Tom Burke

Tom Burke is Funder Safeguarding Collaborative’s Regional Advisor leading support for network members based in the United Kingdom. Tom has been engaged in safeguarding issues for most of his life – transitioning from service user to practitioner. He has previously worked at the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, leading policy and law reform on participation rights, and at Y Care International, the international development agency of the YMCA movement in the UK and Ireland, where he spent eight years in a variety of senior roles. As a freelance consultant, Tom has led multiple safeguarding projects and programs for charities, including delivery of the UK government-funded Safeguarding Training Fund and development of the NCVO Knowhow safeguarding guidance suite. He was co-author of the report “Safeguarding young people during the Covid-19 pandemic: a guide for designated safeguarding leads in voluntary youth organisations.” Tom regularly conducts training and speaks at national conferences on policy and practice in safeguarding in charities. More widely, Tom works on issues related to evaluation and research on services for children and young people with a particular interest in equalities and participation in decision-making. He continues to undertake direct work with children and young people.