Local Safeguarding Board Training Strategy
Principles of Merton LSCB training.
Merton Children workforce are committed to providing services which seek to
improve the welfare and well being of all children and young people living
within the London Borough of Merton.
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LSCB training is child centred and incorporates and promotes
children’s rights and needs to ensure their welfare is paramount.
LSCB training incorporates equal opportunities and anti-oppressive
practice and reflects the diversity of communities served
LSCB training promotes and places the child within the family and
recognises the need for working together and in partnership with
parents and carers.
LSCB training promotes the need for inter-agency working to safeguard
children from harm.
LSCB training is available to those in statutory, voluntary and
independent organisations working with children and their carers.
Local Safeguarding Board Responsibilities
 To co- ordinate what is done by each person, or body represented on the
board for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of
children in the area.
 To ensure the effectiveness of what is done by each person or body
National and Local Developments
National census 2001 indicates there are 11.7 million children within England
and Wales. Safeguarding and promoting the well being of vulnerable children
aims to ensure that every child, whatever their background, or their
circumstances, receive the support they need to meet the following five
outcomes.
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Being healthy
Staying safe
Enjoying and achieving
Making a positive contribution
Achieving economic well-being
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The table below indicates the relevant national legislation and policy
documents informing the training strategy.
Children Act
(1989)
Children Act
( 2004)
Emphasises the importance of
putting the child first whilst
Co-operating and sharing parental
responsibilities.
Key aspects
 Welfare of child is paramount.
 Delay is not in the child’s best
interest and should be avoided.
 Child &Young person’s wishes
must be taken seriously.
Promotes;
Emphasises reform within children’s
services
Key aspects
 New role of children
commissioner for England.
 Duty of local authority to promote
co-operation between agencies.
 Establishment of Local
Safeguarding Children Boards.
 Development of local
arrangements to safeguard and
promote welfare children.
 Development of databases/
indexes containing basic
information regarding children
and families.
 Establishment of new post
Director of children’s service.
Promotes;
Principles of working
together and
working” in
partnership “.
Skills enhanced by
multi-agency
learning
Culture of cooperation and
working together
between agencies
and organisations
Development of
common knowledge,
skills and
competences within
children’s workforce
Development of
single children &
young people plan
Development of
single inspection
framework
Education Act
( 2002)
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Emphasises duty to make
arrangements to safeguard &
promote welfare children.
Section 175 of Act.
Ensure training and pastoral
support
Identify designated staff to
coordinate and manage child
safeguarding practice.
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Promotes
Policies &
procedures to
safeguard children
Work in partnership
other agencies
training &
development
Working
together to
Safeguard
Children : A
guide to interagency
working to
safeguard and
promote
welfare of
children ( draft
2005)
Contains statutory & non statutory
guidance.
Safeguarding
children in
Education
(2005 )
Sets out duty of LEAs, schools and
Further Education to have
arrangements to Safeguard children.
Replaces previous guidance on child
protection in Education circular
10/95.
Promotes
Induction training for
all new staff.
Focuses on a shared programme of
national change to provide services
“around the needs of children
and young people“.
Promotes
Every child
matters :
Change for
children
( 2004)
National framework for policies,
procedures, & practice.
LSCB responsible to ensure
safeguarding activity meets local
needs.
Integrating services.
Achieving better outcomes.
Common core
of Skills and
knowledge
Framework
Aims for development of skills . Sets
out areas of expertise for all
practitioners across children
workforce
 Six areas of expertise
 Effective communication
 Child development
 Safeguarding
 Supporting transitions
 Multi- agency working
 Sharing information
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Promotes
Safeguarding
training must be
consistent with
common core.
Individual agencies
are responsible for
ensuring staff
competent &
confident to carry out
safeguarding
responsibilities.
Regular initial &
refresher training on
safeguarding
children .
Initial & refresher
training for
designated & lead
professionals
Five outcomes
Be healthy
Be safe
Enjoy & achieve
Make a positive
contribution
Achieve economic
well-being
Promotes
A shared language
and understanding of
the issues
A tool for training
needs analysis
Learning outcomes
within training
programmes.
National
Service
Framework for
children ,
young people
and Maternity
services. (
2004)
Children
Workforce
Strategy
( 2005 )
The children NSF is a 10- year
programme aiming to develop longterm and sustainable improvements
in children health.
Standards in Part One:
 Promoting health & well being
Identifying needs & intervening
early
 Supporting parenting
 Child, Young person & Family –
Centred services
 Growing up into adulthood.
 Safeguarding & promoting the
welfare of children.
Promotes
Services to
safeguard welfare of
children.
Identifies Local action to support the
national strategy of:
Promotes
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Training
opportunities to meet
needs
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A competent & confident
workforce
Development of skills
Coherent career pathways
allowing professionals to
progress & develop
Single qualifications framework
Parents , young people and
children have trust and respect in
the workforce.
Staff in children
workforce must be
competent to
promote children’s
welfare and
safeguard them from
harm.
Participate in regular
safeguarding
training.
Training needs
analysis
Performance
management to
identify gaps
Promotes
Sustaining
Quality
Merton LSCB adopts the best
practice standards within
child protection training &
development which are
endorsed by PIAT & NSPCC
London Child
Protection
Procedures
Provides strategic procedures to
take account of legislation,
government policy, and research
findings in Safeguarding and child
protection.
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Quality assurance
Standards
Accountability
Audit & Inspection
Promotes
Standards, policy &
procedures
Role of Training sub committee
To ensure all multi-agency training promotes a shared understanding of the
tasks, processes, principles, roles and responsibilities outlined in national
guidance and local arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare
of children living in Merton.
To ensure all relevant staff and volunteers in the statutory and voluntary
independent sectors
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are equipped with the skills to identify safeguarding issues
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understand and are able to take part in effective, inter-agency child
protection processes
Terms of Reference
 To establish an appropriate annual, inter-agency training programme
based on needs analysis for agencies in Merton.
 To identify training needs arising from legislative and regulatory change
and from developments in professional practice.
 To ensure that the training offered is based on the latest research and
clinical evidence about “ what works “ when working with children and
families “ in need “and “in need of protection “.
Membership of Merton LSCB training committee
Howard Baines
Safeguarding & Development Officer, LBM
Susanne Baccini
Children’s Fund Development Officer
Jeanette Brown
Named Nurse for Child Protection
S. W London & St Georges MH Trust
Lorraine Collins
Drug and Alcohol Services, LBM
Richard Cooling
General Practitioner
Sutton & Merton PCT
Norman Fullarton
Team Manager Safeguards Team, LBM
Ann- Marie Howell
Team Manager Vulnerable Children, LBM
Lynne Rigg
Named nurse for child Protection
Sutton & Merton PCT
Joanna Rendall
London Ambulance Service
Christine Trainer
LSCB Multi- agency trainer, LBM
Jo Whitcomb
Police child abuse Investigation team
Andrew Wyatt
Safeguarding Partnerships Manager, LBM
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Promoting Inter – agency training
The training sub- committee actively promotes inter-agency training and
development and adopts four key principles
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Multi- agency training provides opportunity to improve and develop
practice outcomes for children and young people by developing
understanding of more effective and integrated services
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Multi- agency training provides opportunity to improve and develop
communications between professionals, including a common
understanding of key terms, definitions, and thresholds for action
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Multi-agency training establishes effective working relationships,
including the ability to work within multi-agency teams and groups
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Multi- agency training fosters sound decision making based on
information sharing, thorough assessment, critical analysis and
professional judgement.
The Merton Children Plan co-ordinates and improves the child or young
person ‘s right to protection, nurturing and assistance to grow according to
their age, stage of development and circumstances. It also seeks to
facilitate the fullest possible participation in that process of children
themselves and their carers. The Nine Core Themes are adopted within the
LSCB training course content.
Theme 1:
Promoting Healthy Lifestyles & Choices.
Theme 2:
Building resilience and respect for others amongst children
& young people.
Theme 3:
Reducing the fear of crime and antisocial behaviour.
Theme 4:
Promoting the safeguarding of children and young people.
Theme 5:
Raising attainment and reducing educational inequalities.
Theme 6:
Developing more places to go and things to do that
children & young people enjoy.
Theme 7:
Engagement and involvement of children and young people
in decision-making and with the community.
Theme 8:
Preparing our children and young people for the challenges
of being independent and economically productive,
and promoting the economic well-being of families.
Theme 9:
Embracing a shared vision, to improve outcomes for children,
young people, parents and carers.
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Defining Needs
Principles
Training and development needs are identified and met within the context of
local and national policy and practice developments.
Objectives
To promote single- agency and multi-agency training on safeguarding
ensuring promotion of local needs .
Equality of Access
Principles
All inter-agency training and development promotes equality of access to
learning opportunities
Objectives
The Safeguarding training programme is multi-disciplinary, providing an
appreciation of different professional roles, status, language,
organisational structure, decision making processes and ethos.
Everyone working with children, young people and families within Merton
should have a common set of skills and knowledge.
The six areas of expertise are
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Effective communication and engagement
Child and young person development
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child
Supporting transitions
Multi-agency working
Sharing information
Single and Inter-agency Boundaries
Principles
Working Together ( draft 2005 ) emphasises the need for single and multidisciplinary training to compliment each other . The children’s workforce
require consistent, effective, integrated learning pathways
Objectives
The Local safeguarding Board acknowledges the variety of training needs and
provision in training capacity across the wide groups and agencies which
have responsibilities for Safeguarding children.
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Prioritisation
Principles
The training sub committee has an identified and ongoing process for the
prioritisation of training and development across Merton.
Objectives
1.
All professionals including staff in the private and voluntary sectors,
require a general awareness of known indicators, and pre-disposing
factors of abuse, as well as ( role specific) detailed knowledge of
policies and procedures.
LSCB training for staff engaged in child protection work must include:
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The DFES Assessment Framework and CAF
Basic and advanced inputs on all forms of abuse and neglect
Targeted joint training
All practitioners must routinely be provided with opportunities for basic
and comprehensive anti- discriminatory training. This training should be
rooted in recognition of the diversity of families and communities in
London and respect for the differing approaches to child rearing which
diversity represents.
Inter-agency training content
Principles
The content of all LSCB training is evidence based and informed by recent
and relevant research. Practice guidance, legislation, policy and procedures.
Objectives
 Regular review of course content to include relevant research and
guidance developments are applied in course content.
Facilitator Competence
Principles
Those facilitating inter-agency training and development work to an agreed
level of competence
Objectives
Presentation and facilitation skills are monitored against locally agreed criteria
Arrangements are in place for management and professional supervision of
inter-agency trainers and facilitators
Resources are allocated for facilitators learning and development needs.
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Adult Learners
Principles
Inter-agency training and development is based on adult learning theories.
Importance is given to the application of knowledge and skills within the
workplace.
Objectives
Opportunities will be explored to extend
 Experiential learning
 Reflection
 Professional Learning support
 Portfolio learning.
Methods and materials within the training programme are appropriate to a
diverse audience and can accommodate special needs.
Evaluation
Principles
The LSCB is committed to ensuring evaluation of all learning events is linked
to the lessons learnt from putting training into practice
The effectiveness of inter-agency training and development and its facilitation
is continuously monitored and feedback to the LSCB is presented on a
quarterly basis.
Objectives
Evaluation is not considered in isolation but is an integral part of the training
cycle. The Aims of the evaluation cycle are to:
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Ensure training contributes to the competence of the workforce
Provide effective adoption of practice policies and procedures
Identify gaps in policies, skills and service provision
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Actions
1.
Targets September 2006
Introduce 3 tier model to define target audiences for
courses 2006 – 2007. (Working together 2005 draft)
1.1 1
Explore options to extend LSCB programme
incorporate
Those in regular contact with children
Housing
Leisure & sport staff
Youth workers
Child minders
Learning support staff School governors
to
1.1 .2
Those who work regularly with children
GP ‘s
Family centre workers
Teachers
Probation officers
1.1.3
Those with a particular responsibility for safeguarding
children
Designated health and education professionals
Police
Operational Managers who supervise practitioners &
volunteers
Operational managers who commission & deliver
services
1.2
Increase number of courses to reflect 3 tier model
1.2.1
Increase provision Course One “ Child protection,
recognition & referral.
Introduce Course One availability on Saturdays &
twilight provision
1.2.2
Increase provision Course Twelve
disciplinary meetings.
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chairing multi-
Actions
Target October 2006
1.2 2
Develop learning pathways by the introduction of two levels
within the training programme for following:
Course Ten: The impact of living with parents with mental
health problems
Course Sixteen: Hidden Harm (impact substance misuse)
Course Five: Confidentiality & Information Sharing
1.2.3
Introduce new Course Six: Communicating with Children
1.2.3
Develop specialist course material on specific forms of
abuse and neglect.
Course: Focus on physical abuse
Course: Focus on neglect
Course: Focus on Emotional abuse
1.2.4
Introduce new course Nineteen: Working with parents &
families who are difficult to engage.
1.2.5
Adapt Course Fifteen applied to “ Good practice in Equality
and Diversity across London “
2.
L.S.C.B training meets the needs of single- agency and
multi- agency priorities within the context of local and
national policy and practice developments
2. 1.
Undertake systematic training needs analysis to map &
incorporate current child protection training practice policy
across;
Single statutory agencies
Voluntary sector
Faith Groups
2.2
Design Safeguarding survey to;
a) co-ordinate what is current practice within partner
agencies.
b) ensure effectiveness of practice
2.3
Establish the number of practitioners within individual
partnerships with direct contact with children.
2.4
Identify safeguarding policies and procedures within Merton
2.5
Ensure all staff induction policies orientate staff in basic
awareness of What to do if worried A child is being abused
2.6
Ensure common process of training from basic awareness
to complex skills in managing safeguarding processes.
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Actions
3
Target May 2006
The training programme is multi- disciplinary , providing an
appreciation of different professional roles, status,
language, organisational structure, decision making and
ethos.
3.1
Practitioners within Merton will develop a common set of
skills and knowledge
3.2
The core content of the safeguarding programme will adopt
the common core of skills and knowledge framework
Target June 2006
3.3
The common core skills and knowledge will be integrated
within the course content learning outcomes
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The children workforce across Merton require consistent,
effective , integrated learning pathways .Single & multidisciplinary training should acknowledge the variety of
training needs and capacity for provision.
4.1
The LSCB will establish a central database across agencies
to develop the dissemination of Safeguarding issues ,
polices and practice relating to training needs.
4.2
Via the database the LSCB training programme can adapt
to new policies & training opportunities as required
4.3
The database can be used to develop learning links .
Highlight research or evidence based practice.
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The processes for Safeguarding children include an
understanding and awareness of four key principles to
achieve effective practice working with children and families
5.1
All foundation and course One training within Merton will be
consistent in content and provision .
5.2
Develop a Merton trainer’s forum to support and induct
trainers delivering Course one
5.3
Develop Course One Safeguarding training pack for course
one trainers
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Action
Target March 2007
6.
The breadth of the LSCB training programme requires
inclusion of Level 3 practitioners. Those staff who have
particular professional responsibilities for Safeguarding
children.
6.1
The training – sub will use the framework from Competence
Matters ( London child protection committee) to explore
learning pathways for Level 3 commissioning within
programme 2007.
7.
The LSCB has a responsibility to ensure all training is
delivered by trainers who are knowledgeable about
safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and
when delivering complex or specialist material trainers
require the relevant specialist skills
7.1
The training – sub recommends an identified training
budget to facilitate the training programme
7.2
Allocated resources are available for the learning and
development of LSCB trainers
7.3
Opportunity will be explored to link with local LSCB to
develop joint specialist provision of training events.
7.4
Commissioning of external trainers is included within the
2006 – 2007 budget to supplement and enhance the
internal training programme.
8.
LSCB training reflects adult learning theories and all training
aims to support skills and knowledge in practice.
8.1
Inclusion of DVD , CD- Rom training material will be
developed within course material
8.2
Cataloguing of resources will explore commitment to a
resources library
8.3
Exploration of e- learning
8.4
Review of professional membership of libraries
8.5
Development of research governance framework
8.6
Develop , seminars , portfolios , learning logs.
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Action
Target April 2006
9.
The effectiveness of LSCB training is within developing a
training cycle whereby training and development is
continuously monitored
9.1
Strategies will be developed to create an Evaluative Cycle
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Development of robust links with quality assurance
9.2
9.3
Currant evaluation process review throughout 2006 , with
development of evaluation form
9.4
Quarterly reporting of reported learning outcomes from
evaluation of attendance on training courses to LSCB main
board.
9.5
Allocated time within every training course to participants
identifying personal learning outcomes.
9.6
Monitoring and evaluation of practitioners’ attendance by
professional disciplines.
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LSCB training programme is informed by relevant research ,
policy , local and national developments
10.1
There will be annual review of learning outcomes across all
LSCB course contents.
10.2
Merton LSCB will consider accreditation of courses and
progress development of learning pathways to support
accrediting process.
10.3
Merton LSCB will explore specific methods within training
material to include service users perspective
and
experiences within course content
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