Educational opportunities in safeguarding
We work to protect children from harm by providing paediatricians and other child health professionals with essential competencies in their child protection practice. This page introduces learning opportunities and guidance.
Introduction
Child protection continues to evolve, with particular changes in knowledge and focus occurring in the last 10 years. As a result, there is a necessity for updating and further training in child protection matters.
The courses listed below are not mandatory but can support your continuing professional development. They have been developed in line with Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competences for healthcare staff.
The following courses are regularly provided by RCPCH, and may be hosted online or face-to-face.
| Course title | Number days | Level | Audience |
| Child Protection Examination to Court | 2 days | Level 3 | Consultant paediatricians, paediatric trainees ST6-8 & Staff, Associate Specialist and Specialty (SAS) doctors |
| FII and Perplexing Presentations | 1 day | Level 3 | Consultant paediatricians, paediatric trainees ST6-8, SAS doctors, nurses and social workers |
| Statement and Report Writing | 1 day | Level 3 | Consultant paediatricians, paediatric Trainees ST6-8 & SAS doctors |
| Supporting New Named and Designated Paediatricians | 2 days | Level 4/5 | Named and designated paediatricians |
| Expert Witness in Child Protection: Developing Excellence | 2 days | Level 5 | All paediatricians who are acting as, or thinking of becoming, expert witnesses |
Our learning management system, Compass, gives you access to quality assured eLearning to support your professional development and clinical practice. If you’re an RCPCH member, you can log in to Compass through your RCPCH online account. Non-members may register for an account directly on Compass.
Some eLearning listed below is hosted on eLearning for Healthcare (e-LfH). If you are not eligible for an e-LfH account or if you live outside the UK, you can purchase individual or bulk licenses to use all eLearning for Healthcare products.
| eLearning title | Level | Audience |
| Introduction to Safeguarding Children and Young People – e-LfH | Level 1 | All healthcare professionals working in healthcare settings |
| Recognition, Response and Record – e-LfH | Level 2 | All healthcare professionals who have some degree of contact with children and young people and/or parents/carers |
| Female Genital Mutilation – e-LfH | Level 2 | All healthcare professionals who have some degree of contact with children and young people and/or parents/carers |
| Child Protection in Practice – ALSG (PDF) | Level 3 | Paediatricians in training (ST 4-7) and others including GPs, A&E, specialties |
| Maintaining and Updating Competences – e-LfH | Level 3 | Paediatricians in training (ST 4-7) and others including GPs, A&E, specialties |
| Female Genital Mutilation – Compass | Level 3 | All healthcare professionals working with children and young people |
| Looked After Children – e-LfH | Level 3 | All clinicians working with children, young people and/or their parents/carers |
| Emotional Abuse and Emotional Neglect – Compass | – | Multi-agency, including paediatric trainees and consultants, nurses, mental health practitioners, teachers and social workers |
| Imaging in Cases of Suspected Physical Abuse in Children | – | Radiographers and nuclear medicine technologists, radiologists and hospital-based paediatricians |
Blended learning is a mix of a course (which may be delivered online or face-to-face) and eLearning.
| Blended learning title | Number days | Level | Audience |
| Blended Learning for Named and Designated Paediatricians | 2 days | Levels 4-5 | Named and Designated Paediatricians |
| ALSG – Child Protection Recognition and Response | – | Level 3 | Paediatricians in training (ST 4-7) and others including GPs, A&E, specialties |
The Healthy Child Programme offers safeguarding modules.
There are also safeguarding modules in MindEd, a free educational resource on children, young people, adults and older people’s mental health – follow the link and select MindEd Healthy Child Mental Health Framework.