Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Health Care Trusts

CORNWALL AND THE ISLES OF SCILLY HEALTH CARE TRUSTS

CHILD PROTECTION/SAFEGUARDING TRAINING STRATEGY 2008/2009

Cornwall Health Care Trusts Child Protection Training Strategy

BACKGROUND

Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a duty on all health organisations to have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Safeguarding children is a theme running through The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (NSF 2004), Standard 5 of this document deals specifically with safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Standards for Better Health (Department of Health, 2004) describes standards that all healthcare organisations must meet, Core Standard C2 of this document states ‘Health care organisations protect children by following national child protection guidance within their own activities and in their dealings with other organisations.’ Training is a fundamental requirement in each of these policy initiatives.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is one of the six Common Core of skills and knowledge for the Children’s workforce. Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government, 2006[1]) clearly outlines the responsibilities of individual agencies, as employers, to ensure all staff are competent and confident in carrying out their responsibilities for safeguarding children.

As part of their responsibilities Health Care Trusts should ensure that all their staff are alert to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, have knowledge of local procedures and how to act on their concerns. Commissioners have responsibility for ensuring that all service providers are meeting the safeguarding standards. This includes having systems in place to monitor against service standards, including the access to high quality training for staff.

In April 2006, a document produced by the RoyalColleges and professional organisations was published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health[2], identifying the necessary competency levels required by all healthcare workers. This provides a generic knowledge and skills framework to assist in the identification, planning and delivery of training and education needs across the range of employees in a healthcare organisation

The Generic Competency Framework[3] recognises that staff groups will have different training needs depending upon their degree of contact with children and families, and their level of responsibility. Although it is acknowledged that in reality there is a continuous spectrum of competency, six levels of competency have been identified, and these levels are referred to within this document to define the training needs of defined staff groups.

This framework should be used by the Cornwall Health Care Trusts for the identification of training requirements of employed staff and for monitoring of quality and attendance at training provided within other healthcare organisations.

Individual training requirements in line with the competency framework will be identified by managers as part of the appraisal process. Individuals also have responsibility to identify their own training and development needs as part of their appraisal process. Managers are responsible for ensuring that their staff are provided with the information about available training and for ensuring that staff are given the opportunity to access the appropriate level of training commensurate with their role.

INTRODUCTION

The Health Care Trusts in Cornwall recognise the importance of Child Protection training and therefore require staff to ensure that they access the minimum mandatory training required for their level of contact with children as suggested within the grids (appendix A and B). Managers will ensure that their staff attain this standard through an appraisal process (Continual Professional Development CPD).

A database of all child protection training accessed by staff will be maintained. Trainers will be responsible for ensuring that registers of participants are taken. It is the responsibility of the individual to ensure that they have signed the attendance sheet.

Competency Levels – Staff Groups

Level 1: All staff (clinical and non-clinical) and volunteers

Required competency, knowledge and skills

• understand what constitutes child abuse
• know the range of physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and sexual abuse and be able to recognise signs of child abuse as it relates to their role
• know what to do when they are concerned that a child is being abused
• know who to inform, seek advice from and how to contact them
• be able to challenge another professional’s opinion if felt to be appropriate.

All staff, including volunteers, working within a health care setting must be able to demonstrate that they have attained Level 1 competencies. This includes staff working in both clinical and non-clinical areas employed by Health Care Trusts and independent contractors. Everyone working in a health care setting is likely to come into contact with children, young people and their families either directly or indirectly during their work as Trust employees each member of staff has an individual duty to safeguard children and promote their welfare.

This level of training should be incorporated into induction and undertaken within a maximum of three months of joining the organisation to ensure that staff new to the organisation meet this basic competence.

Update/ refresher training must be accessed every three years.

Level 2: Clinical and non-clinical staff who have regular contact with carers, children and young people

Required competency, knowledge and skills

• as level 1 plus
• be able to recognise child abuse, understanding risk of harm to children
• be able to document their concerns and share information appropriately
• to have an awareness of own and others’ professional roles and boundaries
• understand the next steps in child protection

All staff groups employed within Health Care Trusts who have regular contact with children, young people and their families must achieve level 2 competencies.

RCHT staff see matrix (Appendix B) for details of staff groups requiring this level of training.

PCT and CPT staff see matrix (Appendix A) for details of staff groups requiring this level of training.

Update/ refresher training must be accessed 3 yearly. Refresher or update training may be accessed through a variety of routes but it is expected that practitioners which attend a taught programme of training every 6 years.

Level 3: All staff working predominantly with children, young people and their families

Required competency, knowledge and skills

• As level 2 plus
• Knowledge of the implications of key national documents / reports
• Knowledge of local procedures and resources
• Have an awareness of how own beliefs, experience and attitudes might influence professional involvement in child protection work
• Understand the assessment of risk and harm
• Understand multi-agency framework / assessment / investigation / working
• Be able to present child protection concerns at a case conference
• Demonstrate an ability to work with families where there is a child protection concern
• Puts into practice knowledge of how to improve child resilience and reduce risks of harm
• Be able to advise other agencies regarding the health management of child protection concerns
• Ability to contribute to serious case reviews or equivalent process

All staff, clinical and non-clinical, whose work is predominantly with children, young people and parents, must achieve level 3 competencies.

PCT and CPT staff see matrix (Appendix A) for details of staff groups requiring this level of training.

RCHT staff see matrix (Appendix B) for details of staff groups requiring this level of training.

Update/ refresher training must be accessed at least annually. Refresher or update training may be accessed through a variety of routes but it is expected that practitioners falling within this category will access the equivalent of 1 days training every year.

Level 4 / 5 / 6: Designated and Named child protection professionals within the Trust, and those acting as expert witnesses for the family and criminal justice system

Training for professionals with a responsibility for safeguarding children must be facilitated in line with the recommendations of the intercollegiate document. The expectation is that practitioners in this category will require an equivalent of 2 days training per year. It is the responsibility of the individual health care professional to ensure that continuing professional development (CPD) is maintained in this field. Such CPD will include attendance at national or regional peer group meetings and professional networks and local and national courses and meetings. The Trust must facilitate such leave as is necessary to attend such events, and allow the necessary funding.

Underpinning Training Principles:

All child protection training must be child centred and reflect the rights of children as outlined in Every Child Matters. Training should promote the principles of partnership working with parents, carers and agencies. It should always be informed by equal opportunities, anti-oppressive practice and reflect diversity.

To protect children from harm, training must promote the ethos of Working Together (as outlined in the HM Government publication Working Together to Safeguard Children - 2006). It must also be informed by recent and relevant research practice and the underpinning policies. Any resource and training materials used should be clear, accurate and relevant, and account taken of how adults learn, the diversity of participants and their differing needs.

All child protection/safeguarding training must be delivered by trainers who themselves are trained and suitably experienced with up to date knowledge. Trainers should be able to access support with their own professional development which should include evaluation.

Evaluation

All training activity should be evaluated. In most cases, other than very short sessions where detailed written evaluation would not be realistic, this should be by a standard written questionnaire that assesses the relevance, acceptability and usefulness of the session. Where the session is included as part of induction or mandatory training programmes some participant feedback should be included in the overall course evaluation.

Participants on courses will be encouraged to reflect on their learning and discuss practice implications with managers and during supervision. Trainers will be encouraged to maintain a reflective diary of their training experience and use this as part of their own supervision process to further develop their skills and expertise. The evaluation will inform further training developments.

In order to meet the training requirements for a wide range of staff a number of training outcomes need to be established and acknowledged.

INDIVIDUAL STAFF DISCIPLINE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

Codes

Each level should be undertaken in order of rank i.e. Level 1 to CAMAT and completed within the prescribed timescales i.e.

Level 1, as soon as possible, maximum time 3 months

Level 2, 1 year after completion of level 1

Level 3, 1 year after completion of level 2

Some professionals working will be expected to reach Level 3 within 18 months of starting the programme.

M = Mandatory

CAMAT = Child Abuse Multi agency Training

C/Children= working predominantly with children

Guidance

Level 1 is mandatory to all staff regardless of the amount of contact with children and young people working in health care settings.

Level 2 is for staff working regularly with children and young people.

Level 3 is for staff working predominantly with children and young people.

Primary Care TrustAppendix A

Community staff

Discipline / Level 1
Induction
Induction
Time to complete in months / Update / Level 2
Time after completion
of Level 1 / Update / Level 3
Time after completion
of Level 2 / Update / CAMAT / Time
Health Visitors / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 6/12 / Yearly / M / 1yr
School Nurses / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 6/12 / Yearly / M / 1yr
HV / SN Aides (RCN/NNEB) / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly
HV/SN Aides
(non-nurse) / M 3/12 / M1yr / Every 3 years / -
Community Matrons / M 3/12 / M1yr / Every 3 years / -
Community
Midwives / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M 6/12 / Yearly / M / When Available
Supervisors of midwives / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M 6/12 / Yearly / M / When Available
District Nursing Sisters / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly
District Nurses / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly
Community Care Assists / M 3/12 / Every 3 years / - / -
Community AHP’s / M 3/12 / M1yr / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When Available
Speech & Lang. Therapists / M 3/12 / M1yr / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When Available
Clinical/Primary
Care Managers / M 3/12 / M1yr / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When Available
Other support staff (e.g. volunteers) / M 3/12 / Every 3 years / - / -

Community Hospitals

Discipline / Level 1
Induction
Time to complete in months / Update / Level 2
Time after completion
of Level1 /

Update

/ Level 3Time after completion
of Level 2 / Update / CAMAT / Time
Senior Nursing Staff / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly
Primary Nurses / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly
Staff nurses / M 3/12 / Every 3 years / -
Nursing Care Assistants / M 3/12 / Every 3 years / -
Minor Injuries -Senior Staff / M 3/12 / M 1yr / 1yr / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When Available
Minor Injuries staff / M 3/12 / M 1yr / 1yr / M 1yr / Yearly
Physiotherapists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / 1yr / M / Yearly
Physio Assistants / M 3/12 / Every 3 years / -
Chiropodists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / 1yr / M / Yearly
Chiropody Assistants / M 3/12 / Every 3 years
Occupational Therapists / M 3/12 / Every 3 years
Other support staff (e.g. volunteers) / M 3/12 / Every 3 years

General Practice

Discipline / Level 1
Induction
Time to complete in months / Update / Level 2
Time after completion
of Level 1 / Update / Level 3Time after completion
of Level 2 / Update /

CAMAT

/ Time
GPs including those working out of hours / M3/12 / M 1yr / - / M I yr / Yearly / M / 1yr
Practice nurses / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly
Practice support staff (practice managers, receptionist etc.) / M 3/12 / Every 3 years / -

NB clerical staff in all areas must attend induction sessions - any further training should be at the discretion of their managers in consultation with the senior nurse child protection.

Specialist Nursing Services

Discipline / Level 1
Induction
Time to complete in months / Update / Level 2
Time after completion
of Level 1 / Update /

Level 3

Time after completion

of Level 2

/

Update

/

CAMAT

/ Time
Continence
service / M 3/12 / - / M1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / 1yr
Respiratory service / M 3/12 / - / M1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly
Tissue viability service / M 3/12 / Every 3 years / -
Parkinson’s service / M 3/12 / Every 3 years / -
Macmillan
Service / M 3/12 / - / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly

Cornwall Partnership Trust

Discipline / Level 1

Induction

Time to complete in months / Level 2
Time after completion
of Level 1 / Update / Level 3
Time after completion
of Level 2 / Update / CAMAT / Time
Medical Staff / M 3/12 / M 6/12 / - / M 1yr / Yearly
Team Leaders / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / When
Available
Deputy Team Leaders / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly
Staff Nurses / M 3/12 / M 1yr / M1yr / Yearly
Support Workers
(Inpatients) / M 3/12 / - / Every 3 years
Psychologist / M 3/12 / M 1yr / M1yr / Yearly
Counsellors / M 3/12 / M 1yr / M 1yr / Yearly
Occupational Therapists / M 3/12 / M1yr / M1yr / Yearly
Physiotherapists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years
NNEBs (mother & baby) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / M1yr / Yearly / M / When Available
CPNs / M 3/12 / M 1yr / M1yr / Yearly / M / When Available
Support Workers
(Community) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years
Social workers / M 3/12 / M 1yr / M1yr / Yearly / M / When Available
Social work assistants / M 3/12 / M 1yr / M1yr / Yearly
Community care assistants / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years
Day resources staff / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years

Child and Family Services

Discipline / Level 1

Induction

Time to complete in months / Level 2
Time after completion
of Level 1 / Update / Level 3
Time after completion
of Level 2 / Update / CAMAT / Time
Psychiatrists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / 1yr
Psychologists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / 1yr
CPNs / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / 1yr
Art Therapists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / 1yr
Social Workers / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / 1yr
Support Workers / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years
Clinical Assistants / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly
Child Psychotherapists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / 1yr
Adult Psychotherapists / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / 1yr

Learning disabilities

Discipline

/ Level 1
InductionTime to complete in months / Level 2
Time after completion
of Level 1 /

Update

/ Level 3
Time after completion
of Level 2 / Update / CAMAT / Time
Clinical Specialists / M 3/12 / M yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / 12-18 months
Qualified Nursing staff / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / 12-18 months
Care workers / M 3/12 / M1yr / Every 3 years
Occupational
Therapists / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / 12-18 months
Medical staff / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / 12-18 months
Psychologists / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / 12-18 months
Speech and Language Therapists / M 3/12 / M1yr / - / M1yr / Yearly / M / 12-18 months

Special Parenting Service

Discipline / Level 1

Induction

Time to complete in months / Level 2
Time after completion
of Level 1 /

Update

/ Level 3
Time after completion
of Level 2 / Update / CAMAT / Time
All staff / M 3/12 / M 1yr /

-

/ M 1yr / Yearly / M / Complete the whole programme
within 18 months

Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust Appendix B

Nursing staff

Discipline / Level 1
Induction
Time to complete in months / Level 2 Time to complete
after level 1 / Update / Level 3
Time to complete
after level 2 /

Update

/ CAMAT / Time
Senior Nursing Staff / Mandatory complete in 3 months / M 1yr / Every 3 years / - / - / - / -
Senior Nursing Staff
working predominantly with children / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / - / -
Staff Nurses / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / - / - / -
Staff Nurses working predominantly with children / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When
Available
Supervisors/Midwives / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M / Yearly / M / When
Available
Health Care Support Workers / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / - / -
Health Care Support Workers working predominantly with
Children / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly
ODA’s / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / - / -
Play therapists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / When
Available

Therapy staff

Discipline / Level 1
Induction
Time to complete in months / Level 2
Time to complete
after level 1 / Update / Level 3
Time after completion
of Level 2 / Update / CAMAT / Time
Physiotherapists / Mandatory complete in 3 months / M 1yr / Every 3 years / - / - / -
Physiotherapists (Children) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When
Available
Physiotherapy Assistants / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / - / -
Occupational Therapists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / - / -
Occupational Therapists (Children) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When
Available
OT Assistants / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / -
Radiographers / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / -
Radiographers
(Children/Rotational) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / M / M / When
Available
Radiography
Assistant Practitioners / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years
Audiologists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / -
Audiologists
(Children) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When
Available
Pharmacists / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / -
Pharmacists
(Children) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When
Available

Medical Staff

Discipline / Level 1
Induction
Time to complete in months / Level 2
Time after completion
ofLevel 1 /

Update

/ Level 3
Time after completion
of Level 2 / Update / CAMAT / Time
Consultants / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / - / -
Consultants
Paediatricians / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When
Available
Registrars / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / - / -
Registrars
(Children) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly / M / When
Available
Senior House Officers / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / - / -
Senior House Officers (Children) / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly
House Officers / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years
House Officers
(Children) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / - / M 1yr / Yearly

Administrative and Clerical Staff

Discipline / Level 1
Induction
Time to complete in months / Level 2
Time after completion
ofLevel 1 / Update / Level 3
Time after completion
of Level 2 / Update / CAMAT / Time
A&C Staff (front line in contact with children/families) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Yearly / -
A&C Staff / M 3/12 / - / Every 3 years

Hotel Services, Porters and Others

Discipline / Level 1
Induction
Time to complete in months / Level 2
Time after completion
ofLevel 1 / Update / Level 3
Time after completion
ofLevel 2 / Update / CAMAT / Time
Porters/Security staff / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / -
Hotel Services / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Every 3 years / -
Hotel Services
(Involved with children) / M 3/12 / M 1yr / Yearly / -
Security staff / M 3/12 / - / Every 3 years
Volunteers / M 3/12 / - / Every 3 years

NB.