Forge Safeguarding & Practice Advisory
Strengthening safeguarding culture. Building confident leaders. Improving practice.
Independent safeguarding training, audits, quality assurance and advisory services delivered remotely and on site across the UK. Specialist expertise in Child Exploitation, Contextual Safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, DSL development and safeguarding leadership.
Your safeguarding partner throughout the year.
Why Forge
Safeguarding should be more than a policy, an annual audit, or a compliance exercise.
Organisations need confidence that safeguarding arrangements are effective, leaders need access to expert support, and staff need the knowledge and confidence to respond appropriately to concerns.
Forge provides independent safeguarding expertise that helps organisations strengthen culture, improve practice, and maintain confidence in their safeguarding arrangements throughout the year.
Our services are designed to provide meaningful challenge, practical support, and ongoing assurance — helping organisations move beyond compliance and embed safeguarding at every level.
Our services
Ongoing Safeguarding Oversight
Ongoing Safeguarding Oversight
Independent safeguarding support throughout the year.
Retained support packages providing ongoing safeguarding oversight, quality assurance, professional challenge and access to specialist safeguarding expertise. Designed to help organisations maintain confidence in their safeguarding arrangements between audits and inspections.
- Safeguarding reviews and health checks
- Monitoring safeguarding action plans
- DSL and leadership consultation
- Governance and trustee assurance
- Policy and procedural guidance
- Case consultation and advice
- Ongoing access to safeguarding expertise
Safeguarding Audits
Independent review. Clear findings. Practical improvement.
Comprehensive safeguarding audits assessing culture, leadership, systems, compliance and safeguarding practice. Each audit includes a detailed report, strengths analysis, identified risks and practical recommendations to support continuous improvement. Suitable for schools, alternative provision, training providers, childcare settings and organisations working with children and young people.
Specialist Safeguarding Training
Practical training that builds confidence and improves practice.
Delivered on-site or remotely, our training is designed to equip staff, leaders and safeguarding teams with the knowledge and confidence to respond effectively to safeguarding concerns.
- Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)
- Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
- County Lines
- Contextual Safeguarding
- Trauma-Informed Practice
- Professional Curiosity
- Online Safety
- Harmful Sexual Behaviour
- Bespoke Safeguarding Training
DSL & Deputy DSL Training
Developing confident safeguarding leaders.
Training and development for DSLs, Deputy DSLs and safeguarding teams, helping leaders remain confident, compliant and effective in their safeguarding responsibilities.
- DSL refresher training
- Deputy DSL development
- Managing complex safeguarding concerns
- Record keeping and decision making
- Inspection readiness
- Safeguarding leadership
DSL Supervision
Supporting those who support others.
Professional supervision provides safeguarding leaders with a confidential space to reflect on practice, discuss complex cases, explore decision-making and maintain professional resilience. Suitable for DSLs, Deputy DSLs, safeguarding managers and safeguarding teams.
Child Exploitation & Contextual Safeguarding Advisory
Specialist expertise for complex safeguarding concerns.
Independent advice and consultancy relating to exploitation, extra-familial harm and contextual safeguarding risks.
- Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)
- Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
- County Lines
- Missing episodes
- Online exploitation
- Contextual safeguarding assessments
- Complex safeguarding concerns
Safeguarding Advisory Services
Expert safeguarding guidance when you need it.
Independent advisory and support tailored to your organisation's needs.
- Safeguarding strategy
- Inspection readiness
- Governance assurance
- Policy development
- Safeguarding reviews
- Leadership support
- Service development
Who we work with
Trusted across the UK.
Whether you need a one-off audit, targeted training, DSL supervision, or a long-term safeguarding partner, our services are tailored to meet your needs.
Why organisations choose Forge
Considered support, grounded in practice.
01
Independent Perspective
Objective safeguarding challenge, scrutiny, and assurance.
02
Experienced Safeguarding Leadership
Over 14 years' experience across education, alternative provision, SEND and specialist settings.
03
Specialist Exploitation Expertise
Supporting organisations to identify, prevent and respond to exploitation and contextual safeguarding risks.
04
Training & Development
Building confident staff, DSLs and safeguarding leaders through practical, engaging training.
05
Flexible, Ongoing Support
Remote and on-site services designed to strengthen safeguarding practice throughout the year.
Meet the founder
Tina Hodgson
Forge Safeguarding & Practice Advisory was founded by Tina Hodgson, an experienced Safeguarding Manager and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) with more than 14 years of safeguarding experience supporting children, young people and professionals across education and specialist settings.
Tina currently provides safeguarding leadership across multiple education provisions, overseeing safeguarding systems, quality assurance, staff development, complex case management, safeguarding audits and organisational improvement. Her experience spans alternative provision, post-16 education, SEND and SEMH settings, supporting some of the most vulnerable and at-risk children and young people.
Holding a BA (Hons) in Child & Adolescent Studies and qualified SENCO status, Tina brings extensive expertise in safeguarding leadership, child exploitation, contextual safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, staff training and safeguarding culture.
Throughout her career, Tina has worked closely with education leaders, safeguarding teams and frontline practitioners, developing practical safeguarding solutions that strengthen practice, improve confidence and support positive outcomes for children and young people.
Forge was established to provide organisations with access to independent safeguarding expertise, professional challenge and high-quality training. Whether through audits, advisory, DSL supervision or specialist safeguarding training, Forge helps organisations strengthen safeguarding arrangements and build safer environments where children and young people can thrive.
Education
BA (Hons) Child & Adolescent Studies
Specialism
Child Exploitation, Contextual Safeguarding, Trauma-Informed Practice
Experience
14+ years in safeguarding leadership
Let's talk
Strengthening safeguarding. Supporting leaders. Improving practice.
From specialist safeguarding training and child exploitation advisory services to safeguarding audits, DSL supervision and ongoing support, Forge provides practical expertise that helps organisations build safer environments for children and young people.
Complete the enquiry form and Tina will be in touch within two working days to discuss your requirements.