The Honest DSL with Hannah Carter

Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

Author

Kieran Mackle
December 29, 2025

The Honest DSL with Hannah Carter

Good Morning!

Safeguarding training often tells us what to do. Far less often does it acknowledge what the role does to the person doing it.

This week’s episode is a quietly powerful conversation with Hannah Carter, author of The Honest DSL. Rather than revisiting statutory guidance, we focus on the lived experience of being a Designated Safeguarding Lead: the accumulation of incidents, the emotional residue, and the way safeguarding thinking can follow you home.

If you lead safeguarding, support a DSL, or sit in senior leadership, this episode offers something rare: an honest account of the role as it is actually lived, not as it appears in policy documents.

The Honest DSL with Hannah Carter by Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

Episode 260: In this episode, I’m joined by Hannah Carter, author of The Honest DSL, for a candid and thoughtful discussion about what the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead really involves beyond the statutory training and checklists.

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The Honest DSL - Hannah Carter

Visual Summary

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The Honest DSL (in 6 minutes)

TDaPE Conference London 2026

Tickets are on sale here and going fast, and we’re offering discounted rates for larger groups via email or direct message. With only a few weeks until the conference, it’s well worth securing your place sooner rather than later. The image above is the third of four which reveal the wonderful speakers we have presenting at #TDaPELondon26.

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Thank you to everyone who shared last week’s episode – it genuinely helps more teachers find their way into the conversation. If you know someone who enjoys thinking carefully about their professional development, please do pass the link on.

That’s all for this week. I’d love to hear what it sparks for you, or any questions it raises – leave a comment wherever you listen, or just hit reply to this email.

Until next time, thank you for listening.