Helen King is a Founder and Director of Praesidio Safeguarding, where she leads on strategic direction with a core focus on prevention, education, and public engagement to reduce online harms. A specialist in safeguarding and harm reduction, Helen brings over two decades of experience in designing and delivering national and international programmes that empower professionals, families, and young people to recognise and respond to risk, particularly in digital environments.
Helen is passionate about developing impactful public education strategies and accessible resources that drive behavioural and cultural change. She has led high-profile participation initiatives, co-designed campaigns with vulnerable groups, and created award-winning educational materials, including animations and films tailored to reach diverse and underrepresented communities.
Prior to founding Praesidio, Helen established and led the international education programme at the UK’s National Crime Agency (CEOP Command). Under her leadership, the Thinkuknow programme became a central component of the UK Government’s harm reduction response to online child sexual abuse, providing trusted training and educational tools nationwide. She was also a founding member of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety and served as a Home Office lead for internet safety policy and working groups.
At Praesidio, Helen continues to work closely with online platforms, regulators, governments, and NGOs to embed safeguarding into digital design, ensuring that prevention and protection remain at the heart of policy, product, and practice.