Safeguarding: training requirements

All staff

• All school staff should undergo safeguarding and child protection training (including online safety) at induction and this should be updated regularly 
• This doesn't have to be formal face-to-face training, and can include online learning 
• This training should be in line with advice from the local 3 safeguarding partners*
• Safeguarding training during induction should give staff an awareness of the school's safeguarding systems, including: 
• The child protection policy
• The behaviour policy
• The safeguarding response to children going missing from education
• The staff behaviour policy/code of conduct
• The role and identity of the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and any deputies 

In addition, all staff should: 

• Be aware of their local early help process and understand their role in it
• Be aware of the process for making referrals to children’s social care and for statutory assessments under the Children Act 1989
• Know what to do if a child tells them they are being abused or neglected
• Know the indicators that may signal that children are at risk from, or are involved with, serious violent crime, be aware of the associated risks and understand the measures in place to manage them

Make sure they're also familiar with your school's whistle-blowing procedures.

You should provide staff with copies of the child protection, behaviour, and staff behaviour policies and a copy of part 1 of Keeping Children Safe in Education at induction. All staff must read at least part 1 of the guidance.

Safeguarding Training Centre from The Key can save you time and help you be compliant with safeguarding training. Our INSET pack and eLearning 'Safeguarding and child protection: the essentials', available to members of Safeguarding Training Centre from The Key, cover the points that your staff need to know.

Safeguarding updates

All your staff members should also receive regular updates on child protection and safeguarding. You should deliver these updates "as required, but at least annually".

You can update staff via, for example, email, e-bulletins and staff meetings. The updates should provide staff with the skills and knowledge they need to safeguard pupils effectively.

The information above is explained in Keeping Children Safe in Education (see pages 5 to 17). 

Prevent duty

It's not a statutory requirement, but it's important for staff to have Prevent training, to enable them to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism and to challenge extremist ideas. 

Your designated safeguarding lead (DSL) should be able to advise and support staff in protecting children from the risk of radicalisation.

It's up to you as a school to decide how much training on Prevent your staff need, by evaluating what your staff already know and the risks that radicalisation poses to your pupils.

Read more about your responsibilities under the Prevent strategy. 

We have an elearning that covers everything your staff need to know about the Prevent duty and what's expected of them. Upgrade your membership of Safeguarding Training Centre to get full access.

The DSL 

Before becoming the designated safeguarding lead (DSL), or a deputy, you should complete training that provides you with the knowledge and skills to perform the role. If you're joining a newly established school, such as a free school, you must complete the training before the school opens.

This training should be updated every 2 years. You should also update your knowledge and skills "at regular intervals, but at least annually".

These updates can include:

• E-bulletins
• Meetings with other DSLs
• Taking time to read and digest safeguarding developments

What to cover 

DSL training should help you to: 

• Understand the assessment process for providing early help and intervention, for example through locally agreed assessment processes
• Have a working knowledge of how LAs conduct child protection case conferences and child protection review conferences, and attend and contribute to these effectively when required
• Ensure each member of staff has access to and understands the school’s child protection policy and procedures, especially new and part-time staff
• Be alert to the specific needs of children in need, those with special educational needs (SEN) and young carers
• Understand relevant data protection legislation and regulations, especially the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR
• Understand the importance of information sharing, both within your school, and with the 3 safeguarding partners and other agencies
• Be able to keep detailed, accurate, secure written records of concerns and referrals
• Understand and support the school with regards to the requirements of the Prevent duty, and be able to provide advice and support to staff on protecting children from the risk of radicalisation
• Recognise the additional risks that children with SEN and disabilities (SEND) face online, and be confident you have the capability to support SEND children to stay safe online
• Obtain access to resources and attend any relevant or refresher training courses
• Encourage a culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings, among all staff, in any measures the school may put in place to protect them

This is explained in Keeping Children Safe in Education (pages 93 to 94). 

Read more about the role of the DSL in another of our articles. 

Headteachers

Keeping Children Safe in Education does not specifically refer to safeguarding training for headteachers.

Our associate education expert, Gulshan Kayembe, advised that in primary schools it would be good practice for your headteacher to be trained to the same level as the DSL. This is because primary schools often have smaller leadership teams, and the headteacher may be more involved in dealings with parents and other agencies.  

In secondary schools, your headteacher should have more training than an ordinary staff member, but this would not necessarily need to be to the same level as the DSL. They need to be on top of things and should do some wider reading, so that they’re equipped to discuss issues with the DSL if needed.

However, it would be good practice for at least one other member of the senior leadership team in a secondary school to be trained to the same level as the school’s DSL. While this could be your headteacher, it might be more appropriate for this to be a member of the SLT who is doing work on specific areas of leadership like attendance or pastoral care.

Headteachers in both primary and secondary schools should have training in managing allegations against staff. Headteachers will be the case manager if an allegation is made (see page 52 of Keeping Children Safe in Education), so need to be confident in how to handle this.

If you're a headteacher, you should also have training on:

• Safer recruitment, to be able to recruit in a way which makes sure they can filter out anyone who will be unsuitable (see section 6 below) 
• Equal opportunities, and schools’ responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 – there’s a crossover with safeguarding here in terms of understanding the implications of the legislation

Governors and trustees

Every governor and trustee should have safeguarding training. This is set out on page 93 of the Governance Handbook.  

Chairs of governors should also have training on handling allegations against staff, as they will be the case manager in the event of an allegation against the headteacher or principal. Our associate expert Gulshan Kayembe advised this. 

Volunteers

It's up to you to decide whether volunteers need safeguarding training.

You should take "a proportionate, risk-based approach" to determining what level of information to give volunteers and temporary staff on induction (see paragraph 59 of Keeping Children Safe in Education). 

Safer recruitment 

It's a legal requirement for maintained schools to ensure that at least one of the persons conducting an interview has done safer recruitment training. It's best practice for academies to also adhere to this. 

The requirement is set out in regulation 9 of the School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009.

This training should cover the content of Keeping Children Safe in Education as a minimum, but you should seek advice from your 3 local safeguarding partners about what it should cover in your area and how often you should refresh it (see paragraph 90 of Keeping Children Safe in Education). 

Training providers may also stipulate whether their certificates expire, and if so, how often they should be refreshed. You should check how long your certificate remains valid with your provider. 

Regardless of whether there is an expiry date on your certificate, it is good practice for you to regularly review your knowledge every 2 or 3 years.

This was explained to us by Jacqueline Baker, one of our associate education experts.

You can use our elearning course on safer recruitment to meet this requirement, if you have a subscription to Safeguarding Training Centre.