The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast

In this episode I explore why specialist "by and for" domestic abuse services are not optional extras, but essential lifelines for many survivors. We discuss how culture, disability, race, immigration status and systemic inequality can shape both experiences of abuse and access to safety.

In this epsiode you will hear:
Why a "one size fits all" approach to domestic abuse services does not work for all survivors
What "by and for" services are and why culturally specific expertise matters
The barriers many Black, minoritised, migrant and disabled survivors face when engaging with statutory services
How funding and procurement systems continue to disadvantage specialist grassroots organisations
Why investing in specialist domestic abuse services is both ethically necessary and economically sensible
This episode also reflects on the importance of survivors being supported by organisations that truly understand the fullness of their lived experiences.
I announced this week that there will be two SILP School scholarships available for the October 2026 intake. The SILP School mission is deeply intertwined with my decision to launch this scholarship scheme. It is important to me that we promote diversity and inclusion in this profession I'm proud to be part of. 


This year we will award 1 full needs-based SILP School scholarships & 1 part scholarship. One place will attract zero payment & the other will be charged at 50% to begin SILP School with the October 2026 intake.


The SILP mission is to create a "tidal wave of positive impact." Would you like to part of this movement?


How to Apply
All you need to do is answer 3 questions. The closing date for application is Friday 12th June at midday. You can find out more information 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 serious case reviews in both children's and adults' safeguarding, 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

In this episode, I explore one of the most recurring and uncomfortable themes emerging from Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews: whether Child in Need (CIN) plans can sometimes create an illusion of safety.


We explore:
Why Child in Need might be creating the illusion of safety

What can be happening  beneath the surface of seemingly stable cases

Why a child's lived experience is important

What fragmented multi-agency involvement can lead to

Why reviews are not simply about what happened but understanding the 'why' 
 

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 serious case reviews in both children's and adults' safeguarding, 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

In this episode I explore the transition from Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) to the proposed Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs), and what this shift means for those working in safeguarding, domestic abuse and independent review work. 
This conversation explores:
Why the proposed move from DHRs to DARDRs represents a significant shift in how domestic abuse deaths are understood and reviewed
The widening scope of reviews to include coercive control, economic abuse and deaths by suicide linked to domestic abuse
Why the sector is still in a period of transition two years after the Home Office consultation closed, with no revised statutory guidance or implementation timeline published
The growing conversation around accountability

What this means for practice

 
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 serious case reviews in both children's and adults' safeguarding, 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

In this episode, we explore the powerful intersection between Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 and the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel's report, It's Silent: Race, Racism and Safeguarding Children.
Together, these two publications create a direct challenge for everyone involved in safeguarding review work. One sets the expectation. The other exposes the reality.
We unpack what the Panel's thematic review found across more than 50 rapid reviews and LCSPRs, including the persistent "silence" around race and racism in safeguarding analysis and why this matters for learning, accountability and system change.
This conversation explores:
Why recording race and ethnicity is not the same as analysing them
How bias and systemic factors can shape professional decision-making
The risks of "visible equality but invisible analysis"
What anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice now means under the 2026 guidance
Why systems methodology is essential to meaningful safeguarding analysis
The questions reviewers should now be asking in every review
How reviews can move beyond compliance into genuine learning and change
 
Are you ready to find out more about independent review work?
There is one session that brings all the information you need about becoming an independent reviewer together. It's called The Independent Reviewer Immersion Workshop and you can download it today.
 
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 serious case reviews in both children's and adults' safeguarding, 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

This episode explores the key changes in the 2026 update to Working Together to Safeguard Children and what they mean for those carrying out review work. 
From anti-racist practice and adultification bias to new expectations around babies, child sexual abuse assessments, and Rapid Reviews, this guidance marks a significant shift in how safeguarding reviews are expected to generate meaningful learning.
In this week's episode we discuss:
Why anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practice are now explicit expectations within safeguarding reviews
The importance of exploring adultification bias and how inequality shaped a child's experience
New guidance on babies and unborn children following the Death of Victoria Marten national review
What the updated expectations around child sexual abuse assessments mean for practitioners and reviewers
Changes to Rapid Reviews, LCSPR scope, and the growing focus on reviews creating learning that leads to real change
 
 
Are you ready to find out more about independent review work?
There is one session that brings all the information you need about becoming an independent reviewer together. It's called The Independent Reviewer Immersion Workshop and it took place last week. Would you like a copy of the recording? Click here to watch the recording.
 
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 serious case reviews in both children's and adults' safeguarding, 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