Dai Durbridge
Partner
Manchester
dai.durbridge@brownejacobson.com
+44 (0)330 045 2105
Dai leads our team on safeguarding and data protection and heads up the North West education team based in Manchester. He is recognised as an education law expert by Legal 500.
Dai is known for his innovative and engaging training courses for Data Protection Officers and Designated Safeguarding Leads as well as for his practical and jargon-free advice on a range of issues including admissions, exclusions, parental complaints and, of course, safeguarding and data protection.
In safeguarding, Dai works with schools and trusts on day-to-day and complex safeguarding issues including safer recruitment, handling disclosures of abuse, managing allegations against staff and child deaths. He also carries out safeguarding governance audits for trusts, supports larger trusts with the development and implementation of five year safeguarding strategies and acts as a coach/mentor for DSL’s providing external guidance and advice.
The increased focus on data protection provided Dai with the opportunity to lead on supporting schools and trusts in this area of compliance. Dai helps schools and trusts manage personal data breaches, cyberattacks, subject access requests and the drafting of policies, procedures and privacy notices. Through his various training courses, Dai has trained and developed over 500 Data Protection Officers.
Expertise
Featured experience
Data protection training for DPOs
Through foundation, intermediate and advanced DPO training courses, over 250 school and trust DPOs have been trained and supported to undertake their role. Most of the delegates agreed that having attended the course they will be more efficient in their role and spend less on external support and advice.
MAT DSL training and development
Working with three cohorts of Trust DSLs delivering a 20-hour training course over four months, covering safeguarding governance and culture, trust wide consistency, using safeguarding data, DSL support and development, and safeguarding quality assurance
Child death review support
Following the tragic suicide of a secondary aged pupil, guided the trust through the child death review process and the inquest and helped them manage intense press and community interest.
Reducing the burden of SARs
Advised a trust on reducing the burden of subject access requests (SAR) by working with the individual to reduce the scope of the SAR, to limit the amount of work undertaken on completing the search and on complex elements of redaction.
Testimonials
"As a school we have felt extremely supported by Dai Durbridge. The response time is always by return and the advice given is always measured and detailed. The support had enabled us to deal swiftly with issues arising with confidence in the knowledge that we have been given school specific guidance."
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