Safeguarding International Students Conference
🏷️ From £235
🎧 DSLs/CPOs, International Student Leads, Pastoral & Boarding Staff, International Child Protection Leads, Lawyers, Law Enforcement Officers, Senior Leaders, Guardianship & Homestay Providers
📍 Online (conference)
🎥 Watch live or on catch up
Course Outline:
This one-day conference provides safeguarding professionals with a global lens on protecting international students in an increasingly complex and polarised world. Participants will explore how geopolitical instability, cultural identity, transnational extremism, digital risk and cross-border care arrangements impact safeguarding responsibilities in education settings. Through expert-led sessions and case clinics, delegates will strengthen their understanding of culturally responsive practice, online harm, guardianship accountability and proportionate responses to emerging risks. The programme combines strategic insight with practical tools to support ethical, legally sound and trauma-informed safeguarding across international contexts.
Training topics will include:
- Geopolitical instability and its impact on international student vulnerability
- Culturally responsive safeguarding and building trust across identities
- Transnational extremism, radicalisation risks and proportionate safeguarding responses
- Guardianship, homestays and cross-border accountability
- Online harm, digital risk and global safeguarding challenges
Learning outcomes:
- Understand how global conflict, migration and polarisation shape safeguarding risk
- Apply culturally informed approaches to disclosures and student engagement
- Recognise indicators of transnational extremism and respond appropriately
- Navigate safeguarding responsibilities across borders and shared care arrangements
- Identify and respond to online harm affecting international students
Programme:
09:30 – 09:45 Welcome & Opening Remarks
09:45 – 10:35 Keynote Address: Safeguarding Without Borders: International Students in an Age of Geopolitical Uncertainty
This keynote examines how global conflict, migration pressures, political polarisation and international mobility are reshaping risk, vulnerability and safeguarding responsibilities in education settings worldwide.
10:35 – 10:50 Break
10:50 – 11:30 Cultural Identity, Belonging and Safeguarding Practice
Exploring how cultural norms, identity, faith, family expectations and geopolitical background influence safeguarding disclosures, engagement and trust.
Speaker: Ann Marie Christian
11:30 – 11:45 Break
11:45 – 12:30 Transnational Extremism and Student Safeguarding
Recognising and Responding to Far-Right Radicalisation in Education Settings
A safeguarding-focused session addressing the rise of far-right and extremist ideologies across the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, and their impact on international students.
Speaker: Dr Craig McCann
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 14:30 Guardianship, Homestays and Shared Responsibility Across Borders
Examining safeguarding accountability when care is shared between schools, guardians, homestay providers and overseas families.
Speaker: Steph Gilbert UK Director & DSL, Oxbridge Guardian
14:30 – 14:45 Break
14:45 – 15:30 Digital Lives, Online Harm and Global Safeguarding Risk
International students’ digital lives often span multiple countries, platforms and legal protections.
15:30 – 14:45 Break
15:45 – 16:30 Case Clinics
Speaker 1: Managing Safeguarding Concerns Triggered by Global Events
Speaker 2: Mental Health, Trauma and International Students
Speaker 3: Thresholds, Escalation and Multi-Agency Working Across Borders
16:30 Closing Reflections & Next Steps
Speakers:
Dr Craig McCann
Craig is a specialist adviser and researcher on the Counter Terrorism Prevent Strategy and associated Channel programme. As a former senior CT police officer having served within the Metropolitan Police Service and the National CT Headquarters, he has extensive experience of the delivery of Prevent across the UK. He has also led the international delivery of research, project delivery and capacity building across a range of operational contexts including the Western Balkans, East Africa and Asia. He is a published author and has a PhD in comparative politics exploring how the Prevent Strategy is applied to right-wing extremism. He currently works as the Investigator within the Office of the Independent Prevent Commissioner.
Ann Marie Christian
Ann Marie is an International Safeguarding Consultant, Trainer, Author, and Speaker with over 30 years’ experience as a qualified social worker. Since 1996, she has worked across local authorities in frontline services, management, and as a Safeguarding Advisor, LADO, and Designated Safeguarding Lead Trainer. Ann Marie became an independent consultant in 2010, providing safeguarding advice, training, and consultancy services to schools, charities, local authorities, and global organisations, including the NSPCC, COIS, BSME, ISI Consultancy, BSA, IAPS, the Premier League, and many more. She regularly writes for Head Teachers Update, SEN Magazine, and Nursery World, and develops safeguarding courses for Optimus, The Key for Leaders and Educare. Ann Marie has delivered keynotes and workshops internationally in regions such as the UK, Dubai, Singapore, Texas, Monaco, Jamaica and more. Recognised for her impact, she was Highly Commended at the 2019 WinTrade Awards for ‘Woman in the Public Sector’ and previously nominated as NSPCC Child Protection Trainer of the Year.
Steph Gilbert UK Director & DSL, Oxbridge Guardian
