With the latest update to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) being officially published on 1st September 2025 by the Department for Education, there’s never been a more important time to review your safeguarding and safer recruitment practices.  

Ensuring legal compliance and adopting best practice is critical and that starts with making sure everyone who needs to be trained is trained and that their training is up to date. At HR Connect we recommend that training is undertaken every three years. 

Safer recruitment isn’t just about making the right recruitment decisions, it’s about embedding a culture of vigilance that protects children and young people throughout the entire employment lifecycle. 

Our one day virtual, in-depth and interactive Safer Recruitment course is tailored specifically for the education sector, equipping Headteachers, Senior leaders, Line Managers, School Business Managers, HR Professionals, Governors, Trustees and anyone in the education sector involved in the recruitment and selection of staff with the tools, insights, and mindset to safeguard effectively from recruitment through to daily practice. 

With over 20 years of experience in Human Resources, Sarah brings a wealth of expertise, adaptability and a strategic people first approach to her role at HR Connect. Her career spans the private, public and education sectors equipping her with a broad understanding of workplace dynamics and the ability to navigate diverse organisational cultures with ease. 

As HR Connect’s Lead Safer Recruitment specialist, Sarah is a fully accredited trainer by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation Consortium. She is deeply passionate about safeguarding and takes pride in championing safer recruitment practices that go far beyond compliance. For Sarah, safeguarding is not simply a stage in the recruitment process but is a continuous responsibility that spans the entire duration of employment. Sarah is particularly driven to equip school leaders, recruiting managers, governors and trustees with the confidence and knowledge they need to recruit safely and fairly and create ongoing cultures of vigilance and accountability in order to protect children and vulnerable individuals. 

Sarah is deeply committed to helping education providers create safe, supportive environments where staff can thrive and pupils can succeed. Her work is driven by a genuine desire to make a meaningful difference, and she takes pride in helping schools build strong foundations for long term success. 

Kirsty has been a valued member of the HR Connect Advisory team for over six years, providing expert support to more than 30 schools across Kent.  As an HR Consultant, Kirsty works closely with senior leadership teams and governing bodies, offering guidance across all areas of employee relations, including complex casework and strategic HR planning.  

Before joining HR Connect, Kirsty spent over 15 years working in HR within the private retail sector, followed by hands-on experience in the education sector.  This unique blend of private sector insight, frontline school experience, and advisory expertise gives Kirsty a broad and practical understanding of the challenges schools face.  

Kirsty is also one of the advisory team’s lead Safer Recruitment trainers, having delivered the course both virtually and in person to a wide range of education professionals. Her training is known for being clear, practical, and rooted in real-world school contexts. 

Debbie is a CIPD Level 7-qualified HR Specialist with over 20 years’ experience, primarily in the education sector. She specialises in safeguarding, employee relations, and HR policy, and serves as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for the wider Commercial Services Group. As an accredited Safer Recruitment trainer, Debbie delivers training aligned with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and works closely with LADOs and multi-agency partners to embed safeguarding into everyday HR practice.