What Are the 6 Principles of Child Safeguarding?

Posted 3 years ago

Safeguarding children is one of the most important things to ensure we are protecting our young people in the United Kingdom. In fact, in 2015, the UK government introduced a new piece of legislation called The Care Act 2014. The purpose of this legislation was very simple… it clearly sets out the expectations and responsibilities for carers and people being cared for across the UK.

The legislation lists six key principles of safeguarding. These are intended to form a core set of standards for anyone who has a responsibility for safeguarding. Although these principles have been designed with a focus on vulnerable adults, they should be applied to any type of vulnerable individual…children included.

The principles are as follows:

Accountability – In the event of a disclosure, if a young person entrusts you with information that you know could be indicative of abuse, you must be clear with the individual that you need to report what you have heard.

Empowerment – It’s important for any person who has been a victim of abuse to feel that they have control over their situation. Support and encouragement are key to effective working with a victim of abuse or neglect.

Partnership – It is important to work in partnership with your local authority and all services or organisations in your community that might be able to assist in detecting and reporting abuse.

Prevention – It is sometimes possible to take action before harm has come to an individual. If you know the signs and indicators of abuse, you will understand when something is not quite right and will be better placed to report any concerns for an individual’s wellbeing.

Proportionality – When a safeguarding incident occurs, you should report your concerns in a manner that is appropriate for the risk presented. For example, if you suspect that a child is in immediate danger, dialling 999 is the recommended response.

Protection – It’s crucial to be an ally for individuals who have experienced or are at risk of abuse. Supporting and representing these individuals in the appropriate manner can help to protect them from further harm.

How do teachers report child safeguarding issues?

Reporting means notifying relevant individuals and agencies if you’re concerned for a child’s safety or wellbeing. It runs alongside making a written record – but reporting may come first if the situation is urgent, or if your organisation’s safeguarding policy tells you to report it before you start a written record.

As a matter of course, this usually means reporting to a DSL and allowing them to take the next steps. It may also fall to you to get in touch with the child’s parents or carers but this will normally only be the case if your DSL is unable to, or they think it’s appropriate.

After this, and this is likely to be a DSL’s responsibility – it’s about assessing the level of risk before making any referrals. Safeguarding is a multi-agency effort, and it’s common for different groups to get involved to protect a child.

Depending on the level of risk, there are different avenues to go down. This can include referring a child to youth workers, youth groups, social care workers, counselling, therapy, or specialist groups that are experienced in aiding the recovery of young people who have suffered a certain type of abuse – and it’s often a case of getting your local safeguarding partners to help coordinate this.

What level of safeguarding training do teachers need?

For some jobs, certain levels of safeguarding training are essential. Depending on which course you take, you will learn about different levels of safeguarding but all courses will help you to understand your responsibilities.

Level 1 Safeguarding Training

Level 1 is a starting point for safeguarding training; you don’t need to have any prior knowledge or training before you take this course.

People who might take Level 1 Safeguarding Training are:

Receptionists and administrative workers
Teachers, nursery workers, carers, childminders
Policing staff
Doctors, nurses, paramedics and health workers
Social workers & council staff
Sports teachers/coaches
Religious leaders/volunteers

Level 2 Safeguarding Training

Level 2 training will build on everything that is included in the Level 1 training but will provide a more in-depth understanding of procedures, and what happens after you have referred a child and also provide various safeguarding scenarios/examples.

This training is best suited to those who have more frequent contact with children and might be taken by:

Those listed in the Level 1 list
Those who engage in regulated activities
Teachers who are expected to have advanced safeguarding knowledge and training
Any other school staff who spend a lot of time with children

Level 3 Safeguarding Training

Level 3 safeguarding training is designed for the people with a heavily active role in safeguarding in a workplace and has a role in the safeguarding policies, which might include the Designated Safeguarding Officer/Lead (DSL).

Level 3 Safeguarding Training isn’t required for most job roles but might be completed by:

A person in a management role
A DSL
A person in a supervisor role
And people who have frequent contact with children

Online Safeguarding Training

Here at iHasco, we offer a range of Safeguarding Training Courses & Certificates, including our Safeguarding Children Training course.

This course covers both Levels 1 & 2 and Standard 11 of the Care Certificate and is endorsed by Skills for Care. We recommend our training for anyone that comes into contact with children as part of their work, including volunteers.

The course, which can be completed in just 60 minutes, is broken down into five easily-digestible sections that cover Safeguarding Responsibilities, Recognising Abuse in Children, Responding to Abuse, Recording Observations and Reporting Concerns.

Claim your free, no-obligation trial to the course today! Alternatively, you can request a bespoke quote for your organisation and a member of our team will be in touch with you shortly to discuss your training needs.