Safeguarding Training
The CSCP's learning and development program is open to all staff and volunteers working with children in Croydon. It is essential to have a skilled workforce that understands their responsibilities and of other agencies. To support this, the CSCP provides various training to enhance their knowledge and skills.
The training opportunities below are delivered by trusted external organisations, offering specialist knowledge and expertise to complement CSCP’s core safeguarding programme.
Identifying training needs
Child safety is a shared responsibility across all professions. The CSCP Competency Framework required safeguarding training based on role and responsibility. We’ve simplified this into five role-based groups (A–E) with tailored courses, ensuring all staff, from frontline to leaders, have the necessary skills. Use this guide to find your group and access training through the CSCP training portal.
Group A -
Minimal contact with children
Librarians | GP receptionists | Community advice centre staff | Groundskeepers | Environmental health officers
Key responsibilities for roles involving occasional interaction with children include:
Recognising signs and indicators of child abuse and neglect
Recording and sharing information about concerns
Understanding the organisation's basic safeguarding procedures
Knowing who to contact about a child's safety or welfare, including alternates
Knowing who to contact about a colleague’s behaviour or potential risk to children
Understanding expected standards of staff behaviour towards children
Group B -
Regular content with children
Housing officers | Hospital staff | Youth justice service staff | Police officers (non-specialist roles) | Sports development officers / Coach | Disability specialists | Faith group leaders | Youth workers | Play scheme workers | Volunteers
Key responsibilities for roles with frequent interaction with children:
Record and share information about concerns.
Understand how to use the Threshold Guidance to assess the needs of children and and their families.
Collaborate to identify, assess, and meet the needs of children with safeguarding concerns, focusing on child-centered interventions and measurable outcomes.
Understand the impact of parenting difficulties (e.g., domestic abuse, mental health, substance misuse, learning difficulties) on parenting capacity.
Recognise the importance of family history and functioning.
Work with children and families, addressing lack of cooperation and superficial compliance within the role.
Group C -
Specialist Child Protection Role
Paediatricians / GPs / Health care workers | Deputy DSL / Lead Practitioner | Early years practitioners | Residential staff Midwives | Health visitors | Sexual health staff | Teachers | Probation staff | Sports club | Welfare officers | Professionals in adult services | Community play scheme workers
Key responsibilities of roles with frequent interaction with children:
Conducting section 47 enquiries, attending Child Protection Conferences, and managing Core Groups; roles, responsibilities, and collaborative practice.
Using professional judgements to make decisions as to whether a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
Working with complexity.
Taking emergency action.
Communicating with children in line with interviewing vulnerable witness guidance.
Promoting effective, professional practice.
Supervising child protection cases and advising others.
Group D -
Operational Managers & Named Designated Leads
Operational managers of services for children, young people, and/or parents/carers
Professional advisers/consultants
Designated Leads for Child Protection.
Key responsibilities that involve overseeing child protection cases, supervising staff, and ensuring effective inter-agency practices:
Working with complex cases and social work staff responsible for coordinating assessments of children in need.
Supervising child protection cases.
Managing performance to promote effective inter-agency practice.
Specialist training to undertake key management and/or supervisory roles in, for example, intake/duty teams.
Group E -
Senior & Strategic Managers
Senior managers responsible for strategic management of services for children, young people, and/or parents/carers
Members of Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships
Board-level executives, directors, and elected members
Key responsibilities involve setting strategic direction, ensuring compliance with safeguarding policies, and promoting inter-agency collaboration:
Sets Section 11: Expectations, Roles, and Responsibilities
Promote Effective Cooperation: Members are expected to foster cooperation that enhances overall effectiveness.
Stay Informed: Keep up with current policy, research, and practice developments.
Apply Lessons Learned: Implement lessons from Serious Case Reviews and Learning and Improvement Reviews.
Specialist Training: Ensure specialist training for specific roles, such as Independent Chair and Business Manager.
Safer Recruitment Training: Complete training on safer recruitment practices.