Swindon Safeguarding Partnership

• The multi-agency training offer comprises both core and specialist modules and these are aimed at professionals working directly with children and adults across all agencies
• There are no longer different "levels" allocated to each course, as levels can mean different standards across our partnership organisations and has previously caused some confusion
• This provides greater flexibility for professionals to keep their safeguarding training up to date and promotes a continued professional development approach to safeguarding training
• For staff who may require a basic/awareness-level training, such as administrators and receptionists, online and within-agency training is recommended by the SSP. Access to free online eLearning modules are available on the SSP website. These modules have been quality assured by the members of the SSP Learning and Development Group and provide training on a range of topics.
• We are aware that NHS staff still work to levels and all of the offered core and specialist modules will be at the NHS level 3
• More use of blended learning opportunities such as 7-minute briefs, themed practice briefings

• Single agency training is training taken alongside people from your own organisation, usually specific to the work of your organisation. It can be delivered at any level of skill and knowledge, from a basic induction for staff, to a highly specialist course providing specific techniques for practitioners, or a specialist course covering the exact duties of safeguarding leads within your organisation.
• Multi-Agency training is training taken alongside people from different agencies, such as nurses training alongside teachers. This training focuses on safeguarding topics that are relevant to all agencies working with children and families, and all multi-agency courses will be attended by and/or delivered by a number of organisations.
• Multi-agency training will always contain a focus on how organisations work together to keep children safe, how to balance the competing priorities involved and how to overcome the barriers that exist
• The multi-agency training offered by the Swindon Safeguarding Partnership will be based around the Swindon policies and procedures and learning from local case reviews and audits

Anyone working within Swindon with adults, children, young people, and families in the statutory or voluntary and community sector may apply for any SSP training courses. 

Places on SSP/CSP training will be prioritised for those professionals working with children, families and adults in Swindon.

The SSP has determined that all those working with children, young people and/or parents/carers and adults at risk must access training in relation to child and adult protection and safeguarding. 

This should include training as part of their agency or professional induction. This should be an ongoing process whereby professionals continue to develop their knowledge and skills in relation to safeguarding. The current training provides professionals with opportunities to adopt a continued professional development approach to their learning.

Those members of the Swindon workforce who predominantly work directly with the following groups, should wherever possible attend relevant SSP multi-agency training courses.

• Adults at risk
• Children, young people and/or parent/carers
• Those who have specialist responsibilities
• Those with designated responsibility for adult and/or child protection
• Operational managers involved in adult and/or child protection

For further information on the modules, including the aims and learning outcomes and relevance to your job role, skills and competencies, please go to the respective training webpage.

For those staff whose organisations contribute to the SSP budget, places will be free of charge provided the delegate attends the course they booked.

See Appendix 1 for a list of which agencies contribute to the budget.

For those whose agencies do not contribute, fees will be charged at the following rate:

• £30 per person for early years staff and childminders
• £30 for charities, faith, and voluntary groups
• £85 per person for anyone from a different agency

E-learning courses are available from the website free of charge unless stated otherwise.

When booking a course, select your agency from the drop-down menu and you will be guided through the process on the booking form.

If you are having any difficulties with booking or require us to hold a place whilst payment is approved, contact SSP Strategic Support Unit: safeguardingpartnership@swindon.gov.uk.

We will be happy to discuss how you can progress.

All courses must be booked through the respective course booking page of the SSP website. If a booking is received for a course that is marked as full on this page, then the applicant is unlikely to be allocated a place and any payment made may not be refunded.

Only delegates who have booked a place should attend the training. If you do try to attend the training and have not booked a place on the course, the trainer is unlikely to allow you to participate. Please note: If you are allowed to participate you may be charged for the place retrospectively.

When your booking is confirmed, please ensure you add the event to your calendar. This is your responsibility, we will not send any reminders.

You will need to submit one booking form per person.

Please note: For some agencies, applications should be made via your line manager (or designated training lead) for approval.

If you are having any difficulties with booking or require us to hold a place whilst payment is approved, contact SSP Strategic Support Unit: safeguardingpartnership@swindon.gov.uk.

We will be happy to discuss with you about how to progress.

If payment is required, it is taken at the time of booking by either credit or debit card.

If you require a receipt, please ensure you tick the box on the payment page. We are unable to provide receipts retrospectively.

If you are no longer able to attend, please be courteous and let us know ASAP by e-mailing safeguardingpartnership@swindon.gov.uk so that the place can be offered to someone else.  

You may also avoid incurring a non-attendance/late cancellation charge if you cancel your place at least 10 days prior to the course.

There has been an increase in people failing to attend training and as a result SSP will be robustly enforcing the cancellation policy. This applies to both paid for and free courses.

It is therefore imperative that you cancel your booking as soon as possible if you are unable to attend training. 

Any delegate failing to attend a course or cancelling a place without giving ten working days’ notice will incur cancellation charges.

If payment was made at the time of booking this will mean forfeiture of the fee paid. 

This policy also applies to those delegates whose agency contribute to the SSP budget and may not make payment when booking (see appendix 1). An £85 non-attendance/late cancellation fee will be charged.

Please note: If you need to cancel a place on a training course, use the link sent in the confirmation e-mail or email safeguardingpartnership@swindon.gov.uk.

Any refunds should be claimed as per the instructions within your confirmation e-mail. Please claim any refunds within 28 days or there may be delays in processing or forfeiture of the amount.

• Nearer to the course date you will receive an email from safeguardingpartnership@swindon.gov.uk, which will contain information regarding any pre-reads, information about attending the course and the link to access the training online/details of the venue if face to face
• It is imperative that you check this email before the course date
• Please ensure you check your junk/spam folder
• The SSP courses charter - Swindon Safeguarding Partnership outlines the commitments for the SSP strategic support unit, delegates and trainers

Training on Zoom 

SBC staff should not download the Zoom app. Instead, you should open Zoom in your browser. We recommend using Google Chrome.

• Full guidance for SBC staff on joining a Zoom meeting (PDF)

Training on MS teams

• Full guidance on attending training in Microsoft Teams (PDF)

• If you require a certificate confirming your attendance on the course, this can now be downloaded from the SSP website
• Following your participation and full attendance on the respective course, you will need to complete the evaluation form via MS forms
• The link will be provided in the joining instructions, by the trainer at the conclusion of the session. It can also be found on the course webpage
• When you submit the form there is a link to download your certificate
• Once you have completed and submitted your evaluation form you will see a message saying ‘Thanks! Your response was submitted
• Also included in this message is the hyperlink and password to access your certificate. Please make a note of the password and click on the hyperlink to download the certificate.
• Guidance document on how to request a certificate for attending SSP training

• The SSP recommends that all safeguarding training should be kept up to date. It is recommended that at least one of the core modules should be completed every year. 
• This should be a different module to those completed within the last 2 years
• No more than three years should elapse between training dates
• The includes use of SSP alternative briefing resources such as 7-minute briefs, practice briefings on local themes/learning from multi-agency audits and case reviews. All agencies should also provide their staff with regular in-house updates to supplement their attendance on the SSP courses.

Keeping children safe in education states:

• The designated safeguarding lead (and any deputies) should undergo training to provide them with the knowledge and skills required to carry out the role. This training should be updated at least every two years. The designated safeguarding lead (and any deputies) should also undertake Prevent awareness training. Training should provide designated safeguarding leads with a good understanding of their own role, how to identify, understand and respond to specific needs that can increase the vulnerability of children, as well as specific harms that can put children at risk, and the processes, procedures and responsibilities of other agencies, particularly local authority children’s social care.”
• For education settings, the training that you should be updating (at least every two years) should be training that is relevant to your school, local area, statutory requirement or training that will enhance your ability to carry out the significant level of responsibility the role of DSL/DDSL has.
• The Safeguarding in Education team recommends that you complete the single agency two-day Designated Safeguarding Training followed by the DSL Refresher training every two years.  The recommendation is that, to ensure you are able to embed the procedures and responsibilities of the children’s social care, DSLs also complete the Swindon Safeguarding Partnership Core Modules.  
• It is essential that you take back any training and embed it in your DSL practice
• The content delivered in both the two-day DSL training and the DSL Refresher training recognises that the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead is vast and carries a significant level of responsibility. The breadth of knowledge and skills needed to work effectively as a DSL requires them to be trained in many areas of safeguarding.

For further advice and guidance, visit the Hub for Early Years webpage and look under the training section.

Further information can be found on the Training Delegates Privacy Notice.

If you would like to discuss commissioning the SSP to deliver training within your own organisation, email safeguardingpartnership@swindon.gov.uk.

Agencies who contribute to the SSP budget – no payment required for courses:

• Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (BSW ICB)/GP Surgeries
• Probation Service
• NHS Foundation Trusts (GWH)
• Police
• Swindon Borough Council – Children, Families and Community Health
• Swindon Borough Council – Adult Services
• Swindon Borough Council – Other
• Avon and Wiltshire Mental Partnership Trust (AWP)

Agencies required to make payment for some courses:

• Schools/Education
• NHS Foundation Trust (Other)
• Early Years / Childminder
• Fire and rescue services
• Parish Council
• Community Interest Company (CiC)
• Charity: Faith/church/voluntary groups
• Care providers
• Other agencies not specified