voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
Kilbrandon Lecture 2025 - When common sense is complicated: a call for cultural reform to safeguard children beyond their homes
Created: 09/12/2025
When common sense is complicated: a call for cultural reform to safeguard children beyond their homes
In the 23rd Kilbrandon Lecture which took place on 27th November 2025, Professor Firmin reflected on the structural reforms achieved in systems since Contextual Safeguarding was introduced and the cultural changes still to be realised. She outlined why an ethics of care must be central to how we approach extra-familial harm, focusing our efforts on creating safe contexts and not solely safe individuals; meeting needs, not solely reducing risk; and building our collective capacity, and not just the capacity of parents and carers, to keep young people safe beyond their front doors.
The recording of the lecture can be viewed here