Rejection hurts.

That’s just part of being human.

But what happens when we don’t know how to handle it?

In the final episode of our Let’s Talk About Sex (and Safeguarding) series, PJ Livett explores the emotional impact of romantic rejection, and why learning to accept “no” may be one of the most important safeguarding conversations we can have.

We unpack:
• Why rejection strikes at our deepest need for belonging and identity
• The difference between persistence and coercion
• How to teach resilience without minimising pain

Because “no” is a complete sentence.

And if we don’t teach young people how to say it, or how to hear it, the consequences can be serious.

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PJ Livett, is the founder of rePHRASE, an organisation that Provides Healthy Relationships And Sex Education (without the awkwardness!). She works with a variety of organisations, across the country, including state and independent schools, sixth form colleges, youth groups, parents, teachers, YMCA, The Amber Foundation, HM Probation Service, Devon and Cornwall Police and domestic abuse survivors. 

rePHRASE helps equip young people with the knowledge and skills to: 

• build and maintain healthy relationships;
• empower them to know their worth and build self-esteem;
• help individuals recognise the importance of boundaries and choice within relationships; 
• support young people to develop skills/resilience to deal with the influences of modern technology / social media on relationships and sex;
• enrich learning experiences through relevant, interactive teaching methods that deepen learning, increase retention and improve confidence. 

Connect with PJ:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pj-rephrase/

RePhrase: https://www.rephrasesw.co.uk/

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Useful Links: 

• https://buymeacoffee.com/cornerstonesafeguarding  - Every coffee you buy helps us keep creating practical tools and content for safeguarding professionals like you

• To find out more about Cornerstone Safeguarding - www.CornerstoneSafeguarding.co.uk 

• Email us at Cornerstone: [email protected]

• Book in a meeting to discuss your safeguarding needs: 

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ0ZwllED1_R0eAmzurUNbXW6dk92TtCp9BE8oysOnlPwBl3L2vNEooyvSJ3fQaQBk_q1onKflh4

• Subscribe to Cornerstone Connect - 

https://cornerstonesafeguarding.co.uk/resources/cornerstone-connect-sign-up/

- for fresh safeguarding insights, priority access to support, and exclusive discounts. 

• Chris East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-east-801496174/

• Leah East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-east-cornerstone/

Producers of this episode: Chris East, Leah East

Host of this episode: Chris East

When a nude image is shared without consent, why is the first question still,
“Why did they take it in the first place?”

In this latest instalment of Let’s Talk About Sex (and Safeguarding), Ruth Heneke Eliot, trainer, workshop facilitator and co-founder of Training Works, joins us to challenge the narrative that young people “should have known better” and to expose the culture that allows image-based sexual abuse to thrive.

We explore:

• How victim blaming quietly shapes safeguarding responses

• Why boys often collect nudes for status, power and validation

• How shame-based messaging shuts down disclosure

• What it really means to respond in a trauma-informed way

This episode is a call to rethink our rhetoric, shift accountability where it belongs, and ensure young people know they will not be shamed when they ask for help.

Because safeguarding is all about 'interrupting the potential for harm'.

Connect with Ruth:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthhenekeeliot/

Training Works: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trainingworksuk/

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Useful Links: 

• https://buymeacoffee.com/cornerstonesafeguarding  - Every coffee you buy helps us keep creating practical tools and content for safeguarding professionals like you

• To find out more about Cornerstone Safeguarding - www.CornerstoneSafeguarding.co.uk 

• Email us at Cornerstone: [email protected]

• Book in a meeting to discuss your safeguarding needs: 

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ0ZwllED1_R0eAmzurUNbXW6dk92TtCp9BE8oysOnlPwBl3L2vNEooyvSJ3fQaQBk_q1onKflh4

• Subscribe to Cornerstone Connect - 

https://cornerstonesafeguarding.co.uk/resources/cornerstone-connect-sign-up/ - for fresh safeguarding insights, priority access to support, and exclusive discounts. 

• Chris East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-east-801496174/

• Leah East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-east-cornerstone/

Producers of this episode: Chris East, Leah East

Host of this episode: Chris East

How do you respond when someone discloses chemsex, all without panic, judgment, or stripping away their dignity?

In this episode, Matthew Fuller joins us to explore the complex realities of chemsex and why traditional safeguarding approaches often miss the mark.

We unpack sexualised drug use, stigma, and why chemsex is so often misunderstood as “too risky” rather than deeply contextual.

Matthew challenges professionals to look honestly at unconscious bias, cultural competency, and the real harm caused when safeguarding frameworks prioritise control over autonomy.

This conversation is about more than drugs or sex. It’s about trust, empowerment, and why dignity is not optional if safety is the goal.

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Matthew previously worked as a Care Coordinator & Keyworker for 'Controlling Chemsex', a charity created and run by professionals with a long experience of providing Chemsex support.

Matthew is now an LGBTQ+ Recovery Support worker, as well as a Change and Accountability Coach.

You can connect with Matthew:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewctfuller/

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Useful Links: 

• https://buymeacoffee.com/cornerstonesafeguarding  - Every coffee you buy helps us keep creating practical tools and content for safeguarding professionals like you

• To find out more about Cornerstone Safeguarding - www.CornerstoneSafeguarding.co.uk 

• Email us at Cornerstone: [email protected]

  
  

• Book in a meeting to discuss your safeguarding needs: 

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ0ZwllED1_R0eAmzurUNbXW6dk92TtCp9BE8oysOnlPwBl3L2vNEooyvSJ3fQaQBk_q1onKflh4

• Subscribe to Cornerstone Connect: 

https://cornerstonesafeguarding.co.uk/resources/cornerstone-connect-sign-up/ for fresh safeguarding insights, priority access to support, and exclusive discounts. 

• Chris East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-east-801496174/

• Leah East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-east-cornerstone/

Producers of this episode: Chris East, Leah East

Host of this episode: Chris East

Sex education doesn’t fail because young people are immature.

It fails because adults are carrying unprocessed sexual shame.

Sexologist, sex therapist and consent trainer Sian Johnson joins us to unpack why sex education, consent conversations and sexual disclosures are so difficult for adults, not because they’re ‘awkward’, but because they activate shame carried in our bodies, beliefs and nervous systems.

This episode delves into:

• The difference between healthy shame and toxic sexual shame

• Why sexual shame can stop people reporting abuse or exploitation

• Why asking teachers to deliver RSE without proper support is setting them up to fail

• How shame shows up in classrooms, safeguarding roles and professional responses

This is an honest, nuanced conversation about what adults bring into safeguarding spaces, often unknowingly, and why ignoring that reality puts both professionals and young people at risk.

Because safeguarding is also about what’s happening inside those who hold responsibility.

Connect with Sian Johnson:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sian-johnson-37385416/

Website: https://sianjohnson.com/

Useful Links: 

• https://buymeacoffee.com/cornerstonesafeguarding  - Every coffee you buy helps us keep creating practical tools and content for safeguarding professionals like you

• To find out more about Cornerstone Safeguarding - www.CornerstoneSafeguarding.co.uk 

• Email us at Cornerstone: [email protected]

• Book in a meeting to discuss your safeguarding needs: 

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ0ZwllED1_R0eAmzurUNbXW6dk92TtCp9BE8oysOnlPwBl3L2vNEooyvSJ3fQaQBk_q1onKflh4

• Subscribe to Cornerstone Connect - https://www.cornerstonesafeguarding.co.uk/cornerstoneconnectsignup - for fresh safeguarding insights, priority access to support, and exclusive discounts. 

• Chris East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-east-801496174/

• Leah East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-east-cornerstone/

Producers of this episode: Chris East, Leah East

Host of this episode: Chris East

Consent is often taught as simple.

Real life rarely is.

In the first of our series 'Let's Talk About Sex (and Safeguarding)', Chris East is joined by Rupert James Allison, consent workshop facilitator for university students, to unpick what consent actually looks like in the real world.

They touch on why myths from the 1970s still linger, how heteronormative teaching has limited our understanding of consent, and why focusing solely on harm can shut down meaningful learning.

Rupert introduces the Wheel of Consent and a deceptively simple question that can transform sexual experiences and everyday interactions alike:

Who is this for?

From non-verbal communication to the power of asking for a pause, this conversation challenges the idea that consent is a one-off yes or no.

Instead, it invites us to see consent as something we arrive at together.

This episode is essential listening for educators, safeguarding professionals, university staff, and anyone who wants to move beyond box-ticking and towards ethical, respectful, and genuinely mutual sexual experiences.

Contact Rupert James Alison on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupert-james-alison/⁠

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Useful Links: 

• ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/cornerstonesafeguarding⁠  - Every coffee you buy helps us keep creating practical tools and content for safeguarding professionals like you

• To find out more about Cornerstone Safeguarding - ⁠www.CornerstoneSafeguarding.co.uk⁠ 

• Email us at Cornerstone: ⁠[email protected]⁠

• Book in a meeting to discuss your safeguarding needs: 

⁠https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ0ZwllED1_R0eAmzurUNbXW6dk92TtCp9BE8oysOnlPwBl3L2vNEooyvSJ3fQaQBk_q1onKflh4⁠

• Subscribe to Cornerstone Connect - ⁠https://www.cornerstonesafeguarding.co.uk/cornerstoneconnectsignup⁠ - for fresh safeguarding insights, priority access to support, and exclusive discounts. 

• Chris East on LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-east-801496174/⁠

• Leah East on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-east-cornerstone/⁠

Producers of this episode: Chris East, Leah East

Host of this episode: Chris East

What happens when a teacher breaks and no one notices?

In this powerful episode, experienced educator Anna Fannon shares the moment she went beyond burnout, and why it changed everything.

From masking in the classroom to hiding in plain sight, Anna describes what it feels like to be physically present at work, but mentally gone.

Together, Anna and Chris confront one of education’s biggest blind spots: why staff wellbeing is still treated as a 'nice to have', while safeguarding and care are reserved almost entirely for students, and what it really costs when adults are expected to keep going, unnoticed.

This conversation digs into:

• Why cake, cards and wellbeing posters aren’t enough

• The real cost of constant masking for staff

• What leaders miss when they don’t ask, “What do you need?”

  
  

If you work in education, leadership, safeguarding or pastoral roles, this one is for you.

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Useful Links: 

• https://buymeacoffee.com/cornerstonesafeguarding  - Every coffee you buy helps us keep creating practical tools and content for safeguarding professionals like you

• To find out more about Cornerstone Safeguarding - www.CornerstoneSafeguarding.co.uk 

• Email us at Cornerstone: [email protected]

• Book in a meeting to discuss your safeguarding needs: 

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ0ZwllED1_R0eAmzurUNbXW6dk92TtCp9BE8oysOnlPwBl3L2vNEooyvSJ3fQaQBk_q1onKflh4

• Subscribe to Cornerstone Connect - https://www.cornerstonesafeguarding.co.uk/cornerstoneconnectsignup - for fresh safeguarding insights, priority access to support, and exclusive discounts. 

• Chris East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-east-801496174/

• Leah East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-east-cornerstone/

Producers of this episode: Chris East, Leah East

Host of this episode: Chris East

Australia has become the first country in the world to ban social media for under-16s.

Some are calling it bold.

Others are calling it overdue.

Young people are calling it life-ruining.

In this episode of Safeguarding Redefined, Chris is joined by online safety specialist Andy Briercliffe to ask the uncomfortable question many aren’t ready to answer yet:

Does banning social media actually make children safer or just push the risks somewhere else?

Together they unpack:

• Why an outright ban feels appealing but may miss the real problem
• The uncomfortable reality of image sharing, sexting, and peer pressure
• Whether regulation, education, and culture change are being sidelined in favour of headlines

This isn’t a neat debate with a tidy solution.

It’s an honest, experience-led conversation about uncertainty, unintended consequences, and why safeguarding rarely works when we reach for the nuclear option.

If you work with children, lead safeguarding, or are parenting through the digital minefield, this episode will challenge your assumptions and sharpen your questions.

Connect with Andrew:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-briercliffe-760621191/

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Useful Links: 

• https://buymeacoffee.com/cornerstonesafeguarding  - Every coffee you buy helps us keep creating practical tools and content for safeguarding professionals like you

• To find out more about Cornerstone Safeguarding - www.CornerstoneSafeguarding.co.uk 

• Email us at Cornerstone: [email protected]

• Book in a meeting to discuss your safeguarding needs: 

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ0ZwllED1_R0eAmzurUNbXW6dk92TtCp9BE8oysOnlPwBl3L2vNEooyvSJ3fQaQBk_q1onKflh4

• Subscribe to Cornerstone Connect - https://www.cornerstonesafeguarding.co.uk/cornerstoneconnectsignup - for fresh safeguarding insights, priority access to support, and exclusive discounts. 

• Chris East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-east-801496174/

• Leah East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-east-cornerstone/
  

⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses suicide and bereavement.

What do you say to someone who has lost a loved one to suicide?

How can we actually support them, not just in the moment but in the months and years that follow?

In 2018, Caroline’s husband of 18 years took his own life without warning, leaving behind their two young children.

Caroline’s journey following this tragedy led her to combine her lived experience with her professional skills and expertise to become a Strategic Communications and Wellbeing Specialist, mentor, and a public speaker where she shares her story of grief and loss to give a voice to those impacted by suicide.

She has also written the best-selling book, ‘Daddy Blackbird: the true story of a family surviving and thriving after loss by suicide'.

The complex trauma resulting from Steve’s sudden suicide has defined Caroline’s mission to support and empower others who have faced a similar tragedy, helping them to manage their grief, navigate their complex emotions, prioritise their own wellbeing, articulate their own story and ultimately find hope again.

For more information: 

Book: ⁠https://amzn.eu/d/bXAtx2S⁠

Website: ⁠https://daddyblackbird.com⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-roodhouse-mcipr-a5948622⁠

Bluesky: ⁠@daddyblackbird.bsky.social⁠

Substack: ⁠https://daddyblackbird.substack.com/⁠

💜 Explore the peer-to-peer support from ⁠Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide⁠

💚 If you need a safe space to talk, you can speak with ⁠Samaritans⁠ on 116 123

💗 Find guidance and support through the ⁠SANE⁠ Textcare and SANEline services

💜 Contact the ⁠National Bereavement Service⁠ for practical guidance and emotional support

💙 Download the FREE Hub of Hope app from ⁠Chasing the Stigma⁠

💛 Explore the resources from ⁠Campaign Against Living Miserably⁠

🧡And support a bereaved child with the help of ⁠Winston's Wish⁠

Useful Links: 

• https://buymeacoffee.com/cornerstonesafeguarding  - Every coffee you buy helps us keep creating practical tools and content for safeguarding professionals like you

• To find out more about Cornerstone Safeguarding - www.CornerstoneSafeguarding.co.uk 

• Email us at Cornerstone: [email protected]

• Book in a meeting to discuss your safeguarding needs: 

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ0ZwllED1_R0eAmzurUNbXW6dk92TtCp9BE8oysOnlPwBl3L2vNEooyvSJ3fQaQBk_q1onKflh4

• Subscribe to Cornerstone Connect - https://www.cornerstonesafeguarding.co.uk/cornerstoneconnectsignup - for fresh safeguarding insights, priority access to support, and exclusive discounts. 

• Chris East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-east-801496174/

• Leah East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-east-cornerstone/

Producers of this episode: Chris East, Leah East

Host of this episode: Chris East

Feeling the Weight of Safeguarding?

You’re Not Alone.

DSLs carry enormous responsibility - but who supports them?

Victoria Morris, with 20 years in education and 10 as a DSL, joins us to talk about the power of supervision.

We explore why supervision is essential for those holding safeguarding responsibility - offering not just support, but space to reflect, be challenged, and process the emotional impact of the role.

A must-listen for anyone working on the frontline!

Useful Links: 

• https://buymeacoffee.com/cornerstonesafeguarding  - Every coffee you buy helps us keep creating practical tools and content for safeguarding professionals like you

• To find out more about Cornerstone Safeguarding - www.CornerstoneSafeguarding.co.uk 

• Email us at Cornerstone: [email protected]

• Book in a meeting to discuss your safeguarding needs: 

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ0ZwllED1_R0eAmzurUNbXW6dk92TtCp9BE8oysOnlPwBl3L2vNEooyvSJ3fQaQBk_q1onKflh4

• Subscribe to Cornerstone Connect - https://www.cornerstonesafeguarding.co.uk/cornerstoneconnectsignup - for fresh safeguarding insights, priority access to support, and exclusive discounts. 

• Chris East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-east-801496174/

• Leah East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-east-cornerstone/

Producers of this episode: Chris East, Leah East

Host of this episode: Chris East

Trustees and governors hold ultimate responsibility for safeguarding.
So why do so many feel under-equipped and uncertain when it comes to asking the right questions?

In this episode, the Safeguarding Collective strip back the myths around governance, DSL capacity, and DBS checks.

They explore what boards actually need to know, where organisations unintentionally set people up to fail, and why 'being a volunteer' is not a reason to lower safeguarding standards.

Connect with The Safeguarding Collective:

Safeguard-Me: https://www.safeguard-me.co.uk/

Patronus Safeguarding: https://www.patronus-safeguarding.com/

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Useful Links: 

Useful Links: 

• https://buymeacoffee.com/cornerstonesafeguarding  - Every coffee you buy helps us keep creating practical tools and content for safeguarding professionals like you

• To find out more about Cornerstone Safeguarding - www.CornerstoneSafeguarding.co.uk 

• Email us at Cornerstone: [email protected]

• Book in a meeting to discuss your safeguarding needs:  https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ0ZwllED1_R0eAmzurUNbXW6dk92TtCp9BE8oysOnlPwBl3L2vNEooyvSJ3fQaQBk_q1onKflh4

• Subscribe to Cornerstone Connect - https://www.cornerstonesafeguarding.co.uk/cornerstoneconnectsignup - for fresh safeguarding insights, priority access to support, and exclusive discounts. 

• Chris East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-east-801496174/

• Leah East on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-east-cornerstone/

Producers of this episode: Chris East, Leah East

Host of this episode: Chris East