The Child Safeguarding Working Group (CSWG) focuses on advancing child safeguarding governance, accountability, reporting culture, and organizational leadership across institutions that work with children, either directly or indirectly.
We believe that safeguarding is not simply a policy or compliance requirement; it is a core organizational responsibility. Effective safeguarding requires strong governance, clear accountability, safe and accessible reporting mechanisms, a culture of transparency and learning, and leadership that consistently prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of children.
Child safeguarding requires organizations to identify and manage risks, embed safeguarding into decision-making, and ensure that programs, services, partnerships, and operations are designed and delivered in ways that do not place children at risk of harm. The Working Group promotes a preventative approach to safeguarding, supporting organizations to strengthen systems, culture, and practice so that children's safety remains central to everything they do.
The CSWG seeks to strengthen child safeguarding practice by advancing organizational accountability, governance, leadership, reporting culture, and continuous learning.
We support organizations to:
• Embed safeguarding across programs, services, partnerships, and operations.
• Strengthen safeguarding governance, leadership, and oversight.
• Promote accountability and continuous improvement at all levels of an organization.
• Establish safe, accessible, and effective reporting and complaints mechanisms.
• Foster organizational cultures that encourage speaking up, transparency, and learning.
• Respond to safeguarding concerns in a timely, child-centered, and accountable manner.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks to children.
• Share evidence, learning, and good practice across sectors and regions.
The Child Safeguarding Working Group brings together professionals, organisations, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners committed to strengthening safeguarding governance, accountability, and organisational culture worldwide.
Together, we explore emerging safeguarding challenges, share practical solutions, develop resources, and promote evidence-informed approaches that help organisations create safer environments for children. A key focus of the Working Group is strengthening leadership, improving reporting and response systems, promoting accountability, and building organisational cultures where concerns can be raised safely and acted upon effectively.
Join us in shaping the future of child safeguarding and helping organisations place children’s safety, wellbeing, and rights at the heart of everything they do.
Network with child safeguarding experts, and mentors worldwide.
Access to data driven effective child safeguarding programs.
Opportunities to present your work at ISPCAN congresses and virtually.
Work alongside world-renowned child safeguarding experts to make an impact in this critical area.
Learn from others and work on child global safeguarding projects, research, and advocacy initiatives.
Get the expertise and support you need to address critical child safeguarding challenges
Sign up for an ISPCAN Membership
Subscribe to the ISPCAN Newsletter and discussions in the member portal
Join the discussion, start connecting & grow your career!
If you are a child safeguarding expert or have an interest in learning more about safeguarding programs, then please join us for the latest cutting-edge research and practice in this area, please consider joining us. The Child Safeguarding Working group is open to active ISPCAN members only.
A webinar by Premiership Footballer and Dedicated Survivor of Abuse Paul Stewart
Supporting those who work in safeguarding with access to legal advice, guidance and training and a strong professional community built to support you every day.
Half-day pre-congress working group will offer a half-day workshop tailored to CAN professionals.
• Increased child safeguarding activity due to children’s online activity. Children creating or distributing explicit imagery, being groomed or sexually extorted to viewing violent pornography or radicalization videos.
• Safeguarding Children in Sports
• Poverty as a child safeguarding concern
• The six principles of child safeguarding are: Accountability: Transparency is essential. Empowerment: Children should feel in control of their situation. Partnership: Multi-agency working is important. Prevention Proportionality Protection.
• Prevention that focuses on taking proactive measures to stop child abuse and neglect before they occur. This principle is about creating environments and cultures that minimize the risk of harm to children
Maryam Ehsani is an International Child Rights advocate and a child protection and safeguarding expert who has been leading the development of international child safeguarding standards and frameworks for more than 15 years. She is founder and CEO of Child Safe Middle East and is an executive board member of International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN). She has been supporting various organizations such as government entities, corporates, education sector and NGOs across Europe, Middle East and Africa to implement child safeguarding and child protection measures underpinned by the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Most recently Maryam has served as a Scientific Chair at the ISPCAN’s congress in Edinburgh in Sep 2023. And finally her most recent engagement, she has served as a panelist speaker at the COP28 in UAE, which discussed how to Empower vulnerable communities with resiliency amidst climate change.
Rocco Briganti, Ph.D. in Education, Degree in Philosophy, a postgraduate degree related to minors and psycho-pedagogical and counseling elements, a Master’s degree in European project and development. Public bodies policies expert; Expert in child safeguarding policies for nonprofit organizations and in the field of sports. Consultant for child abuse and neglect data collection at the National level for the National Authority for Children Rights Guarantee and about safeguarding in Sport for the Italian Government – Sport Department. Rocco is also a valued member of the ISPCAN Board of Directors.
Paul Stewart is a former premiership footballer who played for Man City, Spurs and Liverpool, he was also capped 3 times for England. In 2016 Paul waived his anonymity and spoke about the physical and sexual abuse he endured at the hands of a youth coach as a 10-year-old growing up in Manchester.
Paul has joined the EFL’s Life skills team to raise awareness about the importance of Safeguarding. He has worked with the FA SFA and Premiership clubs delivering workshops to Academy Coaches/Parents/Players and his delivery whilst hard hitting also gives an insight into Safeguarding from a survivor’s perspective. Paul was awarded a doctorate from Salford University and the Contribution to League Football Award in 2024 the highest award given to an individual for his contribution to Safeguarding.
