Integrated Adult Safeguarding and Child Protection

Course Aim

To equip all staff and volunteers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence required to recognise the signs of abuse and neglect in both children and young people (Child Protection) and vulnerable adults (Adult Safeguarding), understand their organisational and statutory responsibilities, and respond effectively and appropriately to safeguarding concerns, ensuring a unified approach to protecting all individuals accessing services.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

Section 1: Core Principles and Legislation

1. Define and Differentiate: Define "safeguarding" and "vulnerability" in the context of both children and adults, and differentiate between Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding legal frameworks (e.g., Children Act 1989/2004, Care Act 2014).
2. Understand Statutory Duties: Identify the statutory duties and core principles (e.g., Making Safeguarding Personal, child-centred approach) that underpin all safeguarding work.
3. Identify Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly articulate their individual, team, and organisational roles and responsibilities in the safeguarding process, including the duty to share information.

Section 2: Recognition and Identification of Harm

1. Recognise Categories of Abuse: Describe and recognise the specific categories and indicators of abuse and neglect relevant to both adults (e.g., financial abuse, self-neglect) and children (e.g., emotional abuse, radicalisation, exploitation).
2. Identify Risk Factors: Recognise the personal and environmental factors that increase the vulnerability of both children/young people and adults to abuse, neglect, and exploitation (e.g., disability, mental health issues, poverty, domestic abuse).
3. Understand Grooming and Exploitation: Explain the process of grooming and criminal and sexual exploitation as it applies across age groups, including signs of modern slavery.

Section 3: Response and Reporting Procedures

1. Manage Disclosure: Respond professionally, sensitively, and non-judgmentally to an individual (child or adult) who discloses abuse, following the organisational guidance on DOs and DON'Ts.
2. Complete a Referral: Apply the established procedures for recording and reporting a safeguarding concern internally and externally to relevant local authority teams (e.g., Children's Social Care or Adult Social Care).
3. Maintain Accurate Records: Understand the importance of, and be able to accurately complete, objective and factual records of concerns, disclosures, and actions taken.
4. Information Sharing: Explain the principles for practical and lawful information sharing in safeguarding contexts, recognising when it is necessary to share information without consent to prevent harm.

Section 4: Integrated Practice and Local Context

1. Multi-Agency Working: Describe the function of local multi-agency safeguarding partnerships (e.g., Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships and Safeguarding Adults Boards) and how inter-agency collaboration is essential for effective case management.
2. Respond to Organisational Policy: Locate and apply the organisation's specific safeguarding policies and procedures consistently in real-world scenarios, understanding escalation points and thresholds.

Focus: Addressing safeguarding duties and risks across the entire lifespan, recognising the interconnectedness of families and services.

Who It's For: Housing associations, faith-based organisations, charities with multi-generational service users (e.g., food banks, community hubs), and public sector bodies.

Key Topics: Identifying risks in a family context, crossover issues (e.g., domestic abuse, parental drug use), information sharing protocols (GDPR and safeguarding), and understanding transitions between children's and adult services.