We have a suite of training options available for all people in the rail industry, regardless of role, location and local needs.
At Railway Children, we believe in a world where every child can thrive, away from a life on the streets.
In the UK, our goal is to improve the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable young people who are at risk of exploitation and harm on the transport network. We provide a voice for young people, advocating to improve safeguarding on the transport network at a regional and national level.
With our unique relationship to the UK transport system and British Transport Police (BTP) and our decades of experience in safeguarding, we were instrumental in the development and adoption of the Safeguarding on Rail Scheme. This experience led us to develop our training packages to support our industry partners in their safeguarding commitments and ensure best practice at all times.
Not only do we have a proven track record in providing first-class training, we’re also the UK’s foremost charity working with the rail sector and BTP to protect vulnerable children.
Our connections, experience and understanding of the issues young people face make us uniquely placed to ensure our training is rooted in real situations and solutions we know work.
What’s more, when you choose us to meet your training and safeguarding needs, you’re directly supporting some of the most vulnerable children and young people across the UK, Tanzania and India as 100% of our profits go straight back into Railway Children’s work to protect children at risk.
Our team’s skills and knowledge. Lived experience. Young people at the centre of what we do.
The safeguarding delivery team at Railway Children brings together a unique blend of strategic leadership, frontline experience, youth engagement and specialist training expertise.
With a combined experience of over 70 years, Wade Tidbury, Joe Clay and David Bentley offer a holistic and highly collaborative approach to safeguarding vulnerable children and young people – particularly those at risk in and around the rail network.
Together, they drive systemic improvements, build capacity across sectors and ensure the voices of young people are embedded in all aspects of safeguarding practice.
• Over 30 years of senior safeguarding experience across public, voluntary, and private sectors
• Specialist in serious case reviews, quality assurance, and embedding sustainable change across organisations
• Leads national partnerships with Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and BTP to deliver contextual safeguarding and sector-wide training
• 18 years of frontline and project management experience supporting vulnerable youth within multi-agency environments
• Over 19 years of experience supporting high-risk, trauma-affected young people through largescale safeguarding initiatives
• Expert in youth participation and coproduction, ensuring young people's voices shape training and service design
We believe children and young people are the experts in their own lives. By enabling and learning from young people’s voices, we can all be better equipped to support them.
Railway Children ensures all delivery of our work is youth focused and led.
We have a youth forum, a youth ambassador programme and a dedicated digital space for young people called the Youth Platform.
Youth ambassadors help write and deliver training, feedback on Railway Children resources and on transport services, speak at events and much more.
Play Video
“We have received support from Joe Clay and Railway Children to help us manage a range of delicate and complex issues. From contextual safeguarding surveys to liaising with internal and external partners and support with community events, we were able to give back and support Railway Children’s great work in ensuring colleagues, partners and passengers understand the importance of identifying vulnerable young people on the railway and what they can do to help. The benefit of Joe’s knowledge, balanced view, and practical solutions that can be put in place to safeguard young people using the railway network has been invaluable.”
Louise Lucas, Safeguarding & Security Manager, Great Western Railway
Railway Children offers a comprehensive suite of safeguarding training and consultancy services tailored to the transport industry. From e-learning modules to in-person CPD-accredited courses, our provision equips individuals and organisations with the knowledge, confidence and tools to identify, support and protect vulnerable people across the rail network, and wider transport network.
Our flagship Safeguarding on Transport e-learning course is a 45-minute interactive programme developed in partnership with young people, British Transport Police, and the rail industry. This CPD-accredited course builds essential understanding in how to recognise, respond to, and report safeguarding concerns.
Key features:
• Interactive content: videos, quizzes, real life case studies, and reflection activities
• SCORM-compliant and accessible (WCAG compliant)
This course supports national safeguarding initiatives and has contributed to accreditation success in the Safeguarding on Rail Scheme, including Northern Rail and Great Western Railway.
Our e-learning is for anyone working on or accessing the rail network who needs an introductory understanding of safeguarding to keep vulnerable people safe.
As this training is updated regularly, we recommend that learners complete a refresher every three years.
This e-learning can be tailored to meet your organisational needs – contact us for prices of customised programmes.
This is online training only.
This training can be completed within an hour.
However, as safeguarding practices are continually developing, this training is updated regularly. We recommend learners repeat the course every three years.
This CPD-accredited course includes a range of interactive elements—quizzes, videos, scenario-based case studies, and self-care reflections—to guide you through your safeguarding journey.
It offers built-in resources and practical toolkits to enhance your learning experience.
Fully compatible with all SCORM-compliant Learning Management Systems (LMS), the course can also be accessed independently of an LMS.
Designed to accommodate diverse learning preferences, it adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure accessibility for all users.
Every year, around 2,000 rail professionals benefit from our e-learning – here’s what they say:
Please contact us to discuss your company’s needs.
Northern has been awarded full accreditation in the Safeguarding on Rail Scheme by the British Transport Police, recognising its strong commitment to protecting vulnerable passengers.
A key part of this success is the safeguarding training delivered by the charity Railway Children, which has equipped over 7,000 front-line staff to spot signs of distress, abuse, or exploitation and take appropriate action.
Since the training began in 2022, it has had a clear impact—staff have intervened in several serious situations, including supporting missing
children and individuals in crisis. These real-life examples show how the training empowers staff to act when “something doesn’t feel right,” making the railway a safer place for all.
