The Sacpa staff are professionals passionate about safeguarding and child protection. You are welcome to get in touch with any member of our team – we are here to help.
Director of SACPA: Dr Mariya Ali
Mariya is an internationally recognised safeguarding and child protection expert with over 20 years’ multidisciplinary experience. She has held senior advisory, academic, legal, and leadership roles, including serving as Maldives Minister of Gender, Family, and Human Rights, leading reforms in child protection law and policy. Internationally, she has advised UNICEF, UNDP, and ECPAT on child sexual abuse, exploitation, and protection systems. Holding qualifications in law and child psychology, she has published widely on child rights, online safety, and trauma-informed practice. Mariya’s strategic vision, policy expertise, and frontline insight equip her to bring both global perspective and local understanding to SACPA’s mission.
Executive Director, Scotland/Wales and Accredited/Compliance: Dale Wilkins
Dale is a child protection specialist, with over 30 years’ experience working in the education sector. He is currently the Director of Safeguarding, Professional Development and Accreditation for Sacpa and the BSA Group, is accredited by the NSPCC, having completed their ‘Training for trainers in child protection’ and his work includes liaising with government bodies on behalf of the sector as well as delivering child protection CPD to schools. Dale has also been a multi-agency safeguarding trainer for Dudley Safeguarding Children Board and has oversight of the Sacpa Accredited training programme.
Executive Director Specialist Services and Director, BAISIS, BSA Group: Bethan Hudson
Bethan Waddington joined the BSA team as Training Manager in September 2017. Bethan has worked in two independent boarding schools in the UK and Switzerland, the latter as Housemistress to 36 pupils. Following her time in Switzerland, she was a Pastoral Manager for an inner-city state academy before working in the charity sector for Debrett’s running the ‘Debrett’s Foundation’ training programme.
In her role, Bethan plans and manages all Day Seminars, Conferences, INSET and Consultancy, as well as being Director of BAISIS. She believes boarding can be a positive force for young people and in order to fully support their needs staff can never learn too much. As such she is passionate about the CPD BSA delivers to our pastoral communities in the UK and worldwide.
Head of Accredited Training: Liz McDonald
Liz McDonald has been with the BSA for 10 years and is responsible for the coordination of the BSA training requirements, including the BSA Accredited Training Programme. Liz is a former financial services professional, and relishes any opportunity to help and assist boarding staff with their training needs and continued professional development.
Business Support Manager: Claire Scrimgeour
Claire is the Business Support Manager at BSA Group. Claire joined the group in 2021 and has extensive financial and administrative experience making her well-placed to support core business functions and projects across the group.
Senior Finance and Administration Executive: Emily Smith
Emily joined the BSA Group in March 2023 as Finance and Administration Executive. Emily has a background in finance, administration and early years education, making her well placed to support our members.
Business Support Executive: Sophie Duval
Joining BSA in August 2024, Sophie comes from a background in education, spending ten years as a primary teacher both in the UK and in New Zealand. In her previous role at an international boarding college, Sophie was in charge of admissions and compliance where she thoroughly enjoyed liaising with families, both within the UK and abroad, to support them with visa queries and settling in to the college. Sophie has also spent time in administrative roles such as a personal assistant, exams officer and receptionist; giving her a wealth of experience to bring to her role as Business Support Executive at BSA.
Consultants
We use a wide network of expert consultants to deliver advice and bespoke training to members. Our consultants cover a broad range of sectors including health, policing and education and are experienced in abuse, contextual safeguarding, safer recruitment, online issues, gambling, addiction, behaviour management and county lines.
Please do get in touch if you have an area of support you require, and the team will match you to the appropriate consultant.
Get in touch
T. +44 (0)207 798 1585
E. info@sacpa.org.uk
@SacpaOrg
Unit 11/12, Manor Farm, Cliddesden
Basingstoke Hants RG25 2JB
