Safeguarding Young People
Core Skills Training • Duration: Full day
Suitable for: Frontline Staff & Volunteers
This course is designed for frontline staff and volunteers who work directly with young people and need a comprehensive grounding in safeguarding. It is suitable for those new to the subject and those looking to refresh and update their knowledge — particularly around contextual safeguarding and current best practice.
This full-day course gives frontline staff a thorough grounding in safeguarding young people; drawing on current legislation, statutory guidance, NSPCC recommendations, and real-world practice. It is practical, honest, and grounded in the realities of working with young people in complex situations.
What You’ll Learn
Explain the key principles and legislative framework underpinning safeguarding, and describe how these apply to their role
Identify the types and indicators of abuse most relevant to young people, including contextual safeguarding risks such as exploitation, county lines, cuckooing, mate crime, radicalisation, and online abuse
Respond appropriately and sensitively to a disclosure- knowing what to do, what not to do, and where the limits of confidentiality lie
Record safeguarding concerns clearly, accurately, and in a way that distinguishes fact from opinion
Report and refer concerns correctly, understanding their individual responsibilities within the 5 Rs framework: Recognise, Respond, Record, Report, and Refer
Apply contextual safeguarding thinking to their practice, including the use of safety planning with young people
Course Content
Safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, and the six principles of the Care Act
Duty of care: what it means in practice and what it requires of us
Types of abuse and neglect: the Care Act's ten categories and emerging forms relevant to young people
Contextual safeguarding: understanding harm beyond the home — in communities, peer groups, and online spaces
The 5 Rs: roles and responsibilities across the team for recognising, responding, recording, reporting, and referring
Best practice when responding to disclosures, including the limits of confidentiality and when safeguarding overrides GDPR
Recording that counts: writing accurate, factual, evidence-based records and referrals
Safety planning with young people: a person-centred, practical tool for contextual risk
Reflecting on values, assumptions, and personal experience in safeguarding practice
What to expect: