X2Consult is a consultancy firm specialising in safeguarding and child protection. Its mission is to create and sustain environments where safety, security and well-being are paramount, enabling children, adults and vulnerable individuals to thrive without fear of harm.
Founder and Safeguarding Consultant Thomas Stead, started X2Consult in 2022, after over a decade of experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, PREVENT Lead and Educator. Utilising his extensive expertise, X2Consult was set up to highlight the importance of safeguarding and to support companies with the challenges that effective safeguarding faces.
Working from its HQ in Kent, X2Consult provides its services across the UK, Europe and beyond. Its work spans multiple contexts, from schools and community organisations to corporate environments and high-profile personal safeguarding scenarios.
With an ethos rooted in care for the most vulnerable, the company has built a reputation for its end-to-end coverage, from risk assessments and policy guidelines; to cutting-edge training programmes and mass participation event safeguarding.
As an industry leading safeguarding and child protection consultancy, X2Consult works with companies and organisations, across multiple sectors, to ensure they have the right policies and procedures in place for safeguarding and child protection.
The company’s Safeguarding Essentials service equips organisations with the fundamental knowledge, tools, and strategies needed to create safe environments for everyone, but X2Consult also offers day rate consultancy and retainer partnership programs, meaning clients can benefit from the company’s expertise at a level of flexibility that works for them.
As well as a robust set of consulting services, X2Consult also offers a range of specialised courses designed to enhance safeguarding knowledge and practice. These courses include in-depth training on safeguarding, child protection, safer recruitment practices and online safety.
Each course is tailored to meet the needs of both organisations and individuals, equipping participants with the skills and confidence to identify and manage safeguarding concerns effectively. Additionally the company delivers engaging webinars and seminars focused on safeguarding, and provides decoy training scenarios designed to test and strengthen safeguarding responses.
As the only company in the UK that offers fully accredited training courses for event specific safeguarding, X2Consult’s courses are officially recognised by OCNCredit4Learning and this, combined with the company’s extensive real life experience, give X2Consult the edge.
“We provide our courses based on real life work that we’ve done.” Thomas says, “It covers everything from how people are getting into venues, to how people prevent themselves from being caught. We identify those techniques and provide up to date resources for clients to understand how those people are ultimately trying to be deceptive within the environment, as well as how to counter that.”
X2Consult is especially adept at safeguarding in mass participation event scenarios. These events are typically attended by over 10,000 people, so effective safeguarding is pivotal to the safety of attendees.
X2Consult tailors its safeguarding strategies to specific event needs, conducting thorough risk assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities and ensuring compliance with legal requirements and best practices, such as Working Together to Safeguard Children.
During the event, dedicated safeguarding officers oversee child protection measures both in the crowd and from a distance, monitoring the implementation of policies and act as the primary contact for any concerns. In the event of an incident, X2Consult ensures swift and appropriate handling, including liaising with relevant authorities if needed. After the event, X2Consult conducts a thorough review, providing detailed feedback to enhance future safeguarding practices.
X2Consult’s expertise in this area is unmatched. It recently contributed the first chapter of the Association of Event Venues e-guide on safeguarding and the company has worked with Silverstone race course at both Formula 1 and Moto GP events.
“What makes us a little bit different is we provide everything.” Thomas told us, “We would look at doing intelligence and planning first. We do all the risk assessments and the policies, then we would have boots on the ground that would focus directly on individuals, to ensure if there’s any kind of issues, they’re dealt with professionally, legally and within compliance.”
A central component of X2Consult’s success goes beyond simple compliance though. The company is committed to forging safe environments that not only promote wellbeing, but also ensure the most favourable outcomes for those under its care.
Emphasising a multi-agency approach, X2Consult strives to build systems and practices that not only address immediate risks but also foster a culture of awareness, respect and empowerment. This dedication to ensuring children, young people and other vulnerable people are cared for, runs throughout the entire ethos of X2Consult. For Thomas, this ethos is rooted in a deep personal commitment,
“I recognised quite early on in my career that I don’t do this job to be wealthy.” he told us, “I do this job solely because I want to make sure that vulnerable people, young people and children have the opportunity to flourish without the threat of interruption from individuals that might want to disrupt that.”
The last twelve months have been transformative for X2Consult. 2025 saw considerable growth in both clients and internal staff, as well as further expansion of X2Consults international operations with an increased presence in both Europe and further afield. Thomas told us, “Our operations in foreign countries are starting to increase now and the amount of internal operations that we’re doing are definitely starting to increase. We are seeing not only smaller clients coming to us, but also big national corporations that have identified what we do and how we can help them.”
Looking forward into 2026, Thomas explained the largest challenge for the safeguarding industry is making external organisations see how essential safeguarding is, no matter which sector clients operate in. The explosion of technological advances also has an impact on safeguarding too, “I think more and more now we’re starting to see things develop in social media and the use of AI.” Thomas says, “There’s great positives for safeguarding coming from these leaps in technology but also increased risk. So, we’ve got to continuously adapt and change our response based on how technology is developing.”
To meet these challenges X2Consult is planning to ramp up its efforts within the next three months with an increased pre-event service offering. Looking further ahead, the company plans expansion into America and Canada, as well as a reaffirmation of the company’s work in the UK.
Whether it is safeguarding children in educational settings, protecting vulnerable adults in care, or offering close protection for individuals exposed to heightened risks, X2Consult’s unique approach to safeguarding consultancy is setting a new benchmark for the industry.
Its tailored, meticulous and unwavering service is underpinned by a belief that every individual deserves to live free from fear and harm. By cultivating safe and nurturing environments, X2Consult ensures that children, young people and vulnerable adults have the opportunity to grow, succeed and lead fulfilling lives, protected and supported every step of the way.
For more on X2 Consult, please see below:
T 01622 278702
www.x2consult.co.uk