Feeling Supported FOBISIA Safeguarding Conference 2026

Join a focussed discussion on your region. Highlighting trends and best practice. Region C: P.R. China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Uzbekistan.

This session led by Kellett senior school digital lead and head of innovation will explore Kellett approach to embedding AI and systems that are used to help safeguard the community

Practical tools for safeguarding and pastoral  leaders to assess and address digital incidents effectively.

The workshop focuses on understanding student behaviour by looking beyond what we see on the surface and considering the needs that may be going unmet. Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a guiding framework, it highlights the importance of supporting children’s basic physical, emotional, and relational needs before expecting them to engage with academic goals, future planning, or broader expectations that may feel distant or hard to grasp.


The session invites reflection on how behaviour can be a form of communication, and why responding with curiosity, empathy, and care is central to effective safeguarding. It reinforces that safeguarding is a shared responsibility across the school community, and that early support is most effective when adults work together to create a coordinated safety net while respecting confidentiality. By clarifying roles and encouraging thoughtful collaboration, the workshop aims to strengthen a shared understanding of how meeting foundational needs helps students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn and grow

Safeguarding guidance is clear that it is everyone’s responsibility. Yet in many schools, the greatest time, training, and professional dialogue around safeguarding sits with teaching staff, despite the daily presence of HR, admissions, marketing, operations, security, canteen, cleaning, and administrative professionals on site. Using safer recruitment as a case study, this workshop supports DSLs to move safeguarding conversations with non-teaching staff beyond compliance and towards shared understanding of why safeguarding matters, enabling greater nuance, professional judgement, and safer decision-making.

Presenter

Hayley Trenchard is Director of Safeguarding & Continuous Improvement at XCL Education Malaysia. UK-trained in safeguarding and child protection, she specialises in translating UK and international safeguarding frameworks into practical, culturally relevant practice for Malaysia and Southeast Asia. She works closely with non-teaching and HR teams to implement BISSC-aligned safer recruitment, including ensuring the Single Central Record is used as a safeguarding tool for professional judgement and oversight, not simply a compliance checklist. Hayley has worked with Australian universities, British training institutes, and UN agencies including UNICEF, supporting organisations to apply global best practice confidently within their own legal, cultural, and professional contexts.

This workshop is designed to empower educators, leaders and practitioners with the tools and insights needed to foster inclusive, culturally affirming environments for all learners. In today’s diverse educational landscape, the ability to create spaces where individuals feel both safe and seen is not just beneficial—it’s essential.  We will explore the intersection of cultural responsiveness and psychological safety, highlighting practices that honour identity, build trust and a sense of belonging, and promote equity. Participants will explore strategies that support culturally responsive pedagogy, trauma-informed care and inclusive leadership.  Participants will learn how to recognise and respond to the unique cultural assets and lived experiences of their communities, while also addressing systemic barriers that impact belonging and engagement. The workshop will be told through my own real-world experiences and we will learn about practical tools that can be immediately applied in classrooms, schools and organisations.  Together, we’ll explore how culturally responsive practice can be a powerful catalyst for creating environments where every individual feels valued, respected seen and safe.