Marie's Story

I established TheSafeguardingCop to address a persistent and critical gap I had observed throughout my career: organisations being expected to deliver effective safeguarding within increasingly complex, multi-agency environments, without the support, practical insight or confidence to navigate them well. Safeguarding has been my life’s work, and across sectors and roles, I repeatedly encountered the same challenges — uncertainty, fragmentation, and a lack of clarity about how safeguarding should function in practice, not just in policy.

Many organisations I worked with felt ill-prepared to operate within multi-agency safeguarding frameworks, often struggling to understand partner agencies’ systems, thresholds, and expectations. Having spent years working inside those systems, it became clear that my experience was both unusual and urgently needed. I founded TheSafeguardingCop to bring that depth of insight to organisations seeking not just compliance, but clarity, confidence, and defensible safeguarding arrangements.

Immediately prior to establishing TheSafeguardingCop, I held the role of Head of Safeguarding and Safeguarding Risk Consultant at Zurich Insurance UK — a pioneering position within the organisation. I was the strategic and operational lead for all safeguarding matters, providing expert advice to senior leaders, external stakeholders, and customers. My role involved translating legislation, government strategy, and statutory guidance into practical, proportionate safeguarding arrangements, and supporting organisations to develop robust policies, procedures, and cultures of safe practice. I worked creatively and proactively with organisations, advising on innovative and effective ways to strengthen safeguarding arrangements in complex and often high-risk environments.

Before Zurich, I worked within a London Local Authority Adult Services as the Safeguarding Adults Manager for the London Borough of Brent Adult Services. In this role, I led a multi-disciplinary safeguarding team, taking ownership of complex cases and leading multi-agency responses focused on achieving quality outcomes for adults at risk. I managed the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), led safeguarding enquiries, chaired multi-agency safeguarding conferences, and held responsibility for quality assurance, governance, and performance monitoring. A key element of my role involved strengthening relationships with statutory partners and stakeholders to improve consistency, effectiveness, and accountability across safeguarding practice.

Earlier in my career, I served as a Police Officer for ten years. I served with Hampshire Constabulary and the Home Office, specialising in safeguarding, public protection and counter terrorism. Working closely with statutory and partner agencies, I identified, investigated, and managed risk to children and adults at risk, often making sole and time-critical decisions. I represented the police in public protection matters, developed multi-agency action plans, and operated within high-pressure environments where sound judgement, proportionality, and accountability were essential.

My professional journey began in healthcare as a Registered General Nurse (RGN), having trained at St George’s Hospital Medical School, University of London. I completed extensive NHS hospital and community placements before practising at Atkinson Morley’s Neurosurgical Hospital, London - an internationally recognised centre of excellence. Working with patients with complex neurological conditions and significant vulnerability shaped my understanding of care, risk, and protection at a human level. It was here, supporting individuals in high-acuity clinical settings, that my deep and enduring commitment to safeguarding truly took root.

Today, TheSafeguardingCop brings together this unique combination of frontline, strategic, statutory, and corporate safeguarding experience. My work is grounded in real-world practice and focused on helping organisations strengthen safeguarding arrangements that protect people, support professionals, and stand up to scrutiny — with clarity, confidence, and integrity.