Safeguarding Children & Adults at Risk of Harm – Level 1 – 2

Anyone who works with children and/ or adults at risk: for instance, care staff, project workers, youth departments, youth programmes, family support, hostel workers, child minders, parent and toddler groups, play groups, workers in the community, church leaders, volunteers and teachers… in fact anyone who wants to understand the importance of child and adult protection awareness.

This course provides an introduction to adult protection and an overview of child protection helping you to recognise potential abuse and know what to do if you believe an individual is at risk. The course aims to define safeguarding, looks at the different types and signs of abuse including neglect and provides information on responding, recording & reporting strategies. It also looks at: how to make your working environment safe for children and adults at risk , including safe practices; who to approach or report to; what actions to take and which legislation applies in this area; an introduction to legislation and understanding your role and feelings.

At the end of the training delegates will be able to: 

• Access information about harm, abuse and safeguarding.
• Show that they know factors, situations and actions that may cause or lead to harm and abuse.
• Show that they know signs and symptoms that may indicate that an individual has been, or is in danger of being, harmed or abused.
• Show that they know their role in safeguarding individuals and how this fits with local procedures and agreements.
• Show that they know the role of different agencies and multi-agency working in the safeguarding of individuals.
• Show that they know the actions they need to take when harm or abuse is suspected or has been disclosed, in line with the responsibilities of your role and local procedures.
• Show that they know the actions they must take and those you must avoid, taking account of any future investigation into possible harm or abuse.
• Ensure their own actions and attitudes do not contribute to situations, actions or behaviour that may be harmful or abusive.

Principles and Diversity.

Who is an adult at risk of harm?

What is Safeguarding and Child / Adult Protection?

Overview of legislation for both children and adults.

Legislation relating to child and adult protection, including recent guidance and reports:

• The Children Acts.
• Working Together 2015.
• No Secrets 2000.
• The Care Act 2014.
• Dignity in Care.
• Code of conduct.
• The Health and Social Care Act 2008.
• The Disclosure and Barring Service.

History and significant cases – lessons to be learned:

• Death by Indifference.
• Bichard report.
• Stephen Hoskins.
• Winterbourne.

Statistics relating to Abuse in the UK.

Types of Abuse relating to young people and adults at risk:

• Physical.
• Psychological.
• Financial.
• Sexual.
• Neglect.
• Institutional including medication abuse.

Recognising the signs and indicators of abuse.

Who Abuses?

Unsafe care practices.

Factors that influence abuse.

Risk assessment.

Why individuals don’t disclose abuse.

What individuals want and need to feel safe.

Maintaining professional Relationships and Relational security:

• Professional relationships.
• Holistic care and trust.
• Issues of Power.
• Breaching Boundaries.
• Dual relationships.
• Appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.
• Warning signs of boundary breaches / inappropriate relationships.
• Managing a breach of boundaries.

Principles and procedures for Adult Protection:

The implications of:

• The Sexual Offences Act.
• The Mental Capacity Act.

Organisational policy

What can you do about abuse – responding and reporting based on organisational policy.

Whistleblowing.

Evaluations and close.

For Safeguarding Children and Young People:

• The Intercollegiate document; safeguarding children and young people: Roles and Competencies for health care staff. Third Edition March 2014,
• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015,
• National Competence Framework for Safeguarding Children; Learn to Care and Bournemouth University 2014,
• Skills for Care and Health: Core Competencies for Health Care support workers and Adult Social Care workers in England DOH 2015 (NHS England),

For Safeguarding Adults at Risk:

• National Competency Framework, Bournemouth University 2010.
• National Capability Framework for Safeguarding Adults Bournemouth University, Learn to Care, Skills to Care, SCIE 2014.
• SCIE Report 39: Protecting adults at risk: London multi-agency policy and procedures to safeguard adults from abuse.
• Skills for Care and Health: Core Competencies for Health Care support workers and Adult Social Care workers in England DOH 2015 (NHS England).
• No Secrets 2000.

The course is very interactive with use of a DVD and workbook to embed learning.

• Duration: One day
• Certificate:
• Course Title: Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk of Harm Level 1 and 2
• Course Ref: