The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast

Donna Ohdedar
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  • Government
  • Updated Weekly

Conscious review professionals already know reviews are about learning not blame. Whether you are involved in Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews or Safeguarding Adult Reviews, the chances are you also know there's scope for our learning and improvement work to get better. In 'The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast' you can expect my thoughts, musings and insights on what sector led improvement can look like. Plus, I will introduce you to professionals who are taking action and can inspire us in an incredibly positive way. In this space we will reside in a place of possibility. No burnout. No decisions that 'reviews don't work'. Join me weekly for connection and motivation to create a tidal wave of positive impact. Expect honesty, openness for learning and key takeaways to implement in reviews and beyond.

  1. 6d ago

    Decriminalising care leavers

    Children in care are still significantly more likely to enter the criminal justice system than their peers. But when we look at their experiences, are we focusing too heavily on the behaviour of the child and not enough on the system surrounding them? In this episode, I consider the Government's new youth justice white paper alongside the Joint Committee on Human Rights report and what both mean for safeguarding professionals and independent reviewers.   In this episode I explore: Why children in care remain disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, including how behaviour that might be managed within a family home can become criminalised within a care setting. The risk of the "cliff edge" at 18, when care leavers can lose support at the very point they remain vulnerable to homelessness, exploitation and involvement with the criminal justice system. Why over-criminalisation begins long before the police become involved, with placement instability, disrupted education, lost relationships and the absence of trusted adults potentially forming part of the wider picture. What this means for independent review practice – and why our analysis needs to move beyond asking why a young person offended to examine how the systems around them understood and responded to their needs.     Are you fired up to generate implementable learning in reviews? An important opportunity is about to arise and I don't want you to miss it. Join me for the FREE online 5 day training 'How To Leverage Your Skills As A Blue Light Professional To Establish A Successful Career In Independent Reviews' taking place from 14th - 18th September 2026.  Inside the 5 day training you will learn: ⭐ how to find work that is flexible and meaningful post retirement or as your next career move ⭐ the essential skills and knowledge from your current role that are transferable to independent review work  ⭐ understanding the framework of independent reviews: what you need to know to get started ⭐ key strategies for building credibility and finding your first independent review opportunities ⭐ why SILP is the most engaging, proportionate method for independent reviews and so much more. All you need is an hour a day to get involved. You will receive a task to complete each day which will take 15 minutes max & an hour each evening online with me to learn more, to ask questions & receive feedback. Recordings will be available for any sessions you miss. It is an unprecedented opportunity to spend a whole 5 days with me as I support you on your journey to understanding this impactful career path. To join me click here.  About Donna: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews and Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews. She is also an accredited SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers 'SILP School' her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd/ Join my free Facebook group Blue Light Professionals here Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

  2. Sep 3

    The Family Court's Contact At All Costs Culture with Natalie Page

    In this week's episode I am joined by campaigner, author and family court consultant Natalie Page for a thought-provoking conversation about domestic abuse, family court proceedings and the experiences of mothers and children within the family justice system. In this episode we discuss: The campaign to change the presumption of parental involvement, and why Natalie argues for a more neutral position which places children's safety and risk of harm at the centre of decisions about contact. The voice and lived experience of the child, including what can happen when children feel unheard or their experiences are reframed through allegations of parental alienation. Institutional silencing and mother blaming within family court proceedings, and what these issues mean for professional accountability and safeguarding practice. The handling of domestic abuse and coercive control within private family proceedings How counter-allegations can shift the focus from the alleged perpetrator to the victim The concept of "story creep", where an allegation about a parent's behaviour can gradually become embedded within the professional narrative despite questions about the evidence underpinning it. Natalie also shares more about her campaigning and her book, The System Is the Weapon: How Abusive Fathers Exploit Family Courts Against Mothers and Children.   Are you fired up to generate implementable learning in reviews? An important opportunity is about to arise and I don't want you to miss it. Join me for the FREE online 5 day training 'How To Leverage Your Skills As A Blue Light Professional To Establish A Successful Career In Independent Reviews' taking place from 14th - 18th September 2026.  Inside the 5 day training you will learn: ⭐ how to find work that is flexible and meaningful post retirement or as your next career move ⭐ the essential skills and knowledge from your current role that are transferable to independent review work  ⭐ understanding the framework of independent reviews: what you need to know to get started ⭐ key strategies for building credibility and finding your first independent review opportunities ⭐ why SILP is the most engaging, proportionate method for independent reviews and so much more. All you need is an hour a day to get involved. You will receive a task to complete each day which will take 15 minutes max & an hour each evening online with me to learn more, to ask questions & receive feedback. Recordings will be available for any sessions you miss. It is an unprecedented opportunity to spend a whole 5 days with me as I support you on your journey to understanding this impactful career path. To join me click here.     About Natalie Page: Natalie Page is an independent paralegal and activist and author of 'The System is the Weapon'. She has dedicated over a decade to exposing systemic failure in family courts and holding institutions accountable for failing domestic abuse survivors and their children. Her groundbreaking investigations, reports, and advocacy  have driven national and international conversations on coercive control, parental alienation myths, military domestic abuse and family court reform. Website: https://nataliepage.co.uk Facebook: The Court Said You can find Natalie's Book 'The System is the Weapon' here.   About Donna: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in Safeguarding Adult Reviews, Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews and Domestic Homicide Reviews and Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews. She is also an accredited SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers 'SILP School' her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd/ Join my free Facebook group Blue Light Professionals here   Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

  3. Aug 27

    10 years of change & improvement driven by high profile child protection tragedies

    Why do some of us reach a point in our careers where we want to do something differently? For me, part of the answer lies in the decade between 2003 and 2013. In this episode, I look back at a period of enormous change in child safeguarding and some of the cases that shaped not only national policy and practice, but my own thinking about how systems learn when things go tragically wrong. In this episode, I explore: How high-profile child protection tragedies between 2003 and 2013 drove major changes in safeguarding legislation, structures and multi-agency working. What the cases of Victoria Climbié, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, Baby Peter Connelly and Daniel Pelka taught us about information sharing, professional challenge, recognising risk and taking action. Why repeated tragedy demonstrated that legislation and procedures alone cannot keep children safe  Why this particular decade became so important in my own career and helped create my desire to become an independent reviewer focused on turning tragedy into meaningful, implementable learning. Are you fired up to generate implementable learning in reviews? An important opportunity is about to arise and I don't want you to miss it. Join me for the FREE online 5 day training 'How To Leverage Your Skills As A Blue Light Professional To Establish A Successful Career In Independent Reviews' taking place from 14th - 18th September 2026.  Inside the 5 day training you will learn: ⭐ how to find work that is flexible and meaningful post retirement or as your next career move ⭐ the essential skills and knowledge from your current role that are transferable to independent review work  ⭐ understanding the framework of independent reviews: what you need to know to get started ⭐ key strategies for building credibility and finding your first independent review opportunities ⭐ why SILP is the most engaging, proportionate method for independent reviews and so much more. All you need is an hour a day to get involved. You will receive a task to complete each day which will take 15 minutes max & an hour each evening online with me to learn more, to ask questions & receive feedback. Recordings will be available for any sessions you miss. It is an unprecedented opportunity to spend a whole 5 days with me as I support you on your journey to understanding this impactful career path. To join me click here.  About Donna: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews and Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews. She is also an accredited SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers 'SILP School' her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd/ Join my free Facebook group Blue Light Professionals here Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

  4. Aug 20

    The challenges of working with larger sibling group families

    When we are working with a large sibling group, it is harder to be confident that we really understand the experience of every child within that family? In this episode, I explore some of the challenges of working with larger sibling group families. In this episode I discuss: Why it's harder for professionals to understand lived experience of the child within a large sibling group Why children within the same family may experience neglect, domestic abuse, parental difficulties and family relationships very differently, requiring individual rather than collective assessment. How practitioners can balance understanding each child individually while still holding the whole family picture, particularly across large and complex multi-agency networks. Why reviewers should look beyond assumptions about professional curiosity and consider whether workload, capacity, coordination or system design prevented practitioners from doing the work expected of them.   Are you fired up to generate implementable learning in reviews? An important opportunity is about to arise and I don't want you to miss it. Join me for the FREE online 5 day training 'How To Leverage Your Skills As A Blue Light Professional To Establish A Successful Career In Independent Reviews' taking place from 14th - 18th September 2026.  Inside the 5 day training you will learn: ⭐ how to find work that is flexible and meaningful post retirement or as your next career move ⭐ the essential skills and knowledge from your current role that are transferable to independent review work  ⭐ understanding the framework of independent reviews: what you need to know to get started ⭐ key strategies for building credibility and finding your first independent review opportunities ⭐ why SILP is the most engaging, proportionate method for independent reviews and so much more. All you need is an hour a day to get involved. You will receive a task to complete each day which will take 15 minutes max & an hour each evening online with me to learn more, to ask questions & receive feedback. Recordings will be available for any sessions you miss. It is an unprecedented opportunity to spend a whole 5 days with me as I support you on your journey to understanding this impactful career path. To join me click here.  About Donna: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in all 3 types of reviews covering both children's and adults' safeguarding and domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers 'SILP School' her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd/ Join my free Facebook group Blue Light Professionals here Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

  5. Aug 13

    Recognising domestic abuse in young people

    When we talk about domestic abuse, how often do we picture an adult relationship? And how often do we stop to consider that the person experiencing coercion, control, sexual violence or physical violence might be 15, 16 or 17 years old? In this episode, I explore domestic abuse within teenage relationships. In this episode I discuss: The prevalence of violent and controlling behaviour within teenage relationships Whether our assumptions about what domestic abuse "looks like" influence what we recognise How narratives and language about teenage relationships can create barriers to recognising abuse The relationship between young people's online and offline experiences How technology can enable coercive and controlling behaviour to continue 24 hours a day Are you fired up to generate implementable learning in reviews? An important opportunity is about to arise and I don't'want you to miss it. Join me for the FREE online 5 day training 'How To Leverage Your Skills As A Blue Light Professional To Establish A Successful Career In Independent Reviews' taking place from 14th - 18th September 2026.  Inside the 5 day training you will learn: ⭐ how to find work that is flexible and meaningful post retirement or as your next career move ⭐ the essential skills and knowledge from your current role that are transferable to independent review work  ⭐ understanding the framework of independent reviews: what you need to know to get started ⭐ key strategies for building credibility and finding your first independent review opportunities ⭐ why SILP is the most engaging, proportionate method for independent reviews and so much more. All you need is an hour a day to get involved. You will receive a task to complete each day which will take 15 minutes max & an hour each evening online with me to learn more, to ask questions & receive feedback. Recordings will be available for any sessions you miss. It is an unprecedented opportunity to spend a whole 5 days with me as I support you on your journey to understanding this impactful career path. To join me click here.     About Donna: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in safeguarding adults reviews, child safeguarding practice reviews and domestic abuse related death reviews. She is also a practicing SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers 'SILP School' her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd/ Join my free Facebook group Blue Light Professionals here   Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

  6. Aug 6

    Deprivation of Liberty Part 2

    The legal landscape around deprivation of liberty has changed. In this episode, I continue the conversation about the recent UK Supreme Court judgment following the reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland. The decision marks a significant shift in how practitioners should determine whether someone is deprived of their liberty, moving away from the familiar Cheshire West "acid test" towards a broader, more holistic assessment of each individual's circumstances. In this episode I explore: Why the Supreme Court judgment represents a significant change in deprivation of liberty law. How the long-established Cheshire West acid test is no longer intended to be the primary determining factor. What a more holistic assessment looks like in practice, including consideration of the person's circumstances, wishes, feelings and acceptance of their care arrangements. Why professional judgement is becoming increasingly important alongside legal frameworks. What this means for safeguarding professionals and those involved in independent reviews. The importance of continuing to place the individual, their rights and their lived experience at the centre of decision-making. Are you ready to find out more about independent review work? You can download my free workshop 'How to Establish an Independent Review Practice which Aligns with the Next Steps in Your Career' to find out how you can begin your journey to Independent Review work. Download the workshop here.    About Donna: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in all three types of independent reviews including children's and adults' safeguarding and domestic homicide. She is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers 'SILP School' her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd/ Join my free Facebook group Blue Light Professionals here   Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

  7. Jul 23

    Deprivation of Liberty Part 1

    The legal framework around deprivation of liberty has changed following the Supreme Court's AGNI judgment. But what does that actually mean for safeguarding professionals and independent reviewers? In this episode, I explore the Department of Health and Social Care's interim guidance, why this judgment matters beyond its legal implications, and why good safeguarding has always been about far more than simply meeting legal requirements.   In this episode I discuss: What the AGNI judgment changes.  Why safeguarding is about more than legal compliance.  The questions that matter most.  Why legal compliance does not always equal good practice.  Keeping learning at the centre ofindependent reviewing.    Are you interested in becoming an independent reviewer? Download my FREE workshop 'How to Establish an Independent Review Practice which Aligns with the Next Step in Your Career' here to find out more. About Donna: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in all 3 types of reviews covering both children's and adults' safeguarding and domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers 'SILP School' her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd/ Join my free Facebook group Blue Light Professionals here Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

  8. Jul 23

    Breaking Cycles Through Storytelling with Louisa Herridge

    In this episode I am joined by writing coach and publisher Louisa Herridge to explore why storytelling matters and how it link to creating meaningful change. Together we discuss the power of lived experience, finding your voice, and why the stories we choose to tell can influence individuals, organisations and even future generations.   In this episode we discuss: Why everyone has a story worth telling The difference between writing from pain versus writing from perspective.  Why your story isn't really about you How storytelling creates social change The legacy we leave for the next generation. Safeguarding reviews are built on stories that help others understand, learn and create change.  Are you interested in becoming an independent reviewer? Download my FREE workshop 'How to Establish an Independent Review Practice which Aligns with the Next Step in Your Career' here to find out more. About Louisa: Louisa Herridge is an award-winning, five-time best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and the founder of Louisa Herridge Publishing. Known as The Expert Writing Coach, she empowers business owners and creatives to harness the power of their story and expertise—guiding them to plan, write and publish books that build authority and drive meaningful impact. Website: www.louisaherridge.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouisaHerridgewriting?ref=1 About Donna: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in all 3 types of reviews covering both children's and adults' safeguarding and domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers 'SILP School' her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd/ Join my free Facebook group Blue Light Professionals here Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

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Conscious review professionals already know reviews are about learning not blame. Whether you are involved in Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews or Safeguarding Adult Reviews, the chances are you also know there's scope for our learning and improvement work to get better. In 'The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast' you can expect my thoughts, musings and insights on what sector led improvement can look like. Plus, I will introduce you to professionals who are taking action and can inspire us in an incredibly positive way. In this space we will reside in a place of possibility. No burnout. No decisions that 'reviews don't work'. Join me weekly for connection and motivation to create a tidal wave of positive impact. Expect honesty, openness for learning and key takeaways to implement in reviews and beyond.

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