SAFE Associate – Tom Simmons

Tom Simmons QPM BSc PGC is a former law enforcement officer who has worked in the field of child protection and safeguarding since 1990. Between 1993 and 1999 as a detective in the Metropolitan Police he was involved in the investigation of child abuse, as an investigator, MOGP/ABE interviewer and trainer he delivered joint child abuse training with social services.

From 2003 in the National Crime Squad and Serious and Organised Crime Agency he worked and led national and international investigations of both on-line and off-line child sexual abuse.

Tom completed the Child Exploitation and On-line Protection Centre’s (CEOP) Behavioural Analysis Unit’s accreditation programme for Forensic Behavioural Analysts. During this programme, he obtained a Post Graduate Certificate in Forensic Behavioural Psychology.

From 2008 until 2014 Tom was the team leader of CEOP’s Behavioural Analysis Unit that provided specialist knowledge and advice to those involved in the investigation of child sexual abuse. This included the analysis of the behaviour of identified perpetrators of child sexual abuse, the debriefing of child sex offenders and the provision of risk assessments. He has obtained a certificate in Change Management and Leadership. He has passed both the American Polygraph Association’s Polygraph examiners course and Post-Conviction Sex Offender Testing course (Bramshill Police College 2014).

Tom was the London FA County Welfare (Safeguarding) Officer from January 2015 until January 2016 and has attended both The FA Safeguarding and Club Welfare Officer Workshops. Since 2016 has completed a number of safeguarding suitability assessments of individuals for The FA and has been engaged in the review of safeguarding investigations for a national children’s charity, a national youth organisation and a private school.

Tom holds a current Data and Barring Service (DBS) clearance. Tom was awarded the QPM in 2013 for distinguished detective service.