Debbie Innes-Turnill

 Debbie Innes‑Turnill has spent more than three decades at the frontline of education — teaching, leading, and standing alongside children, families, and professionals when safeguarding really matters. With a foundation in Psychology and specialist safeguarding training, Debbie built her career around one driving question: How do we create environments where the vulnerable are genuinely safe, seen, and supported?

In 2018, she stepped out of school leadership to launch her own Safeguarding Consultancy, bringing clarity, courage, and practical expertise to schools, charities, organisations, and community groups navigating increasingly complex safeguarding challenges.

Debbie earned a distinction in her Master’s in Advanced Child Protection Studies at the University of Birmingham, and in 2025 published her first book, Safeguarding in the Classroom — a call to action for educators to embed safety, humanity, and professional curiosity into everyday practice.

Now undertaking PhD research into safeguarding culture, Debbie is exploring what really shapes organisational behaviour — the unseen norms, pressures, and patterns that determine whether safeguarding thrives or fails. Helping organisations build healthy cultures and lead confidently in complexity has become her passion project and the heart of her current work.