About Us

Founder and Director

Sean has spent over a decade working in youth services, supporting young people affected by violence and trauma while working closely with criminal justice, social care, and health professionals. From running hyper-local centres in communities impacted by violence to developing hospital-based violence interruption services, Sean has always focused on creating practical solutions that make a difference. 

Today, he dedicates his time to supporting the professionals who work with young people, helping them feel confident, equipped, and supported to create positive change.

National Practice Lead

Karen has spent her career supporting children and young people affected by exploitation, trauma, and vulnerability. From working on the frontline in youth services and secure settings to designing and delivering training for national organisations, she brings a wealth of practical experience and insight to SaferNow.

Passionate about safeguarding and systemic change, Karen combines deep knowledge with a thoughtful, practical approach. Her career aim is to make services safer and more responsive for the young people who need them most.

Operations Manager

Taylor keeps SaferNow running smoothly, handling everything from day-to-day operations to creating the digital resources and content that bring our work to life. With an academic background in Criminology and Security Studies plus Creative Media Production, Taylor brings a unique mix of creativity, research insight, and practical know-how to support our mission. 

Resident Forensic Psychologist

Dr Lizzie Fitzmaurice is a Registered Forensic Psychologist specialising in adolescent mental health and youth violence. She works across the NHS, DLF Psychology, and multiple community organisations, advising on policy, practice, and psychologically informed systems. Lizzie is known for her impactful consultation, training, and expert witness work in both criminal and family courts. She’s qualified in EMDR, DBT, and certified risk reduction programmes, and remains committed to improving outcomes for disadvantaged young people through evidence-based, relational practice.

Darren is a safeguarding consultant and trainer with over 20 years’ experience across youth justice, residential care, and violence reduction. A former Registered Manager of an Ofsted-registered children’s home, he has supported vulnerable children and families affected by trauma and exploitation. Darren created the Reflexive Praxis model to help practitioners respond with compassion and critical reflection in high-risk contexts. His training—delivered nationwide to frontline teams and senior leaders - focuses on relational safeguarding, trauma-informed leadership, and restorative parenting, always centring the voices of children, families, and practitioners.

Statutory Lead Consultant

Jasmine has extensive experience as a qualified social worker, working for a number of years in Child Protection Safeguarding, and holds a position as a senior practitioner within the Family Drug and Alcohol Court. This innovative methodology is based on the "problem-solving court” model. Jasmine support’s SaferNow’s work through her thorough knowledge of Child Protection from a Statutory perspective.

Trainer Consultant

With over 23 years of dedicated service within the third and public sectors, Nathan Shillingford is a seasoned leader and advocate for transformative change, particularly in the realm of youth empowerment and criminal justice reform, the latter being where Nathan’s work with SaferNow is focused.

Nathan is the Founding Director of The Invested Man.

A vital part of the SaferNow team is that of our Core Consultants. A small group of young people who have lived-experience of the harms we seek to prevent. These young consultants act in a fully paid capacity, providing insight and direction to SaferNow content, ensuring we remain grounded within the real experiences of young people, but also of their experiences having contact with the systems and services in which we work.

This group will never be asked to share any part of their stories. What they do is provide valuable insight directly into the content design and direction of SaferNow as an organisation.