- A new, prevention-led implementation resource, developed with UNICEF support and grounded in 15+ years of British Council safeguarding practice across 100+ countries
- Built to close the “policy on paper” gap, supporting clearer roles, shared thresholds and consistent escalation routes in day-to-day safeguarding decisions
- Rolling out across over 800 British Council Partner Schools in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 25, 2026 : School safeguarding is increasingly shaped by fast-moving, hard-to-detect risks amplified online, including peer-on-peer harm, mental health concerns and AI-enabled abuse. In response, the British Council has launched a new global Safeguarding Toolkit, developed with UNICEF support, to help schools strengthen early identification, proportionate action and consistent safeguarding practice.
Safeguarding Toolkit
Safeguarding Toolkit[/caption]
The scale of the challenge is well evidenced. UNICEF estimates that around 150 million students aged 13–15 report experiencing peer-to-peer violence in or around school globally. UNICEF and the ITU report that one in three internet users worldwide is a child, increasing exposure to exploitation and manipulation online. The World Health Organization estimates that one in seven adolescents lives with a mental health condition—often intersecting with safeguarding concerns in school settings.
Yet the persistent gap is not awareness; it is implementation. Many schools have safeguarding policies, but everyday decision-making can vary.
Amanda Ingram, Exams Director at the British Council Pakistan, said: “Safeguarding cannot depend on individual instinct or isolated expertise. It operates in context and community. What can help are clear roles, reliable recording, shared thresholds and consistent routes for escalation—so concerns are recognised early and acted on proportionately. This Toolkit is designed to help translate safeguarding policy into everyday practice.”
Almudena Olaguibel, Child Protection Officer at UNICEF Spain, said: “The Safeguarding Toolkit reflects a shared understanding between the British Council and UNICEF that effective protection depends on systems, not improvisation. As safeguarding risks become more complex and less visible, preparation, clarity and shared responsibility across school communities are essential.”
Designed as a practical, role-based implementation resource for everyday school use, the Toolkit supports a whole-school approach that reduces reliance on individual judgement. It helps clarify responsibilities, strengthens recording and follow-up, and sets out shared thresholds and escalation routes. It also provides clearer separation between child safeguarding concerns and adult conduct risks, supporting proportionate handling and accountability.
As safeguarding concerns increasingly move between online and offline spaces, the Toolkit is intended to help schools respond more consistently to risks including online grooming, harassment, coercion, impersonation and AI-generated sexual imagery—supporting earlier action before concerns escalate.
The Toolkit will roll out across 2,500+ British Council Partner Schools worldwide, reaching nearly 1.7 million students, and is designed to be adaptable across local legal contexts while supporting consistency across an international network.
