National Editorial Panel

England, Wales & Isle of Man

Our National Editorial Panel is an advisory body, comprised of multidisciplinary experts across Education, Safeguarding, and Online Safety. Each national panel reviews and scrutinises our resources for accuracy and relevance, upholding the quality of our work and ensuring it meets the highest standards.

Sarah Bloomer

Director of Safeguarding

Sarah has worked in education for two decades as a teacher and then as a safeguarding executive across five multi-academy trusts for the last decade. In the past couple of years Sarah has also worked in elite sport and charity safeguarding leadership after conducting cross-sector research into a culture of safeguarding. Sarah leads on safeguarding strategy and culture, training and development and quality assurance and governance and chairs a network on over 100 MAT Directors of Safeguarding who focus on systems leadership, peer support, and innovative safeguarding practices. Sarah has held multiple governance roles in education and holds a degree in History and English, a Masters (MA) in Safeguarding in Education and an MSc in Leadership in Education.

Adam Duckers

Designated Safeguarding Lead

With 18 years of experience in education, Adam Duckers brings a wealth of knowledge from both mainstream and special education settings. For the past three years, he has served as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), championing student welfare and safety across the school community.

Adam is deeply committed to creating inclusive environments where every student feels safe, valued, and empowered to succeed. He believes that a positive school climate is built on trust, care, and high expectations. His passion for integrating modern technology into education has helped schools provide safeguarding support around the clock, ensuring no student is ever left behind.

Driven by a belief in equity and excellence, Adam works tirelessly to ensure all learners have access to the best possible educational experience.

Alana Watson

Trust Safeguarding Lead

Executive Leader of Safeguarding | Multi-Academy Trust | Midlands

With over 20 years of dedicated experience, Alana is an Executive Leader of Safeguarding across a multi-academy trust in the Midlands, committed to ensuring the safety, welfare, and empowerment of every child. Alana’s career reflects a consistent and proven track record built on practical expertise, professional curiosity, and the confidence to respectfully challenge when needed.

As a safeguarding professional, Alana is driven by the belief that every child deserves a champion someone who sees their potential, believes in them, and stands firmly in their corner. Alana brings passion, persistence, and a relentless commitment to creating safe, trusted environments where all children can thrive.

Alyssa Isaac

External Services Co-Ordinator & Equality Lead

Alyssa works in a strategic role within the Isle of Man Department of Education, Sport and Culture. With a background in mental health, she supports schools in promoting wellbeing and manages relationships with external services to strengthen education provision. She also provides guidance on equality and accessibility across the department, helping to embed inclusive practice. Over the past two years, Alyssa has collaborated with the Safer Schools team, contributing to the rollout of their new app for the Isle of Man. She is excited to join the panel and contribute to safer, more inclusive, and accessible digital resources for children and young people.

Jon Needham

National Director of Safeguarding and Mental Health

Jon originally trained as a nurse specializing in adolescents with life limiting illnesses before moving to become an advisor to a strategic health authority and a commissioner in a primary care trust. He worked briefly as a specialist advisor on two World Health Organization projects before becoming the lead for early help in a large local authority.

He became an safeguarding advisor 23 years ago managing the support offer to 530 schools and for the past 7 years has worked as the National Director of Safeguarding & Mental Health in an international charity, the UK arm of which has 55 schools, 36 community hubs, 9 churches and a young offenders institute.

He holds a PhD in Education Safeguarding and acts as a mentor to five young men in industry ensuring that they develop to their full potential. In his spare time, he is a voluntary youth worker.

Nedaa Belal

Head of GCSE and Head of Safeguarding- Senior DSL

Nedaa holds a degree in English Language and Literature from Damascus University and an MBA from University of Hull. Before joining the College, Nedaa gained substantial corporate experience as a senior manager with BMW in the Middle East. During her time as an MBA student, Nedaa also worked for Leeds and Hull universities.
In her current role as Head of Safeguarding and Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) at David Game College, Nedaa has overall responsibility for safeguarding across the College. She leads the safeguarding team, oversees all safeguarding and child protection procedures, and works closely with local authority professionals and external agencies to ensure that the College meets all statutory requirements. Her role involves managing referrals, supporting staff with safeguarding concerns, conducting risk assessments, and ensuring the consistent implementation of safeguarding policies and best practice across all departments. She plays a central role in supporting vulnerable students and ensuring that all staff receive appropriate safeguarding training.
Alongside her DSL duties, Nedaa is also Head of the GCSE Department, where she oversees all students of compulsory school age (CSA). She provides a structured pastoral and academic programme, offering guidance on personal, financial, and health-related matters. She works closely with GCSE teachers to monitor attendance, academic progress, and students’ overall wellbeing.
Nedaa also plays a key role in the wider pastoral and curriculum provision. She coordinates the PSHE and support curriculum for GCSE students and arranges visits from external speakers who contribute to the College’s PSHE, RSE and wellbeing programmes. Within the College, Nedaa is an active member of several committees, including the Pastoral Care Team, Academic Board, Safeguarding and Vulnerable Student Committee, and the Risk and Issue Committee, ensuring safeguarding remains at the heart of strategic and operational decision-making.

Nicola Law

Director of Safeguarding

Nicola has worked in the field of safeguarding for 20 years, with the last 16 years as a senior Safeguarding leader in Education. Nicola has experience leading safeguarding nationally across five Multi-Academy Trusts, covering primary, secondary and special schools. Nicola is passionate about preventative practice, being child-centred within a whole family approach, professionalising the role of the DSL in Education and strengthening the voice of Education in the multi-agency arena.

Rahbia Choudarey

Safeguarding Lead

A trained teacher by profession, Rahbia’s background within the education sector spans safeguarding, inclusion and attendance. As Safeguarding Lead, her current areas of focus are augmented curriculums, serious youth violence and educational equality. She leads regular training for all colleagues and serves as the primary point of contact for safeguarding matters.

Rebecca McGuinn

Trust Lead – Safeguarding, Behaviour, Attendace, Wellbeing

With over two decades of dedicated experience working directly with children, young people, and their families, I bring a real understanding of the barriers that shape a child’s educational journey and impactg on future life chances. My career spans a variety of areas, including education social work, early intervention and prevention and children in the care system.
I am passionate about early identification for children when that support is required within their family home and change is required to their parenting environment. Through leading Multi-Academy Trust safeguarding, and by creating and building a culture around safeguarding that is well understood, well embedded and well implemented positivie change is possible. Driving change across the 26 schools in our Trust brings significant challenge in a world where childrens mental health is more prevelant and profound, and poverty remains increasing and ever present leading forward facing school based safguarding systems is critical.

Scott Wilson

TKAT Senior Safeguarding Lead

Scott spent a decade working as a front line Police Officer for Kent, working across a number of specialised departments. He was the Acting Sergeant for a Task Force, a multi-agency team, tackling a range of safeguarding concerns within the community. During this time Scott specialised in county lines and child sexual exploitation. He then moved into the world of education where he was the Lead DSL, within a school setting. Whilst there, he set up an award-winning safeguarding team. He has also worked closely with mental health charity Place2be and has had input into the Mental Health Government Green Paper.

Scott currently works as a Senior Safeguarding Lead across a large academy trust supporting over 24.000 children and 4000 adults to keep safe. Scott is passionate about making a difference and making sure safeguarding is more than just a policy but a culture.

Vikki McDowell

Head of Year / Computer Science Teacher / E-safety Coordinator

As a Computer Science teacher I am passionate about promoting online safety because I believe every young person deserves to explore the digital world with confidence, awareness, and protection.
Growing up surrounded by technology, I’ve seen how empowering the internet and technology can be—but also how easily misinformation, cyberbullying, and privacy risks can affect students who aren’t prepared for them.

By raising awareness, sharing practical advice, and encouraging open conversations, I hope to create a school environment where everyone feels supported and equipped to navigate technology in a positive way.

To learn more about the work of our National Editorial Panels, please contact us;

[email protected]