lots of shared learning and opportunities to learn from each other too.’

Caroline Hall

Tennyson Road Infant School