What does a Safeguarding Consultant do and when do you need one?
Most organisations that work with children or adults at risk of harm know their safeguarding responsibilities. Fewer are completely sure their policies, records and everyday practice would stand up to an inspector, a serious incident or a difficult question from governors. That is where a safeguarding consultant comes in. This guide explains what a safeguarding consultant does, when it makes sense to bring one in, and how to choose the right support.
What is a safeguarding consultant?
A safeguarding consultant is an experienced, independent professional who advises organisations on their safeguarding arrangements. They look closely at how you currently work, identify where things could go wrong, and advise on the policies, procedures and practice you need to keep children and adults at risk of harm safe and meet your responsibilities.
Good consultants have done the job themselves. Advice from someone with frontline experience in schools, early years, social care or the voluntary sector is grounded in what actually works, not just in theory.
What does a safeguarding consultant do?
The work usually falls into a few areas:
- Advice: quick, expert answers when a question or situation comes up, by phone or video call, or a focused session with your safeguarding team.
- Audits: a detailed, independent check of your policies, procedures, records and day-to-day practice against current guidance, with a written report and a prioritised action plan.
- Reviews: a broader, more collaborative look at how effective your safeguarding is overall, carried out alongside your team.
- Policy work: checking your existing safeguarding and child protection policies, or writing new ones that match current guidance and the way you really work.
- Strategy and governance: helping senior leaders, trustees and governors build safeguarding into how the organisation is run, with clear priorities and a practical plan.
- Inspection readiness: helping you understand and evidence your duties, including safer recruitment and your single central record.
When do you need a safeguarding consultant?
You don’t need a crisis to get in touch. Organisations commonly bring in a consultant:
- Before an inspection, to check you are ready and can evidence your arrangements.
- After an inspection, to act on findings or recommendations.
- After a difficult incident that has raised questions needing an honest, independent answer.
- When guidance changes, such as a new edition of Keeping Children Safe in Education, and policies have fallen behind.
- When a new DSL starts, to give them a clear picture of where things stand.
- When governors or trustees want reassurance that safeguarding is being taken seriously.
- Across a multi-academy trust, to bring consistency to safeguarding in every school.
Consultant, audit or supervision: which do you need?
These three are often confused:
| You need… | If you want… |
|---|---|
| A safeguarding audit | A formal, detailed check against set standards, ending in a written report and action plan. Read more in What is a safeguarding audit? |
| Safeguarding consultancy | Expert help to fix what an audit finds, write policies, plan strategy or get inspection-ready. |
| Safeguarding supervision | Regular, confidential support for your DSL and safeguarding team to reflect on live cases. See our DSL supervision service. |
Some organisations use all three: an audit to find the gaps, consultancy to close them, and supervision to keep practice strong.
What to look for in a safeguarding consultant
- Frontline experience in a setting like yours.
- Independence, so they can tell you what you need to hear.
- Clear scope and pricing, agreed in writing before work starts.
- Practical outputs: a written report and a prioritised action plan, not just a conversation.
- Up-to-date knowledge of current legislation and guidance, such as Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children and, for adults, the Care Act 2014.
How much does a safeguarding consultant cost?
Costs depend on the size of the job. Many consultants charge by the hour for ad hoc advice and by the half or full day for audits, reviews and policy work. Larger or multi-site projects are usually quoted individually.
We publish our consultancy prices on our safeguarding consultancy page, from hourly advice to half-day, full-day and multi-day options, and we always confirm a fixed price in writing before any work begins.
How we can help
Our safeguarding consultancy supports schools, academies, early years settings, charities, sports clubs and other organisations across the UK. We assess your arrangements, help you put right anything that is missing, and give you the confidence that you are meeting your responsibilities.
Frequently asked questions
An experienced, independent professional who advises organisations on their safeguarding policies, procedures and practice, so they keep children and adults at risk of harm safe.
There is no requirement to use one, but many schools bring one in before or after an inspection, after an incident, or when guidance changes.
An audit is a detailed examination against set standards that produces a formal report. A review is broader and more collaborative, looking at the overall effectiveness of your safeguarding.
Yes. Policy health checks and full policy rewrites, aligned to current guidance, are a common part of consultancy work.
It depends on the size of the organisation. A focused policy check might take half a day; a full on-site audit usually takes a day or more, plus time for the written report.