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.
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“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.
Safeguarding Champions is a CPD-accredited, full-day training course designed for anyone working on, travelling through or involved in the rail and wider transport network.
Anyone who works in the rail industry who would like to take a lead role in establishing, managing and promoting safeguarding in their workplace as a Safeguarding Champion.
This training can be booked as a group / company or as an individual – providing a great opportunity to meet with other rail professionals to network and learn from each other.
£1,250+VAT per session for a group of up to 22 learners – working out from as little as £57 per learner. Or, £120+VAT per learner for individual bookings.
Costs are inclusive of refreshments and training materials.
This e-learning can be tailored to meet your organisational needs – contact us for prices of customised programmes.
In-person training across the UK, completed in groups.
The course usually takes around six hours to complete. However, as safeguarding practices are continually developing, this training is updated regularly. We recommend learners repeat the course every three years.
As with our Safeguarding on Transport e-learning course, this course features interactive elements such as quizzes, videos, scenario-based case studies and self-care reflection to support you on your safeguarding journey.
The course has been designed to support different learning styles and to encourage interaction and discussion around safeguarding within the specific environments in which people work.
As a designated Railway Children Safeguarding Champion, every participant will also have access to our online safeguarding resources and our regular Safeguarding Champions Forums.
“Last night when I got home, a friend rang me and, in the conversation, he asked me how my day had been. Forty minutes later I stopped talking about the course. I had been looking forward to it anyway as it is a subject I have a passion for, but I had no idea by how far my expectations would be exceeded.
“Every slide, every build and every minute was useful, valuable and beneficial. I have had a working life which spans forty years now and, as you can imagine, have attended a fair few training courses. This one was up there amongst the best I have ever attended. Content brilliant, delivery superb, subject relevant.
“Railway Children should be commended (and used more!) for being spot on.”
These can be booked by organisations or individuals, providing a great opportunity to learn alongside other rail professionals and build valuable networks:
Advanced Safeguarding Champions Training: for those who have completed our Safeguarding Champions Training and want to deepen their expertise and strengthen their safeguarding role within their organisation.
Safer Recruitment Training: This practical and comprehensive course equips participants to embed safer hiring practices that prioritise the safety and welfare of children. Covering the full recruitment cycle—from job descriptions and applications to interviews and handling concerns—it builds confidence in identifying and mitigating risk at the point of recruitment.
Safeguarding Lead: Training and Support: Tailored for Designated Safeguarding Officers (DSOs), their deputies, and others in lead safeguarding roles, this programme combines training and mentoring to strengthen leadership in safeguarding. Drawing on extensive experience, it offers practical tools, care-based learning, and leadership development to help safeguarding leads build robust frameworks and respond with confidence to complex situations.
We offer fully accredited Mental Health First Aid training, tailored for the transport industry and available from Level 1 to Level 3. These interactive courses are designed to help individuals and organisations recognise and support mental health conditions, creating a healthier and more supportive workplace culture.
Training is open to anyone wanting to build their knowledge, from general awareness through to advanced skills in supporting colleagues and young people. You can book as an individual or as a group, with discounts available for bulk or regular bookings.
Courses are delivered in person across the UK and typically take 1–2 days, depending on the level. Sessions include quizzes, videos and self-reflection to support different learning styles, as well as opportunities to network with other rail professionals.
Delivered by experienced trainers, the courses also include post-training support and follow-up forums. Levels 2 and 3 offer access to additional resources such as e-learning modules and comprehensive mental health resource banks.
We offer tailored consultancy support to the transport sector, drawing on our knowledge and experience to support you to review your offer and make recommendations for improvement.
This includes…
We have a dedicated trained team who work with rail and transport groups to enhance the safeguarding of environments at and around stations and the surrounding communities.
A full comprehensive assessment is undertaken with key stakeholders with a comprehensive report generated highlighting key actions and outcomes.
We train young people with lived experience of being harmed on the railway to assess rail and communities to be better equipped at supporting young peoples needs.
We offer bespoke sessions and support to attract retain and develop young talent in your organisation.
This can include how to coach manage and lead apprentices, reviewing recruitment processes and looking at the culture of the organisations and how it’s geared up to support a younger workforce.
We offer bespoke support for conferences, workshops and events covering a wide range of subjects.
We support organisations in the development and review of safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring they are not only compliant with current legislation and best practice guidance but also relevant, usable, and embedded in day-to-day operations.
The consultancy work helps teams translate policy into practice, creating safer environments and a strong safeguarding culture at every level.
These sessions provide a safe, structured environment for staff and leadership teams to explore what happened, including how a situation was managed, as well as considering what to do differently in future.
The process supports emotional wellbeing, promotes transparency and identifies practical steps to strengthen safeguarding
practice and build organisational resilience. Insights from these debriefs are used to inform policy, training and wider strategic development, ensuring continuous learning and improvement.
We also offer bespoke workshops tailored to a range of topics relating to children, young people, and vulnerable adults. These sessions are designed in collaboration with you to address specific issues relevant to your organisation or team.
Alternatively, individuals can book places on our nationwide rolling training programme.
This is a great opportunity to connect with other rail professionals, share experiences, and learn together in a collaborative environment.
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.
Our friendly and expert team looks forward to working with you to ensure your staff are informed, equipped and inspired to provide the very best safeguarding and support for children, young people and vulnerable adults on your networks.
Together we can build a safer, more responsive transport environment – where every member of your workforce plays a confident role in protecting those who need it most.
Start your journey today.
