Safeguarding the Children

All staff should undergo

safeguarding and child

protection training at

induction

THIS TRAINING SHOULD:

Include online safety
Be integrated, aligned and considered as part of your organisational approach and wider staff training and planning.
Be updated regularly
The child protection policy
The behaviour policy
The staff behaviour policy/code of conduct
The role and identity of the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and any deputies
The whistle-blowing procedure

Make sure you provide staff with copies of the child protection, behaviour and staff behaviour policies at induction.

In addition, you should make sure all staff are aware of their role in identifying and dealing with safeguarding issues, including being aware of:

1. The process for making referrals to children’s social care and for statutory assessments under the Children Act 1989

2. What to do if a child tells them they're being abused, exploited or neglected

Staff should also be aware of the appropriate level of confidentiality required when a child tells them about abuse. This means only involving those who need to be, such as the DSL (or a deputy) and local authority children’s social care, and never promising a child that they will keep the matter to themselves as this may not be in the best interests of the child.

Staff should also be aware of the types of vulnerabilities and who are at higher risk. They should know the different kinds of safeguarding issues that can put their clients and service users at risk of harm, and the signs to look out for. These issues include:

Abuse and neglect
Serious violence
Mental health problems
Female genital mutilation (FGM)
Domestic abuse
Child sexual exploitation
Child criminal exploitation
Child-on-child abuse