SAFE Associate – Catherine Armstrong

Catherine has over 30 years’ experience in Post 16 Education working as a teacher, manager and most recently Vice Principal, Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead and Senior Mental Health Lead, in a College of Further Education.

Management of various aspects of education include apprenticeships, curriculum development, quality of curriculum, student services, welfare, wellbeing, SEND, marketing and admissions.

Catherine is experienced in the strategic requirements of an organisation, audit and risk management, policy development and review of processes and procedures.

Catherine is passionate about how education and training gives young people the opportunity to grow, excel and achieve, whatever their starting point. She also knows the key role that education staff play in recognising signs of concern in young people, acting on this and supporting them in order for them to be successful in life.

Safeguarding developments, awareness and experiences have been key to the Vice Principal role over the last seven years. Key developments include safe arrangements for visits and trips including exchange visits, policies for visitors and contractors along with the development of the FE Leads Network for Shropshire to enable sharing of good practice and support for Designated Safeguarding Leads.

Since leaving her role in Education, Catherine has been providing bespoke safeguarding training for organisations, providing support on safeguarding policy development and procedures to a number of organisations and Supervision to Safeguarding leads and their teams.

Catherine is keen to support Senior Designated Safeguarding Leads through external supervision to ensure that people in the role are well supported, effective decision makers and retained in their role.

Outside of Safeguarding, Catherine is a keen walker with her two Golden Retrievers, cooking and gardening. She raises money for Alzheimer’s, Cancer Research and also volunteers with the Cinnamon Trust to help elderly or ill people keep their dogs at homer by providing regular walks.