WHAT DRIVES US?
About us
We are humanitarians and we want to see the world become a more just and fair place.
Until we get there we’ll keep on helping organisations who are working towards that goal.
About us
Humanitarian, development, and civil society work is challenging. We work to make it safer for people delivering such support in unstable places. We know the work we do is important and we know we have an obligation to do it as well as possible.
We prepare staff to deliver programmes in difficult security situations; to make good decisions about staff safety in the moment; and to plan for and respond well in a crisis.
We’ve been there, we know how difficult all these things can be. Crucial Safety was established to help staff meet these needs efficiently and cost-effectively.
We do our best to reach everyone who wants training and support, whether local, national or international staff, and that’s one of the reasons we’ve put so much time into developing online training courses. We want to deliver excellence and make sure as many people as possible stay as safe as possible.
How we work
Our mission
- We support aid and development agencies, civil society organisations, donors and others to safely and securely access people in need, to deliver high quality programmes, and to deliver on their duty of care to staff.
What we do
- We provide unique and cutting edge online and classroom-centred training, consultancy and mentoring services in security management and crisis management.
Our values
- Service and excellence are expected, but we also bring a spirit of humanity, enquiry, progress, thought-leadership, and environmental responsibility to all that we do.
- Times change and security services in the aid, development and civil society sectors must constantly evolve and improve to reflect the opportunities offered by new technologies and new thinking.
- Security support must be as accessible to local and national colleagues as it is to internationals.
Our founder
Our founder, Ian Woodmansey, has been working with humanitarian and development organisations since 1994, including in senior field and headquarters positions. He has worked in numerous conflict-affected countries for the UN, ICRC, MSF-Holland, Oxfam GB, GIZ, and other smaller agencies. His most recent overseas deployment was as a Country Security Coordinator for an international NGO in Ukraine.
Ian’s roles in the humanitarian world include those of RedR UK’s Country Director in South Sudan and RedR’s Global Security Manager – and Lead Security Trainer – in the UK. He now works independently and has trained thousands of aid and development workers – local, national and international – in security management and crisis management. He is a consultant to numerous organisations around the world.
Ian leads trainings and consultancies for governments, charities, and the private sector in conflict and post-conflict contexts, advising organisations and individuals how to work safely and effectively in challenging situations. Through his experience of working across the globe, he has a keen understanding of what is needed to manage security well and how to respond effectively in a crisis.
Ian holds a Master’s Degree in International Development. He is certified by the Institute of Risk Management, is a Member of the Security Institute, an Associate Member of the Business Continuity Institute and a Professional Member of the Institute for Operational Risk. He is an INSSA Certified Country-level Security Risk Management Professional; an Individual Affiliate Member of the Global Interagency Security Forum; and a RedR UK Member and Associate Trainer.
Ian has been a director of IGHW Consultancy Ltd. since 2017 and established Crucial Safety as a way to bring online and classroom-centred training, consultancy, and mentoring under the same roof. For further information about how Crucial Safety can help you contact us.
We promise that ...
- Your trainer/ consultant will be a highly experienced subject matter expert with a security background in the humanitarian/ development/ civil society sectors.
- Your trainer/ consultant will know how to manage security at both HQ and field levels and will support staff to be effective at these different levels.
- Your trainer/ consultant will have relevant professional qualifications and/or experience in security risk management, crisis management, and business continuity.
Previous clients
