Katie Fudakowski l Solicitor

In safeguarding, Katie draws upon her first-hand involvement in safeguarding related litigation, including personal injury abuse claims in the county court, Teaching Regulation Authority prosecutions, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) and Special Educational Needs and discrimination cases brought before the First Tier Tribunal.

Her work as an independent investigator of safeguarding failures at major independent schools, international charities and sports organisations makes her ideally suited to guide clients through every step of safeguarding investigations, whether involving current or historic allegations and the associated engagement with the statutory agencies and regulators.

Katie is passionate about protecting children and adults at risk from harm and dedicates time to thought leadership in this area, working along-side other experts to produce the Farrer & Co guidance on implementing a low level concerns policy.

In Employment, Katie has appeared in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and High Court for employers and employees in every type of employment tribunal case, in particular acting for Respondents in multi-day discrimination and whistleblowing cases in the education and healthcare sector. Her experience of appearing as the advocate in these cases allows her to give clients practical first-hand advice on resolving claims commercially, strategically and sensitively. Katie has excellent experience and success in representing clients at judicial mediation and securing advantageous settlement terms.

Expertise

Schools

Katie advises her school and education business clients on all issues involving pupils, parents and staff. On the employment side, Katie has successfully represented schools facing serious allegations of whistleblowing detriment and discrimination as well as ordinary unfair or constructive dismissal claims. She can advise clients on how to stay out of the employment tribunal through adopting rigorous and fair grievance, capability and disciplinary procedures. In pure education law, Katie has expertise in relation to exclusions and special educational needs and also covers the contractual side of education, advising on parental complaints and breach of contract claims. Katie has considerable expertise in safeguarding crisis management, whether involving non recent allegations or live cases, Katie guides her clients through the internal investigation and disciplinary proceedings and the regulatory reporting to the statutory agencies, the charity commission, the Disclosure and barring service (DBS) and the Teaching regulatory authority (TRA).

Sports

Katie advises every type of sports club and their governing bodies in safeguarding and employment matters. Her clients include premiership football clubs and national sports governing bodies, for example advised Chelsea football club in relation to their major reviews of non-recent child sexual abuse.

Faith-based Organisations

Katie works with churches and faith-based organisations providing safeguarding and employment advice on past and present claims as well as practical guidance on PR, communications and reputation management. She has experience of the Church of England’s Clergy Disciplinary Measure and has represented a number of organisations called to give evidence before the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

Katie Fudakowski

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Contact

Practice areas

Expertise

Schools

Sports

Faith-based Organisations

News & Insights

Transgender issues in the Court of Appeal: Bell v Tavistock update

Safeguarding transgender children

Antisemitism in the workplace